New approaches to branding

These models aren’t dumb. You can argue where they fall on the intelligence spectrum, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say they have, at minimum, an average IQ. Moreover, they’re only getting better. If brands want to influence what AI tells consumers, they will need to create content that models recognize as authoritative and valuable.

The Rational Model Advantage

This shift runs deeper than content accessibility, though. I believe AI models will function as fundamentally different consumers than humans. People famously make emotional decisions, ignoring rational economic models in favor of satisficing and heuristics. Models, however, detect patterns in quality information.

This

Concreteness Boosts Memory

• People remember concrete, visualizable things far better than abstract concepts.


• GEICO's Gecko succeeds because it embodies the brand's values in a memorable, concrete character.

Fluent Devices Increase Market Share

• Campaigns using fluent devices gain market share more often and achieve higher share of voice.


• Despite evidence, fewer brands use fluent devices than in the past.

Decline in Fluent Device Usage

• Brands are moving away from using fluent devices and brand mascots, despite academic evidence showing their effectiveness.


• In the 1990s, 41% of British TV ads used a fluent device, compared to only 7% now.


• Fluent devices create a strong mental bond between the character and the brand.


• Examples of American fluent devices

Brand Lore

• Brand lore helps brands evolve from simple guidelines to immersive universes.


• A prime example is Duolingo's owl, Duo, who transcended being a mere mascot to become an internet celebrity by building law around the character.


• Unlike Tony the Tiger, who remains static on the Frosties box, Duo has evolved into a relatable and interactive char

Brand Lore

• Brand lore is about evolving from brand guidelines to a brand universe.


• Duolingo's Duo the Owl exemplifies this by becoming an internet celebrity, unlike Tony the Tiger, who remains just a mascot on a box.


• The key is turning a brand asset into a relatable brand character.


• Duolingo succeeds by mining comment sections to create storylines ba

Focus on Foundations

• Instead of panicking and following every marketing trend, focus on foundational principles.


• These core concepts remain constant despite technological advancements and provide stability in a chaotic landscape.

At the start of 2013, I gave a presentation to Percolate about our company values and vision for the year. By June, we had doubled our headcount to 60 people. When I referenced that presentation mid-year, I realized that half the people in the room had never heard it. That moment had a huge impact on my approach to company-building.

I became obsesse