Alan M. Siegel's Blog, page 7

Andy Humphreys joins Siegel+Gale as Strategy Director for Middle East

Global brand experience firm Siegel+Gale announced the appointment of Andy Humphreys as Strategy Director, EMEA. With over 12 years of experience creating compelling brand strategies, Andy is driven by a passion for creating brand narratives rooted in humanity. 

“I’m thrilled to join a firm that embodies the power of simplicity,” says Andy. “Throughout my career, I have consistently focused on crafting brand strategies that resonate deeply on a human level. At Siegel+Gale, we are committed to communicating with people through a single, simple truth or insight, guiding everything we do. After all, brand is where human emotion meets business.” 

With an extensive background across various sectors—including technology, financial services, energy, professional services, pharmaceuticals and media—Andy has a proven track record of delivering impactful brand strategies. Previous roles have seen successful collaborations with global brands such as HSBC, Shell, Aramco, Moderna, Qatar Foundation and Rolls-Royce.

Andy’s primary focus as Strategy Director will be delivering outstanding client results by seamlessly integrating brand and business strategies to drive transformation and success. “Our work is measured not just by awards but by how it impacts our clients’ businesses—be it for growth achieved from transformation, building trust or change. In the Middle East, particularly, there are tremendous opportunities to leverage brand strategies for economic and societal impact,” Andy explained. 

In addressing client challenges, Andy emphasizes the importance of a unified approach to brand and business strategies: “Brands are tools to achieve business metrics, and as companies transform, their brand should align with the internal culture to support this change.”  

With simplicity at the heart of Siegel+Gale’s philosophy, Andy highlights that simplicity starts with listening to people. “The more you listen, the simpler the solution becomes, as clarity of need guides the brand’s narrative. An effective brand engages in a two-way dialogue with its audience, facilitating debate rather than delivering a monologue.” 

In light of Andy’s appointment, Siegel+Gale EMEA President, Philip Davies, expressed his excitement, “We’re delighted to have Andy join us. He brings significant strategic prowess and tremendous experience to our already stellar team in Dubai. And, being a Scot and a sailor, not an inconsiderable quotient of invention, innovation and that indefatigable spirit, always prevalent north of the border, which will stand him in good stead in the region.”

 

About Siegel+Gale
Siegel+Gale is a global brand experience firm. With unlimited imagination and a dedication to the facts, the firm builds brands that cut through the clutter—and unlock success for their clients. Since 1969, Siegel+Gale has championed simplicity for leading corporations, nonprofits and government organizations worldwide. A part of Omnicom, they have offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Tokyo.

About Omnicom
Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) is a leading provider of data-inspired, creative marketing and sales solutions. Omnicom’s iconic agency brands are home to the industry’s most innovative communications specialists who are focused on driving intelligent business outcomes for their clients. The company offers a wide range of services in advertising, strategic media planning and buying, precision marketing, retail and digital commerce, branding, experiential, public relations, healthcare marketing and other specialty marketing services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit  www.omnicomgroup.com . 

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Contact: megan.rae@siegelgale.com 

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Tether: Turning the largest stablecoin into a digital disruptor

In SMPL Q+A, we interview our practitioners on all things relevant to branding, design and simplicity. Here, we speak with our Design Director, James Snook, about our work with Tether.

Tell us a little bit about Tether.

James Snook: Launched in 2014, Tether is a blockchain-enabled platform revolutionizing the digital use of fiat currencies. The company introduced the Tether ‘stablecoin token,’ a cryptocurrency pegged at a 1:1 ratio to the US dollar and fully backed by the company’s reserves.

Since its launch, Tether has surged forward and expanded its reach into sectors including sustainable energy, communications and education, ventures that align closely with its core principles, centered on advocating for user self-sovereignty, freedom of speech and data privacy.

What challenges was Tether facing?

JS: Tether boldly redefines conventions and overturns expectations, and this bold spirit needed to be captured in its new identity. A key challenge was communicating the concept of ‘subverting the expected’ in a clear, straightforward and distinctive way unique to Tether.

Recognizing the evolution of its brand, Tether enlisted Siegel+Gale to assist in transitioning from a stablecoin business to a digital infrastructure enterprise. This new brand would encompass the verticals and services developed since the renowned stablecoin’s launch.

Was there an “aha” moment?

JS: We brought Tether’s distinctive brand personality to life using what we termed an ‘un-ness’ approach: celebrating the unusual, unexpected and unconventional.

‘Un’ serves as a dynamic foundation for the brand, empowering Tether’s tone of voice to embrace the unusual, echoing the brand’s fearless, free and fair principles.

 

Tell us about the new visual identity.

JS: Tether’s identity is bold, confident, and direct, free from unnecessary decoration and fuss. As a business that speaks in a straightforward and honest way, we wanted the identity to amplify that clarity, clearly communicating that with Tether, there is a different, better way forward.

The logo is an excellent representation of the identity. Unadorned in style, it celebrates Tether’s unconventional approach, with the characterful full stop adding to the brand’s purposeful and definitive nature.

 

What is your biggest takeaway from the project?

JS: Building a brand free of decoration and fuss might seem like a relatively straightforward idea. However, striking the right balance was crucial. Our goal was to achieve a streamlined approach without compromising depth.

While we fully embraced the power of simplicity, each element needed to carry weight, leaving no room for a sense of incompleteness. This unconventional approach allowed us to create a brand identity that truly resonates and feels distinctly Tether.

 

What did you enjoy most about working on this project?

JS: AI-generated imagery played a key role in creating a distinct image library for Tether. Given the brand’s fearless spirit and commitment to daringly reimagining conventional norms for the greater collective good, integrating AI into their creative process felt natural. A consistent and

considered content prompting approach was developed to empower the Tether team to generate diverse, eclectic content, spanning from everyday to extraordinary, capturing the essence of the business offering in an unexpected and unforgettable way. As AI technology advances, this approach ensures the brand maintains its unique identity over time.

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Brand promises, delivered: the philosophy within

“We will be the number one restaurant in the world.”

That’s what restauranteur Will Guidara wrote on a cocktail napkin whilst sitting in a hotel bar after the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in 2010. That year, Guidara’s Eleven Madison Park in New York had placed last on the list. There was nothing to smile about and Guidara and chef Daniel Humm needed to do a lot of work to climb the ranks of the world’s most sought-after fine dining experiences.

And work they did. After the prophetic mission statement drafted on that napkin, Guidara introduced his now-infamous philosophy, “Unreasonable Hospitality.” He thought, “You need to be unreasonable to see a world that doesn’t yet exist.” That meant creating a service culture that shifted from getting every detail right to offering bespoke, over-the-top hospitality to guests.

His philosophy paid off. In the ten years that followed, Eleven Madison Park went from an average brasserie to a 3-star Michelin restaurant that topped the same awards list that had brushed them off in the past.

Service is black and white; hospitality is colour.

The intriguing part is that Guidara intuitively elevated the profile of his restaurant by codifying the guiding principles that inform how his restaurant should approach the interactions with its guests across various touchpoints. He knew that through a differentiated experience, his restaurant would occupy a special place in the hearts and minds of his guests. In other words, he knew he needed to turn it into a brand.

For a guest, experiencing Eleven Madison Park’s brand encompassed everything from the impactful arrival at their grand Art Déco dining room to lighting and music levels being adjusted on the fly to foster intimacy and conversation. Plates and glassware were placed on the table a certain way because most guests would flip them over to find out who made them; when that happened, servers were on hand to tell the story of who, how and where they came from.

Under the “Unreasonable Hospitality” philosophy, examples like these are endless. To create jaw-dropping moments for guests, Guidara championed the power of doing things with intention: “Every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters.” This is directly linked to how brand experiences are built.

Brand experiences create memories.

A brand experience philosophy is the overarching strategy behind creating meaningful experiences that differentiate the brand from competitors. It works alongside the business strategy, helping the company achieve its goals by deploying a plan that fosters emotional connections with customers and builds loyalty. And that, in turn, is delivered through maintaining consistency when interacting with them.

Take the UK-favourite Dishoom, for example. Each location meticulously replicates the aesthetic and ambiance of the historical Irani cafés. Customers find themselves immersed in 20th-century Bombay with vintage furniture, sepia-toned family photos, antique mirrors and other period-specific artifacts that transport them back in time. The narrative is consistently embedded in every aspect of the restaurant, creating a coherent dining experience that feels like a journey.

In the case of Eleven Madison Park, Guidara went to great lengths to ensure his philosophy would be consistent for guests. Firstly, he started by mapping out their journey to understand the critical moments when going to a fine dining restaurant––the moments of truth. As one would expect, food presentation and description took Disney-esque theatrical form. But overlooked moments, like the initial contact on the phone when someone is making a reservation or when guests get their coats back from the cloakroom, were elevated, knowing they’d be the first and last opportunity to create a delightful impression.

Secondly, the “Unreasonable Hospitality” philosophy was supported by what Guidara calls his “non-negotiables”: the fundamental principles he established with his team to ensure alignment and guide the development of the ideas that followed. His set of non-negotiables equates to a brand’s experience pillars: the foundational elements that help contextualise and provide guardrails to the experience philosophy.

A promise, delivered.

When creating memorable brand experiences, landing the right pillars is vital. Not only should they stem from a deep understanding of customers’ expectations, but they should also represent something your brand is credible in. In short, they should be meaningful and feel authentic. So, get under the skin of your audience and look under the hood of your company!

If you don’t care, your customers never will.

When it comes to creating brand experiences that cut through, simplicity pays. According to our latest World’s Simplest Brands report, 64% of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences. Brands that simplify our lives are winning both share of wallet and share of heart, as 78% of people are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that reduces inconveniences.

That’s why we work with clients big and small to help them codify how simplicity provides a clear direction and streamlines decision-making. For us at Siegel+Gale, the magic happens at the intersection of clarity and surprise. With a fact-based understanding of our clients’ customers, our expertise in mapping their journey and crafting a philosophy that captures imagination proves indispensable for them. And this philosophy is supported by experience pillars that provide focus and act as a springboard for ideas to flourish––especially in the moments that matter.

Intuitively, that’s what Will Guidara did at Eleven Madison Park on their quest to number one.

Has your brand created deeper bonds and lasting memories in your sector? Is your brand experience cohesive, consistent and compelling? Because just like in Guidara’s case, there’s always someone thinking about ideas to steal your lunch.

 

Patrick Kampff is Senior Strategy Director.

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What’s breaking the news? A fresh look at experience perceptions of the media industry

This article originally appeared in ANA.

We all encounter media and news. Papers, TV, online sources, news apps—the channels are ever-expanding. With one of the highest global consumer penetrations of all industries and a global average of 76% of people reporting that they read or watch the news and TV, it’s everywhere. And Siegel+Gale’s latest World’s Simplest Brands study, which surveys more than 15,000 consumers in nine countries, analyzed the perceived simplicity and complexity of the omnipresent industry with consumers.

The global data suggest customers are consistently underwhelmed by the industry, finding these brand experiences anything but simple. Traditional media ranks 18th of a possible 25 sectors profiled in the global simplicity rankings and has fallen three places since the last edition of the World’s Simplest Brands.

In the US market, not a single news and media outlet breaks into the top 90 simplest brands this year. The issue is so pervasive that a significant proportion of global customers would even be willing to pay a premium for simpler media brand experiences.

Looking at individual moments across the customer journey highlights the specific issues consumers face and provides clues to unlock simple brand experiences.

What’s happening?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger audiences consistently rate critical moments across the brand journey as more complex than their older counterparts. This is likely because they’ve grown up in the company of simple digital media brands (social media and streaming services are a case in point here) and therefore, have high experience expectations that aren’t being met by traditional news sources.

The youngest audience group (18-24) reports that “finding the right news provider for me” is the most complex moment of all in the user journey, suggesting that these brands are struggling to connect emotionally and aren’t aligning their values with the worldview held by emerging consumers.

Without careful attention, traditional outlets risk losing a generation of young adults, who increasingly rely on social media to get up to speed on global current affairs and may decide to turn away from traditional news sources altogether.

Across the age spectrum, global customers find “learning about a new news provider” and “validating the information they read or watch from the news publisher with another source” to be two of the most complex moments in the entire experience, indicating brands are not doing enough to attract viewers and build trust. This is particularly problematic in the increasingly divisive media landscapes of the US and the UK.

What can be done?

To enhance the experience and build greater trust, traditional media brands must focus on distancing themselves from the polarization and ‘post-truth’ that plague our current media landscape. They should help make it easy for consumers lost in the online noise to trust in sound reporting. At the same time, they will need to work harder to align with the emerging values and simple experience expectations of younger audiences.

Leveraging authentic brand strengths of balance, clarity, and rigor will be key here. The diligence and slower speed of the traditional media industry facilitated its disruption by the faster and more chaotic enfant terrible, social media. And yet it is precisely this commitment to due process that furnishes legacy brands with the most potent differentiator against emerging media, AI and the proliferation of misinformation.

However, this positioning will only carry weight in the future if lived through a contemporary brand experience: the provision of simple tools to verify data and claims, an unwavering commitment to balanced reporting and editorial independence, holding space for solutions journalism, fact-checking made easy, consortiums of media brands committed to fighting misinformation together and a crackdown on trolling and abusive comments. Where regulators are not stepping in fast enough to provide spaces for healthy dialogue online, media brands must pick up the slack.

To reach younger audiences, these organizations must also balance reflective journalism with the dedication to continuously evolve their platforms, focusing on speed and connection.

This will look like an ever-decreasing reliance on the written word and traditional broadcasting to deliver meaningful media experiences: high-quality short-form video, live updates, animatic data visualization and comprehensive podcast coverage. It also means stepping up the decentralized dialogue, community spaces, radical inclusivity and transparency, verified citizen reporters and readers’ editors.

The days of handing down a one-way dictum are long gone. Today’s 20-year-olds were raised in a world where everyone can obtain access to a platform and a voice. It’s the job of future-thinking media brands to determine how to share the mic.

Suppose media and news brands can step away from divisive and weaponized politics. If they can lead by example, upholding the values of journalism, whilst evolving the platform through which it is delivered, they will position themselves as trusted brands of choice for enriching and simple reporting, benefiting us all in the process. That’s a story to stick around for.

 

Emma Lewis is Associate Director, Strategy.

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Dory Ellis Garfinkle joins Siegel+Gale as Chief Marketing Officer

NEW YORK–May 15, 2024 – Global brand experience firm Siegel+Gale today announced the appointment of Dory Ellis Garfinkle as chief marketing officer.

Ellis Garfinkle joins Siegel+Gale from Silicon Valley disruptor Lyft, where she was Director of Marketing for the Transit, Bikes and Scooters division. She previously served as Senior Lead of Global Brand Experience at IDEO, one of the world’s leading innovation and design companies.

“Dory shares the Siegel+Gale commitment to simplicity and understands the role that experiences play in shaping today’s leading brands. Her deep expertise across traditional and emerging digital channels made her an obvious choice for this prominent role in our organization,” said Howard Belk, co-CEO and chief creative officer of Siegel+Gale. “One of the reasons we’re excited about her arrival is she understands the challenges clients face, cutting through the clutter to find the right agency partner. Her strategic thinking, creativity and digital aptitude will make it easier for clients seeking to drive lasting business outcomes using the power of simplicity, to connect with us.”

“We were inspired by Dory’s track record of delivering strong business results and creativity utilizing both traditional in-person and innovative digital tactics,” said David Srere, co-CEO and chief strategy officer of Siegel+Gale.” One of her priorities is to make our intellectual property, incredible body of work and global experts available to our clients in new and innovative ways.” Srere added, “She will be a fresh and energetic new voice in our c-suite and help our organization continue to grow on the inside and out.”

Ellis Garfinkle joins Siegel+Gale at an exciting time as it continues to expand globally and introduces new services at the intersection of branding, customer experience and organizational change.

“Life and business today are more complicated than ever, and our collective attention span continues to dwindle. For any business hoping to survive the next five years, branding should be examined in terms of its business value beyond traditional marketing channels,” said Ellis Garfinkle. “Businesses will increasingly need a robust plan for customer engagement with a compelling and trustworthy brand, product and purpose—both internally and externally—that sticks. With Siegel+Gale’s unique global ability to simplify where it is needed most, we are poised to partner with any company looking to future-proof their brand.”

 

About Siegel+Gale
Siegel+Gale is a global brand experience firm. With unlimited imagination and a dedication to the facts, the firm builds brands that cut through the clutter—and unlock success for their clients. Since 1969, Siegel+Gale has championed simplicity for leading corporations, nonprofits and government organizations worldwide. A part of Omnicom, they have offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Tokyo.

About Omnicom
Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) is a leading provider of data-inspired, creative marketing and sales solutions. Omnicom’s iconic agency brands are home to the industry’s most innovative communications specialists who are focused on driving intelligent business outcomes for their clients. The company offers a wide range of services in advertising, strategic media planning and buying, precision marketing, retail and digital commerce, branding, experiential, public relations, healthcare marketing and other specialty marketing services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit  www.omnicomgroup.com . 

Contact: press@siegelgale.com

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Bridging trust: humanizing technology in finance

This article originally appeared in Little Black Book.

It’s only Tuesday, and it already feels like one of those weeks at work. You’ve been on back-to-backs since saying ‘good morning’ to colleagues and your boss is chasing you. Deadlines are looming over your head like a dark nimbus cloud, ready to pour down the end of the world at any moment. Somehow, you manage to get through the day, but you’re feeling as drained as tinned tuna—if only a little treat could make it all better.

On your way home, you stop at the nearest chocolatière. On days like this, there is nothing like a salted caramel double millionaire cake to replenish your soul (and calorie intake). As you pay with your credit card, you receive a notification from your bank that says “Looks like you’ve been treating yourself! Hope that dessert brings you joy .”

Whoa! Magic just happened. You feel a sense of familiarity and warmth, instantly forgetting your dreadful day. It’s like someone you know wrapped their arms around you and said, “Go ahead, you deserve this.” Even more surprising is that that automated message came from your bank—the very least of all institutions that would empathize with your emotional state at that moment. And in return, this creates a bond.

The example above is from Capital One’s chatbot called Eno. But Eno isn’t just your average virtual assistant; it’s a friendly companion that brings a touch of humanity to the often-impersonal world of banking. From witty banter to empathetic responses, Eno is designed to feel less like a faceless algorithm and more like a trusted friend who’s always there to lend a helping hand. Its personality shines through in every interaction, making even the most mundane banking tasks more enjoyable.

Their ‘bringing simplicity and humanity to credit cards’ ethos has been paying off. Since the introduction of Eno, the brand has been awarded by Forbes to Fortune 100 to Fast Company. In 2023 alone, net revenues were up 7.4% from the previous year to $36.8 billion, a remarkable feat CEO Richard Fairbank attributes to “leveraging machine learning in real-time to transform how we serve our customers.”

This is a testament to how financial service brands have been infusing technology with human-like qualities to build stronger businesses and bridge the gap between automation and trust. And we all know that trust is the currency that underpins every transaction in the bustling world of finance.

On a similar note, Moneyfarm, a digital wealth management platform, has been at the forefront of creating confidence in investing since its heyday in 2011. However, as the years went on, the brand became plagued by the rise of the so-called robo-advisors, generic investment brands powered by algorithm automation to achieve efficiency.

But unlike robo-advisors, Moneyfarm has the human dimension on its side; its financial coaches provide a partnership value-add that automation simply can’t deliver on its own. By humanizing its brand and showcasing an enhanced customer experience, Moneyfarm struck the right balance of how technology with IRL guidance can amplify its emotional appeal to customers. Here’s how they’ve achieved this:

Personalized financial guidance: Through advanced algorithms and machine learning, Moneyfarm analyzes vast amounts of data to offer investment recommendations that align with each customer’s unique financial goals, risk tolerance and investment horizon. This automation frees up human advisors to focus on layering personalized guidance, making this approach feel less like a cold algorithm and more like a knowledgeable friend guiding you.

Risk management: An automated risk assessment tool continuously evaluates market conditions and portfolio performance, enabling Moneyfarm to mitigate risks and optimize investment strategies accordingly. By keeping customers in the loop through tailored real-time notifications, the brand instills confidence in its ability to protect and grow wealth over the long term.

Empowerment: Easy access to educational resources, market insights and investment tools empowers customers and closes the financial literacy gap. By equipping customers with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed financial decisions, Moneyfarm reinforces its role as a trusted financial partner.

Capturing this delicate balance of man and machine was mission-critical to differentiate itself from digital competitors. In our branding assignment, we uncovered that at the heart of this narrative lay a simple yet powerful idea: by deploying technology at the service of a more transparent and personalized experience for customers, Moneyfarm does more than streamline processes; it creates an investing partnership specific to people’s financial goals on a personal level. And what’s more personal to people than their relationship with money?

The new brand also aimed to pack more emotion. The digital investing landscape can be seen as too sterile, so cutting through the clutter of financial jargon and firm handshake imagery was paramount. With its new arc graphic device that revolves around the customer on photography, the brand screams personalization. All elements have been carefully curated to signal the benefit of having the right people by your side during your investment journey. Something robo-advisors can’t provide.

Humanizing technology in financial services isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a strategic imperative for bridging the gap between the digital world and the human experience. These forward-looking brands have shown that infusing technology with empathy, transparency and personality, can forge deeper connections with customers and lay the foundation for a more trusting and resilient future.

 

Patrick Kampff is Senior Strategy Director.

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What’s on the minds of brand leaders in 2024?

Since January, Siegel+Gale has been holding dinners with senior brand leaders across major West Coast cities. Dinner attendees represented the who’s who in tech, financial services, real estate and entertainment. 

The purpose of these dinners was to discuss the current economic uncertainties many organizations are facing despite what the economic indicators seem to say. Given these dinners were held across the West Coast, there was a decided bent toward tech and entertainment: two industries recovering from a difficult 2023 due to interest rate hikes, layoffs and strikes. Discussions were candid and too good not to share. 

Below are the headlines of what’s on the minds of some of today’s leading brand-builders as they seek to evolve, grow and manage their brands in 2024.

AI: “This is the dumbest it will ever be.”

There wasn’t a single attendee who didn’t have an AI story to share. Every organization is looking at AI, whether casually playing around or aggressively applying it to reduce costs. The stories of lessons learned abound, each brander sharing what not to do when implementing AI. While there are wild swings in the tools and appropriate applications, all attendees agreed that the speed at which AI is improving is profound. The reasons why some organizations hesitate today to adopt it may be the very reasons they won’t in a matter of months. In search of answers, these leaders wanted to know who was doing AI right. Where are its greatest and highest uses? What does a marketing organization that properly uses and governs AI look like? Many great discussions and learnings were shared, yet very few best practices. (At least not yet.)

Trust is under attack

“As we see our institutions under attack and questions of journalistic integrity mounting, how can we, as branders, navigate a world where trust is continually undermined?” 

In one of the most serious discussions of our tour, branders reflected on the vulnerability of their future marketing and branding efforts to cut through the ever-growing dysfunction and skepticism of audiences. “Who will believe what we say, and the motives behind it?” asked one attendee. “If institutions like The New York Times are struggling, what’s to say that won’t be us in three years?”  

The thought is scary but widely accepted as perhaps one of the branding industry’s most significant challenges. Americans’ ever-increasing cynicism and distrust puts brands in a very different place than five years ago. How do you create authenticity? How do you tap into the power of community and word of mouth? How can you protect yourself from those who wish to challenge the very things on which your brand stakes its reputation? This isn’t something AI can fix. It will require radical shifts in how and where brands tell their stories and, perhaps most importantly, who tells them.

A changing technology industry

“There will never be more people working in technology than there are today,” one attendee said during our San Francisco stop. 

If you’ve been following the layoff trackers in the high-tech sector, our guest is likely right. As interest rates rose, organizations asked their marketers to do more with less, leading to a never-ending stream of layoffs and spending reductions from the largest companies to the smallest. The timing of this intersected with the application of AI within tech companies themselves. And, in an ironic turn of fate, the monster many feared would rob other industries of their jobs is now devouring its own. Enterprise-wide mandates to apply AI are seeing tech brands work leaner, rewrite ways of doing business and experiment with how to drive intense growth expectations while also achieving aggressive cost-cutting requirements. 

The notion of tech’s shrinking transformation wasn’t just discussed in San Francisco; attendees in Los Angeles and Seattle shared similar observations. What we know for sure is that for many in tech, the bloom is off the rose. It isn’t the same industry it was in 2021, and in many ways, tech is starting to resemble more traditional industries.

What is unique is that there is a fundamental shift in how AI impacts technology brands, employee culture and brand experiences, and real lessons are being learned about what can go right—and what can go terribly wrong. All of this is happening right now, ahead of many other industries. Most brand leaders in tech expect much more of the same in the next two years, making the role of branding as much a corporate policeman as ever before. As organizations weaponize their employees with AI tools, everything from social media, brand and product messaging, design, customer support, email marketing and numerous other brand touchpoints will require obsessive 24/7 monitoring and governance. Most organizations have not considered these things as their executives push forward unrelentingly, obsessed only with AI’s benefits and doing more with less.

DEI will make a comeback

Many attendees expressed disappointment with their organizations’ flagging commitments to DEI endeavors. All believed the internal DEI initiatives activated just a couple of years ago were good for organizational culture, improved recruiting and retention and paid real dividends in terms of creativity and customer experiences. But almost all attendees cited leadership backsliding in this area as an opportunity for renewed focus. Expect increased interest going forward as brands look to reclaim some of the lost ground on their DEI efforts, and become more inclusive places to work and connect with wider arrays of audiences. 

Performance-driven marketing is hollowing out brands

“When everything is a conversation focused on a sale, it means it’s not on anything else. And customers get exhausted and turned off!” remarked one attendee.  

Universally, our marketers decried the obsession with performance marketing efforts. Comments ranged from an obsession with culling the audiences that already know a brand—to the point of putting them off—to the recognition that performance marketing doesn’t prioritize brand extension into new markets or deepening brand engagement.

All attendees predicted a return to more impactful and emotional brand experiences in the coming years. “Nobody is talking about the top of the funnel, who you’re for, why you’re different and laying the long-term planks of engagement and loyalty. You can only milk a customer for so long before they think it’s simply a transactional relationship.” 

Longing for community and human connections

Our last conversation theme centered on searching for more human connections and belonging. Perhaps as COVID’s final chapter, many attendees talked about how their brands were trying to create belonging and connectivity for the people inside their organizations, as well as the customers they engage with. More of a social commentary, with real estate shifts and the need to engage remote employees rising, many attendees noted the disappearance of “third places.” Attendees saw this as a vast brand opportunity to unite people, create genuine engagement and offer an antidote to an AI-obsessed world.

It was an honor and pleasure to spend time with thoughtful, driven, and successful brand leaders. Our conversations were honest and insightful, and all attendees left thinking differently about what the next 12-24 months will look like. While many were dour about what the future holds from an economic standpoint, all felt like the brand challenges they and their peers face are among the most complex and interesting of their tenures.

 

Jason Cieslak is President, Pacific Rim.

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AI and brand management: how technology can keep creative output true to a brand’s identity

This article originally appeared in AdAge.

In the evolving brand and marketing landscape, artificial intelligence is not just the hot new fad—it’s a transformative force.

AI is reshaping how we think about the creative process. The next frontier will change how brands are built and managed, and the call to harness new AI tools to power up capabilities is growing. The time to explore what’s possible and pilot new initiatives is now.

From launch to everyday stewardship, there are four primary focus areas where AI will impact brand management and that should be on the radar of every brand leader and AI marketing task force:

Systems that learn your brand

One “single source of truth” via online brand centers and digital asset management platforms has been considered industry best practice. But AI’s implications have us looking forward to the next generation of solutions that do more than just catalog content and standards; they iterate and problem-solve alongside you.

This development, however, raises questions about better aligning brand-building with new AI capabilities. It means evolving traditional brand guidelines with prompt-literate instructions and considering the most effective deployment of automated brand reviews. Major consumer brands are already experimenting with AI for brand imagery generation and bringing forward-thinking AI-led campaigns to market. Think Coca-Cola’s “Create Real Magic” initiative or Nike’s AI-generated models.

This proliferation of new content further highlights the importance of ensuring what’s generated stays true to the brand and its standards.

Meeting creators where they are

If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times: Brand teams want to influence the development of branded assets.

However, they either can’t handle the volume of brand reviews required, don’t have an effective sightline to downstream execution or their organization’s culture generally rejects brand compliance (no one likes a brand cop).

Imagine enabling content checks at scale that are helpful to creators, allow for efficiencies in the creative development process and actually supports brand cohesion in market. AI can get us there—but to work, it needs to be baked in.

Next-gen brand management AI solutions will prioritize interoperability, integrating into existing workflows and creative tools, even as a web browser plug-in. Getting ahead of late-in-the-game brand approvals not only speeds the path to brand execution but also provides powerful insights into what’s working, what isn’t and how a brand needs to evolve. In other words, brand identity data that matters.

Meaningful brand identity data

Data and insights are essential for anyone looking to understand the effectiveness of their efforts and make informed decisions, brand managers included.

There is an abundance of success metrics tracked in advertising and marketing. But beyond macro brand awareness and health tracking, meaningful data on how your brand identity system contributes to business success is harder to come by.

When there isn’t proof to support the rationale for brand standards—from image style to color usage—brand teams find themselves at the mercy of business leaders who hold the marketing purse strings. It’s a slippery slope to inconsistencies in market that can negatively impact brand cohesion and attribution.

AI-powered brand checks can uncover powerful observations on how particular identity elements drive meaningful value. Today we’re even starting to see solutions that focus on evaluating the quality of campaign creative in real time. Armed with more meaningful insights, brand teams can bring valuable cross-functional perspectives to the table, from customer engagement to influencing decisions on media strategy and investment.

AI-powered brand education

We know that not everyone learns the same way. There are visual learners, aural learners, kinesthetic learners, social learners, solitary learners and others. While many strive to accommodate different learning styles when building internal brand education programs, the resources and investment required to be broadly inclusive and provide the most interactive, in-person or high-production value content can be a barrier to entry. AI can help break that barrier.

New solutions will enable highly customized, intuitive brand learning pathways that get to know the user while letting the user know the brand in their own unique way. Brand training will not only become more specific to the individual but infinitely more scalable. Think: your company’s very own BrandGPT.

Coming hot on the heels of impressive generative imagery capabilities is generative video—and as GenAI continues to evolve, virtual brand assistants will be able to provide immediate answers to brand questions and identify solutions in real time. These advances will make personalized training content and brand dialogue more accessible, opening a world of possibility for engagement and understanding.

The time to lean in is now

AI is fundamentally changing brand management now. Incorporating AI-led solutions into your brand management approach goes beyond just staying current—it serves to amplify the core purpose of managing your brand in the first place: to be both deeply understood while being agile enough to stand out in rapidly changing times.

 

Lauren Thebault is Group Director, Activation and Brand Management.

The post AI and brand management: how technology can keep creative output true to a brand’s identity appeared first on Siegel+Gale.

The role of brand in M&A: Technology

The post The role of brand in M&A: Technology appeared first on Siegel+Gale.

Simply Smarter: A brand experience newsletter

After 2023’s slump, a surge of megadeals suggests a potential revival in mergers and acquisitions. As activity heats up, how can brands maximize the value of a merger, acquisition or spin-off? In this month’s newsletter, we turn to our branding experts to find out.

 

M&A deals make a comeback

As C-Suites look for growth through mergers and acquisitions, marketers at those companies face questions: What happens to the brands? Do they become one? How do you market the new brand? Digiday caught up with branding experts, including our President, Pacific Rim, Jason Cieslak, to understand the process.

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Powering a healthier future

When leading medical diagnostics companies Quidel Corporation and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics merged, the new brand needed a fresh identity to reflect its combined offerings and stand out from the competition. In this case study, learn how we created a connected brand experience post-merger, communicating QuidelOrtho’s passion for precision and empathy.

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Such great heights

How do you reposition a brand after an acquisition? In this episode of Siegel+Gale Says, we explore our work with global aviation leasing company AerCap. The brand became the world’s largest player in its sector after the successful acquisition of the GE Capital Aviation Services business from General Electric. Learn how we took an industry leader to new heights by crafting a brand that reflected AerCap’s acquired size and stature while representing the newly unified company.

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[image error]Dream bold

The iconic merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia into Warner Bros. Discovery brought together two entertainment conglomerates with very different backgrounds. In this SMPL Q+A, our brand experts discuss how Siegel+Gale helped build a bold new brand for a media giant.

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3M Health Care is now Solventum

Congratulations to our clients and friends at Solventum on completing its spin-off from 3M and debuting at the New York Stock Exchange last week. Go behind-the-scenes of our partnership with the new healthcare brand.

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The post Simply Smarter: A brand experience newsletter appeared first on Siegel+Gale.