When language, tone, claims, or experience feel off across channels, the relationship weakens. Trust softens and eventually breaks.
Sykes pointed to Vaseline as proof that the principle holds over time. The brand is winning Cannes Lions this year with a campaign built around consumer-discovered hacks for a product more than 150 years old. Relevance endures when a company keeps listening to what people actually do with its products, not just what the brand wants to tell them.
Staying attuned to people on the outside requires investing in the people on the inside. Sykes described the challenge as “the poetry and the plumbing.” Creative instinct alongside technical rigor.
Ha echoed that people-first view. “AI has opened up so much opportunity for us. We need to constantly invest in continuous learning and really double down on our creativity and craft,” she said.
Being found in an AI era is only the opening move. Successful brands will be clear and consistent enough for machines to surface, trustworthy enough for people to believe, and meaningful enough for customers to choose.
