How Cat Litter Reminded Me of Branding in the Age of AI
The Great Cat Litter Debate: Auto-Ship or Adventure?
The other day, I was standing in my kitchen, armed with a scooper, knee-deep in what I’ll politely call the less glamorous side of pet ownership. As I was shoveling away noticing we were almost out of cat litter, I had this thought: Why don’t I just set up an auto-ship subscription for this stuff and save myself the hassle?
It would be easier. It would be faster. It would mean fewer car seat buckles, fewer tantrums about socks, and fewer lugging-40-pounds-of-litter-through-the-store moments.
My daughter at the “animal store” (aka PetsMart).
But then I remembered something: my daughter’s little face lighting up as we walk into the pet store. She calls it “the animal store” (because, honestly, that’s way more accurate since idk who classifies a tarantula as a pet). She presses her nose against the glass to check on the hamsters, announces the color of every fish like she’s narrating a nature documentary, and squeals if a kitten so much as blinks in her direction.
For her, this isn’t just a mundane errand. It’s magic. And if I traded that for convenience? I’d miss out on her joy. She’d miss out on the wonder. And we’d both lose those tiny, unexpected moments that make our week feel a little less robotic.
And that got me thinking… isn’t branding kind of the same?
Convenience vs. Creativity: Why Faster Isn’t Always Better
We live in the golden age of convenience. With one click, you can have groceries on your doorstep, coffee waiting at your door, and, yes, cat litter showing up like clockwork.
And in the creative world? AI tools are doing the same thing. Canva can spit out a logo in seconds. ChatGPT can churn out a blog post faster than I can get my kid’s shoes on (and trust me, that’s saying something).
But here’s the kicker: just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s meaningful.
Convenience gets the job done. Creativity—real, messy, collaborative, human creativity—creates connection.
When you skip the process in the name of speed, you skip the magic. You skip the chance to discover something new, surprising, and uniquely yours. It’s the branding equivalent of ordering litter on auto-ship instead of wandering the aisles with your toddler.
The Joy of Doing It the “Slow Way”
Branding is like those pet store runs. On the surface, yeah—it would be faster to automate it. But when you slow down and walk through the process with intention, you get so much more:
The discovery. Like finally spotting the hidden lizard in the reptile tank, the brand strategy process reveals unexpected insights about who you are and how your audience sees you.
The connection. Just like my daughter bonding with every pet in the store, the creative process builds emotional connection. You start to see your business through fresh eyes, and it’s exciting again.
The satisfaction. I get points for shopping at PetsMart, it’s nice to physically check a to-do off my list after finishing the errand. The same is true with branding—when you put in the work, the end result actually feels good because you were part of it.
Why AI Can’t Replace Human-Led Branding
Here’s the thing: I’m not anti-AI. I literally use tools like ChatGPT every day. (Hi, meta moment: this very blog was drafted with AI help.) AI is a killer sidekick for brainstorming, cutting down on busywork, and giving you a head start.
But when it comes to your brand, the thing that holds your story, your values, and the way your audience feels about you? That’s not something you want a robot to whip up in two seconds.
Why? Because AI doesn’t know the sound of your kid laughing in the pet store. It doesn’t know the late-night epiphanies you’ve had about why your work matters. It doesn’t know the goosebumps moment when a client tells you, “You made me feel seen.”
That human stuff? That’s the sticky, memorable magic that makes your brand more than just a pretty logo.
The Branding Equivalent of Pet Store Visits
Here’s what I mean:
Auto-Ship Process (a.k.a. Canva logos + AI copy): Quick, easy, predictable. You’ll get something “fine,” but it probably looks like everyone else’s. No mess, no stress, no story.
Pet Store Process (a.k.a. working with a real designer/strategist): A little slower, a little messier, but you walk away with something that sparks joy, feels like you, and builds deeper connections with your people.
Sure, auto-ship saves time, but it also robs you of the discovery. And in branding, discovery is where the good stuff lives.
Building a Brand That Lasts
If you’re building a brand in 2025, you’ve got two choices:
Go fast, stay shallow. Plug your business name into an AI tool, get a logo and a brand story that looks like 10,000 others, and call it a day.
Go slow, go deep. Work with a real human (hi, that’s me at Honey Creative) to uncover your unique story, build a brand that feels like an extension of your values, and create something that actually sticks with people.
Spoiler: option two is where the magic happens. It’s where you get those “a-ha” moments that change how you talk about your business. It’s where your clients see you and say, “Yes. That’s the brand I want to be part of.”
What Cat Litter Has to Do with Your Brand
So no, I didn’t sign up for auto-ship. I’ll keep lugging those 40-pound bags through the “animal store,” because those small, joyful moments with my daughter are worth way more than the time I’d save.
And when it comes to your brand? The same rule applies. Skip the shortcuts. Embrace the process. Because the “slow way” isn’t actually slower, it’s just richer. It’s the difference between a brand that blends in and a brand that makes people stop, smile, and say, that’s the one.
Key Takeaways
Convenience isn’t the same as connection. Auto-ship cat litter and AI logos get the job done—but they don’t create meaning.
The creative process is messy (and that’s the point). The discovery, collaboration, and even the “scooping” are where the magic happens.
Your brand deserves more than shortcuts. A handcrafted brand tells your story in a way a two-second template never could.
Final Scoop
If you’re ready to build a brand that doesn’t just look good but actually sticks out in the best way (yep, I went there), let’s skip the auto-ship shortcuts. Let’s take the slower, sweeter, more human route, together.
Because sometimes, the most joyful part of the process isn’t the end result. It’s pressing your nose up against the glass along the way.