An AI-first brand pivot that wins over AI skeptics

How do you build trust while rolling out agentic AI to an AI-skeptical audience?

With a vision and message that balances a growth-focused stakeholder audience and a detailed-oriented user base

Services

Primary research
Brand positioning
Tagline
Messaging

Opportunity

Avalara was rolling out agentic AI throughout their tax and compliance platform - keeping pace with partner and investor demands, but threatening the confidence of their core user base who were AI skeptics. We needed to cut through the AI buzzwords to create real meaning and customer value.

Solution

Among tax pros, the Avalara brand had an “orange halo of trust” built on getting sales tax calculations right every time. Northbound used customer conversations to identify an opportunity segment for whom growth and assurance go together.

We leveraged the trusted legacy of Avalara as a differentiator while scaling toward agent-facilitated services. The result engaged futurist analysts and investors as well as conservative tax customers.

Result

Northbound crafted a positioning and messaging framework that could flex to speak to investors and customers, along with taglines that could be selectively used to both define and distinguish the brand. The resulting messages are being rolled out across company communications.