Generative AI With Howard Levy on PR Patter!

Good morning, everyone. I’m Julie Livingston with Want Leverage Communications, and welcome to another episode of PR Patter — my semi-weekly show where I chat with incredible professionals from across the public relations and marketing world. As a LinkedIn and marketing communications specialist, I’m excited to share insights with you.
If you enjoy today’s episode, visit wantleverage.com to download our free tip sheet: Make Your C-Suite Stand Out on LinkedIn. It’s packed with valuable strategies to enhance your executive presence.
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Howard Levy, President of Red Rooster Group. Howard specializes in helping nonprofit organizations strengthen their brands, refine their marketing strategies, and raise more funds. Over the past 30 years, he has worked with hundreds of nonprofits across various sectors, leveraging behavioral psychology, storytelling, and action design to drive engagement and donations.

In recent years, Howard has explored generative AI as a strategic and content development tool. Today, he’ll share insights on how nonprofits and businesses can harness AI for greater impact.

Howard’s Journey & the Role of Nonprofits

Julie: Howard, before we dive into AI, can you share how you founded Red Rooster Group and what inspired your focus on nonprofits?

Howard: Thanks for having me, Julie. I started Red Rooster Group 30 years ago because I believe in the power of nonprofits. While businesses dominate headlines and the stock market, nonprofits quietly make up 9% of GDP and employ 10-11% of the workforce. They’re an essential, yet often overlooked, part of our economy.

When I started, very few marketing firms specialized in nonprofits. Over time, as the sector grew, organizations realized they needed sophisticated marketing tools to compete for attention and funding. That’s where we come in — helping nonprofits amplify their missions with the same strategic approach that successful businesses use.

The AI Revolution & Its Impact on Marketing

Julie: AI is on everyone’s radar, but many are unsure or even fearful of it. You’ve really embraced AI — why, and what makes it so crucial from a creative perspective?

Howard: AI isn’t new. Machine learning has been around for decades — think of IBM Watson beating Garry Kasparov at chess. But AI took a huge leap when ChatGPT and other generative AI tools became publicly available. Businesses have long used AI for predictive analysis (e.g., Netflix recommendations, Amazon’s book suggestions). Now, nonprofits can leverage AI for
content creation, strategic planning, and engagement.

Generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), enables organizations to produce content efficiently, analyze trends, and collaborate more effectively. Rather than seeing AI as a replacement for human creativity, I view it as a collaborator that enhances our thinking.

AI as a Creative & Strategic Partner

Julie: How can AI help open up creativity rather than just automate tasks?

Howard: The key is shifting from treating generative AI as a tool to treating it as a collaborator. Instead of just saying, “Write a press release,” you can prompt AI with deeper questions like:

  • Help me understand the competitive landscape in this market.
  • What are the key audience pain points?
  • What industry benchmarks exist for similar organizations?

This approach allows for a back-and-forth dialogue that challenges assumptions and uncovers insights you might not have considered. You can even ask AI, What questions should I be asking?

Practical AI Use Cases for Nonprofits

Julie: Can you share some ways you’ve used AI to help nonprofits improve their marketing and
outreach?

Howard: Absolutely. Here are a few examples:

  1. Capturing Success Stories Efficiently
    • A client had a graduation event for job-training participants. Instead of conducting traditional interviews, I asked their communications manager to record informal chats via Zoom while an AI note-taker (Fathom) transcribed everything.
    • I then used ChatGPT to extract key quotes, creating compelling testimonials for their newsletter, website, and social media.
  2. Thought Leadership Development
    • I recorded a 30-minute interview with a nonprofit CEO. Using AI, I generated three well-crafted articles in minutes, shaping them collaboratively before publishing.
    • AI also customized op-eds for different newspapers, identifying which angles suited each publication best.
  3. Visual Content Creation
    • I used MidJourney to generate images tailored to a nonprofit’s branding.
    • By referencing a specific image style, I created a consistent library of visuals they could use across multiple campaigns.
  4. AI-Generated Video Content
    • To communicate core values to employees, we transformed a text-heavy document into an engaging AI-generated video using platforms like HeyGen.
    • The video featured AI avatars reading scripts in diverse voices, making the content more dynamic and accessible.

The Future of AI in Nonprofits

Julie: This is all incredible. What do you see as the next big AI opportunities for nonprofits?

Howard: The real power of AI isn’t just in outsourcing tasks but in integrating it into an organization’s workflow. AI can help nonprofits:

  • Systematically capture success stories
  • Improve stakeholder engagement
  • Develop thought leadership
  • Personalize donor outreach
  • Automate content creation without increasing staff workload

The goal is to “add five people to your team” virtually by leveraging AI strategically. Organizations that adopt AI early will be more efficient, impactful, and competitive in the long run.

Final Thoughts & How to Connect

Julie: Howard, this has been eye-opening! How can people connect with you?

Howard: You can find me on LinkedIn (Howard Adam Levy) or at redroostergroup.com.

Julie: Fantastic! And for everyone watching, if you found this valuable, visit wantleverage.com
to download our free LinkedIn tip sheet: Make Your C-Suite Stand Out on LinkedIn.

Thanks for joining me on PR Patter! See you next time.