Ascendis

The Ascendis Team (represented by Norma MacDonald, Paul Lapkin, Meg Squires) was at Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD)'s DesignThinkers conference, and spent the day learning from some of the best design experts from around the world, discovering new intersections of design, branding, and AI. We heard resounding themes around the soul, challenging us to start from a place of authenticity. Realizing purpose, style and individuality as a prerequisite to creating brands that empathize and connect on a level that reach far beyond mere execution, to the edges of raw, unapologetic truth. Here were some insights from our favourite talks: Annie Atkins on Film Design — Annie shared her journey from design to film props, showing how every detail, like in The Grand Budapest Hotel, builds immersive worlds. Leland Maschmeyer on Brand Culture — Collins’ CEO talked about the impact of brand storytelling, with examples like Bose and the viral Equinox “We Don’t Speak January” campaign. AI Ethics with Thas Naseemuddeen & Ricardo Diaz — Omelet’s leaders discussed how to responsibly balance AI tools with design, introducing innovative tools like Runway ML. #Ascendis #DesignThinkers #RDG

Au nom de l'équipe Ascendis à travers le monde, nous souhaitons de joyeuses fêtes à nos clients, nos partenaires et à notre équipe.

On behalf the Ascendis Team throughout the world, we wish our clients, our partners and our staff Happy Holidays.

Employee Experience is a critical success factor  Leading organizations are already seeing real results 𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮𝟴𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: Employee experience (EX) leaders dominate Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list with breakthrough ideas. 𝟰𝟬% 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿: They excel in employee retention. 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆: Engaged employees create exceptional customer experiences 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗫 𝟳.𝟴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 in global productivity due to disengaged employees. 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻: 95% of workers are ready to switch jobs for better flexibility and experience. 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Poor EX risks market relevance due to lack of innovation. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝟰𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 compared to competitors. 𝟮𝟱% 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 for top EX organizations. 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 for companies in the top EX quartile. Investing in experience management is more than just about satisfaction—it’s a strategic imperative. From employee feedback to work-life integration and talent management, organizations that prioritize their people build the foundation for sustained growth, innovation, and market leadership. This holiday season, and beyond, invest in the well-being of your people and create a space that supports both productivity and wellness.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 U.S. businesses lose up to $1.8 trillion yearly in wasted productivity due to obsolete technology. Recent studies highlight three key areas where hidden inefficiencies could be quietly draining significant capital from business. 𝟭 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 Outdated legacy systems place huge strain on businesses by slowing down operations, blocking innovation, and consuming valuable resources. 31% of enterprise technology is tied to outdated systems. 𝟮 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗽  Over 53% of IT teams lack full visibility into their tech assets. So what? Without a clear understanding of their tech assets, businesses struggle to make informed decisions, leading to inefficient resource allocation, missed opportunities for optimization, and increased vulnerability to security threats and system failures. 𝟯 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻  30% of IT spending is wasted. That’s not just financial leakage—this waste of capital ties up resources that could otherwise drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘁 – Audit your technical debt and create a prioritized roadmap to work through. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 – Implement advanced monitoring, tracking, and analytics tools tailored to your assets and business needs. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 – Create clear policies, accountability, and performance metrics to align tech investments with organizational goals. The cost of inaction is more than just financial—it’s about your ability to compete.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀, 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝗫 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 EX Technologies Can Drastically Boost your Companies Revenue and Performance Companies of all sizes are increasingly turning to employee experience technologies as a lever for performance and growth. Why? When your team wins, your business wins: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: Highly engaged teams boost profitability by 23% and productivity by 21%. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: Enhanced EX in customer-facing roles can lead to a 50% increase in revenue. 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Engaged employees take 53% fewer sick days, reducing absenteeism costs significantly. 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Strong EX reduces turnover by 60% and makes companies more appealing to top talent. This is especially critical for businesses undergoing digital transformation, upgrading legacy systems or launching new channels. Employee experience technology can allow companies to unlock scalable growth, improve performance, and gain a competitive edge. Is your company focusing on EX? #Ascendis #EX #digitaltransformation

At Ascendis, we're evolving business processes by bridging employee and customer experiences through 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Our approach: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: Mapping critical touch points between employees and customers 𝗔𝗜 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Identifying and implementing AI-driven process improvements 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Focusing on high-impact, low-effort transformation opportunities 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴: Quick visualizations to bring concepts to life 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Co-creating solutions with our clients 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Embedding innovations directly into existing systems 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Uncovering process bottlenecks through intelligent analytics Insights from the ServiceNow WFE have inspired our vision of creating more intelligent, responsive business ecosystems. Let's work together! #ascendis #ex #cx

𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Lee Valley Tools sought to enhance its digital commerce platform and redefine its customer experience standards. By partnering with Ascendis, the goal was clear—to elevate their digital framework and set a new benchmark for customer interactions and online presence. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 We began with a thorough audit of Lee Valley’s digital channels, followed by market segmentation analysis and customer insight gathering. These informed an extensive customer journey mapping and experience design process, paving the way for a strategic plan tailored to customer needs. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 Our strategies guided the successful relaunch of Lee Valley’s eCommerce site and rejuvenation of their digital marketing programs. The results? A stronger user experience, improved engagement, and a fortified foundation for sustained digital success. "The depth and quality of the work provided by Ascendis have built an extensive foundation of knowledge that Lee Valley will strategically benefit from for years to come. The insight gained from this vital engagement has strengthened our organization." - Jason Tassé, President & COO of Lee Valley The next frontier is to unlock employee experience. Want to learn more? Visit our website https://ascendis.ca/ #ascendis #leevalley #digitaltransformation

𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁. A consistent brand experience is no accident—it’s built intentionally. Trusted brands come together through every touchpoint, from marketing and digital to physical experiences. They thrive when every component—value, integrity, taste, quality, and consistency—works harmoniously to create a cohesive and memorable customer experience. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Think about how your customers interact with your brand. Is there harmony between your voice, tone, visuals, and storytelling? Are customers experiencing the same “personality” from your brand across channels? Consistency in these touchpoints nurtures trust and builds recognition. But how do you get there? It starts with a 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 A robust brand strategy clarifies how all elements of your branding—not just logos or taglines—work together to drive trust and loyalty. A good strategy includes: 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 – Why do you exist beyond profit? 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – How do you communicate and resonate with your audience? 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Is your design consistent and recognizable? 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 – What’s the bigger story behind your brand that connects with people? 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 Here’s how to implement the components that form a positive brand experience: 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 – Be transparent about how your brand delivers value. Show why your products or services matter. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Act with honesty and authenticity. Customers value genuine communication and human behavior over corporate facades. 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 – Play into what customers crave—novelty with a sense of structure and pattern. Consider every detail of your design and service delivery. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Avoid shortcuts. Your customers notice when you choose quality over convenience. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 – From online ads to in-store interactions, ensure your brand is one coherent personality everywhere. When these elements align, you’re not just selling a product—you’re building a 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁? What are some of the brand experience hurdles you’ve had? Let us know in the comments and we’ll answer them. #ascendis #brandexperience