Why AI amplifies deviations
With AI tools, a draft for an expert article, a social media post or a press release takes minutes. That is a real gain. At the same time, the volume of text someone must check grows, and every piece is rewritten, shortened and adapted for other channels several times. That is exactly where statements shift: a service suddenly has another name, a figure gets rounded, a cautious promise turns into a guarantee.
A language model does not know your positioning unless you provide it. It writes plausibly but not bindingly. Without a clear framework, the result is not a consistent line but a collection of good-sounding variants.
Consistency does not come from more control at the end, but from less room for interpretation at the start.
What the communications policy must define
A communications policy need not be a thick manual. For working with AI, however, it should settle a few points bindingly:
- Core messages: three to five statements that stay the same in every channel.
- Terms: a short glossary so services, products and target groups are named the same everywhere.
- Tone: how factual, personal or formal the company sounds, with examples.
- Fact source: one central, up-to-date document with figures, references and quotes that everyone draws on.
- Approval levels: which texts may be published without review and which need sign-off.
- AI rules: which tools are allowed and which data must not be entered, such as personal data or trade secrets.
Consider data protection
Copying client data, internal documents or draft contracts into an AI tool may pass them on to third parties. Check the provider's terms and the requirements of Switzerland's revised Data Protection Act, with a specialist if in doubt.
What stays the same per channel and what may change
The website explains a topic most fully, social media condenses it, and media relations frame it for third parties. Each channel has its own logic, but the substantive core must not shift.
| Channel | Goal | Must stay the same | May be adapted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website | Orientation and context | Core message, facts, positioning | Depth, structure, length |
| Social media | Reach and condensing | Core message, tone, terms | Length, opening, format |
| Media relations | Framing for third parties | Facts, responsibilities, quotes | Angle, context, occasion |
| Newsletter | Relationship with existing clients | Offer, terms and conditions, wording | Choice of topics, form of address |
One more reason for consistency: search engines and AI assistants increasingly describe companies based on publicly available texts. Contradictory information about services or figures also makes it harder for these systems to paint an accurate picture.
A practical workflow with AI
- Create a briefing from the fact source: goal, channel, core message, relevant facts.
- Use a template: prompts with the glossary and tone examples so the AI stays within the framework from the start.
- Generate the draft and adapt it to the channel.
- Check the content: do figures, names, dates and promises match the fact source?
- Approve according to level and publish.
- Store the approved version so it serves as the template for follow-on formats.
No invented details
AI tools like to fill gaps with plausible but false information: figures, sources, quotes or client names. Such details may only come from your own fact source. Everything else gets deleted.
The sequence matters: further adaptations should always start from the approved version, not from the latest short version. Otherwise a chain of small deviations builds up that eventually nobody notices.
Lean rules for SMEs
For smaller companies, one page of clear rules works better than extensive regulations. It should refer to typical situations: a new offer page, a news item, an expert article, a reply to a media enquiry.
- One person is responsible for the fact source and keeps it current.
- Statements on prices, effectiveness, safety or legal matters are always checked by a second person.
- Only designated people answer media enquiries.
- If a statement affects several departments, a simple escalation path applies.
- Once a quarter, the website, profiles and materials are checked for contradictions.
An everyday example: a fiduciary firm launches a new service. The website calls it payroll accounting, the LinkedIn post payroll service, the press release salary administration, and in the newsletter the AI has also promised a turnaround time that was never agreed. With one glossary entry and a fact source from which all drafts are drawn, none of these deviations would have occurred.