Why Pet Brands Still Need Human Copywriters in an AI Content World
If you're a pet brand owner scrolling through LinkedIn or sitting in another marketing meeting, you've probably heard some version of this:
"Why are we paying for copywriting when ChatGPT can do it for free?"
Fair question.
AI is everywhere right now. Your competitors are using it. Your marketing team is probably experimenting with it. Hell, I use it too.
And if you're wondering whether you even need a copywriter anymore when robots can spit out Instagram captions in 3 seconds, I totally get it.
As someone who's been writing copy for pet brands for six years now (and yeah, now using AI as part of my process), I'm not super worried yet. Not because I'm in denial about how good these tools are getting.
But because I've seen what happens when pet brands rely on AI alone to handle their messaging.
(They all start sounding exactly the same. That’s what happens.)
And in an industry where everyone's already defaulting to "premium ingredients for your furry family member" and "your pet's home away from home," blending in is the fastest way to become invisible.
So let's talk about what AI actually does well, where it falls flat (especially for pet brands), and why strategic copywriters shouldn’t be replaced, even as their industry evolves.
Let's be honest about what AI does well
Before we get into why AI can't replace strategic copywriters, I want to give credit where credit is due.
AI is legitimately helpful.
I'm not about to sit here and pretend it's useless just because I'm a copywriter who doesn't want to be replaced. That would be like a travel agent in 2005 insisting the internet was a fad.
Here’s what I think AI actually does well:
It's great for getting past the blank page.
That dreaded part when you sit down to write an email or a social post and your brain just freezes up completely. AI can help you get something on the page to work with. Even if it's not perfect (and it usually isn't), it's better than staring at a cursor for 20 minutes.It speeds up first drafts.
Need five variations of a product description? AI can generate those in seconds. Want to brainstorm headline options? Boom, here are 15. It's an assistant who never needs coffee breaks.It can help with research and organization.
AI can pull together information, summarize long documents, and help you structure your thoughts. It's basically really good at the grunt work that takes up time, but doesn't require creative strategy.
For small businesses with tight budgets, it's a lifeline.
If you're a solo pet business owner trying to juggle grooming appointments, inventory, payroll, AND marketing? AI means you can actually get some content out there instead of letting your Instagram sit dormant for three months because you don't have time to write captions.
I use AI in my own workflow. It helps me work faster and more efficiently. My clients get better results because I'm spending less time on first drafts and more time on strategy and refinement.
So I'm not anti-AI. Not even close.
But when pet brand founders and pet business owners start thinking AI can replace the strategic thinking, industry expertise, and brand understanding from a real human with real experience, that's where things go sideways.
Here's where AI falls flat (especially for pet brands)
Like I said, I’m certainly not anti-AI, so I’m not here to trash it. It's a legitimate tool that can speed up and streamline content creation. But if you think you can just plug in a prompt and call it a day, here’s why that might create problems eventually, especially in the pet industry.
Problem #1: AI Doesn't Know YOUR Brand Voice
Sure, AI can sound "friendly" or "professional" or even "quirky" if you tell it to. But can it nail the specific way YOUR brand talks to pet parents? The nuances that make you sound like you and not like every other pet brand out there?
It can get you in the ballpark, maybe. But in the pet industry, differentiation is already hard to come by, so “ballpark” might not be good enough.
I’m seeing this start to happen more and more…
Brands start using AI to speed things up (makes sense). But then they start relying on it. They're cranking out content faster than ever, but they're not really editing anymore. They're not paying attention to whether it still sounds like them.
Over time, their voice starts to flatten out. It becomes more generic. More... AI-ish.
Because when you're not actively shaping and refining your brand voice with every piece of content, you lose it. Your brand voice isn't something you set once and forget about — it's something you reinforce every single time you communicate. And if you're just hitting "generate" and doing a quick spell-check before you hit publish, you're training yourself (and your audience) to accept bland, safe, and eventually… forgettable.
Your brand voice is one of the few things that actually sets you apart. AI can mimic general tones, but it can't capture the subtleties that make your voice yours without serious human editing and oversight. And if you start to slack on editing with intention, your voice disappears, even if you don't realize it's happening.
Problem #2: AI Doesn't Understand the Pet Parent Paradox
Pet parents today are more emotionally invested in their pets than ever before. 82% consider their pets family members. They're willing to splurge on birthday cakes, fancy toys, the best of the best food, YOU NAME IT.
But affordability is a HUGE primary concern when making purchase decisions right now.
So you've got this tension between "I love my dog more than most humans" and "I literally cannot afford another $80 bag of food."
AI doesn't navigate that paradox. It just writes what sounds good based on patterns it's seen. It might nail the emotional angle OR the practical value prop, but it doesn't understand how to weave both together in a way that actually resonates with real pet parents making real buying decisions and doesn’t sound forced and awkward.
This is where it shows it’s truly just a tool that needs someone to steer the ship.
Problem #3: AI Creates More Sameness (And You're Already Fighting That Battle)
When everyone has access to the same AI tools, and everyone's using similar prompts, guess what happens?
Everyone's content starts sounding eerily similar. Shocker!
"Treat your furry friend to..."
"Give your pet the gift of..."
"Premium quality ingredients your pet deserves..."
The whole point of good copy and messaging is to stand out and connect. AI, by its very nature, is working from patterns and commonalities. It's designed to sound... normal. Acceptable. Safe.
And safe doesn't sell in a crowded market.
Problem #4: AI Can't Be Your Brand Architect
This is the big one that people miss.
AI can write a product description. It can draft an email. It can pump out social captions all day long.
But it can't tell you if your overall messaging strategy is working. It can't audit your brand positioning and tell you why you're not connecting with your target audience.
It can give you ideas based on what it sees in the inputs from other humans, but it can’t think critically about a brand that does not belong to it.
You still need to be the one to strategize based on real-world thinking. All the AI-generated content in the world isn't going to fix that. You'll just be creating a lot of
What Strategic Copywriters Actually Do in an AI World (AKA: Why You Still Need Us)
So if AI can generate content and you're already using it... what exactly do strategic copywriters do anymore?
Great question. Cause I do sooo much more than write pretty words.
Role #1: Brand Architect
AI can write copy. But it can't tell you what you should be saying in the first place.
Should your homepage lead with your product features or your brand story? Are you positioning yourself as the premium option or the accessible one? Is your messaging actually speaking to the audience you're trying to reach, or are you talking to the wrong people entirely?
These are strategic decisions that require industry knowledge, customer psychology understanding, and a bird's-eye view of your entire brand ecosystem. AI doesn't do brand audits. It doesn't challenge your positioning. It doesn't tell you when your messaging strategy is fundamentally off.
A strategic copywriter does. We shape the strategy before a single word gets written. Because if you don't know what you're trying to say and who you're saying it to, all the AI-generated content in the world won't save you.
Role #2: Quality Controller (And Voice Guardian)
Here's how AI fits into my workflow with clients:
Sometimes I use it to generate a first draft of something based on my brain dump of ideas and what I want. It helps me brainstorm different angles, create different variations, or reword that pesky sentence I just can’t seem to get to flow.
But no matter what, I edit. Hard.
Does this sound like the brand? Does this actually connect with pet parents, or is it just... words? Is this specific and compelling, or is it generic fluff that could work for literally any pet brand?
I'm cutting the AI-isms. The phrases that sound like they came from a marketing textbook. The overly formal language.
It’s fast. I’ll give it that. But sometimes fast opens the door to SLOPPY. And I’m anything but. And most times, the BEST written content comes from me dumping every last thought onto the page first. Because my brain IS the quality control.
Strategic copywriters are the filter between efficiency and mediocrity.
Role #3: Audience Translator
I've spent 13+ years in the pet industry. Retail, boarding, daycare, grooming, rescue — I've been deep in the trenches. I've talked to thousands of pet parents. I know what they care about, what pisses them off, what makes them pull out their credit card, and what makes them bounce.
AI doesn't have that. It has patterns and data, sure. But it doesn't know pet parents the way someone who's lived in this industry does.
When I'm writing copy (or editing AI-generated copy), I'm thinking about that pet parent paradox — the tension between emotional investment and budget constraints. I'm thinking about generational differences in how millennials vs. Gen Z approach pet ownership. I'm thinking about what's been done to death in this industry and what'll actually feel fresh. I’m thinking about one of my favorite dog adopters who put everything they had into researching and giving their newly adopted pet the best life.
That's not something you can prompt your way into.
Role #4: Consistency Coach (For the "Too Many Cooks" Problem)
If you're a bigger pet brand, you probably have multiple people touching your messaging. Your marketing team, your social media manager, your product team, maybe an agency or two. Everyone's creating content. Some of them are using AI. Some aren't.
And somehow, your brand voice is all over the place.
One email sounds corporate and formal, your Instagram sounds super casual, and your website copy is trying way too hard to be clever. Nothing feels cohesive.
Plus, everyone has a different idea of what your brand’s POV is for everything that’s written.
(This is one thing that every single brand I have on retainer has in common and WHY they bring me on to help them. Aside from copywriting also being time-consuming.)
A strategic copywriter is the someone who unifies the voice across every single touchpoint. We're the thread that ties it all together, making sure that whether someone's reading your packaging, your email, or your Instagram caption, it all feels like it's coming from the same brand.
The best approach? Human + AI, Not Human vs. AI
You don’t have to pick just one.
This isn't about AI replacing copywriters or copywriters refusing to adapt. It's an evolution we have to get down with whether we want to or not. It’s important that brands figure this out before they dilute their brand voice and have to dig themselves out of the trenches.
If you're a small business just trying to keep up, use AI to get content out there. It's better than radio silence. But recognize that there's a difference between "having content" and "having content that actually differentiates you and drives sales." At some point, either learn some DIY copywriting strategies, or utilize the expertise of a copywriting and messaging expert as you’re able to.
If you're a bigger brand with a budget, this is your competitive advantage moment. Having a strategic copywriter who can integrate AI tools means you get the efficiency WITHOUT sacrificing your unique voice. You get consistency across all your touchpoints. You get someone who can audit your strategy and tell you when you're off track, not just crank out more content.
The question isn't "Can AI write my copy?"
The question is, "Will AI-generated copy actually connect with my customers and differentiate my brand from the ten other pet brands saying the exact same thing?"
And if the answer is “no” or “I’m not sure”, you’re in the right place, because what you really need is a marketing savvy, strategic copywriter.
I promise you I didn’t write this blog because I’m anti-AI. The truth is, ignoring AI would be a less-than-smart business strategy on my end.
And if there’s anything I’m trying to prove here, it’s that I'm pro-strategy.
I'm also pro-brands sounding like themselves instead of like everyone else.
I'm pro-copy that understands the pet parent paradox and doesn't just slap "premium quality" on everything and call it a day.
I’m pro-putting the human critical thinking back into marketing because it’ll take your brand the extra mile.
If you're wondering how to integrate strategic copywriting into your existing process — whether you're already using AI or you're still figuring it all out — that's what I do.I work with pet brands to build messaging strategies that actually work, voices that actually stand out, and copy that actually converts.
Want to talk about what that could look like for you and your pet business or brand? Schedule a discovery call with me here!