It wasn’t that long ago when IBM Watson was pronounced dead. 2017 to be exact. 

But oh, how times have changed. AI is now the center of the universe.

I’m a big fan of the slick storytelling and sophisticated visual identity of the watsonx brand. 

But I think watsonx will succeed first and foremost because customers are now fully ready to buy AI. It’s no longer for the few, proud early adopters. 

As IBM CEO & Chairman Arvind Krishna pointed out in a recent earnings announcement, client demand for AI is accelerating and the company’s book of business for watsonx and generative AI roughly doubled from the third to the fourth quarter.

Furthermore, the global AI market was valued at $150B in 2023 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.8% from 2023 to 2030.

A good reminder for brands everywhere to keep the faith even when you’re WAY too early to the party.

And a good indicator that brand strategy is fundamentally not just a creative act. Brand strategy is the ongoing discipline of making bold choices and navigating high-risk, high-reward decisions that grow brand value. 

Cheers to IBM for hanging in there when the risks were high and the rewards were hazy. Fingers crossed for future success.