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AI & comms: clarity, collaboration & the new creative muscle

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AI & comms: clarity, collaboration & the new creative muscle

The human x AI sweet spot: the Alive angle

AI has been shaking up the comms world for a while now. First with curiosity. Then with concern. And now, with capability. The conversation has shifted from “Should we use it?” to “How do we use it well?”

For us, that “well” is everything.

Human x AI UnAwardOur recent work with West Berkshire Council – which went on to win Best AI & Human Collaboration at the Comms2Point0 10th Annual UnAwards in its debut year as a brand new category – showed exactly what happens when AI is integrated thoughtfully, ethically and creatively into a comms process, rather than bolted onto the end as a novelty.

This wasn’t automation or outsourcing – this was a partnership.

A fusion of human judgment and AI-scale analysis that made the work deeper, sharper and faster without sacrificing the nuance that makes comms human in the first place.

AI as an accelerator, not author

The West Berkshire brand audit was big. Hundreds of pages of documents, workshop transcripts, tone-of-voice examples, in-person site visits to museums, libraries and family hubs, taking signage photos, reading research reports and web copy. Normally, processing this kind of volume demands either a lot of time or a lot of people.

AI changed that dynamic – not by doing the thinking, but by clearing the fog around it.

It helped structure sprawling inputs, surface recurring themes, spot contradictions and cross-reference at a speed no team could ever match.

But the insight, the narrative, and the recommendations came from people.

AI did the groundwork. Humans made the meaning.

Scale without losing substance

Across four months, the human x AI partnership led to:

  • 600+ pages of material analysed
  • 80+ files reviewed and interpreted
  • 120,000+ words co-developed across reports and decks
  • A comprehensive 110+ page brand audit
  • A set of clear, evidence-based recommendations
  • A strategic and creative framework built for real-world delivery

The real win wasn’t the speed, but the bandwidth and the ability to think bigger because the team wasn’t drowning in data. AI didn’t make the work lighter in meaning, only lighter in load.

Ethics, oversight and the human non-negotiables

AI can analyse, synthesise, and draft. But AI cannot understand the emotional temperature of a place. It cannot read the room or sense internal politics, lived experience, organisational culture, or community nuance.

That’s why every insight was checked, every interpretation re-authored, every recommendation debated by the team.

AI gave volume. Humans gave voice. And that tension, held carefully and consciously, is what made the work robust.

What the project proved

The West Berkshire audit wasn’t only a brand exercise – it was proof of a new model for public sector comms. One that is:

  • Faster without cutting corners.
  • Deeper, because AI can handle breadth while humans focus on nuance.
  • Fairer because more voices, perspectives and data points can be included and understood.
  • More collaborative not just between people, but between disciplines, tools and ways of thinking.

It showed that AI is most powerful not when it replaces part of the process, but when it expands it – stretching what’s possible for small teams with big expectations.

And just for a little extra pizzazz… here’s what the UnAwards Judges had to say about our project:

“A great example of Human x AI collaboration at scale. It stood out for its intelligent use of AI in a brand refresh, bringing together insights from documents and interview transcripts for a clear and rounded view of how the organisation is perceived. It has the potential to shape how others think about brand work.”

So… where is AI in comms heading next?

The hype has passed. The panic is fading. What’s left is the practical middle ground:

human creativity amplified by AI capability.

AI won’t replace comms professionals, but comms professionals who know how to work fluently with AI will redefine what’s deliverable. Bigger insights, clearer narratives, smarter strategy, and more time for the human stuff – tone, story, judgement, empathy.

If the first half of this decade was about understanding AI’s risks, the second half will be about unlocking its potential.

And after the West Berkshire project – and that lovely bit of UnAwards sparkle – we’re more convinced than ever that the future of comms isn’t AI or humans.

It’s AI with humans. And the teams who learn to collaborate will be the ones shaping what comes next.

“I feel like they own and care for the project as much as we do! I would not use anyone else for my creative work and think Alive is ahead of the game.”

Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

“Thanks for all your help. We are delighted with the campaign, both in terms of the creativity and messaging but also the thought taken over the rollout of the materials. All looks absolutely fabulous!”

Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

“We went to ‘Alive’ for ideas on how to run a specific employee program in Europe. Alan and his team were brilliant in coming up with fresh, creative and practical approaches. The team took charge and executed brilliantly. We are pleased with the progress made so far and hope to have the same level of partnership and commitment going forward.”

Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

“Alive helped us create a video of our response to the floods of winter 2019. Our Chief Officer received messages from all round the country praising us for it and was really pleased with both the video and the response to it.”

Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“We had the privilege to work with the Alive team. It was our first time to be involved in creating an animation for our patients within paediatrics. The team were approachable, friendly, creative and very accommodating. Your vision for what you want to create, is at all times acknowledged, appreciated and accommodated by the team. They worked effectively and with great passion towards our project and worked not only alongside health professionals but also our patients who really enjoyed the experience of working with the Alive team. It has given our team the confidence and inspiration to do further projects in the future. We highly recommend Alive and their exceptional team.”

DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

“Our mission was to update our brand visuals to better reflect our innovative and forward-thinking organisation. After receiving numerous pitches from different branding agencies, Alive stood out with their clear passion and understanding of our identity and goals. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Alive Team to create an engaging new brand that we are immensely proud of.”

Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
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