Rising to the Challenge: Harnessing AI With a Human Touch

As a revolutionary marketing and technology agency, MERGE was quick to see an opportunity to enhance its workflow using generative AI. Leading this digital charge was Mark Wollney, the Senior Vice President of Operations. To stay competitive in the changing marketing landscape, MERGE adopted AI as a supporting tool to empower creativity and productivity and deliver accelerated value to its clients.

Implementing Jasper and Developing Use Cases

The initial task was to single out the departments that could gain the most from the AI integration. The journey started with the launch of a pilot program involving initial testers from the writing, studio, and strategy teams. 

Early results showed that employees across the board were empowered with more time back in their day, enhancing their productivity. As word spread about Jasper’s capabilities, it became clear that the potential went well beyond these teams and could impact the entire org. 

MERGE shifted its focus to implementing and developing AI use cases tailored to address key challenges for CMOs, including enhancing customer experiences, refining content creation and personalization, analyzing market trends, and optimizing operations for better decision-making and growth acceleration. 

Leading with an AI Council

MERGE assembled six groups of Jasper super-users across 20 different job functions to perform AI discovery on its primary platform. Jasper fits within a diversified technology strategy that includes multiple tools and approaches. The AI Council meets bi-weekly to record new use cases, propose innovative ideas, and discuss the strengths and limitations of AI systems, encompassing emerging trends in AI evolution.

Monthly, the council discusses potential AI use cases, sharing adopted ones within the organization and eventually with clients. Beyond these meetings, employees regularly share best practices in a group Slack channel as AI evolves daily. Simultaneously, they bring creative AI ideas to their Jasper partners, who then filter the most innovative solutions and workflows back to the Council. The AI Council also oversees the establishment of tool governance and requirements, aligning with their commitment to accountability and ethical practices.

Transforming Workflows and Team Dynamics

MERGE’s bottoms-up approach to adoption is becoming a best practice across industries. They encouraged each user to identify their own challenges and explore how Jasper could address them. As Mark put it, “We’re not just integrating AI into our existing workflows. We’re exploring AI’s capabilities to define entirely new ones.”

Employees from different departments readily took up the tool, discovering new ways AI could make their work more productive and strategic. MERGE saw immediate value:

• Time-savings: Jasper saved each team member an average of 1-4 hours per week, freeing up time for strategic and creative pursuits. “While AI isn't the source of original concepts, it significantly amplifies the human ability to generate fresh ideas with greater velocity.” - Mark Wollney
• Employee upskilling: Employees found more opportunities to learn and upgrade their skills, enhancing individual knowledge.
• Cross-functional collaboration: The team’s Jasper usage broke down departmental silos and kicked off a wave of collaborative innovation.
• Culture transformation: The integration of AI sparked enthusiasm and engagement among the employees, resulting in a more dynamic culture.
• Competitive edge: By leveraging AI to empower their employees, MERGE carved out a strategic advantage in the industry.

Mark's goal was to enable employees to focus their energies on high-impact, strategic work rather than repetitive routine tasks. The team saw a significant decrease in time spent on tasks like research, content creation, and responding to RFPs (Requests for Proposals) with Jasper’s Brand Voice and Google Search integration. 

The AI-enabled employees at MERGE continued to share their Jasper experiences and insights via internal communication channels and developed a renewed culture of cross-functional collaboration and continuous learning. 

Staying Ahead of the Curve: The Role of AI at MERGE

Through their findings, MERGE has proven AI frees up time to focus on strategic thinking and creative ideation. It empowers them to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently, ultimately driving better results for their clients. Following the pilot's triumphant success, MERGE aims to integrate 50 more daily users and inspire other department leaders to tap into the power of Jasper.

MERGE is positioning itself at the forefront of technological innovation. They are committed to exploring and implementing AI solutions that drive growth, improve performance, and deliver exceptional value to their clients.

Wollney summarizes their approach to AI by stating “This isn't just about staying relevant in a rapidly evolving industry; it's about leading the way. It's about being progressive, proactive, and prepared for the future. With AI, we are not just keeping pace with change; we are driving it.”