Brand transformation in the twenty-first century

As another major consulting brand pushes into the creative agency space, many conventional marketers will be looking to respond to the challenge. According to Ewen Sturgeon, EMEA CEO at creative agency VML, success lies in the ability to deliver on marketing transformation at scale.

EY has launched EY+, a bold new offering that unites its expertise across design, sales, marketing, and customer experience. This launch comes at a time when businesses face relentless market shifts, shorter attention spans, and constant reinvention. In this environment, brand transformation is no longer optional; it is essential. 

Yet despite this urgency, transformation efforts frequently stall. According to VML’s “Unlocking the Power of Digital Transformation” report, 37% of digital transformation projects fail outright, costing an average of $10.9 million per project. Among those that falter, 64% lacked a clear roadmap or goal. These are avoidable missteps that point to a deeper issue: transformation is still too often treated as an internal project, detached from the people it is meant to serve. 

The consumer is considered, but rarely centred 

Look at brands like ABRDN, where rebranding efforts have struggled. These are not failures of ambition, but failures of alignment. 

Too many transformations begin with internal priorities such as systems, structures, or legacy processes. Consumers are consulted and surveyed, but not genuinely involved. Their voices are heard but not embedded in the decision-making process. In today’s world, that disconnect is costly. The result is grand strategies that sound great in theory but collapse in practice. 

That is why firms like EY are entering the brand and marketing arena with urgency. Real transformation lives or dies in execution, because that is what customers actually experience. 

Building strategy decks is simple. Delivering execution that is consistent, measurable, and meaningful is the hard part, and where most efforts fall short. 

Brand, marketing, and customer experience are no longer support functions. They are how strategy becomes reality. Transformation leaders are investing in content, CX, and the incumbent technology roadmaps to bridge the gap between vision and value. 

Transformation is not about frameworks or large advisory teams. It is about fluency, the ability to turn big ideas into real experiences, at scale and in sync with the customer. 

Structure shapes behaviour 

Even the clearest vision and sharpest execution can fail without the right internal structure. Transformation must be embedded into how a business functions, from leadership models to team design, enabling workflows and incentives. 

56% of transformation leaders say their senior leadership does not effectively support digital initiatives. That is not a vision problem, it is a structural one. 

Transformation demands cross-functional collaboration rather than siloed decision-making. It requires leadership that spans both vertically and horizontally, unlocking creativity and fostering shared ownership. 

68% of respondents say transformation efforts feel too internally focused. The term “consumer-first” is everywhere, but often lacks substance. 

A truly consumer-centric approach demands more than empathy. It requires rigour and discipline. Real transformation starts with human insight, not assumptions, and must become a guiding principle for every team at every level. 

From early ideation to final delivery, the consumer must be present in every phase. When that happens, transformation is not just cosmetic, it becomes cultural. It changes how a business serves, builds trust, and grows sustainably. 

Execution Is the new competitive edge 

Today’s consumers do not care about digital transformation plans. They care about better experiences. 69% of transformation leaders acknowledge this disconnect. 

That means the winners in today’s market are not the ones with the boldest vision, but those who bring that vision to life quickly, tangibly, and repeatedly. 

Transformation partners must evolve accordingly. The most valuable ones are those who pair strategic insight with operational strength, who do not just advise on what to do, but also build it, test it, and refine it. 

However, many organisations are still stuck. 64% say their teams lack the training to support digital transformation, highlighting both a skills gap and a cultural one. 

In an age where expectations are shaped by the last best experience, not the last brand interaction, transformation must be lived, not theorised. It must be built from the outside in. 

Because in the end, the consumer is not just a stop on the journey, they are the journey.