Why human experience still matters in the age of AI-driven brand design
AI can paint a night sky, but only a human like Van Gogh - driven and shaped by emotion, restlessness and lived experience - could create The Starry Night. In brand design, just as in art, AI can replicate form… but only human judgment gives it soul.
At Bridge F61 we’re firm advocates for automation, AI and applying next generation technology to drive value creation for our Private Equity portfolio clients. It’s deeply woven into the five growth levers we apply to every brand and marketing project we embark on.
But it’s interesting that of the 27 or so determining factors we use in our proprietary AI tool to scrutinise our clients’ product, brand and digital marketing performance, there are only three that demand an overwhelming human intervention: brand re/positioning, brand design and brand messaging.
Private Equity portfolio marketing is being reshaped by AI. McKinsey estimates generative AI can lift marketing productivity by 5–15% of total spend, while Gartner reports rapid enterprise deployment, with marketing among the top adopters. In fact IBM has proven time compression in design workflows using Adobe’s GenAI – allegedly from two weeks to two days – critically unlocking more time for higher-order creative tasks
So how could any consultancy in 2025 operate without factoring in AI into its repertoire?
Nielsen found that when creative is strong, it’s the overwhelming driver of in-market success - up to 80% for TV and 89% for digital - whereas weak creative drags outcomes, regardless how well the media output is conceived. Which means this is a judgment problem before it’s a data problem, and it’s precisely where seasoned practitioners - who know intrinsically what ‘good’ looks and sounds like - create disproportionate value in brand resets, relaunches and repositioning.
The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer shows fragile public trust around innovation; business is the most trusted actor to introduce new technologies, but global trust sits just under 60%. The EU AI Act now demands explicit transparency – such as disclosing AI-generated content and deepfakes - making undisclosed synthetic creative a regulatory and brand-safety risk. These are telling examples of why human judgement and oversight isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a real brand hazard to ignore experience over the ease of automation.
For PE owners, the practical approach is clear: use automation to scale but utilise expert judgment for taste, narrative, coherence, consistency, cultural risk and accountability. That’s how you turn AI speed and innovation into durable brand value and equity.
Join us at Private Equity Insights, 26th November, to learn how using our proprietary, analytical methodologies, powered by AI, unlocks powerful, actionable insights and is a catalyst for a new breed of marketer.
Sonja Healy,
Founder
