Digital Solutions Branding Evolution: Three Key Steps

The “Old Tech” Challenge of Digital Branding Evolution

As products evolve, so do brands associated with products. For some companies that have been around for decades, the challenge is often more in the digital branding evolution than competing with new technologies. Due to their solid technology foundation, they may already have technology prowess but that needs to be put out in front of the world. SAPinsider recently published an article on what does evolution of digital solution mean. In this article, we discuss how the same evolution is required for brands offering these digital solutions.

As the products evolve, companies offering these products evolve and so does their brand. Sometimes, not in the way you want your brand to evolve. Think about the ever-existing “golden boy new entrants” vs “Big old boys” perception that has existed in the world of technology for decades. Now let us pick a specific solution category. Since we hear so much buzz around AI, let us, to start by discussing “AI-enabled” solutions.

Taking a real-world example, no other company, let me repeat, no other company has invested in and developed as many unique AI capabilities at the R&D level, as IBM. Yet, to be candid, before it got all hyper on the cloud front, it was very quickly getting categorized as old tech. And to be candid, not that any competing new solution in the market was starkly different or vastly better.
So the question arises- Why?

Let me share my take on this with another example. Let us use the example of supply chain planning solutions. Every new entrant adds a new flair to solutions, that in the current market, are not starkly different from each other when you compare mature solutions. Not that there are no ways to differentiate but even new entrants play it safe. Yet, they are able to build hype around their solutions much easier. And the easy explanation of this is – humans get attracted to new shiny things. To dissect this for the corporate world, when we are not using a technology solution in the way it should be, we blame the solution and then hope that another “emerging” solution will deliver.
And this is what “Big Old” boys need to fight.

Three Steps to Brand Evolution

Believe me, sometimes, in bits and pieces, across products and divisions, big old boys may already have the capabilities. Maybe some additional development and solutions and a little bit TLC is needed but most of it is there. The challenge, at a high level, can be addressed in three steps:

The first step is related to the product(s). What “enhancements” do you need to make. How can you consolidate your portfolio to have a more nimble and relevant product profile? Which products gel together to create new offerings and use cases? Your delivery and pricing models, partnerships, etc.

The second step then is, designing a product and marketing org around your newly designed and aligned portfolio. Remember, one pain point of big old boys is that when they grew during their hay days, they expanded in many different directions. Technology companies need to be extremely nimble, with product and marketing organizations strategically and specifically designed around re-envisioned products.

The third step and THE most important (in my mind) is largely cultural. Why do you think barely funded startups, with a handful of marketing and product people trump large tech companies often? Your product and marketing people really need to believe in your product, your brand, and your organization. Everyone in that organization needs to believe. They need to be one with the product and the brand. They are not there just to earn a salary. They are in that role because they believe in the product. And if you build a redesigned product and marketing organization with such people, in my opinion, you will have an edge over any new entrant.