The Next Big Shift: Branding In An AI World

AI is already here. But are our brands truly ready? 

We’ve watched brands scramble to keep up as AI exploded onto the scene, some jumping in without a plan, others hesitating out of fear of getting it wrong. Through countless conversations with leaders and hands-on work with companies trying to make sense of this new reality, we’ve uncovered patterns pointing to what’s coming next. From these experiences, we’re sharing our predictions on how branding and AI will collide and what we believe brands must do to stay relevant and trusted in the months ahead.

Why the Next 24 Months Will Demand a “Brand First” Approach to AI

Over the next 24 months, we believe brands that lead with clarity and purpose will come out ahead. Because soon, the question won’t be “Are we using AI?” but “How are we using it, and why should anyone trust us with it?”

That’s the shift we see coming. And many of us, if we’re honest, aren’t prepared.

Everyone’s rushing to AI - But what about the brand?

Right now, it feels like there’s a mad scramble. Everyone wants AI plastered across their website, their pitch decks, and their products. But with all this excitement, something critical is getting left behind: the brand.

It reminds us of the time when companies rushed into digital marketing without clarifying who they were - a pattern we’re seeing again with AI in branding. Today, many are leaping into AI without thinking about what it means for their identity, story, and promise. But what we’ve learned is that AI isn’t just a feature but a part of the story we tell. And only the brands that understand this will weather the storm.

The Future of Branding in an AI World: What’s Coming in the Next 18-24 Months

Let’s be real. AI will be part of our lives for the long run. But in the next two years, we see four big shifts brands will need to navigate:

1. Clear branding will matter more than fancy buzzwords

It’s tempting to throw “AI-powered” on our websites and think we’re sorted. But we believe that approach won’t stand the test of time.

Customers and investors are already starting to ask tougher questions: What does AI actually do in our business? How does it truly help us? How do we talk about it in a way that’s trustworthy and true to what we believe?

This is where brand strategy becomes essential. Because these aren’t just technical questions - they’re brand questions.

A CMO we spoke to recently summed it up perfectly: “We thought we just needed a new logo for AI. What we really needed was a mirror.”

2. Design will be the standout factor as AI features converge

Here’s what we think many don’t see coming: Soon, everyone will have the same, or similar, AI tools. So, how will you stand out?

Through design.

And we’re not talking about an AI-assisted logo, but a full visual identity that speaks volumes. Once AI features level out across platforms, our visual identity will become our strongest differentiator. Tired clichés like glowing brains or shiny robots won’t just look dated, they’ll make us seem shallow. Like we did not put any thought into it.

Brands that invest in fresh, flexible visuals will communicate intelligence, trust, and relevance. Expect to see:

• Confident, bold typefaces
• Rich, tech-inspired colour palettes
• Clean, simple iconography
• Motion graphics that make complex AI feel approachable
• Consistency at every customer touchpoint

3. Human stories will beat technical talk

Beyond technical specs, a brand is about explaining the value we bring. If we can’t translate AI complexity into clear, relatable benefits, we’ll lose people. Instead of saying “GPT-powered natural language processing,” we should say, “We’ll save you six hours a week on manual work.” Instead of “predictive analytics,” we can say, “We help you spot what’s coming before it happens.”

The brands that thrive will:

• Tell stories that resonate emotionally
• Use a tone that’s confident, calm, and unmistakably human
• Focus on the change they’re promising customers, not the tech jargon

One question we love asking is: If our AI brand were a person, how would they walk into a room?

Would they be a visionary, a trusted advisor, a bold innovator?

When we can answer that, we unlock our voice and tone and make our branding memorable.

4. The way we talk about AI will define our brand value

We’ve already seen brands jump into AI without clarity, and the results are usually the same:

• Confused messaging
• Campaigns that feel generic
• Poor brand recall
• Rising costs as marketing just doesn’t click

But when brands work on weaving AI into their core story, the difference is clear.

We worked with a B2B tech firm that repositioned itself around its AI-enabled supply chain platform. Instead of simply saying “we have AI,” they reframed their entire brand as a partner offering foresight in a turbulent market.

The results were remarkable:

• Industry recognition
• Surges in website engagement
• A doubling of inbound leads from top accounts

For us, the lesson is obvious: how we brand our AI efforts determines whether they add value or get lost in the noise.

Branding AI Isn’t a One-Off Project. It’s a Living, Breathing System.

AI moves fast, so our brand needs to keep pace.

We believe we’re entering a time when branding can no longer be static, especially with AI in the mix. It needs to evolve alongside our products, our market, and our ambitions.

That means:

• Building brand guidelines so teams stay aligned and consistent
• Scheduling regular refreshes as AI capabilities grow or shift
• Having brand advisors ready for new launches, go-to-market pivots, or major updates
• A strong brand isn’t built overnight. It is shaped through consistent practice, clear intent, and everyday discipline.

That’s what will separate brands that grow from those that fade away.

How We See AI Changing Brand Building by 2025–2026

It’s one thing to talk about integrating AI into our brand. Actually doing it is another story. Over the next 18–24 months, we think we’ll see a powerful AI branding toolkit emerge. One that blends human intuition with machine insight to drive clarity, consistency, and creativity.

1. AI-enhanced strategy development

We don’t think AI will replace strategists, but it will help them speed up.

We see new tools helping brands:

• Analyse competitor positioning in real time
• Pull insights from audience sentiment across channels
• Spot patterns in stories that resonate, or fall flat

But whatever help the tool provides, we still need to filter those insights through a clear brand lens.

2. Generative design systems

Design bottlenecks will soon be a thing of the past, especially with the arrival of Generative AI in marketing. We believe that AI-assisted design systems will let brands scale visuals with speed and control.

Imagine:

• Automated layouts that apply brand rules instantly
• AI tools that generate visuals tailored for specific audiences
• Systems that flag off-brand content before it goes live

The result? Brands that can adapt quickly and express themselves consistently.

3. Real-time brand voice calibration

This might be the most exciting shift where tools help us keep our brand voice strong across every channel.

Advanced language models will let us:

• Create content in our unique tone - whether it’s for emails, sales decks, or product screens
• Train AI “voice coaches” to onboard new team members
• Score copy for tone and message alignment

This will give us the power to embed our voice everywhere, with consistency.

4. Predictive branding intelligence

Soon, branding will become proactive rather than reactive.

AI and automation in branding will help answer:

• Which messages will resonate best with each audience?
• How are our competitors shifting their stories?
• Which visuals or phrases build trust, and which ones create doubt?

That means we’ll be able to tweak campaigns on the fly, test new approaches, and even monitor brand perception in real time.

5. AI-powered brand training

Finally, we believe AI will transform how we teach and live our brands from the inside out. For example, brands will soon have:

• Interactive brand assistants that provide instant answers on tone, visuals, or messaging
• AI simulations to practise how the brand should respond in different scenarios
• Smart onboarding tools that personalise brand training for every new hire

A brand is only as strong as the people who represent it, and AI will help everyone stay aligned.

Brand First + AI Next: Our View on the Winning Formula

The frontrunners in the months ahead won’t be those who rush to fasten AI into every corner of their business. They’ll be the brands that use AI thoughtfully, anchored in who they are and what they stand for.

“Brand First” doesn’t mean being slow or old-fashioned. It means being intentional. It means using AI to amplify our identity, not to replace it. And it means treating our brand as something alive, something that evolves with every shift in technology and customer expectation.

Our Final Thought: People Believe in Brands That Feel Human

AI will keep evolving and changing how we work, sell, and connect. But it won’t change the basic truth: people trust brands with clear values, honest voices, and a sense of purpose. Before we rush to launch our next AI product or campaign, let’s ask ourselves:

Is our AI grounded in a brand that’s clear, compelling, and ready for tomorrow?

If not, it’s worth pausing to get it right. Because in this age of constant change, clarity is the real disruptor, and our brand is where that clarity begins.