AI was designed to complete the pattern.
You, on the other hand, were made to break it.
That contrast is exactly what makes your message matter.
Disruption isn’t just a creative move, it’s the foundation of nearly every great marketing campaign.
To earn someone’s attention, you don’t match what they expect. Instead, you interrupt it. You flip the script. You say the unexpected.
That’s why effective marketing disrupts the pattern.
And that’s precisely where AI starts working against you.
Because while AI continues what already exists, real marketers know when to stop and challenge it.
The Pattern Problem
AI is trained on what already exists. It sees the averages. The most common phrasing. The safest tone. The flattest middle.
So when you ask AI to “make something professional,” it delivers what feels familiar:
- Generic headlines
- Predictable structure
- Polite-but-pointless language
It sounds fine. But it doesn’t land.
A 2023 study in Nature Human Behaviour found that AI-generated brainstorming ideas were significantly less diverse and less original than human-generated ones.
In other words: AI keeps things moving. But it doesn’t take creative left turns.
You do.
Why Disruption Works
Your audience is exposed to thousands of messages a day. Their brains are wired to tune out what feels expected.
That’s why pattern disruption triggers attention and memory.
Neuroscience shows that novel stimuli are more likely to be remembered. When something breaks the pattern, the brain flags it as important.
And that’s the difference:
- AI is built for continuation.
- Humans are wired for interruption.
What Pattern Disruption Looks Like in Real Marketing
Disruption doesn’t mean being loud. It means being intentional.
- For a financial advisor?
Start an email with a quiet truth, not a lead-in stat.
Say: “Most people don’t need more advice. They need more confidence.” - For a real estate team?
Use a photo that makes people pause, not scroll.
A family celebrating outside their new home says more than a polished headshot. - For a healthcare practice?
Ask the question no one else is asking.
“What would it take to actually feel cared for?”
Pattern disruption isn’t shock value.
It’s strategic honesty.
How to Break the Pattern (Without Breaking the Bank)
Try one of these this week:
- Rework an email subject line to say something real—not just what sounds “right.”
- Delete the first paragraph of your next blog post. Start where the real message begins.
- Post a photo that feels more true than on-brand.
- Ask a question in your next campaign that you’ve never seen another brand ask.
You don’t have to flip the whole table.
You just have to stop following the formula.
Final Thought
AI will always default to what’s predictable.
Breaking the pattern isn’t about being different for the sake of it.
Honest, human messaging is what actually makes someone stop and care.
At Plum, we help businesses do just that: say what matters, to the people who matter.
Because the best marketing doesn’t match the feed.
It breaks it.
Want to talk through your own marketing challenges, or get help breaking the pattern? Start here.
Curious how to use AI without sounding like everyone else?
Start with these two posts:
- How Not to Sound Like a Robot: 5 AI Mistakes Smart Marketers Avoid
- 5 Smarter Ways to Use AI (Without Repeating What Everyone Else Is Saying)
They’re sharp, short, and built to help your voice stand out.
