.jpg)
The Client
INAI, an applied AI research centre with the support of Intel India, IIITH, PHFI and Govt. of Telangana, builds foundational AI technologies to aid in solving problems at a population scale. The premiere research centre will lead India’s efforts towards integrating AI into the lives of people and aims to be the epicentre of seminal changes in global systems, starting with health and smart mobility sectors.
- Konala Varma, CEO, INAI
The Challenge
According to a study by Emerj, the cost of failure in AI related innovations at scale is far higher in India than in the west. This is also the reason why while global players foray into moonshot projects, there are not enough technologists or brands in the sector back home pushing the AI discourse in the right direction. It is because it becomes risky to endorse something - the perception of which is either non-existent or not considerably positive among key stake-holders and public. To change that, we need to bring AI closer to people in a way that allows change in perception by creating a brand around it that resonates with them, because if the technology is for the people, they should understand it first.
The brand must reflect the raison d’etre of the institution that aims to foster a collaborative environment for government policymakers, students, researchers, startups etc., so that it invites the right minds and ideas to do exceptional research that ultimately creates an impact in the society.
The other major challenge was to weave India’s heritage and ethos into the whole brand strategy. A brand rooted in Indianness not only gave it a sense of uniqueness but a distinct ownership over efforts that is largely reserved by the first world countries.
The Approach
Foundational research drives key decisions in the branding process. As a first step, we set out to understand how the client percieved their brand. Understanding and documenting client requirements in form of a project brief, helped us solidify the core values the brand will personify and communicate to its users and key stakeholders. It helps us internalise the values as well, so that it can best reflect across the brand strategy, messaging, identity etc.
The primary research or the mapping of the target audience helped us understand where they come from and what they come for, when its comes to AI and related technologies. It was important to take into account general awareness or how the public perceived AI, to know if they understand AI and to what extent it can play a role in their lives - and where amid all this, should we be positioning the brand.
We took a deep dive with the secondary research for understanding the indsutry and competitors. We tried to answer some questions like who were the leading brands in the sector, both on the home front and globally. And beyond the competition, we wanted to really find out how relatable or exalted the brands in this sector were. The research provided us with invaluable insights that drove our final brand strategy.
