6 AI Tools We’re Testing in Our Marketing Agency

At Team TRIO, we’re all about walking the walk regarding AI and its use within the marketing field. We don’t just talk about the potential of artificial intelligence—we roll up our sleeves and test these tools ourselves to see what actually works (and what doesn’t) for real marketing challenges like yours.

So, what’s currently on our radar? Our team is evaluating five AI tools to see how they can enhance our work without losing that human touch we’re known for. Here’s the inside scoop on what we’re experimenting with and our honest first impressions.

Tool 1: ChatGPT (Pro Plan)

No surprise here. The entire world has been testing and playing around with this tool. At TRIO, we’re taking it a step further. While we upgraded pretty much right out of the gate, we have been diving deeper into the paid plan.

ChatGPT Pro has become our go-to brainstorming buddy. Need 20 social media post ideas for a nonprofit’s awareness campaign? Done in seconds. Looking for fresh angles on a tired topic? It delivers perspectives we might not have considered. But regardless of the output, we always review, take a pause and think, and then push AI to work a little harder so our results are as strong as possible.

What it is: OpenAI’s flagship conversational AI, upgraded with the Pro plan features

What we’re testing it for: Content ideation, first-draft copywriting and strategic brainstorming, custom development and automations

The good: It’s incredibly fast at generating ideas and can adapt to different brand voices once you give it the right prompts. The Pro plan’s advanced features make it great for more complex strategic thinking and advanced automation.

The reality check: It still needs a human editor to make content shine. Think of it as an enthusiastic intern who’s great at first drafts but needs guidance on nuance and brand personality.

Best use so far: Helping us break through creative blocks and generate content variations we can refine into something genuinely compelling. (It’s also great for getting a good first draft of long-form content, like web pages, blogs and brochures.)

Tool 2: Claude (Free Plan)

Claude has impressed us with its ability to handle longer, more complex writing projects. It seems to “get” context better than some other AI tools, making it great for creating comprehensive content that flows naturally. (Fun fact: Claude actually helped draft this very blog post!)

What it is: Anthropic’s AI assistant focused on helpful, harmless and honest interactions

What we’re testing it for: Long-form content creation and detailed project planning

The good: Excellent at maintaining consistent tone throughout longer pieces and surprisingly good at understanding brand voice when given proper context.

The reality check: Like all AI tools, it needs human oversight for accuracy and brand alignment. It’s also sometimes a bit too thorough (which isn’t always a bad thing).

Best use so far: Creating detailed blog posts and strategic documents that need a cohesive narrative flow.

Tool 3: Gamma

Gamma has been a game-changer for rapid prototyping. When we need to quickly visualize an idea or create a presentation for a client meeting, it gets us 80% of the way there in minutes instead of hours. It also offers users incredible creative freedom with editing and simple site-building tools. Need an example? View our Gamma-built landing page, triomarketing.ai. 

What it is: An AI-powered presentation and website builder 

What we’re testing it for: Pitch decks, presentations and landing page mockups

The good: Gamma quickly creates visually appealing layouts and presentations. It’s also great for getting ideas out of our heads and into a format clients can see and respond to.

The reality check: The templates can feel a bit samey if you’re not careful, so you’ll want to customize heavily for brand consistency.

Best use so far: Creating client pitch presentations and quick website mockups that help stakeholders visualize concepts before we dive into full development.

Tool 4: Google Vids

As video content becomes increasingly important, Google Vids is helping us test the waters of AI-assisted video creation. It’s still early days, but the potential is exciting.

What it is: Google’s AI-powered video creation tool (currently in Workspace Labs) 

What we’re testing it for: Quick explainer videos and social media content

The good: This AI tool makes video creation accessible for team members who aren’t video production experts. It’s great for simple explainer videos and social media content.

The reality check: The AI-generated content needs significant human input to feel authentic and on-brand. AI voiceovers can sometimes feel a little clunky, but they are leaps and bounds above similar products in the early AI days.

Best use so far: Creating quick internal training videos and simple social media content that would otherwise require outsourcing or extensive time investment. The stock video/image library and easy-to-use interface make it easy to adopt.

Tool 5: Otter.ai

Otter.ai has become a secret weapon for never missing important details from client meetings and brainstorming sessions. It’s like having a dedicated note-taker who never gets distracted. We realize many folks may be over all the notetakers on virtual calls these days, but the reality is that the team with the most data wins the AI race. Notetakers like Otter give you more data to work with, ultimately helping with data-driven decisions, and we all know data is an important key to marketing success.

What it is: AI-powered meeting transcription and note-taking 

What we’re testing it for: Client meeting documentation and content creation from recorded sessions

The good: Incredibly accurate transcription and surprisingly good at identifying key action items and decisions. The ability to search through past meeting transcripts is a game-changer.

The reality check: Otter.ai still requires human review for context and accuracy, especially with industry-specific terminology or proper names. Plus, you still need to show some self-discipline here. Don’t just file and forget those notes; review those recordings, people!

Best use so far: It’s an excellent tool for documenting client strategy sessions and turning recorded brainstorming sessions into actionable content briefs.

Tool 6: Spotify AI Playlist

This one’s more fun than functional, but inspiration can strike from anywhere. Spotify recently launched its AI Playlist feature, and we’ve been playing around with it to spark creative energy. Give it a prompt, and it builds a playlist tailored to your vibe. Naturally, we had to ask: What would it sound like if TRIO were a playlist?

What it is: Spotify’s new AI feature that creates custom playlists from natural language prompts

What we’re testing it for: Creative inspiration, team culture-building and adding a personalized soundtrack to our workdays

The good: It’s quick, surprisingly intuitive and helps shift the mood in the office when we need a creative reset or an afternoon boost. You can even fine-tune your prompt to get hyper-specific vibes.

The reality check: It won’t revolutionize your marketing strategy, but it can definitely improve your workday (and sometimes that’s just as valuable).

Best use so far: Injecting personality into team meetings, setting the tone for creative projects, and just plain having fun with tech that reminds us AI can be lighthearted, too.

What We’re Learning
Testing these tools has reinforced our core belief about AI in marketing: it’s not about replacement, it’s about enhancement. Each tool excels at handling the time-consuming, repetitive tasks that used to eat up our creative energy, freeing us to focus on strategy, relationship-building, and the kind of creative thinking that makes campaigns truly memorable.

The key insight? AI tools work best when they’re part of a human-guided process, not a replacement for human judgment. We’re using them to amplify our capabilities while keeping human creativity and strategic thinking at the center of everything we do.

So, what’s next for TRIO? We’re always experimenting with new tools and approaches. Our testing bench changes regularly as new AI solutions emerge and existing ones evolve. The goal isn’t to adopt every shiny new tool but to find the ones that genuinely help us deliver better results for our clients.

Ready to evolve your marketing strategies?

We’d love to share what we’ve learned and help you find the right balance of efficiency and authenticity for your brand. TRIO’s full-service marketing approach, supercharged with AI insights, can help you build a UGC strategy that actually works. Contact us today, and let’s make your community your competitive advantage.