But just because you can create content, doesn’t mean you should.  A lot of what’s being put out is absolute tosh; low-effort, low-impact filler, created by overnight ‘experts’ who really should stick to their knitting. 

Nobody’s reading it, nobody remembers it, it’s not building brand, and worse it’s burning the environment too.

It sounds dramatic and I’m no eco-warrior (I moan every time I have to rinse a tin and remove its label before dropping it into recycling, knowing countries are burning whole forests elsewhere), but discovering what this proliferation of garbage is costing the environment, shocked me to my cynical core.

So I’ve been reading a lot about the cost of using AI for sales and marketing (lead gen is my area, content my specialism) and thought I’d share my findings thus far.  Some of it goes back to 2019, but I had to start somewhere.

That post you schedule is costing the planet

We think digital is clean. We think it’s “greener” than print, but it’s not carbon neutral, not even close.

• Digital technologies already account for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  This is more than aviation and it’s growing fast (The Shift Project, 2019)
• Every 20-50 prompts to ChatGPT consumes around 500ml of water.  It’s used to cool the servers powering your query. (UC Riverside, 2023)
• Training a single large AI model can emit over 626,000 pounds of CO₂. This is  the equivalent of five petrol cars running for their entire lifetime. (UMass Amherst, 2019)

Now imagine that happening millions of times a day, to generate content no one asked for and no one remembers. Digital waste is still waste, just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean it’s harmless.

The brand cost is just as damaging

All that low-value content isn’t just hurting the planet either, it’s hurting your brand.

According to Havas Media’s Meaningful Brands Report, 75% of brands could disappear tomorrow and no one would care. This is because most content isn’t meaningful.  It’s being scrolled past because it’s not giving the reader anything to act on.

In the race to stay "present," many brands are becoming invisible because they’re drowning in sameness. They post recycled takes, zero-edge POVs, and SEO fodder that says nothing new.

It’s not strategy. It’s content pollution

Testing this theory

We ran some tests on content in our systems using pure play generated AI content versus originated content created by experienced copywriters.  It was the same topic produced differently.  

Engagement rates on the originated were over around 50% higher in all cases. OK, it was just a sample size test, and I wouldn’t recommend you build your whole content strategy on it, but it’s an exercise worth carrying out for yourself.  

Be ruthless, be useful, be you, or don’t bother

We applaud events teams who think about sustainability, choosing reusable stand materials, digital brochures, carbon offset travel. That takes real effort that is backed by the business strategy as a whole.  But it’s time to apply that same thinking to the digital side of the house.

If you’re going to take up digital space, make it count. Say something original, stir emotion, offer something useful, challenge a norm.  Invite people into your world, don’t just add to theirs, otherwise you're not marketing, you’re just spewing noise.

Use AI to cut time and costs if you must, but make it help you do better.  The world and your brand can't afford anything else. 


Don’t wait for the damage to show

Bad content doesn’t crash your brand overnight, it just chips away at it until one day you realise people have stopped paying attention altogether.  If your pipeline’s under performing, it might not be your product, your team, or your timing.
It might be the forgettable, filler content that no one wants or remembers.

Where we can be a Maasive help

When content becomes a box-ticking exercise, it stops doing its job. We help brands cut through the noise with content that actually matters - the kind people want to engage with, not scroll past.

If you’re ready to move from filler to substance, we’ll help you get there.  No sales pressure, just honest advice on how to make your marketing mean something again.