Summary

When organisations are under pressure to show progress on AI, the reflex is to talk up features. Claims run ahead of proof. Once a value-led narrative, tight governance and hard evidence are in place, trust compounds — because credibility follows demonstrated outcomes.

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Our Perspective

What this means for leaders navigating growth, change or transformation in their organisation.

The Credibility Gap

AI signals ambition, but credibility rests on whether claims map to outcomes people can recognise. Executives, boards and buyers aren’t short of noise; they’re short of proof that reduces risk or unlocks growth. KPMG notes that while roughly two-thirds of people now use AI and four in five see benefits, only 46% say they trust AI systems. That trust deficit shifts the burden of evidence onto leaders.

We often see the gap show up when teams announce capability before they’ve codified value: the story runs ahead of delivery, sales struggle to translate it, and scepticism compounds. Credibility isn’t about saying less; it’s about saying what you can substantiate, and saying it consistently.

Proof Creates Confidence

Proof points do the heavy lifting in the market. They don’t need to be heroic; they need to be specific, repeatable and tied to material impact. Start with a small set and make them unavoidable across executive decks, sales materials and product education.

• Quantified outcomes: cycle time reductions, accuracy lifts, cost-to-serve improvements.
• Risk posture: guardrails, audit trails, human oversight, and model monitoring.
• Adoption signals: active usage, renewal rates, feature utilisation patterns.
• Comparative baselines: before/after benchmarks and credible peer references.

Design The Narrative

Treat AI as a value lens, not a showcase. Frame the jobs your organisation is uniquely placed to solve, then explain how AI makes those jobs faster, safer or more predictive. Anchor the narrative in the few use-cases where you hold an advantage, and resist the temptation to catalogue features.

This approach pays off in two theatres. At the macro level, it reads as maturity to investors and partners. At the micro level, it equips sales and product teams with outcome-led talk tracks that shorten evaluation and neutralise objections. The common thread is coherence: one story, many contexts, all evidenced.

Decisions For Leaders

To move from claims to confidence, make a handful of deliberate choices and hold the line.

• Prioritise two use-cases where you can prove durable advantage within one or two quarters.
• Set evidence gates: no external messaging until defined metrics are met and referenceable.
• Bind the story to governance: clarify where AI is used, where it isn’t, and why.
• Keep a spine of metrics constant across board, product and go-to-market materials.

As the market resets from novelty to scrutiny, the organisations that align narrative, choices and proof will earn compounding trust—and with it, more room to shape the agenda.

Sources:

• Global study reveals trust of AI remains a critical challenge reflecting tension between benefits and risks — KPMG

Further Resources

1. Why Feature-Driven Messaging Risks Product-Led Growth
2. Brand Values as Operating Principles: A Modern Approach to Tech Talent
3. Why Brand Alignment Matters for High-Growth SaaS Organisations

Every organisation hits brand questions it can’t solve alone — if you’d like an outside perspective, we’re here. Let’s talk.

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