Brand before machine. Or how we use AI in brand work

Artificial intelligence is currently one of the most discussed topics in the communications and creative industries. New tools appear every month, images and videos can seemingly be generated effortlessly, and many processes are changing noticeably. Yet one central question remains: what does AI really mean for brand work?

Studies and market analyses show that many companies are once again focusing more strongly on the fundamentals of brand management. According to analyses by McKinsey & Company, classic core disciplines such as brand building, authenticity and strategic clarity are back at the centre – ahead of many technology trend topics. The reason is simple: performance can be bought. Trust cannot.

Brands rarely lose because of individual mistakes. They lose through interchangeability. When everything is possible and nothing seems clear, it becomes difficult to take a clear position and build long-term relationships. That is precisely why brand work becomes not less important but more weighty in a world full of technologies.

We do not see AI as a replacement for creative or strategic work, but as a strategic co-pilot. Used correctly, it can help us to analyse large amounts of data, make market and discourse developments visible, evaluate language patterns and brand messages, and develop positioning on a better-informed basis.

For example, semantic market analyses can be carried out: which terms dominate a market? Which narratives repeat themselves? Where are new cultural themes emerging? When analysing corporate communications, too, AI can help to make implicit values, tonalities or possible inconsistencies between self-image and external perception visible. Such insights are extremely valuable for strategic brand development.

For us, using AI means above all supporting analytical and organisational tasks in a targeted way. This allows us to concentrate on what is decisive for strong brands: strategic clarity, cultural understanding, creative ideas and consistent brand management.

In our agile branding framework, we combine analysis, strategy and design into a dynamic process. We examine markets, develop clear positioning, design visual identities and create brand experiences – and we use AI where it sensibly complements this work. One central principle always applies to us: technology follows the brand, not the other way round.

When working with AI in branding, clear rules are absolutely essential. That is why we are developing internal guidelines that ensure responsible and transparent use. These include, among other things, protecting sensitive client data in particular, always having AI results checked by people, clearly labelling AI-generated content and continuously training our teams. This builds trust both in how we handle the technology and in our collaboration with our clients.

It will be exciting to see how the systems develop further in future. It feels as if there is a new tool or an update from a platform launched only a few days ago every week. That is quite crazy. We are therefore intensively exploring new methods of AI-supported brand analysis, strategic scenarios and cultural developments. Our goal is not to show off the most spectacular AI experiments possible, but to make brands strategically smarter. Because even in the age of AI, this holds true: a clear brand becomes stronger, and a diffuse brand simply becomes interchangeable more quickly.

Many mid-sized companies are currently facing the question of how to align their brand strategically for the coming years. Good news: under certain conditions, consulting services in the area of strategy and product development, or brand-specific services, can be funded through various funding programmes. Feel free to get in touch to discuss your project.