Beyond the average: why Propaganda Group wants to do more with AI

Time for a conversation. Sander Van Dijcke began his career as a Digital Marketing Consultant and, as a co-founder, helped lay the foundations of We Are Digital. Since 2021, he has been one of the managing partners of Propaganda Group, a role he now combines with that of AI Lead. The right person in the right place: “Throughout my years at WAD and Propaganda, I’ve taken on many different roles. This has given me a strong understanding of the various disciplines and the diverse processes within our organization. In that context, there was a clear need for a well-considered AI vision, and I’ve taken on that responsibility.

Hello Sander. AI is everywhere today. How does Propaganda Group approach this technology?

AI is no longer a trend, it’s our daily reality. For us, it’s important that AI delivers not only efficiency but also quality. We don’t just use AI, we consciously choose to use it smartly, without losing sight of the human factor. As a company, you always need to ask yourself: where should we deploy AI, and where shouldn’t we? There has to be a clear added value.

What’s the difference between simply using AI and creating real value with it?

Everyone in our industry uses AI. But a fool with a tool stays a fool. How you use AI tools is what sets you apart. AI applications are designed to give an average, decent answer. But do you want to be average? I don’t think so. You want to stand out, especially in our sector. That’s only possible if we continue delivering tailored solutions.

I don’t believe you can create a one-size-fits-all AI process and just copy-paste it for any client. You have to look at each case individually. This is where the human factor becomes essential. When do you involve a human, and what exactly do you expect from them? A person can be involved from the start in a validating role, at one of the intermediate steps, or only at the end. For example, for final editing. It all depends on the project itself.

Even for error logging, a human perspective is crucial. You need to systematically track where AI doesn’t produce the desired output. By analyzing these errors, we can determine which processes can be further automated and where human intervention must remain.

How do you view the tension between creativity and AI?

AI can definitely play a supportive role in the creative process. In the concepting phase, we can now use AI to sketch out a fairly clear picture, helping clients better understand the direction we’re heading. For some clients, we even produce final deliverables that are partially or entirely created with AI. Even here, it’s crucial to remain critical. It’s not the technology that matters—people don’t focus on that. What counts is whether it resonates with people, whether the message lands. Is it relevant? Does it trigger a response?

In which cases do you use AI today?

Among other things, we use it in the creative process, as I just mentioned. Beyond that, AI is already embedded in our daily operations because many of the tools we work with include AI integrations. I’m thinking of Adobe Suite or tools for ad campaigns for example. We also have carefully selected tools for image and video generation.

In addition, we use AI tools to handle repetitive processes, manage large datasets more efficiently, or, within our internal workflows, to transcribe and summarize meetings. For each of these use cases, we first evaluate whether the AI tool is actually suitable.

How does that evaluation process work?

We start by defining a use case and critically assessing where AI can make a difference. Is there enough input to build something that performs better than the manual approach? Is the added value measurable? After that, we launch a pilot project that runs in parallel with the “old” way of working. These side-by-side exercises allow us to clearly see the differences and make evaluating the results much more straightforward.

Beyond efficiency or quality, other factors also come into play when choosing the right tool. One of these is data governance. Take, for example, the tool we use to summarize our meetings. That note-taker stores data exclusively locally. It goes without saying that letting an open, U.S.-based system access our internal meetings would be a real no-go. Similarly, when analyzing client datasets, it is crucial to take data sovereignty into account.

"Beyond efficiency or quality, other factors also come into play when choosing the right tool. One of these is data governance."

Are there concrete client cases where you were genuinely impressed by AI’s power?

What excites me the most is when AI opens up truly new possibilities. For example, we are already using AI for media monitoring. A tool gathers all mentions on news sites and social media within a specific sector. We generate a database, which we then analyze with a custom-built GPT. This allows us to get a much faster grasp of what’s happening and respond quickly to trends and current events. It gives our content strategists the space to integrate topics thoughtfully and ahead of schedule into a content plan.

On a very different level, there’s the example of one of our clients who operates serviced residences. Organizing photoshoots isn’t straightforward for them, as residents often prefer not to appear in campaign photos for privacy reasons. So now, we shoot on the actual location and use AI tools to supplement the real photos with images of seniors.

What possibilities are you looking forward to in the future?

From an agency perspective and for our clients’ campaigns, I’m naturally very curious about advertising on AI platforms themselves. ChatGPT and similar tools are currently free, but at some point, they will need to monetize, and advertising will be one avenue. It’s very interesting to stay nimble on these developments so we can quickly and accurately advise our clients on advertising opportunities on these platforms.

As for AI possibilities in general, I see enormous potential in business automation. AI allows us to build custom tools more easily to automate certain often repetitive and time-consuming business processes. That, in turn, frees up more space for people to focus on thinking creatively and strategically.

Predicting the future is never easy. AI is developing at lightning speed, and I’m very curious to see what we’ll be capable of, but always with a healthy dose of common sense.