Insights

The interesting story in AI right now isn't the technology. It's the gap that's opened between two kinds of brand: those using AI to do the same work cheaper and faster, and those using AI to do better work than was previously possible. The first group is producing a lot. The second group is winning. Getting to that point has taken a couple of years of collective learning, some of it painful. Here's where we are, what we've picked up, and where things are heading.

Most brand guidelines were designed for a finite world. A campaign, a homepage, a print ad, a handful of executions, all approved one by one. AI changes the equation entirely. A capable team with the right tools can now produce a thousand executions before lunch and still have time for a coffee. So the real question isn't whether AI can scale your brand, it's whether your brand can hold its shape when it does.

Sustainability has become a central part of brand identity in the FMCG industry. However, as the industry keeps discussing it, the tone and message are losing their effectiveness. Today, many consumers and media outlets are tuning out. Not because they don’t care, but because they’ve heard it all before. The story has changed, so the messaging needs to change too.

Real growth starts with real people. That was the underlying theme at our annual Comprend day held in Stockholm at the end of last month. It was a timely reminder that although we live in a world where data and technology are reshaping everything, and growth is often measured in numbers – the true, lasting drivers of brand growth are people.