How AI can become your strategic partner

When AI stops being a tool and starts becoming a sparring partner

I met a marketing manager at a mid-sized tech company last month. She had four people under her, all skilled in their specific areas: social media, content, events, and digital advertising. But when it came to the big questions, the strategic choices, there was no one to discuss them with.

The CEO wanted results but had no understanding of the market. The leadership team mostly thought that marketing cost money. Her team was operationally focused and waited for instructions rather than challenging her thinking. So she started building what she called her “thought partner.” A custom GPT that she trained with information about their target audiences, past campaign results, competitors, and business goals for the next two years.

Suddenly she could ask questions like: "We have a new product launch in three months. Should we invest in a big event or run a digital campaign first and then build on it? What does our history say?" And get a well-thought-out answer in two minutes. Instead of sitting alone in the evenings trying to weigh the pros and cons, or paying for external consultants every time she needed to think out loud with someone.

The difference from just asking ChatGPT generically is huge. When you build a custom GPT, you can ensure that the AI goes to specific information in its training data, information that is critical to your particular tasks. This combined with your own data that you have entered and the instructions you give it will give a completely different level of answers you get.

Three things you need before you start

I know that many of you reading this are already using AI quite a bit. Maybe you've come a long way. This isn't for beginners who want to learn the basics. This is for those of you who already know how AI works, but want to take it to the next level. From quick texts and idea lists to something that can actually challenge your thinking and help you make smarter decisions.

Before you build your strategic AI partner, there are three building blocks you need to have in place. This is actually what we do at the beginning of our SPARK approach, in the scouting phase where we map out where you are before we decide where we are going. Because it doesn't matter how smart the AI is if it doesn't know who you are.

The first building block: Your brand

Not just a logo and colors, but who you really are. What words you use. What you stand for. How you sound when you talk to your customers. I usually tell my clients: start simple. Gather your “About Us” page, a couple of case studies, your latest newsletter, and an article or post you’re proud of. That’s enough. Five documents. That gives the AI enough to capture your voice and perspectives. Perfection comes later. 80 percent right now is better than 100 percent perfect never.

The second building block: Your business goals

But not those vague goals like "grow" or "become more visible." I mean real, concrete goals that actually mean something to your business. There's a big difference. Compare "grow your business" to "go from 20 to 50 paying customers in 12 months through inbound marketing." One is a wish, the other is a plan.

When your AI partner understands where you're going, you get support that actually moves you forward. Not just a bunch of content, but the right content for the right goal.

The third building block: Define your AI partner

This is the fun part. Imagine your dream constellation of experts. Who would you like to have around the table when you’re making tough decisions? Maybe Seth Godin’s strategic thinking mixed with Ann Handely’s storytelling ability. Or Gary Vaynerchuk’s social media energy with Amy Porterfield’s structure for digital courses.

When you build a custom GPT, you can instruct it to think like these experts would think. Not just copy their style, but actually apply their perspective to your specific challenges.

Here's how you use it in real life

With those three building blocks in place, something starts to change in the way you work. You can ask your AI partner to analyze your latest newsletter and explain why it had a 35 percent open rate when you usually have a 22 percent. It breaks down subject line, timing, length, and content based on what has worked in the past for you, not for marketers in general.

You can ask for strategic advice. "I have these three goals and a marketing budget of SEK 50,000. What should I prioritize for the next six months?" Instead of generic advice, you get a thoughtful answer based on your history, your target audience, and your situation.

You can test ideas before you launch them. "We're thinking about starting a podcast. Based on our audience and resources, is this the right decision now?" Sometimes the answer is no. And it saves you months of work and energy.

What I see with those who have come the furthest is that the conversations are changing. It's becoming less about "write five headlines" and more about "help me think this through." Less tactics, more strategy. More brainstorming with someone who actually understands the context.

What is the difference from just asking ChatGPT?

I get this question a lot. After all, many people already use ChatGPT daily and get great results. The difference is in the depth and specificity. When you ask ChatGPT a generic question, you get generic advice based on everything it knows about the topic. It can be good advice, absolutely. But it's advice for someone in your shoes, not for you specifically.

When you build a custom GPT, you instruct it to go to specific information first. Your brand manual. Your past campaigns. Your business goals. It doesn’t search everything it knows, it searches what’s relevant to you. That’s the difference between asking a generalist and asking someone who really knows your business.

Imagine you ask: “How should I position our new service?” A generic AI gives you theories about positioning. Your strategic AI partner looks at how you have positioned previous services, analyzes what worked, looks at your target audience and your competitive position, and gives you concrete recommendations based on that.

This is bigger than a tool

When I talk about building a strategic AI partner, it’s not about technology first and foremost. It’s about changing the way you work with marketing. In a world where resources are limited but expectations are only growing, we need to find new ways to be strategic. To be able to think long-term even when everyday life is fully booked. To make smart decisions even when budgets are tight. To have someone to play ball with even when you’re the only one in the department.

This is what I see as a natural part of how we work in the pilot phase of the SPARK method. We don't just test for the sake of testing. We build capabilities and create tools that are actually used. That change how you think, not just what you produce.

Because that's where the real shift happens. Not in AI being able to write texts faster. But in you being able to think more clearly, make better decisions and feel more confident in your choices.

Where do you start?

If you're reading this and thinking it sounds interesting but overwhelming, then start here:

1. This week, you will collect five documents that describe your brand.

2. Next week, write down your three most important business goals. Concrete. Measurable. The ones that actually matter.

3. The week after that, you think about which two or three experts whose thinking you want to have with you when making difficult decisions.

   
   

That's all. Three weeks, three steps.

Then we can talk about how you actually build this. No template. No one-size-fits-all solution. But something that is tailored to where you are today and where you want to go. Book a strategy call and I'll show you exactly what it could look like for your business.

Or have you already started trying something similar? I'm genuinely curious to hear what worked for you and what was tricky. Let me know.