Lost in Similarity: Exploring Brand Differentiation and Messaging Strategies in AI-Supported B2B Marketing Tasks

Abstract

This thesis explores the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in business-to-business (B2B) marketing, with a particular focus on its influence on brand differentiation and communication quality. With tools like ChatGPT and Claude becoming more prevalent in marketing processes, the study examines how content produced by AI aligns with the strategic requirements of B2B brands, especially in sustaining authenticity and uniqueness. The motivation for this research stems from AI’s widening application in marketing. While it boosts efficiency, it often produces generic, impersonal content that can dilute brand identity. Although existing literature highlights the technical advantages of AI, there is a noticeable gap in understanding its impact on creative strategy and customer relationships in the B2B context. To address this, the thesis is guided by two central research questions: (1) To what extent do AI tools deliver interchangeable and generic outcomes in tasks such as content creation and brand positioning? (2) How can B2B businesses use AI in marketing communication without sacrificing authenticity or a human touch? The present work is structured into two parts. The first part presents a literature review that outlines both the benefits and limitations of AI in B2B marketing, including ethical concerns, creative boundaries, and evolving customer expectations. The second part describes a quasi-experiment where ChatGPT and Claude were assigned to create a trade show presentation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign for five selected B2B companies. The results were evaluated using criteria such as effectiveness, efficiency, personalization, customer engagement, and similarity. The analysis showed that while both models produced coherent and grammatically correct drafts, their outputs were largely generic. Structure, phrasing, and messaging strategies were often repeated between companies. Efforts to personalize content were minimal, and emotionally engaging elements, which are critical for relationship-driven B2B marketing, were frequently missing. In summary, AI tools offer efficiency and support early-stage content development, but their present shortcomings in creativity, brand adaptation, and emotional dimension reduce their effectiveness in strategic brand communication. A collaborative approach is required to guarantee genuine and successful messaging within professional business environments, where AI assists with execution and humans lead with insight and differentiation.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Andreas Zehetner (Supervisor)