Building a Human-Centred Brand for an AI-Driven Startup
Client
Cero (formerly Botlab)
Role
Brand Consultant & CX Strategist
Duration
3 months
The Challenge
Botlab faced a market environment in Spanish-speaking countries characterised by a lack of understanding of chatbot technology, scepticism about the value of customer experience, and a resistant B2B market. The challenge was dual: make the technology approachable for a sceptical market, and position the company to win competitive startup funding.
The Process
Market Research & Customer Interviews
Interviewed early adopters, recruited prospective customers, and gathered market research to uncover both needs and barriers to adoption. The critical insight: the barrier wasn't technology — it was trust. Potential clients didn't believe a chatbot could handle their customer relationships with the care they demanded.
Audience Profiling & Opportunity Mapping
Created distinct client profiles ranging from 'los desconectados' (the disconnected) to 'los conectados' (the connected), mapping each against their relationship with customer experience technology. This revealed that the mid-market — 'los prácticos' — represented the greatest opportunity.
Co-Creative Brand Workshop
Facilitated a brand strategy workshop with the founding team to align on purpose, trueline, and brand personality. The rebrand from 'Botlab' to 'Cero' wasn't just cosmetic — it repositioned the company from a technical tool provider to a customer experience partner.
Digital Experience & Value Proposition
Designed the complete digital experience with a reframed value proposition: 'More patients attended, fewer hours lost.' This shifted the narrative from technology features to business outcomes — speaking the language that resonated with their target market.
The Outcome
The reframed value proposition and customer-centric digital experience facilitated the company's ability to bring their product to a larger market. The brand gained distinctiveness that directly contributed to winning Y Combinator acceptance — one of the world's most competitive startup accelerator programmes.
YC
Y Combinator acceptance
New
Market positioning achieved