Staples Joins the AI Conversation with New ‘Business is Human’ Campaign

Staples has launched a new marketing campaign with the theme of “Business is Human,” highlighting the company’s belief that while AI “is and will continue to be a powerful tool, it is most effective when combined with human insights and expertise.”

The campaign promotes the retailer’s membership program for business owners, Staples Business Advantage (SBA), and will run across a number of major U.S. news outlets, print publications and audio and video streaming platforms.

“Artificial intelligence and technology are being highlighted as the future, but we know from the millions of businesses Staples serves that these alone aren’t enough,” said John Lederer, CEO of Staples in a statement. “When making big buying decisions, businesses demand more than interaction with an algorithm or a bot. To best deliver for those customers, human intelligence is a must.”

The campaign features several current Staples employees — including a delivery expert, a customer service representative, facilities solutions and furniture experts and a digital experience expert — to highlight the range of  human expertise available to SBA members. Alongside the campaign, Staples is offering new business customers that sign up through July 31, 2023 a 20% discount on SBA membership.

“Our business customers have told us that they seek human connections with experts who can help them make informed buying choices and then exceed their expectations for speed of delivery, product quality and competitive pricing,” said Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel, Chief Marketing Officer of Staples in a statement. “With over 35 years of experience, we’ve learned that it’s this human intuition and expertise that work alongside AI to best serve our customers.”