Since the turn of the millennium, we’ve seen a massive shift towards the digitalization of business and society as a whole. Adapting to this new reality is vital for businesses if they want to create honest and sustainable relationships with their customers. “The digital experience is more and more a reflection of the real world,” suggests Tolvanen, “which, for companies, means that they need to adapt to a much more open platform. It’s difficult to hide things, so credibility comes from embracing this extra visibility.”

Value needs to be visible

Indeed, digitalization has resulted in a bigger need for brand differentiation than ever before, Tolvanen says. “Companies need to be very vivid with their purposes, values, and behaviour. Where there is value, it needs to be visible. The branding itself becomes a bigger part of the customer experience.”

At the heart of all marketing should be the individual, he continues. “I don’t like the terms business to business, or business to customer. I believe in people to people. While big companies often still think in terms of corporate communications, they should focus more on the understanding of the person who is receiving the message.”

Branding with a human touch

Of course, as a leading marketing and communication provider, Brandkind has a major role to play in helping companies to put their best digital foot forward. Tolvanen believes we are uniquely well-equipped to do so.

“When we enter the digital world, we often have an alter ego, but ultimately, we are all human,” he points out. “I like how Brandkind work in that they believe in branding with a human touch. It’s a kind and very human company. My role is to help create the bigger picture – we do not need to just listen to our customers but continue to interact with them to create shared value.”

Space to discuss the future

Given the uncertain future we face, part of this value creation is naturally related to sustainability. Tolvanen argues that we need technology to build more sustainable processes. “Technology and sustainability go hand in hand. We need to create space for our customers to discuss the future and how marketing and communications can help us. I’m looking forward to working with Brandkind to make this possible.”