By Tom Seymour, Founder of Breedr
When I first set out to run an eight-week marketing campaign using only AI tools, I wasn’t aiming to sell nominations via my digital booking platform. I was aiming to start conversations. To spark curiosity. To experiment in full view of an industry still grounded in tradition — and see just how far the technology, in particularly AI, had evolved.
Now that it’s done, here’s the unfiltered wrap-up of what I discovered: what worked, what didn’t, and what it might mean for the future of stallion marketing.
Why I Did It
The Thoroughbred industry still leans heavily on print ads, boring, repetitive social content, and personal networks to promote stallions. Meanwhile, AI tools like ChatGPT, Sora, Gemini and Canva are transforming marketing across every other industry.
So I figured: why not give it a crack?
What if, instead of relying on an agency or specialist consultants, I used publicly available AI tools to:
- Develop a campaign strategy
- Create visuals and scripts
- Generate social content
- Analyse engagement
Would it look polished? Maybe not. But would it be faster, cheaper, and just maybe more interesting? That was the bet.
What Surprised Me
Here’s what I didn’t expect:
- The storytelling power of AI: With minimal inputs, AI could write, design, and even generate full video sequences — not just one-offs, but whole campaigns with a consistent voice and theme.
- The speed: What might take a week of back-and-forth with creatives could be done in a few hours. I could try an idea, bin it, and rebuild instantly.
- The engagement: While I wasn’t selling anything, the campaign consistently got attention. People were curious. Breeders messaged me personally to ask questions but in true reflection of our marketing nuances, would not make comment online in fear of perception – to spark a conversation without offering race-tips or criticising trainers or jockey is near impossible.
What Fell Short
Let’s be real — not everything was seamless.
- Voiceovers were hit and miss. Getting a tone that didn’t sound robotic was tricky. Same for syncing emotion to script. I prefer to have a crack at a one-take wonder and deal with the imperfections.
- Platform limitations: Each tool was great at one thing, but juggling them all required time and patience. Many asked for upgrades in their subscriptions to finalise a task.
- Visual realism: Some AI-generated footage looked too sci-fi for the traditional eye, forcing multiple iterations.
But in each case, there were workarounds. And the tools are improving weekly.
What It Means for the Industry
This experiment wasn’t just about me testing AI — it was a litmus test for the industry.
Could thoroughbred marketing evolve? Can we move beyond seasonal print ads and paper contracts?
The answer, I believe, is yes. Not only is it possible — it’s probably inevitable and growth in eSignature contracts usage is a tangible example of this.
AI won’t replace relationships or judgement, but it can dramatically reduce costs, speed up production, and create tailored campaigns at scale. That opens the door for smaller studs and independents to compete more creatively.
What’s Next
This journey doesn’t end here. In fact, it’s only just beginning.
Breedr is now integrating AI deeper into our platform, from smart contract generation to guided stallion matching tools. And we’ll continue to share what we learn, mistakes and all — because someone in this industry has to go first.
If you’ve got questions, ideas, or want to collaborate — reach out. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Thank you.
