Outsider Clarity
During Innovation Week 2025, we held up a mirror. Not only to ourselves, but also to the people around us.* Partners, collaborators, and friends were asked a simple question:
How do you see BR-ND People?
*Both views matter. Insiders reveal how culture is lived from within. Outsiders show how it comes across in the world. The real insight is found in the space between the two.
Summary
The picture that came back was clear: overwhelmingly positive and human-centered, echoing our tagline: People are the brand.
Yet the story doesn’t end there. What people didn’t express was just as important. Drives like ambition, passion, and strength appeared less frequently.
It’s a call to balance: being the spark of connection while also being the force that carries progress forward.
What we heard
The Outsider survey painted a consistent picture. Words like creative, people, culture, branding, friends, open, passionate (and… Kim!) popped up repeatedly.
Together, these reflect an image of BR-ND People as:
Creative - sparking new ideas and playful ways forward
People-focused - warm, caring, and genuinely connected
Purpose-driven - linking work to what matters
Fun & energizing - combining serious work with lightness
When asked about impact, terms such as positive and strategy appeared frequently. Respondents described our contribution as clarifying, energizing, and transformative. It suggests that our value lies not only in ideas or workshops, but in how we make strategy feel human, close by and actionable.
What needs to be amplified
Few respondents pointed to explicit gaps. Yet in the card exercise, we think three drives could use a boost: ambition, passion, and vitality. While we are strongly associated with creativity and care, outsiders less often connect us with boldness and attraction. That absence is not criticism, but it is direction. It highlights where we can grow stronger.
Looking ahead
The Outsider results confirm what many of us feel on the inside: BR-ND People is imaginative, human, and purposeful. At the same time, our ambition, passion, and strength do not yet come forward as much as we’d like.
These insights act as fuel: affirming what makes us strong while sparking energy to grow where we are less visible. Our task is clear: continue being a source of creativity and connection, while also stepping up in ambition and leadership. In doing so, we can expand our reach and achieve more - matching our own desires.