Indsigt & Udsigt: 

Branding is a matter of perspective; a perspective on what matters

Indsigt and udsigt. These two Danish terms, which readily fly off my mother tongue, define great strategy.

Indsigt, meaning “insight,” is concerned with understanding the deeper details.
Insight on real individuals, what we at Hakuhodo call sei-katsu-sha insight, is our starting point. What makes them dream, what forms their aspirations and what fuels their fears. Once the fundamental human indsigt is understood, we expand it to encompass the nature of a brand. Its surroundings. Its DNA. And the little-known nuances that when amplified tend to be a brand’s most distinguishing colors.

Udsigt has no direct translation. However, it can be understood as an outlook, a perspective, and a prospect. Here we are concerned with how the brand sees the world; its view of culture, its role within it and, ultimately, its prospect on what lies beyond the horizon, and its role in actively changing culture. It is here that the brand can play an ever more crucial role in forming opinion through action.

As brands are increasingly moving from being symbols of corporate trust to active cultural forces, I believe it is up to strategists to provide both indsigt and udsigt. To ensure that each reinforces the brand. The indsigt must be based on matters of truth, while the udsigt must form a perspective that matters. With real potential to ultimately matter for people.

Brought together, indsigt & udsigt have the potential to amplify what lies deep beneath, to change what could be a better tomorrow.

Roles and titles current when this article was published in December 2023.