Branding in the Age of AI

AI can generate a logo in seconds. It can produce brand guidelines, color palettes, and typography recommendations on demand. Does this make branding obsolete?

We argue the opposite. In a world where visual assets are commoditized, brand strategy matters more than ever.

The Commoditization of Visual Design

Let's be honest: AI is getting good at visual design. Tools like Midjourney and DALL-E can produce professional-looking logos, illustrations, and brand assets. The quality is improving rapidly.

This changes the economics of branding. What once required expensive agencies and weeks of work can now be generated in minutes for pennies.

But here's the thing: a logo isn't a brand.

What AI Can't Do

AI can generate visual assets. It can't:

• Understand your business: What makes you different? What do you stand for? What promise do you make to customers?
• Define positioning: Where do you fit in the competitive landscape? What space do you own in customers' minds?
• Create emotional connection: Why should anyone care? What feelings do you evoke?
• Ensure consistency: How does the brand show up across every touchpoint, in every context?
• Evolve strategically: How should the brand change as the business grows?

These are the hard problems of branding. Visual design is just the expression.

Brand Strategy First

Our branding process starts with strategy:

1. Discovery

We dig deep into the business:

• Stakeholder interviews to understand vision and values
• Competitive analysis to identify whitespace
• Customer research to understand perceptions and needs
• Market analysis to identify trends and opportunities

2. Positioning

We define where the brand lives:

• Target audience and their needs
• Competitive differentiation
• Brand promise and proof points
• Personality and voice

3. Expression

Only then do we create visual and verbal identity:

• Logo and visual system
• Color, typography, and imagery
• Voice and messaging
• Brand guidelines

4. Activation

We bring the brand to life:

• Website and digital presence
• Marketing materials
• Product experience
• Internal culture

The Human Element

Great brands feel human. They have personality, quirks, and point of view. They take stands and make choices.

AI-generated brands feel generic. They optimize for average, not distinctive. They lack the courage to be polarizing.

The best brands aren't for everyone. They attract their people and repel others. This requires human judgment about who you want to be and who you want to serve.

AI as Tool, Not Replacement

We use AI in our branding work:

• Exploration: Generating dozens of visual directions quickly
• Iteration: Rapidly testing variations
• Production: Creating assets at scale
• Consistency: Ensuring brand guidelines are followed

But AI is a tool, not a strategist. It accelerates execution; it doesn't replace thinking.

The Startup Trap

Startups often skip brand strategy. They generate a logo, pick some colors, and call it done.

This works until it doesn't. As the company grows, the lack of strategic foundation becomes apparent:

• Inconsistent messaging across channels
• Visual identity that doesn't scale
• Difficulty articulating what makes them different
• Brand that doesn't resonate with target customers

Investing in brand strategy early pays dividends later.

Conclusion

AI is changing branding, but not in the way many expect. Visual design is becoming cheaper and faster. Strategy is becoming more valuable.

The brands that win won't be the ones with the prettiest AI-generated logos. They'll be the ones with the clearest sense of who they are and why they matter.

That requires human insight, creativity, and courage. AI can help express a brand. It can't define one.