To my delight, a client of ours just openly shared an actual use case for the new AI image model released by OpenAI. And no, it’s not an action figure of them with all their accessories. It’s something that instantly elevated their ability to deliver on the visual identity we crafted for them.
Historically, visual identities are limited not by a client's ability to welcome creative solutions, but by their ability to execute on those solutions at scale and within budget.
Any agency can dream up amazing ideas, but the reality is that for most organizations, it’s just not realistic to take them on. They might not have a 3D artist to render a new image for every ad campaign or the budget to commission a custom illustration for every blog post. Even if it is the most beloved path forward, creatively and strategically.
We were lucky when Rows, a past client, embraced a bold illustration style to reflect their spreadsheet wizardry. They executed it well in-house, but it was time-consuming. Henrique Cruz, head of growth and AI, recently trained the new OpenAI image model with the style we created, allowing the team to generate illustrations in seconds. It’s a game changer, freeing them to ideate and create without the time burden, even if the outputs aren’t perfect. When you cut production time by 95%, perfect isn’t the point.
With the rapid improvement in AI technology, we’re already at the point of providing AI guidelines for our clients. For TrustedSec, we provided sample AI prompts and keywords for their blog illustrations. It’s a solution that never would’ve been possible without AI image generation.
Between the time savings and the opportunity to embrace more creative solutions from an agency partner, AI is an unlock. It will take some time for the broader industry to understand this, but the wheels are in motion, and B2B will benefit the most, in my opinion. It’s the industry with the most room to grow creatively.
When execution isn't a barrier, creativity can soar. With AI reducing time and cost, we’re free to take bolder, more imaginative risks.
Research shows that when it comes to B2B, a potential consumer rejecting your company is low – around 10%. The reason for rejection can be random too. In their research related to insurance sentiments, rejection reasons ranged from “old establishment, not progressive” to “I want an older insurance company” to “I don’t like Peyton Manning.” The bigger culprit hampering brand growth is lack of awareness: “Lack of brand awareness is a bigger barrier to acquisition than non-customer brand rejection.”
On Adweek’s Marketing Vanguard podcast, Cisco CMO Carrie Palin has a number of great insights, but we were particularly interested to hear how she tackled the brand challenge of modernizing Cisco. You can see the result in Cisco’s “Secure Freeze” ad, which proves B2B can be cool.
We have a whole section in this newsletter dedicated to quantifying the value of brand, and it’s complicated! So picture us standing on soapboxes with megaphones parroting this quote, “We include brand assets in the valuation when we sell a company. Why isn’t investment in brand a line item on the balance sheet that bolsters overall company value?”
The exponential rise of AI has muddied the waters. Polished work feels manufactured, while consumers crave authenticity. Bill found himself in just such a conundrum recently. It’s not surprising that platforms are prioritizing “personal and unfiltered content” from employees.
78% of surveyed leaders are investing in employer branding, and while 75% saw increased (or maintained) positive perceptions, only 18% were able to share this value within their organization. “Employer branding is crucial for organizations that are focused on growth. But even more important is the ability to demonstrate a clear return on branding investments. Leaders who can do that can justify and secure continued or increased funding.”
