Welcome to The AI-Powered Marketing Show with Keith Bell, your go-to podcast for insights on AI and digital marketing. In this episode, we’re kicking off a three-part series on the fascinating concept of the Labor Illusion in AI-driven marketing. Recently featured in an article from the Psychology of Marketing newsletter, the Labor Illusion reveals how consumers value products and services more when they perceive significant effort behind their creation, regardless of actual quality. Today, Keith provides an introduction to this concept, exploring how it reshapes digital marketing in an AI-driven world. We’ll examine the cognitive bias that leads consumers to associate perceived effort with value and why this bias remains powerful in a world of fast, efficient AI automation. For digital marketers, this is crucial information. As AI makes automation faster and personalization easier, how can brands maintain the perception of effort to enhance value? Keith dives into examples like travel sites that use artificial delays, animations, and progress bars to simulate hard work, giving consumers the feeling they’re getting real value. Throughout the episode, Keith discusses both the advantages and challenges AI brings to digital marketing. On the one hand, AI boosts efficiency and scalability; on the other, it risks losing consumer trust if the perceived value doesn’t match expectations. The goal is to find a balance between leveraging AI’s speed and keeping consumers feeling connected to the brand by simulating effort. Tune in to gain insights on how digital marketers can harness this psychological tool to create meaningful customer experiences. Join us as we start this journey into the AI-driven marketing landscape, exploring how consumer psychology and AI intersect. Explore more at our podcast website https://aipoweredmarketingshow.supapass.xyz/ Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest insights: https://ai-powered-marketer.beehiiv.com/