By: Hannah Carroll, Associate Strategy Director, Inizio Evoke
The AI market is already very crowded. AI is no longer the shiny new toy that can just rely on a futuristic name and brand to have meaningful impact on the customer. To make a lasting impression, your AI offering needs a brand identity that stands out.
Here are three steps to help you break free from what’s traditionally done in the AI world, so you can leave an indelible mark on your customers.
Don’t make audience assumptions based on your biases about AI
We may have our own misconceptions about AI, especially if we personally have limited exposure to using it. This can lead us to assume that our audience share a similar discomfort in trusting or using AI. However, your target audience may not feel the same. Instead of making assumptions, immerse yourself in research to grasp how customers already engage with AI and the value they find in it.At Inizio Evoke, we apply a behavioral science lens to uncover and categorize ‘tensions’ that impact customer behaviors. Using models such as COM-B, we categorize tensions as either capability, motivation, or opportunity. We then assess which of these are a priority and the opportunity for your brand to exert the most influential impact.
A tension such as affordability, an opportunity tension, may not be solved by brand identity alone. This should not be a priority focus.
Whereas a motivation tension, such as ‘reluctance to do something different to my peers,’ is something your brand can definitely play a part in changing. This should be the focus.
Define the winning zone – what your customers actually care about
There’s no value in battling competitors with ‘what we do best’ communications without considering what truly matters to your customers. To succeed, it’s important to navigate through your customer, brand, and competitor ‘truths’ to discover the winning zone. This is the intersection between the needs of your customer and what your brand does best.Working within our winning zone, we amplify customer tension focus points and look at the difference our product can deliver to uncover the ultimate customer impact (e.g., I’ve got my confidence back now or I can rely on this brand). By doing so, we uncover meaningful human difference and harness this to forge a bold positioning territory that becomes the heartbeat for creative ideation.
While it’s important to consider how your AI competitors position themselves, it can be tempting to just aim for the white space. Ask yourself: Is this white space somewhere we want to play or is it empty for a reason?
Ensure your name is meaningful and stands out
A brand name is a fundamental component in the identity of a brand. This is likely your first chance to build an impression of your brand in the minds of your customer. So why can’t you just use ChatGPT to develop a clever brand name?Completing the above steps allows you to create a meaningful name that positions you to win in the minds of customers. Creating a name rooted in your brand positioning allows for a name that is authentic and true to your brand rather than a trendy AI name that will just get lost in the noise.
Google is a fitting example! Not only is it playful, memorable and simple, but it also alludes to Google’s offering of scale. The name originates from the name ‘Googol’ which means ‘a number with a hundred zeros.’
In summary, to create a meaningful and memorable brand identity in AI, understand your audience's tensions, find your winning zone, and claim a positioning territory that commands attention. Otherwise, you risk getting lost amongst the noise of all the other brands. If you’re in doubt, always ask this question. ‘Is my brand simple, authentic, distinctive, adaptable, and ownable?’. If the answer is yes, then you’re set for success in delivering a meaningful, stand-out brand.