A Changing Landscape for Healthcare Organisations

A polyclinic today is not just competing with the hospital down the road. It is competing with a retail health app that books a video consultation in ninety seconds, a wearable that already knows a patient’s blood pressure trend, and a pharmacy chain that just opened a walk-in clinic next to the cough syrup. None of these competitors existed in the form they do now a decade ago. All of them are now part of how patients decide where to go.

This is the real shift underway in healthcare: not just new technology or new policy, but a redrawing of who the players are and what patients expect of each of them. Healthier SG has pushed care upstream, from treatment to prevention. New legislation now allows health information to move across providers instead of staying locked inside one institution. And organisations with no clinical heritage at all are setting the bar for convenience and transparency that hospitals are now measured against.

Most healthcare organisations have adapted operationally faster than they have adapted their brand. Services have expanded, channels have multiplied, partnerships have grown more complex. But the way these organisations explain themselves, often still built around a simpler, single-purpose version of the business, has not kept pace. Patients, partners, and employees are left piecing together what an organisation actually does and why it matters.

This is why brand clarity is becoming a strategic priority, not a finishing touch. At Tangible, we think about it across four distinct areas of the brand:

1. Marketing & Communications: how they define their key messages and show up in external communications
2. People & Culture: how they build internal alignment, culture, and a shared sense of purpose
3. Products & Services: how brand architecture shapes the way they name, organise, and differentiate their services so patients and partners can easily understand their offerings
4. Spaces & Places: how they show up across every physical and digital environment

The sections below explore four pressures driving this shift, and which of these areas branding can help organisations respond through.

The Growing Pressures on Healthcare Organisations

From our work with organisations across the healthcare and medtech space, we see four pressures shaping this change.

1. A shift from treatment to prevention is changing what “good care” means

For decades, the healthcare proposition was simple: come to us when you are unwell, and we will treat you well. That is no longer the whole job.

Programmes encouraging residents to enrol with a regular family physician, get screened, get vaccinated, and manage chronic conditions before they escalate, have shifted the emphasis from episodic treatment to ongoing relationships. Home-based and technology-enabled monitoring for seniors and the chronically ill is expanding what “care” looks like outside the clinic walls entirely.

An organisation built and branded around acute treatment cannot simply bolt on a “preventive care” line item and expect patients to understand what changed. The relationship being offered now is ongoing, proactive, and often invisible day to day. If it isn’t articulated as clearly as the treatment it’s meant to prevent, patients will keep showing up only when something is already wrong, which defeats the point.

How branding can help: This is where marketing & communications does the most work. Clear key messages articulate what an ongoing relationship with the organisation actually delivers — whether that’s a care team, a monitoring service, or a long-term health plan — so prevention reads as a distinct, valuable form of care rather than the absence of it. When those messages are consistent across every external touchpoint, patients stop showing up only when something is already wrong.

2. Interconnected systems are replacing standalone providers

A patient might see a polyclinic doctor, get referred to a hospital specialist, recover at a community care provider, and pick up medication from a separate pharmacy network, all for a single health issue. Most patients don’t register how many separate organisations they just passed through. New legislation and integrated care networks are being built specifically to stitch these handoffs together. For medtech and health-tech companies, the same logic applies: products are now judged on how well they integrate into a wider ecosystem, not on their own merits alone.

This creates a branding problem. An organisation that is one part of a larger journey needs to be precise about which part it plays, what it owns, and what it doesn’t — without overstating its role or disappearing into the system around it.

How branding can help: Clear brand architecture under products & services lets an organisation define exactly where it sits in the ecosystem — what it owns, what it enables, and where its responsibility ends. A medtech company that can state this plainly is easier to evaluate, integrate, and choose. That clarity turns interconnection from a source of confusion into a source of credibility.

3. Patients and partners are behaving like discerning consumers

Patients today research before they commit. They compare providers, read reviews, and move between digital and in-person touchpoints long before a clinical decision is made. Organisations with no clinical heritage — in retail, technology, and insurance — are entering the space and setting a convenience bar that traditional providers were never built to clear.

Institutional partners are applying the same scrutiny. Payers, corporate health buyers, and procurement teams now expect clear evidence of value, not reputation alone.

That is the real exposure here: organisations whose brand has long relied on history, scale, or clinical reputation to do the talking. Reputation still matters, but on its own it no longer carries an organisation through a more competitive, better-informed market. Trust has to be demonstrated, not assumed.

How branding can help: Spaces & places and marketing & communications have to work together here. The physical environment — a clinic’s reception, its wayfinding, the feel of a consultation room — is still where trust is built or lost for most patients. But that impression has to hold across digital touchpoints too: the website, the app, the follow-up message after an appointment. When these tell different stories, patients notice even if they can’t articulate why. Consistent messaging also gives organisations something more specific than “quality” or “experience” to differentiate on — a concrete reason to choose this provider over the one with the slicker app.

4. Talent is harder to attract and retain, and purpose has become a differentiator

The same pressures reshaping how organisations are seen from the outside are being felt just as sharply inside them. Healthcare workforces are stretched: demand for care keeps rising, capacity doesn’t keep pace, and skilled clinicians and care professionals increasingly have somewhere else they could be instead.

Constant change makes this worse, not better. As organisations adopt new technologies and expand into new care models, employees are asked to absorb more disruption with less certainty about where their own role fits into the bigger picture. People without a clear sense of why the organisation exists find it easier to leave when something more stable comes along.

How branding can help: That sense of purpose doesn’t emerge on its own — it has to be built through people & culture. A clearly articulated brand gives employees a shared sense of what the organisation stands for — one that holds from leadership all the way through to frontline care. When that purpose is genuinely understood and felt across every level, people don’t just deliver the brand, they embody it. In a sector under constant pressure and change, that internal coherence is what keeps organisations from pulling in different directions.

Conclusion

As care reorganises around prevention, interconnection, and consumer expectation, the question for many healthcare organisations is no longer “How do we communicate what we do?” but “Does our brand reflect the system we now operate within?”

The organisations feeling this most acutely are the ones whose brand was built for a simpler version of the business — one provider, one proposition, one kind of patient. That version no longer exists. The work now is ensuring that clarity runs through every part of how an organisation shows up: its messages, its people, its services, and its environments.

In a system being rebuilt while it runs, the organisations that are clearest about who they are will be the ones patients, partners, and employees choose to stay with.

The post Issue 56: Q2 2026 appeared first on Tangible.

A Changing Landscape for Non-Profits and Charities

In Singapore and many developed economies, non-profits and charitable organisations are operating in a very different environment from a decade ago. The issues they address are more interconnected, the communities they serve are more diverse, and the expectations placed on them are higher and more demanding.

As a result, many organisations have evolved in what they do—expanding their roles, taking on more complex challenges, and engaging a wider range of stakeholders. However, the way they present themselves has not always kept pace. In many cases, their brand still reflects an earlier, narrower version of the organisation.

This is why more non-profits are undertaking brand refreshes today. Not to look different, but to close the gap between what they do and how they are understood. Brand is no longer just about campaigns or visual identity. It has become a strategic tool for clarifying an organisation’s role, aligning its efforts, and expressing the value it creates in a changing social landscape.

The sections below explore the key pressures driving this shift, and why brand clarity is becoming increasingly critical in helping organisations respond.

The Growing Pressures on Non-Profits

From our work with organisations across the sector, we see 4 common pressures shaping this change.

1. Rising expectations for transparency and impact

Rising expectations for transparency and impact are a defining feature of this changing landscape — and a key reason many non-profits are finding their existing brand no longer fit for purpose.

In Singapore, this shift has been driven by a more structured and demanding ecosystem. Regulatory bodies such as the Charity Council and the Commissioner of Charities have raised the baseline for governance and disclosure, while agencies like the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the National Council of Social Service have shifted funding models towards measurable outcomes. At the same time, institutional donors and corporate partners are applying more rigorous due diligence, expecting clearer articulation of impact and stronger evidence of results.

What this means in practice is that many organisations are being evaluated in ways they were never originally designed for. Brands that were built to convey intent, heritage, or goodwill are now expected to communicate clarity, credibility, and measurable value. This gap is further amplified by heightened public sensitivity following incidents such as the National Kidney Foundation scandal, as well as the always-on visibility of digital platforms. As expectations shift from “doing good” to demonstrating impact, non-profits are increasingly compelled to revisit how they define and express their role.

How branding can help:
In this context, branding can help organisations clearly demonstrate their value. It provides a structured way to connect purpose, programmes, and outcomes, so stakeholders can see not just what the organisation does, but the impact it can make. By making impact visible and comparable, a strong brand builds credibility and supports more informed evaluation by donors, partners, and regulators.

When done well, branding also brings internal clarity. It aligns teams around a shared direction, sharpens decision-making, and ensures consistency across everything from reporting to partnerships. And in today’s environment where credibility depends on clarity and evidence, a strong brand makes an organisation’s value visible and credible.

2. Expanding roles and responsibilities

Another key driver of change is the steady expansion of roles and responsibilities within the non-profit sector. In Singapore, many organisations have evolved beyond their original, often narrowly defined mandates to address a broader set of needs. This has been shaped in part by national priorities and funding directions led by agencies such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the National Council of Social Service, which increasingly emphasise upstream intervention, preventive care, and more holistic support models. As a result, organisations that once served specific beneficiary groups or issues are now engaging wider and more diverse audiences, often across different life stages or areas of need.

This expansion creates a different kind of strain. As programmes diversify and stakeholder groups multiply, organisations are required to operate with greater coordination and clarity, both internally and externally. Yet many still carry brands that were built for a much narrower scope that was focused on a single cause, community, or mode of support. The result is often a growing disconnect between what the organisation has become and how it is understood. 

How branding can help:
As organisations expand beyond their original scope, branding can help bring structure to that growth. A well-defined brand architecture provides a clear way to organise different programmes, services, and audiences—showing how they relate to one another and how they connect back to a unified purpose. This prevents the organisation from appearing fragmented or stretched, even as its scope increases.

By defining what sits under the main brand and how each part is positioned, brand architecture helps both internal teams and external stakeholders navigate the organisation more easily. Internally, it creates clarity around roles, priorities, and how different initiatives fit together. Externally, it presents a coherent picture of what the organisation stands for, despite its increasing breadth.

3. More demanding and discerning stakeholders

The rise of more demanding and discerning stakeholders reflects a broader shift in how individuals and institutions engage with the social sector. 

Donors today are more informed and selective, shaped by greater access to information and a growing culture of accountability, and are increasingly choosing organisations based on clear impact rather than emotional appeal alone. 

Corporate partners, guided by more structured ESG priorities, are also applying greater scrutiny to who they work with, expecting alignment, credibility, and measurable outcomes. 

At the same time, beneficiaries and volunteers—particularly younger, more digitally native groups—are approaching non-profits with different expectations, seeking transparency, authenticity, and meaningful engagement.

This shift is also being felt internally. As non-profits compete for talent in a sector where financial rewards are often more limited, attracting and retaining staff has become more challenging. In this context, a clear sense of purpose and direction becomes increasingly important. Employees need to understand how their work contributes to a larger mission, especially as they navigate growing complexity and competing demands. Without this clarity, it becomes harder to sustain motivation, alignment, and a shared sense of purpose across the organisation.

These changing expectations are amplified by the environment non-profits now operate in. Digital platforms make it easy to compare organisations, access information, and form opinions quickly. At the same time, public conversations are more immediate and visible, meaning perceptions can change fast.

As a result, stakeholders are no longer passive supporters. They actively assess organisations, looking at how relevant, effective, and trustworthy they are. For many non-profits, this marks a real change. They are no longer supported just for what they stand for, but are chosen and judged based on how clearly they can show the value of their work in a more competitive and transparent landscape.

How branding can help: In a more competitive and selective environment, branding helps organisations stand out and be chosen. It sharpens how they express their value, making it easier for stakeholders to understand why the organisation matters and how it differs from others.

At the same time, branding plays an important role internally. A clear brand helps articulate a strong sense of purpose and direction, giving employees a clearer understanding of what they are working towards and why it matters. This is especially important in a sector where attracting and retaining talent can be challenging. By strengthening the organisation’s employer proposition and reinforcing shared values, branding helps build alignment, sustain motivation, and support a more cohesive culture.

A clear and consistent brand therefore builds trust not just externally, but also internally, enabling organisations to engage more effectively with both their stakeholders and their people.

4. More complex and interconnected social challenges

The nature of social challenges themselves has become more complex and interconnected. In Singapore, issues such as the ageing population, mental health, and inequality are no longer isolated. They increasingly overlap, with one reinforcing another. For example, financial instability can affect family dynamics, which in turn impacts mental health and long-term wellbeing. These are not discrete problems that can be addressed in silos, but layered challenges that unfold over time.

This changes how impact is created and understood. Addressing these issues often requires sustained effort across multiple areas, with outcomes shaped by a range of interdependent factors. Progress is less linear, and results are harder to isolate or attribute to a single intervention.

As a result, non-profits are operating in a context where the problems they are tackling are less clearly defined and more difficult to communicate. It becomes harder to explain where one issue ends and another begins, and what success looks like in the long term. This adds a new layer of complexity to how organisations define their role and articulate the value of their work.

How branding can help:
When social challenges are complex and interconnected, branding helps organisations define their role within a broader system. Through clear brand positioning, organisations can articulate what they focus on, the specific value they bring, and how they differ from others working in adjacent areas. This makes it easier for stakeholders to understand where the organisation sits within a larger ecosystem of efforts.

At the same time, brand architecture provides a way to organise and present a range of programmes and initiatives in a coherent way. It helps show how different areas of work connect to a unified purpose, while still allowing each to play a distinct role. Together, positioning and architecture make it easier to communicate complex work clearly — so stakeholders can understand not just what the organisation does, but how its different efforts fit together and contribute to a broader impact.

Conclusion

As expectations rise and roles expand, the question for many non-profits is no longer “Do we need a new campaign?” but “Does our brand reflect the work we actually do?”

Brand clarity is not just about communication. It helps organisations define their role, align their teams, and be understood by the people they serve and support.

As organisations take on broader responsibilities and address more complex needs, it becomes harder to clearly express who they are and what they stand for. This is where many begin to feel the gap between what they do and how they are perceived.

Closing this gap is no longer optional. It helps organisations stay focused, operate with greater coherence, and ensure their value is clearly understood by donors, partners, and communities.

In an environment where expectations continue to rise, those that are clear about who they are will be better placed to stay relevant and create meaningful impact.

The post Issue 55: Q1 2026 appeared first on Tangible.

In fact, you’ve probably already utilised artificial intelligence today.

It might have been when Spotify created your “perfect for this mood” playlist, when Grab predicted your fare, or when Netflix decided which show to tempt you with next. All of these are examples of AI quietly working in the background, shaping the products and services you use without ever announcing itself. AI is becoming an invisible layer in everyday experiences, and that has huge implications for how brands create value, build trust, and stand out.​

What AI really changes

From a customer’s point of view, the impact of AI is not about algorithms, but about how they experience products and services. At its core, AI is about systems that learn from data to make predictions and decisions, and that changes how products and services behave over time.​

In that regard, four big shifts matter for brands:

1. From static to adaptive

Traditional products behave the same way for everyone. With AI, services can learn from each interaction and adjust accordingly. Think of a content app that learns what you prefer to read, or a fitness app that adapts your routine based on your progress rather than following a fixed plan.​

2. From mass to “one”

Marketing has always talked about segmentation, but AI makes it possible to tailor offers, content, and even pricing to individuals at scale. Retailers can curate product selections that feel hand‑picked and relevant to you. Done well, this feels like a brand finally “gets you”.​

3. From reactive to proactive

Many services wait for a customer request: “I have this problem; please help.” AI allows services to anticipate needs and act earlier. A financial app might flag that your spending pattern looks risky before it becomes a problem, or a telco could suggest a more suitable plan before you hit your data cap. This shift from “call us when something breaks” to “we’re looking out for you” can be a powerful expression of a brand’s promise.​

4. From linear journeys to fluid experiences

Customer journeys used to follow neat, linear steps: awareness, consideration, purchase, use, support. AI weaves search, chat, recommendations, and automation into a more fluid experience. You might ask a chatbot a question, be shown curated content, get a personalised offer, and complete a purchase without ever seeing a traditional webpage.​

The new brand challenge: invisible tech, visible trust

As AI capabilities become widely available, technology itself becomes less of a differentiator. Many brands can plug into similar models and tools; what becomes truly differentiating is how a brand uses AI to express its unique brand promise, values, and personality. 

This creates two core tensions that brand leaders need to manage:

1. Automation vs. human touch

Automating routine queries or processes can free humans to focus on complex, sensitive situations, which is one of the great benefits of AI. That said, in sectors like healthcare, finance, and hospitality, there are moments where human contact is not just preferred but essential. Brands need to decide what should always remain human, what can be “AI first, human in the loop,” and what can be fully automated. Those choices say a lot about what a brand values.​

2. Speed vs. stewardship

There is intense pressure to “move fast” on AI for efficiency and competitive reasons. At the same time, regulators and society are increasingly concerned with fairness, bias, transparency, and safety. Leaders must balance experimentation with governance: setting clear guardrails, reviewing high‑impact use cases, and defining where the brand will not go, even if the technology allows it.​

A useful guideline to follow is having  “AI‑on‑brand”: ensuring that every AI‑enabled interaction behaves in a way that is consistent with the brand’s promise, tone, and ethics. If your brand stands for reassurance and clarity, your AI should not be cryptic or pushy; if your brand stands for empowerment, your AI should give options, not orders.​

Creating “on‑brand AI”

Rather than treating AI as a technology project, it helps to see it as a new material for experience design. The following are some ways you can consider using to guide teams in designing AI features that are both effective and on‑brand.

1. Start from human frictions

Instead of asking, “Where can we use AI?”, start with “Where are customers currently confused, anxious, or frustrated?” Map the journey and identify specific friction points – long waits, complex forms, confusing choices, or information overload.​

Only then ask, “Could AI genuinely reduce this friction or make this moment feel more personal?” Examples include using AI to simplify form‑filling, triage support requests more intelligently, or summarise complex information in plain language. When AI is anchored in a real human problem, adoption and satisfaction tend to be much higher.​

2. Align your “AI personality” with your brand

Most brands already have a personality defined in their guidelines. The missing step is translating that personality into how AI behaves: tone of voice, how proactive it should be, how much it should explain, and how cautious or experimental it can be.​

A healthcare brand, for instance, might have an AI that is calm, clear, and conservative in its advice, continuously highlighting limitations and encouraging professional consultation when needed. A youth lifestyle brand might have an AI that uses informal language, suggests bold options, and embraces more experimentation while still respecting boundaries around safety and consent.​

3. Make the invisible visible

Many AI decisions are invisible, which can make customers uneasy. Brands can counter this by adopting simple transparency practices: short explanations like “We’re suggesting this because you liked…” or “We predicted this based on your recent activity,” plus clear options to adjust or turn off personalisation.​

At the crux of this is about giving people enough information to feel informed and in control. Simple privacy settings, reminders of what data is being used, and accessible explanations for important decisions can turn a black‑box experience into one that feels more collaborative and trustworthy.​

4. Measure what matters to humans

AI projects are often evaluated using technical metrics like accuracy, latency, or cost savings. To understand whether AI is supporting or undermining the brand, teams should measure human‑centred outcomes such as: perceived helpfulness, ease, comfort, trust, and preference for the AI‑enabled experience versus the old one.​

The key is to treat AI not just as a back‑office efficiency lever, but as a core part of the brand experience to be designed, tested, and refined.​

What leaders can do now

For leaders in marketing, product, and customer experience, AI can feel overwhelming, but the first steps can be focused and practical.

1. Audit where AI already touches your customers

Many organisations already use AI in fraud detection, recommendations, search, or support routing, but these elements are rarely viewed through a brand lens. Map current uses and ask: “Is this interaction on‑brand? How might it feel from a customer’s point of view?”​

2. Create an “AI experience charter”

Develop a simple, one‑page agreement that defines how your brand will and will not use AI when it comes to customers’ interactions with your products and services. This can cover principles like transparency, consent, tone, escalation to humans, and areas that are off‑limits, giving product and marketing teams a clear reference.​

3. Run one focused, low‑risk pilot

Instead of trying to “transform everything,” choose one friction point where AI could make a clear difference and run a contained pilot. Involve real customers early, test different designs, and measure both performance and sentiment, then share the learnings to build confidence and capability.​

As AI becomes a common ingredient in products and services, the real competitive edge will not be the model you choose, but the kind of human experience you design around it. Brands that treat AI as a medium for expressing their promise will be the products and services that people choose, trust, and recommend.​

References:

• Morgan Stanley on AI trends and enterprise focus: https://www.morganstanley.com/insights/articles/ai-trends-reasoning-frontier-models-2025-tmt
• General “AI in industries / CX” material: https://sada.com/blog/5-tech-predictions-for-2025-how-google-cloud-and-ai-will-transform-key-industries-2/
• McKinsey “State of AI in 2025” for adoption, transformation, and governance themes: https://kanerika.com/blogs/the-state-of-ai-mckinsey-report/
• Automate Service Without Losing the Human Touch: https://deliberatedirections.com/automate-service-without-losing-the-human-touch/
• AI Won’t Just Cut Costs, It Will Reinvent the Customer Experience: https://www.bain.com/insights/ai-wont-just-cut-costs-it-will-reinvent-the-customer-experience/

The post Issue 54: Q4 2025 appeared first on Tangible.

Dubbed the 4th industrial revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. But the speed and intensity with which AI has invaded our lives in recent years has been a source of terror and excitement for people around the world. Uncertainty abounds as employers leap to explore the benefits of widespread automation, while employees anxiously stress about job security. So, the question remains: how do we take advantage of AI tools effectively, efficiently, and ethically? Below, we highlight the transformative ways AI has impacted market research and brand strategy, its dangers and shortcomings, and its role in the future of branding. 

5 Ways AI is Impacting Market Research 

AI is more than just the next step in market research – it is the dawn of a radical frontier. Its potential to increase productivity, amplify our ability to predict consumer behaviour, and enhance targeted marketing capabilities is immeasurable.  

 1.  Automation of Data Collection and Management 

With the support of AI, companies can automate data collection and management to streamline the research process. Gone are the days of manually gathering and cleaning endless oodles of data. Adaptable conversational chatbots like ChatGPT can help design and administer surveys tailored to targeted segments of the population. Parameters can be set to automatically catalogue the responses by demographic, psychographic, or behavioural qualifications, making it quick and cost effective to extract meaningful insights down the line.  

AI algorithms can also monitor data quality by cleaning up irrelevant, incomplete, or duplicated responses. Companies like Synthesized and Private AI are trained to remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from survey results, effectively preserving data integrity, usability, and ensuring the information complies with privacy regulations.  

 2. Optimisation of Data Analysis, Visualisation and Reporting 

Analysing consumer data from the internet has morphed from a mere Herculean task to an epic Sisyphean nightmare. An estimated 149 zettabytes of data were created in 2024. That’s 400 million terabytes of data generated every, single day! 

Luckily, generative AI software is well-equipped to extract key insights from mountains of information. Researchers no longer need to dredge through the digital slog of social media posts, product reviews, and public forums. Natural Language Processing AIs (NLPs) analyse qualitative data online to uncover important market trends and sentiments towards a brand. They can also find patterns in survey responses and focus group interviews to increase our understanding of target markets and consumer behaviour. 

 3.  The Rise of Predictive Analytics 

Accurate and efficient predictive modeling is the holy grail of corporate strategy. Imagine the ability to anticipate what consumers want, when they want it, and producing the exact amount needed to maximise profit, while minimising costs.  

Today, AI can analyse industry patterns and real-time information to create models that forecast market trends. Machine learning algorithms like Pecan use historical data on consumer behaviour, preference, and spending habits to stay ahead of demand. These predictive models can determine which customers are most likely to be swayed by targeted marketing, to be repeat customers, or to switch to a competing product. As a result, brands will know which sectors of the population they should focus on. 

 4.  The Wonders of Synthetic Data 

AI’s generate synthetic data by mimicking existing consumer profiles. The potential here is limitless, offering valuable opportunities to enhance market research and brand strategy. Researchers use the artificial data as a supplement to real data when they conduct market studies or form predictive models because it increases sample size and diversity, leading to stronger findings. It can also extrapolate results from hard-to-reach segments of the population to draw more robust conclusions.  

Practically speaking, firms can use this technology to test the performance of new brand campaigns on artificial markets without fear of leaking intellectual property. Finally, synthetic data is far more efficient than collecting and managing real data, requiring less time and fewer resources because market profiles can be generated automatically.  

Read more about synthetic data from this Qualtrics article 

 5.   Personalisation and Market Segmentation 

Market research will become highly targeted in the years to come. Traditionally, market segmentation relied on surface level demographic qualities like age, gender, income and location. Now, browsing histories, political views, social media posts, and past purchases can be used to create tailored marketing strategies and product recommendations fit to each person’s behaviour profile.  

Such a degree of personalisation allows brands to elevate the customer experience. For example, Netflix uses AI to recommend shows based on accumulated user’s tastes and preferences. Personalised market research optimises a firm’s resources and strengthens their customers’ engagement with, and loyalty to, the brand.  

For more insights on how AI is affecting market research, check out TGM Research’s article. 

How does AI Improve Brand Strategy and Decision Making? 

 A.  Make More Informed Decisions 

The effect of AI on brand strategy is akin to the impact radio and radar had on military tactics a hundred years prior. Accurate, real-time information is the most important ingredient in smart decision making. Corporate leaders can leverage AI’s automated data analysis and predictive analytics to reveal important correlations in real-time, transforming a trove of trivial information into deep insights on market trends. In doing so, companies can develop long-term, data-driven brand strategies that position themselves uniquely within their markets.  

Consider mergers and acquisitions. This report from the Harvard Business Review found the failure rate of mergers and acquisitions to be around 70-90%! AI’s powerful data analysis capabilities can boost success rates by efficiently identifying risks, synergies and acquisition targets that most align with each firm’s strategic goals. It streamlines the due diligence process, leading to smarter choices.  

 B.  Mitigate Risk 

In terms of risk mitigation, AI can identify vulnerabilities in a company’s operations or branding strategies with predictive analytics and automated data management.  

Real-time sentiment analysis informs branding decisions. By understanding the choices their customers are making, firms can take preventative action and pivot the company in the right direction. For example, social media posts and customer reviews can be compiled to determine whether a firm’s current campaigns are working or if they should consider investing in a rebrand to better align with their values.   

C. Optimise Operations 

Automated data collection, management, and analysis paired with the use of synthetic data can free up human capital traditionally used for overseeing research. Furthermore, AI can optimise operational tasks such as inventory management, logistics, and customer support to lower costs and increase efficiency. With these advantages, employees will have more opportunities to explore innovative brand strategies.  

D. Capitalise on New Business Models 

Complete understanding of real-time consumer preferences coupled with predictive models allows companies to develop proactive brand campaigns and product strategies. They can also use predictive analytics and synthetic data to anticipate market trends, informing the development of brand messaging that can tap into the cultural and industry zeitgeist.  

Read more about AI’s impact on brand strategy and decision making from Mckinsey. 

AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement (Don’t Worry, Humans are Still Required!) 

Shortcomings of AI 

Despite its advantages, AI has 3 major blind spots: data quality assurance, information bias, and ethics and legality.   

First, AI programmes are highly dependent on the data they are trained with. Poor information and inaccurate data inputs will result in flawed outputs, and ultimately, unreliable conclusions. 

 Second, AI algorithms, like any code, can inherit bias from their programmers or from the data sets they were trained from. Any such biases or limitations in contextualisation could lead to discriminatory outcomes against minority populations or an overvaluation of certain groups. Any potential for discriminatory practices could cause irreparable damage to a firm’s brand image.  

Finally, training AI programmes raises important legal and ethical considerations. Their heavy reliance on large swathes of data indiscriminately scrubbed from the internet has the potential to violate numerous data privacy, ownership, and security laws. Already, writers and artists are banding together to file lawsuits against AI companies to protect their work from unfair use.  

To combat these risks, companies must be vigilant in their practices. AI must be trained on diverse data sets and given comprehensive inputs with relevant contextual frameworks. And most importantly, the work must be overseen by a trained human. Firms must also be prepared to collect data in ways that respect the law and store the information responsibly. This means they must ask people for their consent and adhere to data privacy laws with the utmost sincerity.  

Learn more about the challenges with AI from Forbes.  

Humans are Irreplaceable 

The future of market research and brand strategy lies not in complete automation. At least, not yet. Blindly accepting an AI’s conclusions can be dangerous, leading to superficial insights at best, and harmful biases at worst. While AI excels at analysing  information to create predictive models and synthetic data, they still lack the deep contextual understanding, flexibility, and critical thinking abilities of a human mind. Indeed, AI cannot empathise with our stakeholders. And it cannot match our creativity for pioneering visionary solutions. 

Instead, the future of branding rests in the harmonious integration of artificial and human intelligence. Human analysts and engineers are still vital to the research and decision-making process. They must verify and validate results to ensure the data is accurate, complete, and unbiased. AI is nothing more than an incredible tool to augment human capabilities. But when used correctly, it can help extract truly meaningful conclusions from previously inaccessible information, paving the way for humans to develop innovative, well-informed brand strategies. Only by combining AI efficiency with human decision-making can we realise AI’s full potential. 

To return to our earlier analogy, radar and radio can tell us where our problems are, but they lack the complexity and empathy to formulate a plan and execute a solution.   

Photos taken from Unsplash, Freepik and Adobe Stock.

The post Issue 51: Q1 2025 appeared first on Tangible.

Kodak 1971: Some logos don’t need to change. This 1971 version was resurrected in 2016. If you look hard enough you can nearly see the original ‘Eastman Kodak Company’.

Lego 1972: For a block-based business to have a soft logotype says a lot about the vision and imagination behind it. This is the logo everyone knows as Lego.

Sony 1973: If you like slab serifs, this sets the benchmark for its classic simplicity.

Led Zeppelin 1973: There are too many great band logos (Rolling Stone, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Queen, ABBA, Pearl Jam, The Who, The Clash, The Beatles, Buzzcocks) but for craft, Led Zeppelin takes it.

NASA 1975: Even though the ‘worm’ logo was retired in 1992, it’s the one people remember and it’s the granddaddy of squiggly logos.

Apple 1976: Brilliant name, brilliant logo, and there is no going back after the first byte – sorry, not sorry.

Sex Pistols: This logo says everything about 1976, and Jamie Reid’s ‘hostage’ lettering was genius.

I love NY 1977: A classic logo from a classic designer – Milton Glaser

Zildjian late 1970s: I always loved the cursive, slightly mystical script and when I discovered the Turkish heritage of the business, I simply loved it more.

Absolut Vodka 1979: I was surprised to discover this iconic brand identity was developed in 1979 as it went on to define spirit chic in the 80s and 90s.

1980’s: Print technology was maturing but creativity was still largely expressed through drawing.

Stussy (early 80s): Created in the early 1980s by Shawn Stussy, the founder of the streetwear brand (and surfboard shaper). It defined a lasting graffiti spirit.

MTV 1981: This appeared to be the first logo that opened the idea of consistency through flexibility.

Channel 4 1982: For decades there were only three channels in the UK, so when the channel 4 logo came along, you knew the content was going to be different.

La Caixa 1982: What a brilliant idea for a Basque Bank to leverage Juan Miro – just brilliant!

Espana 1982: Twice in one year for Juan Miro – that’s just greedy.

Jones 1985: Seeing the carrier bags around Covent Garden was everything about cool.

WWF 1986: WWF had been using a panda since 1961 but the 1986 design by Jenny Leibundgut at Landor is considered one of the best logos of all time – I agree.

Air Jordan 1988: Under the design direction of Tinker Hatfield. This is arguably the silhouette that made Nike.

First Direct Launched in 1989 by HSBC. first direct promised simplicity through a beautifully understated name and logo.

V&A Museum 1989: Alan Fletcher crafted this piece of elegance.

1990’s: The decade that allowed personal computers to open everything up. This was the decade where technology unleashed creative hands

The Pixies 1991: Vaughan Oliver was a cult hero and everything he did was full of an ethereal craft that came from another world.

BT 1991: The BT piper heralded in a new wave of figurative logos.

The National Lottery 1994: It’s everyone’s logo

Orange 1994: ‘The future’s bright, the future’s orange’. So ambiguous, so clever. Now that was a teaser campaign.

FedEx 1994: from abbreviating the name to FedEx, to the iconic logo, just brilliant. Lindon Leader who was a senior design director at Landor Associates is attributed to this piece of genius.

RAC 1997: It seemed like the first in a futuristic genre of logotypes – it copied nothing – sorry Jaguar

National Geographic 1997: Who knew that a simple rectangular yellow frame could travel so far?

BBC 1997: it’s … definitive words and pictures in a logo.

Pathe 1999: Irreverently French – love it!

100% Pure New Zealand 1999: I was working in Wellington at the time, and this logo was just awesome aye.

2000’s: A brave new world of platforms and tools.

Dopod 2003: The definitive ‘round lettered logo’. not immediately obvious but so cool for one of the first convergent mobile / PDA devices.

Uniquely Singapore 2004: A beautifully crafted destination logo that reflects the sophistication of its multicultural blend.

Rapha 2004 another era-defining logo, that made MAMILs smarten up!

Unilever 2004: Paul Polman’s dream in a symbol that ‘adds vitality to life’.

Tiger Beer 2005: A beautiful illustration from Chris Mitchell for Design Bridge.

Aboitiz 2006: An entrepreneurial conglomerate, whose logo illustrates there are always alternatives.

Visit Australia 2006(ish). Captures the earthy spirit of a nation.

Globe Telecom 2007: There are lots of Telecoms Globes but this is the best Globe Telecom.

Jin Air 2008: The budget airline from Korean Airlines has the fuselage of a butterfly beautifully crafted into the negative space.

Dulux 2009: The ‘Let’s colour’ logo, tagline and activation campaign was a step change for Dulux.

2010 to present: As creativity became commoditized, gems are still everywhere.

Instagram 2011: Didn’t we all love the original? And, it’s great when a co-founder designs the logo. It’s a shame that it got dumbed down again and again.

San Diego Zoo 2010: Makes me want to visit the zoo just because of the logo.

Pinterest 2011: Such a great name that translates in a lovely ‘Favicon’ and logotype – another regrettable move to a simpler typeface.

Owl Coffee 2011: Can you see the coffee bean? A beautifully updated heritage brand that drove a dramatic shift in sales.

Cancer Research UK 2012: Interbrand designed this original logo. It confidently captures the collective struggle.

American Airlines 2013: Redesigning an Icon is tough, but the designer crafted a beautiful solution for American Airlines.

Premier League 2016: One of the best interpretations of the big cat and superbly implemented.

Cadburys 2020: I always loved the Cadburys logo and was pleasantly surprised to see such an elegant historic evolution.

F1 2017: Wieden+Kennedy designed the new ‘F1’ logo. It’s great to see an iconic logo get even more iconic.

Kia 2021: Appropriate to finish on one of my favourites. I love the craft in every letter – it completely changed my view of the brand and looks great on every vehicle.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this stroll through logo memory lane and I hope they illustrate that craft is alive and kicking.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and let’s look forward to a creative 2025

The post Issue 50: Q4 2024 appeared first on Tangible.

Note: When we discuss ‘Internal Branding’, don’t think of internal communications! Think of how a company’s Purpose and Values can be leveraged to inspire its internal culture and behaviour.

Observation #1: You need a purpose to be your guiding light

A good corporate purpose is more than just a statement you craft for display on your ‘About us’ page. To realise its maximum benefits, you’ll need to go beneath the surface to unearth a shared sense of purpose that carries genuine significance within your organisation. This purpose will drive your organisation forward, guide strategic-decision making, give employees more fulfillment and clarity, and so much more.

And because your staff should also be a part of this shared purpose, aligning your employee value proposition with this purpose is essential for delivering your strategic goals. Can you imagine if Google was all about being inquisitive, experimental and questioning – but didn’t believe in investing in their people’s personal development?

At Tangible we ensure that the Purpose Statement and Corporate Values are aligned, so you can see how the Purpose will be delivered by the Values and also how the Values drive the Purpose. We advocate that the Values should be lived both internally and externally (so the corporate Values should be similar to the employees values).
Simply put: Say what you do and do what you say.

Observation #2: The CEO must lead the charge

You would think that creating a meaningful corporate purpose that resonates with everyone would be enough. But the truth is, if the leader of the organisation is not driving the company’s purpose and making sure it comes to life throughout the business, you might be wasting your time creating it in the first place. Your cleverly worded corporate purpose looks nice in your ‘Corporate Blurb’ but it has little or no impact.

Over the course of our work, we’ve found that what makes a project tangible is the CEO. If the CEO is the champion and leading the charge, then the organisation moves in a clear direction, with a sense of purpose.

As William Wang, the founder of Vizio said, “Everyone on the team plays an equal role. My role is to create the wave and everyone on our team keeps the wave going.”

Observation #3: HR must see their role as owners of the company culture

According to a recent study by Sage, 63% of c-suite leaders still see HR’s role as administrative, and more than half of them do not expect HR to play a significant or leading role across key areas that would traditionally sit in their wheelhouse, such as workforce planning and company culture.

Although we cannot deny that HR’s administrative roles are crucial, the gap is that this often lacks a direct impact on employee engagement. Instead, when HR actively owns the role of being champions of the organisational culture, they can significantly contribute to higher employee morale, satisfaction, and retention.

When HR are the champions of organisational culture, it also allows them to play a strategic role in addressing certain workplace challenges. These include:

Talent attraction and retention:
Where HR’s role is talent management might have been previously limited to recruitment; When they actively own and promote a positive culture, it enhances the organisation’s attractiveness to top talent and helps retain existing employees.

Adapting to change and innovation: When there is change, HR may tend to struggle to support organisational change initiatives. However, a strong cultural foundation that is facilitated by HR has the potential to enable smoother transitions and increase the organisation’s adaptability and change management.

Measuring the organisation’s internal health: Where metrics might have only been used by HR to focus on administrative efficiency, there lies the opportunity to utilise it to track key cultural indicators internally. This can help provide regular insights into your organisation’s health and potential areas for improvement.

Observation #4: Involve everybody!

With all that being said, it’s time to talk about (arguably) the most important stakeholders in internal branding – the employees! If you thought that internal branding doesn’t have to involve your current employees, you’re missing a big opportunity. And kind of the main point.

By actively involving every employee in the internal branding journey, it’ll ensure a unified and aligned understanding of the company’s core values, mission, and goals. The result is a cohesive team that moves together in one collective direction, where everyone understands where the company is heading.

Once everyone has gotten on board the same ship, the next step would be to engage your employees. At the heart of every thriving workplace lies employee engagement, and involving your employees in this continual branding process is a catalyst for this engagement. From creating initiatives like open channels, employee surveys and feedback sessions, to recognition and reward systems – what you really want to be doing is not just forcing people to believe in a brand you’ve created, but to live and breathe this brand into life because they believe in it too.

This could look like identifying and forming a dedicated culture team, comprising of members who are passionate about serving as ambassadors for the initiative. This team would be involved in the process of your internal rebranding, if any, and serve as advocates for company culture, communicating to teams on how they can contribute to cultivating a positive culture.

Observation #5: If you think an external consultant can drive internal culture, you’re sadly mistaken

Getting an outside perspective can be extremely important (and sometimes even crucial) when dealing with cultural issues in an organisation. But while external consultants can come in to assess and improve internal culture – culture has to be lived and breathed, and your internal staff are in the best position to enforce this.

External consultants are able to play the role of culture facilitators and as unbiased observers that can draw out certain sensitive feelings and perceptions that might otherwise stay unseen. Often, employee feelings toward the company go unnoticed, mainly due to factors such as a lack of suitable platforms or a reluctance/lack of motivation to express them. However, these sentiments are precisely what you need to be cognisant of, as they can serve as indicators of vital areas for improvement or highlight successful practices. Engaging external consultants can help in confidentially capturing these sentiments and fostering cultural change. Nevertheless, as external consultants will only be engaged for a limited duration, the responsibility really does fall on your organisation to implement and execute these changes in internal branding and culture.

In essence, internal branding will always be a fluid and ongoing process, requiring commitment, flexibility, communication and regular check-ins. And it requires a team effort to keep it going.

As the year comes to a close, here’s wishing you and yours a delightful Christmas and a New Year filled with happiness, from the entire Tangible team.

The post Issue 46: Q4 2023 appeared first on Tangible.

Effective internal branding should take into consideration how each generation thrives best in the workplace. We should caveat all this by saying that workplace culture is often shaped by its industry. We are acutely aware that the Shipping industry has a very different working environment compared to the Fashion industry. Some industries require periods of reflection or craftsmanship (where working from home is perfect) while other sectors require employees to have on-site, hands-on skills. When creating internal branding strategies, it’s worthwhile considering the demographic of your workforce, and typically how that demographic prefers to interact.

Looking at the difference in Generations:

Exploring generational perspectives reveal a fascinating interplay of values and expectations among different generations in the workplace. Let’s delve into how each generation is defined and explore their distinct perspectives From Baby Boomers, the eldest generation, to the newest entrants, Gen Z, understanding these definitions provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the workplace.

Baby Boomers (Born mid-1940s to early 1960s):

Born in the post-World War II era, Baby Boomers were named after the significant increase in birth rates during this period. They grew up during a time of economic prosperity and witnessed major cultural and social shifts, including the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution. Baby Boomers prefer to communicate in person or through traditional channels such as phone calls and printed letters. They want Work Life Consistency where they value loyalty and reliability in both their life and the companies they work for. They see hard work and dedication as the way to gain respect & recognition and the drive to continue their legacy.

Gen X (Born early 1960s to early 1980s):

Generation X, which emerged during a period of social change and technological advancements, is often referred as the ‘independent generation’ because many grew up with both parents working, fostering a strong sense of independence. Having experienced the traditional workday they prefer to communicate in person using email and phone calls. They are drawn to companies that value stability and personal development. Generation X wants work-life integration, actively seeking ways to harmonise their professional and personal lives. They want to work for companies that are committed to creating an action-driven workplace.

Millennials (Born early 1980s to mid-1990s):

Millennials, also known as Gen Y, came of age during the rapid rise of the internet, which shaped their tech-savvy, collaborative nature. They prefer to communicate via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaborative apps. Millennials prioritise work-life balance and personal development in multiple areas of life. They want to work for ethical companies that provide opportunities for personal development. They seek belonging & support through collaboration with others in the workplace.

Gen Z (Born mid-1990s to early 2010s):

This is the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age. They witnessed the rise of social media and are characterised by their strong sense of social responsibility. They are also a very socially conscious generation, appreciating communication channels that allow them to connect with others and share their ideas globally. Gen Z seeks work-life harmony, integrating personal life purpose into their careers. They value open and honest communication and align with company values that emphasise authenticity and social responsibility in their actions and values.

In navigating generational dynamics within the workplace, it is worth considering how each generation is defined and recognise the distinct well-being needs and preferences of different generations. For a quick overview, we present a summarised table for swift comprehension of the differences among generations:

Understanding the nuances between generations is essential for creating a workplace that meets the diverse needs and expectations of employees. As we explore the different generational attitudes toward workplace culture and branding, it becomes clear that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effective. (Read previous Conversations @Tangible Issue 43: Internal Branding – More than just the Office Pantry)

Should we label generations at all?

Going beyond the generational stereotypes:

While Tangible wouldn’t want to endorse perpetuating stereotypes, we have to start somewhere. Tangible’s Market Research uses the lenses of demographics and psychographics to understand perceptions and preference drivers of your brand. Through modeling and testing both visual and verbal stimuli, we identify solutions that are most appealing to the different stakeholder groups.

How Tangible Approach Internal Branding:

At Tangible, we understand that a brand’s impact extends both internally and externally, reaching diverse audiences and demographics.

This is why we adopt a comprehensive cross-company approach, ensuring effective communication and engagement on all fronts. We have developed  frameworks and a structured process for contextualising and curating questionnaires within our research methodology.

We have a Digital Strategy that helps you define your objectives and roadmaps to reach your target audience with tailored messaging.

Based on your communication objectives and key messages for each target audience, Tangible will develop a plethora of activation ideas for pre-launch, launch, and post-launch activities to bring to our Communication Ideation Workshop to help you effectively navigate generational dynamics in the workplace.

Let’s Talk Internal Branding

Citations:

1. Black, E. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/gen-z-aren-t-lazy-they-just-don-t-want-to-live-to-work-20230829-p5e09m

2. Ernst & Young Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.ey.com/en_us/consulting/is-gen-z-the-spark-we-need-to-see-the-light-report/gen-z-finding-meaning
3. Helyer, R., & Lee, D. (2012). The twenty‐first-century multiple-generation workforce. Education + Training, 54(7), 565–578. doi:10.1108/00400911211265611
4. Jorgensen, B. (2003). Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y: Policy Implications for Defence Forces in the Modern Era. Foresight, 5(4), 41-49.
5. Lancaster LC, Stillman D. When Generations Collide. New York: HarperCollins; 2002.
6. O’Bannon G. (2001). Managing our future: the generation X factor. Public Personnel Management, 30, 95–109.
7. Reilly, P. (2012). Understanding and teaching Generation Y. English Teaching Forum, 1, 2–10.
8. Shoichet, C. E. (2023). Busting this big myth about baby boomers reveals something about gen Z, too. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/08/us/baby-boomers-gen-z-cec/index.html
9. Sirias, D., Karp, H., & Brotherton, T. (2007). Comparing the Levels of Individualism/Collectivism between Baby Boomers and Generation X: Implications for Teamwork. Management Research News, 30(10), 749-761.
10. Erin, E. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.betterup.com/blog/generations-in-the-workplace

The post Issue 45: Q3 2023 appeared first on Tangible.

The previous article of Conversations @ Tangible has established the importance of internal branding and its usefulness in rallying teams behind corporate values. To recap, companies can utilise internal branding to align  employee motivations and values in order to support the company’s purpose and deliver exceptional service to clients.

Football teams are just like corporate teams – a diverse group of like minded people, with various talents, unite behind a management team and hopefully a clear purpose to achieve a planned outcome. To accomplish this, the management team and in particular the team manager play a crucial role in aligning players’ motivations so that they can compete as a cohesive team. Successful managers such as Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp are successful, precisely because they are often in tune with the best ways to ensure a cohesive team. 

This then raises the question: how do Sir Alex Feguson and Jürgen Klopp manage? Well, let us explore what successful managers like them do to create great team culture and internal branding.

1. HR is Not Responsible for Setting the Example, Managers are

Great team managers exemplify the values that they want their players to have and inspire their players to adopt them. When a leader walks the talk, the team will naturally be motivated in striving for the same standards.

At Manchester United, former team manager Alex Ferguson believes that consistent hard work is key to success. He embodied this belief by always being the earliest to arrive at training at 7am. This has instilled a feeling amongst players and sports staff alike that if he could do it, so could everyone else. Unsurprisingly, his staff soon began coming in earlier than he did. An exemplary manager like Ferguson who wields great influence over his players can hence set a model for the team to follow.

Likewise, a corporate manager can be the one to inspire their team, rather than waiting for human resource policies to take its course down the chain of command. By embodying the values and behaviours they want their employees to emulate, managers can create a culture of excellence and motivate the team to strive for the same standards. Such leadership can inspire employees, further encouraging them to take ownership of their work.

2. Aligning Vision

Internal branding is just like football teams’ style of play. They are a set of strategies that guides players’ decision-making when striving for a goal. When all players play with the same strategy in mind, a football team becomes an unstoppable force that dominates the playing field. 

Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, is known for his preferred style of play, ‘heavy metal football’, which is characterised by its fast-paced intensity. Coined by the manager himself, it is a relentless style of play that aims to overwhelm the opponent with rapid passes and swift movement. This style of play requires near telepathic coordination amongst the team, which is only possible when each player is in-sync with the team manager’s. When Klopp successfully aligned every Liverpool player’s vision, the result was a phenomenal year of championship wins in 2019, when the team bagged the Premier League Trophy, the European Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Similarly, within the corporate realm, teams that are aligned in strategy expend less energy resolving differences in personal motivations. This allows the team to concentrate on striving towards their common goal. 

3. Trust in Leaders

Earning the trust of players is crucial in any football team. It enables players to have confidence in the manager’s expertise and judgement. When players trust their managers, they are more likely to embrace team strategies, even when they have doubts, putting their best foot forward on the field. 

In Ferguson’s philosophy, the popularity of a player amongst fans should not affect fielding decisions – all players are equally important to the team. As such, players do not take it personally when they are benched. As they trust that the team formation dictated by the manager is right for their existing  strategy. This affords team managers the mandate to make strategic decisions astutely, even if they are difficult. 

Similarly, in the office, trust in leaders enables employees to focus on their responsibilities, knowing that their managers have a comprehensive understanding of the big picture. Building trust within corporate teams creates a sense of psychological safety that encourages adoption of the brand values. Ultimately, this reduces conflict, leading to better performance and outcomes.

4. A Sensitivity to Emotions

An experienced manager with a sensitivity to emotions can shrewdly adjust their tone and message to players, spurring them on during moments of intensity. 

Klopp’s well-known mantra, ‘it’s only football’, is often heard during intense matches to lighten up players’ mood. These perceptive words place the game into perspective, reminding players that there are more important things in life than football. Ultimately, alleviating unnecessary pressure allows players to perform at their best and focus on winning the game.

Similarly, a finger on the pulse of the office dynamic would help managers steer intense or difficult conversations as they sense the motivations and sentiments of employees. These little nudges allow managers to continuously calibrate employee motivations and align them with company values, while also weathering the unpredictable storms of emotions.

5. Dealing with Defeats

In football, as with any other sport, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. What is vital is one’s response to defeats. When managed well, losses can be used as encouragement to do better in the future. At times, losses are also teaching points for lessons not learnt well.

Known for his emotional responses to match endings, Klopp is often seen hugging his players after the match regardless of the outcome, as long as they had given their best. However, if losing was due to a lack of team synergy, then players would know that a reprimand was imminent. As former Manchester United striker Andy Cole put it, “If you lose and Sir Alex believes you gave your best, it’s not a problem. But if you lose [in a] limp way…then mind your ears!”

Likewise, losses in the corporate realm should be dealt with in a moderate and forward-looking manner without harming team dynamics. With some wisdom and grace, an astute manager can strategically leverage defeats to unite his team to try again.

Conclusion

As you’ve probably guessed it at this point, internal branding takes on an active role rather than a passive one. Instead of waiting for human resource’ directives, internal branding is a calibrated and dynamic process that takes place everyday, with managers at its helm. This is why Tangible believes in helping clients identify brand positions that are both internally and externally aligned, so that managers can understand and maximise opportunities,  thus promoting  company culture to employees. By being proactive in ensuring that team members are aligned to company culture, an astute manager can foster a sense of unity in the office, driving everyone towards the company’s goals.

The post Issue 44: Q2 2023 appeared first on Tangible.

If these are phrases that you’ve found yourself worrying about recently – you’re not alone. With the pandemic, inflation, and other trends that we have all had to navigate in recent years, it’s clear that change is happening. And it’s happening globally.

Manpower has been a key issue across many industries, and we have seen a significant shift over the past decade in what makes a workplace attractive. In order to keep up with the changing landscape, companies are starting to recognise the importance of not only external brand equity but strong internal branding as well.

But first, what exactly is internal branding? 

When we bring up strong internal branding, some might think of the extensive, well-stocked pantry in an office designed to attract young talent or even the company polo shirt that they were given a year ago (which they might secretly wear as pyjamas!). But it goes so much deeper than that.

Internal branding is connecting your employees to the company’s external brand promise and values so that they know how they fit into the company and their roles in working towards achieving the company’s goal together. In other words, it’s aligning employees with your external brand, so that everyone is working towards the same goal. Really, the benefits of internal branding are multifold.

Ever heard of the saying ‘happy wife, happy life’? While that might be true, another proverb of wisdom should be ‘happy staff, happy business’. It may come as no surprise that when your staff are engaged and happy, they are more likely to be productive, which contributes to a better and stronger product offer. They are also more likely to stay in the company and be strong ambassadors for your brand, which works to attract top talent and contribute to a positive company culture.

Think of it like push-starting a car – the more you can rally your employees behind a shared vision so that they know where the company is headed, the faster and further your car is going to go. On the flip side, if they are dissatisfied with what the company stands for and how it operates, the opposite occurs. They will either act as deadweight for that car or jump to another company to help push their car instead.

A common question that gets asked is: Who should take responsibility for internal branding? 

Should it be HR? Corporate communications? Or the CEO? Well, the answer is – everyone. For internal branding to be successful, it will not just take hanging a shiny new banner on the office wall. The decision makers and management of the company have to be invested in making it work, and if HR believes that their role is simply administrative, then your company culture is missing a big opportunity. In essence, internal branding is a team effort that involves aligning everyone from the doormen to the C-suite executives, and rallying the team behind a clear and unified purpose.

However, even though many companies know the importance of internal branding, there are some common mistakes they make. Let’s look at some of them:

Mistake #1: Too common 

When it comes to creating employee values for internal branding, chances are that when left to our own devices, the management or HR teams will start creating some sort of acronym from values which include: teamwork, excellence, integrity, and innovation. While these are not bad values, the issue is that every other company, school and organisation are using the exact same values. 

Without differentiation (which is the main point of branding), there is no way for your brand to stand out and attract a steady stream of top talent. In other words, we need to stop saying the same thing as everyone else or our words will get tuned out.

Mistake #2: Too removed from reality

The success of a company’s internal (and external!) branding is highly dependent on how committed it is to deliver on its promise. For instance, if you promise to be a company with an innovative spirit, what are the ways in which you are encouraging your employees to think innovatively in their work? And are they actually effective and sustainable? A good indicator of how effectively you’re living out your values will be to see if your employees can actually remember your employees’ values and articulate them.

The landscape of work is changing to one where workplace satisfaction and happiness have been more important to employees than ever before. This means that you can’t just slap on the shiny buzzwords as your brand values and hope that people will be inspired by it, but you’ll have to actually commit to tangibly delivering on what you promise your employees. Your people will either be your biggest advocate or biggest detractor and how successful you are at delivering on your internal brand promise will greatly influence what your employees say about you. 

Mistake #3: Too broad and vague

When we end up with the same set of positive values mentioned above, another issue is that it is too broad and might not address specific issues that your company faces. When done well, your brand should be able to garner positive brand associations and mitigate the negative associations and perceptions. For that to happen, it requires in-depth research and conversations with your stakeholders, customers, and potential hires so that your internal brand can work strategically for your business. (Note: This is also why Tangible’s process involves utilising market research and insights to inform our strategic planning for your brand!) 

Your employee value proposition should also be contextualised within the industry you are in. For example, if there are certain issues that are prevalent within your industry, this is a good time for your brand to strategically mitigate that with your employee value proposition.

Having the same broad set of values also means that there is a high chance that it has no relation to your external brand. This means that your brand will be perceived very differently externally and internally, forming a very incohesive picture. The implications of an inconsistent brand are more pervasive than you might think – it can cause confusion amongst customers and stakeholders, a lack of trust, as well as difficulty in building brand equity. 

This is why Tangible’s approach is to create a strong, consistent brand by aligning your internal branding with your external brand (think: your vision, mission and values). 

Most companies you see around would have their vision, mission and values already crafted and displayed for all to see on their website. However, many do not know the power that these seemingly common or normal “corporate phrases” have. When done well, a company’s vision, mission and values can be leveraged as strategic management tools for their business. And this is exactly what we endeavour to achieve with every single company we work with.

In other words, successful internal branding involves aligning your internal branding with your vision, mission and values so that you are able to deliver a strong and consistent brand throughout. And we help you accomplish this through our process, which also involves our proprietary Brand Pillars Framework.

Conclusion

Although it may seem like it sometimes, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to internal branding. Every brand, every company, and every industry has different needs – which is why Tangible believes in working with you to create data-driven, tailored strategies for a powerful and cohesive brand that yields results, internally and externally.

In a nutshell, when it comes to internal branding, it goes beyond having a brand that speaks for itself; it’s equally important to pay attention to what your people are saying about you. 

The post Issue 43: Q1 2023 appeared first on Tangible.

With the series of redundancies by digital platforms (such as Meta’s Facebook, Snap’s Snapchat and most notably, Twitter) resulting from the decline in their digital advertising revenue, brands should be questioning if there is still any credit left in spending large sums of money on paid ads.

The truth is, the decline in digital advertising revenue is indicative of the increasing ineffectiveness of paid ads in recent years. In other words, brands who are still allocating high budgets for paid advertisements might be wasting money. Fortunately, there are better, more efficient methods in digital marketing which brands can, and should, look into to further their brands’ growth organically; the prime of which is to develop their in-house content marketing capability.

Understanding the decline of digital advertising industry 

So far, more than 20,000 employees were laid off in the slew of retrenchments by Silicon Valley in 2022. Among which, Facebook’s Meta had axed around 13% (11,000 staff) of its workforce, while Snapchat’s Snap dismissed 20%. Further job cuts, hiring freezes and other contingency plans were also executed widely across the Valley.

Meta and Snap are examples of some Big Tech companies in Silicon Valley, whose main source of revenue is generated from ad placements on their platforms. So the decrease in their revenue means brands are spending lesser for ads to be placed on Big Tech’s platforms. The seemingly obvious reason behind this is the threat of an imminent economic crisis; when companies tighten their belts in preparation for upcoming crises, advertising budgets are usually the first to be cut. But assigning blame only to the economic downturn seems too easy a way out. As with all things, there is more than what meets the eye. 

The fact is, the digital advertising industry already hasn’t been performing well since years before the looming economic crisis. Albeit yearly projected increases in revenue, a closer look at the number reveals that the industry’s growth rate is actually on a declining trajectory.

As 19th century businessman, John Wanamaker famously said: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted: the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”, a statement that is especially relevant in the age of digital ads. 

During the nascent stages of the digital advertising industry, companies jumped at the opportunities and potential it seemed to offer. But because the industry’s operation has always been opaque with its obscured metrics, the effectiveness of paid ads remains questionable. Therefore, it is difficult for brands to track the return on investment of their digital ad spend. To that end, brands are starting to realise the money pit they’ve been in, and have increasingly stopped betting on paid ads.

The situation for the digital advertising industry has been made worse due to the rise of privacy concerns in recent years. Paid ads can be accurately targeted the way they do because of data collection by Big Tech. Fearing that their privacy will be compromised, consumers have grown to be less receptive towards paid ads. Hence, when Apple introduced its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature– which gives Apple users the choice to stop apps from tracking their online activities– it was praised by users for taking a step in the right direction towards privacy protection.

Undoubtedly, the limitations placed on data collection have had a huge impact on the digital advertising industry, since advertisers would not be able to track critical data that make ad placements more accurate. With lesser accuracy, the industry loses its appeal and is unable to continue charming brands to spend on paid ads. Apple’s ATT has been estimated to result in a loss of USD 10 billion in Meta’s revenue, and USD 546 million for Snap. 

What’s next? Build an in-house content marketing team. 

In facing the decline of the digital advertising industry, it is crucial that brands venture into other aspects of digital marketing to ensure further growth for their brands. So, what should brands start doing? Instead of spending large amounts of money in paid ads with lost credibility, brands should start investing in building in-house content marketing through hiring and capacity-building. 

What is content marketing, exactly? Content marketing is the development and distribution of valuable and useful content and information that are relevant to target audiences through various means. These include emails, blogs, videos, podcasts, etc. Simply put, it is the creation of strong content that evokes the emotions of target audiences. 

The current shift of focus to content marketing is also timely, as the social media landscape simultaneously moves into a content-driven economy. The proliferation of social media and technology in the last few decades has placed consumers in the driver’s seat to decide for themselves the kind of content they wish to see. With the abundance of information users come across daily, they’ve developed mental shortcuts to sieve out only meaningful and impactful content deemed worthy of their time. Hence, information put out by brands must be meaningful and impactful– they need to tell stories that consumers can resonate with to boost brand loyalty and conversions.

Having an in-house content marketing team has several advantages that can greatly benefit brands (this article does a great job explaining them). But to summarise, an in-house marketing team does a better job at ensuring sustainable business growth, especially for brands with a strong customer base. Of course, building a strong in-house team takes time, effort and capital. But the investment in building in-house content marketing teams can certainly yield better results than paid ads.

What is also crucial is that, with an in-house content marketing team, the marketing process is made dynamic, and brands are able to better adapt to changes as the business needs evolve. 

Unlike paid ads hiding behind obscured metrics, in-house teams are able to embark on a process that lets them continuously see what are the strategies that work, adjusting them accordingly in the right direction to ensure brand growth. In other words, having in-house teams means brands are able to put out more dynamic content that can definitely connect with their ever-evolving target audience in a more effective way.

(Check out this article to find out the roles in an in-house team, areas of focus, and how to ensure efficiency of the team.)

Conclusion

Safe to say, the digital advertising industry has lost its grip on brands. While paid ads may have been effective for brands in the 2010s, the decline in its growth rate in recent years clearly indicates that it’s time for brands to stop relying heavily on paid ads. Instead, the future of brand growth calls for brands to start developing and strengthening their internal capabilities, and going beyond basic advertising to adopting a holistic approach for more sustainable and meaningful brand growth.

Tangible is a brand strategy and business consulting firm, synergising our consulting and creative offers to give clients comprehensive solutions. We believe brands are strategic management tools that should go beyond simply delighting customers. For more information on how Tangible can assist you with your branding, or other related digital services, please contact us here.

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