Creative Ideation with AI: Campaign Concepts, Hooks, and Content Repurposing

Why use AI for creative ideation (and what “good” looks like)

Creative ideation with AI is the practice of generating many campaign concepts quickly, then filtering them through real-world constraints: what your audience actually cares about, what your product can truly deliver, and what proof you can show. The goal is not “more ideas.” The goal is more usable ideas—concepts that are specific enough to execute, differentiated enough to stand out, and grounded enough to convert.

In this chapter you’ll use AI in three modes:

• Expander: produce many options fast (concepts, hooks, angles).
• Editor: tighten, prioritize, and remove generic ideas.
• Producer: repurpose one strong asset into multiple channel-ready pieces.

1) Idea generation using constraints (theme, season, audience insight, product truth)

Constraints are what make AI outputs relevant. Instead of asking for “campaign ideas,” you’ll ask for ideas that must fit four anchors:

• Campaign theme: the central promise or narrative (e.g., “Less busywork, more selling”).
• Seasonal context: a time-based trigger (e.g., Q1 planning, back-to-school, end-of-quarter, holiday shipping deadlines).
• Audience insight: a specific tension, desire, or obstacle (e.g., “I don’t have time to create content, but I need consistency”).
• Product truth: what your product demonstrably does (features, limits, outcomes, time-to-value).

Step-by-step: turn constraints into a concept grid

1. Write your four anchors in one place. Keep them short and concrete.

2. Ask AI for a concept grid: multiple concepts that each explicitly reference all four anchors.

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3. Force specificity: require a named format (challenge, checklist, teardown, live demo, before/after, calculator, etc.).

4. Filter with “can we prove it?” If you can’t attach a proof asset (data, demo, case snippet), downgrade the idea.

Example prompt: constrained campaign concept generator

You are my campaign ideation partner. Generate 12 campaign concepts that MUST include: 1) Theme: [THEME] 2) Seasonal context: [SEASON/TRIGGER] 3) Audience insight: [INSIGHT/TENSION] 4) Product truth: [FEATURE/OUTCOME + LIMITATIONS]. For each concept provide: - Concept name (3–6 words) - One-sentence premise - Primary format (e.g., 5-day challenge, teardown, checklist, live demo, calculator) - Target channel (pick one: LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Email, Webinar, Landing page) - Proof asset we can attach (choose: product demo clip, screenshot, mini case study, data point, customer quote, template) - CTA (low-friction) Avoid generic claims like “boost productivity.” Make each concept executable in 1 week.

Concept quality checklist (use to rank AI outputs)

2) Hook development: hook lists by channel (video, social, email)

A hook is the first moment that earns attention. AI is useful here because it can generate many hook variations quickly, but you must constrain hooks to your concept and your proof. A good hook is not just clever—it makes a specific promise and signals credibility fast.

Hook formulas you can reuse

• Time-to-value: “In 10 minutes, you’ll have…”
• Counterintuitive truth: “Stop doing X. Do Y instead.”
• Specific mistake: “If your [asset] starts with [common line], it’s costing you…”
• Proof-first: “Here’s the exact [template/screenshot] we used to…”
• Constraint challenge: “Can you do [outcome] without [resource]?”

Step-by-step: generate hooks that match channel mechanics

1. Pick one concept (don’t hook brainstorm across 10 concepts at once).

2. Define the proof asset you’ll show or reference.

3. Generate hooks per channel with channel-specific requirements (first 3 seconds for video, first line for email, first line + first visual for social).

4. Score hooks on clarity, specificity, and proof signal. Keep the top 5–10.

Prompt: hooks for video (include first 3 seconds)

Create 20 hooks for a short-form video (20–40 seconds) promoting this concept: [CONCEPT PREMISE]. Audience: [AUDIENCE]. Proof asset: [PROOF ASSET]. Product truth: [TRUTH]. Requirements: - Provide the first 3 seconds verbatim (spoken line) - Provide what appears on screen in the first 3 seconds (visual cue, no text required) - Keep language concrete (numbers, time, specific deliverable) - Avoid hype words (revolutionary, game-changing) - Include 5 “proof-first” hooks that start with the proof asset.

Prompt: hooks for social posts (include first line + scroll-stopper)

Generate 25 hooks for social posts about: [CONCEPT]. Channels: LinkedIn + Instagram. For each hook include: - First line (max 120 characters) - Scroll-stopper element (e.g., mini checklist, before/after, myth vs reality, 3-step framework) - Suggested post format (text-only, carousel outline, short clip) - One sentence that ties to proof asset: [PROOF]. Keep it specific to [AUDIENCE INSIGHT].

Prompt: hooks for email (include subject + first line)

Write 20 email hook options for this offer/content: [CONCEPT]. For each provide: - Subject line (max 45 characters) - Preview text (max 70 characters) - First line of the email (the opening sentence) - Primary promise (one phrase) - Proof signal (how we show it) Constraints: audience = [AUDIENCE], season = [SEASON], product truth = [TRUTH]. Avoid spam triggers and vague promises.

Hook evaluation mini-rubric

• Specificity: Does it mention a concrete deliverable, time, or scenario?
• Relevance: Does it map to the audience insight (not a generic marketing pain)?
• Proof: Does it hint at what you’ll show (template, screenshot, demo, data)?
• Friction: Is the language easy to process in one read/listen?

3) Repurposing workflows: one long-form piece → many assets

Repurposing is not copying and pasting. It’s converting one “source of truth” into multiple formats that fit different attention spans and channel behaviors. AI helps you:

• Extract: pull claims, steps, examples, and quotable lines.
• Reframe: turn the same idea into different angles (mistake, myth, checklist, teardown).
• Package: create channel-ready drafts with consistent proof and takeaway.

Choose a strong source asset

Pick one long-form piece that contains real substance and proof, such as:

• A blog post with a step-by-step method
• A webinar or workshop recording
• A customer case study
• An internal playbook or SOP you can safely share parts of

Repurposing map (recommended output set)

Step-by-step: repurpose a long-form piece with AI

1. Paste or summarize the source asset (or provide a transcript excerpt).

2. Ask AI to extract building blocks: key claims, steps, examples, objections, and proof moments.

3. Generate a repurposing plan with titles, hooks, and CTAs per channel.

4. Draft each asset using the same proof asset and the same takeaway (consistency), but different packaging (variety).

5. Quality pass: remove repetition, ensure each piece stands alone, and confirm the CTA matches intent (low friction for top-of-funnel, higher friction for bottom-of-funnel).

Prompt: extract repurposable components from a source

Analyze this source content and extract repurposing components. Source: [PASTE TEXT OR SUMMARY]. Output: 1) 10 key claims (each 1 sentence) 2) 10 supporting points (bullets) 3) 5 examples or mini-stories (2–3 sentences each) 4) 8 objections + responses 5) 10 quotable lines (max 20 words) 6) 5 proof moments we can show (screenshots, metrics, demo steps). Keep everything aligned to: audience insight = [INSIGHT], product truth = [TRUTH].

Prompt: generate a repurposing plan (posts, emails, videos, ads)

Create a repurposing map from this source: [SOURCE SUMMARY]. Produce: - 8 social post outlines (title + hook + 3 bullets + proof + CTA) - 4-email sequence (subject + first line + core point + proof + CTA) - 6 short video scripts (hook for first 3 seconds + beat-by-beat outline + proof moment + closing line) - 10 ad angles (angle name + audience pain + promise + proof + CTA) Constraints: season = [SEASON], theme = [THEME], unique perspective = [PERSPECTIVE]. Avoid repeating the same hook across formats.

4) Differentiation step: unique perspective, proof asset, clear takeaway (required per idea)

AI-generated ideas often sound plausible but interchangeable. To prevent “samey” campaigns, add a mandatory differentiation layer to every concept and every hook set. This turns a creative list into a set of defensible marketing assets.

The 3-part differentiation requirement

• Unique perspective: your “why this works” viewpoint (e.g., “Speed comes from constraints, not inspiration”).
• Proof asset: what you can show (template, screenshot, demo clip, customer quote, metric).
• Clear takeaway: what the audience can do immediately (a step, checklist, or decision rule).

Prompt: enforce differentiation on concepts

Take these campaign concepts and rewrite them to be differentiated. For each concept, output: - Unique perspective (1 sentence starting with “Most people think…, but…”) - Proof asset (specific, something we can actually show) - Clear takeaway (one action the audience can do today) - Risk check: what could feel misleading or too broad, and how to fix it. Concepts: [PASTE LIST]. Product truth: [TRUTH].

Practical filter: the “competitor swap” test

Replace your brand name with a competitor’s. If the idea still reads perfectly, it’s not differentiated enough. Fix it by adding:

• A proof asset only you have (your template, your workflow, your dataset)
• A specific constraint you’re known for (time, team size, budget, channel)
• A unique mechanism (your method name, steps, or decision rule)

Activity: design a mini-campaign (theme + 5 hooks + repurposing map)

Use the template below to build a small campaign you can execute in a week. Fill in the brackets, then use AI prompts from earlier sections to expand and draft.

Mini-campaign brief (fill-in template)

• Theme: [e.g., “From blank page to publish-ready in 30 minutes”]
• Seasonal context: [e.g., “Q1 planning week” / “Back-to-school” / “End-of-quarter push”]
• Audience insight: [e.g., “I need consistent content, but I can’t start from scratch every time”]
• Product truth: [e.g., “Turns a brief into outlines + drafts; requires a clear offer and examples; not a replacement for approval”]
• Proof asset: [e.g., “Screen recording of turning a 6-bullet brief into 3 assets”]
• Unique perspective: [e.g., “Consistency comes from reusable structures, not constant new ideas”]
• Primary CTA: [e.g., “Download the template” / “Watch the 2-minute demo”]

Create 5 hooks (include first 3 seconds / first line)

Write five hooks across channels. Each must include a specific promise and reference the proof asset.

Repurposing map (from one long-form piece)

Pick one source asset (blog/webinar/case study) and map it into deliverables. Keep the proof asset consistent across the set.

• Source asset: [title + link/internal reference]
• Core proof asset used everywhere: [e.g., “30-second screen capture”]
• Outputs:
  • 2 social posts: [post titles + hook angle]
  • 1 carousel outline: [slides 1–6 headlines]
  • 2 short video scripts: [hook + proof moment]
  • 3-email series: [email 1/2/3 subject lines + goal]
  • 4 ad angles: [angle names + proof + CTA]

Prompt: generate your mini-campaign in one pass

Build a 7-day mini-campaign using these inputs: Theme: [THEME]. Season: [SEASON]. Audience insight: [INSIGHT]. Product truth: [TRUTH]. Proof asset: [PROOF]. Unique perspective: [PERSPECTIVE]. Output: 1) One campaign concept (name + premise + format) 2) 5 hooks across video/social/email (include first 3 seconds or first line) 3) A repurposing map from one long-form source into: 6 social posts, 3 emails, 4 short videos, 6 ad angles 4) For every asset include: unique perspective, proof asset reference, and clear takeaway. Keep everything executable in 7 days by a small team.