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The Future of Remote Work: Adapting to a Digital-First World

By Margot Riley · Published 2025-09-23 · Updated 2025-10-07

As organizations worldwide embrace remote work, we explore the tools, strategies, and cultural shifts that are shaping the future of how we collaborate and build teams in an increasingly digital landscape.

The global shift towards remote work has fundamentally transformed how we think about productivity, collaboration, and workplace culture. What began as an emergency response has evolved into a strategic advantage for organizations willing to embrace digital-first methodologies.

The Evolution of Remote Work Culture

Remote work isn't just about working from home—it's about reimagining how work gets done. Organizations that have successfully transitioned to remote-first models have discovered that geography is no longer a limiting factor for talent acquisition and retention.

“The future belongs to organizations that can build culture, not just in physical spaces, but in digital ones.”

– Leading remote work advocate

Key Strategies for Remote Success

Successful remote organizations share several common characteristics:

• Asynchronous Communication: Moving away from constant meetings towards thoughtful, documented communication
• Results-Oriented Culture: Focusing on outcomes rather than hours logged
• Digital-First Documentation: Ensuring all knowledge is accessible and searchable
• Intentional Social Connection: Creating structured opportunities for team bonding

Technology as an Enabler

The right technology stack can make or break a remote work implementation. Beyond video conferencing and chat tools, successful remote teams invest in:

• Collaborative project management platforms
• Cloud-based document sharing and editing
• Virtual whiteboarding and brainstorming tools
• Automated workflow and approval systems

Building Trust in Distributed Teams

Trust becomes even more critical when team members can't see each other daily. Leaders must shift from oversight to empowerment, creating systems that support autonomy while maintaining accountability. This requires a fundamental change in management philosophy—from managing presence to managing performance, from controlling processes to enabling outcomes.

The Human Element

Despite all the technology and processes, remote work success ultimately comes down to human connection. Organizations that prioritize mental health, work-life balance, and genuine care for their team members consistently outperform those that don't. The future of work isn't just remote—it's more human, more flexible, and more focused on what truly matters: creating value and building meaningful relationships, regardless of physical location.

Looking Ahead

As we continue to evolve our approach to remote work, the organizations that will thrive are those that view this transition not as a temporary adjustment, but as a fundamental reimagining of what work can be in the 21st century. The question isn't whether remote work is here to stay—it's how quickly we can adapt our thinking, our tools, and our cultures to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity for innovation in how we work together.

— end of The Future of Remote Work: Adapting to a Digital-First World —

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In my day, we used to work in open plan offices…

By Anna Nurse · Published 2024-04-18 · Updated 2026-05-21

Not too long ago, 2017 to be exact, I was working as a copywriter for a global advertising agency. I have this vivid memory of arranging to go into work late one morning, arranging it formally, so that I could make progress on the script I was working on, uninterrupted by the colleagues who approached my desk with no subject in mind, just the half baked thought they'd hand over, hoping I'd know what to do with it.

‘I wonder who waters these plants?’

‘A plant watering service, I think.’

‘Oh, so you don't?’

‘Um, not consciously. Maybe I've dumped some old water from my water bottle but nothing selfless.’

I didn't always have the energy for generous responses, or the time. The morning I asked to write from home, I didn't have either. It wasn't easy to arrange, by the way. It took a bit of convincing. But I remember it being profound – how much I got done from my bed. Even I, who had rallied for it, couldn't believe the contrasting productivity.

Cut to 2024, and the agency I work for has no office. Where you work from is where you choose to open your laptop. Currently, I'm opening my laptop on a deck chair, on a beach, on an island in Thailand. Cliched, I know. But the only interruption I've had is the tickle on my arm which turned out to be a tiny spider. And he was fine with me flicking him off.

It's productive – to be able to work when you work, and not to have to be at work, not working. Which was often the case with open-plan office environments, before the world changed. And while we do seem to have lost our in-person social skills (well I have) at least we've stopped measuring our productivity against the number of hours we spend in a given building. That was nuts.

But, like with most things in life, there are gains and losses.

Gain: Focused work, without interruptions. Loss: Ongoing cultivation of in-person social skills. Gain: Better work-life balance – start your day with yoga, not traffic. Loss: Some good old-fashioned road rage. Gain: Teams comprised of talent based on talent, and not postal codes. Loss: The in-person interactions that facilitate empathy and understanding. Gain: We have dogs now! Loss: Our couches have dog hair now. The biggest gain of all is not having to separate our personal lives from our work lives as much. We are, after all, people, not AI robots.

This blog post was started on a deck chair in Thailand and completed in a Cape Town apartment, while trying to ignore the very sad and droopy houseplant in my peripheral vision, and wondering to myself “I wonder when last that plant was watered.”

— end of In my day, we used to work in open plan offices… —

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Understanding Strategy: Branding's Superpower

By Erin Cunningham · Published 2023-10-20 · Updated 2026-06-23

You know those four-year-old kids that like to ask “why?” over and over and over again until you want to rip your hair out? They probably grow up to be strategists.

Whether the end-goal for a brand is to create an elevated brand identity, a beautiful new website, or launch a compelling global campaign, it should all start with a strategy – and the reason is to be able to answer that exact question. Why?

Why do you exist? Why should you exist? Why and how do you do things differently than others? Why should your audience choose you? Why should they care

For starters, a brand is so much more than a good logo or an interesting color palette. Branding, as one could attempt to define it, is about who the brand is behind its product or service; it's the connective tissue between you and your audience. A brand is a feeling, thought, or connection that one makes in their mind about you. It's what people say about you when you're not in the room. A strong brand strategy can help you answer these “why” questions to ensure that people's feelings and perceptions of your brand are compelling, impactful, and true to you.

Tangibly, a solid brand strategy lays a solid foundation. It informs all subsequent steps in your branding process, giving you a unified language for internal and external communications, helping identify challenges and areas of opportunity, establishing long-term goals and measurements for success, and providing clear direction and purpose to your creative teams moving forward.

One of our favorite case studies at Bald that demonstrates a solid brand strategy and changed the whole course of a brand's identity and communications is Old Spice. They began their research and discovery phase by identifying what they are really trying to solve – “Old spice does not have a product performance problem. It has an image problem”. How could they craft a strong positioning that articulates who they are and what they represent, and establishes a strong emotional connection with consumers?

It started with recognizing a series of truths: culture had created an idealized image of masculinity, which men in the grooming space are trying to navigate but don't know where to start. Brands like Axe took advantage of this with an oversexualized ladies-man image of masculinity, but Old Spice realized that this sort of uncertainty generates desire for authenticity, not gimmick. Old Spice had been the traditional choice of “manly men” for years, and they realized that an evolution was necessary to keep up with the speed of culture and re-establish that connection with male consumers.

That evolution ultimately came from a single, utterly key insight – men are not their audience. The “manly men” they'd targeted for so long are not actually the ones buying Old Spice's products, rather the women in their lives are. Their girlfriends, mothers, and wives are largely the ones running household errands and picking up the men's grooming products for them. Thus, the Old Spice “I'm on a horse” campaign was born. These ads feature a shirtless man on a romance novel-esque horse, telling the feminine consumer to “look at her man, then look at him,” boasting that he is the man her man could smell like… with Old Spice. This campaign made an incredible splash in culture, leaving a new and lasting mark for Old Spice in the minds and hearts of their consumers.

Cases like Old Spice and other wildly successful campaigns, activation, and brands most aptly demonstrate the true power of a strong brand strategy. Sure, it's important to have a good logo and memorable tagline. But, it won't make an impact anywhere close to that without laying a solid foundation.

The lesson in all of this is that brand strategy, while often overlooked, is pretty damn important.

— end of Understanding Strategy: Branding's Superpower —

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Let Your Heart Rule

By Taryn Scher · Published 2023-07-06 · Updated 2026-05-21

We like to think we have dominion over the mind. That we make our own decisions that are logical and correct. That we choose our careers, our partners, the places we live, the cars we drive and the food we eat for breakfast for practical, considered reasons. The correct balance of vitamins and minerals.

But we know that that's not true. If we let logic dictate our decisions, we would be overcome by the inertia of trying to figure it out and get it right. All the possibilities of more lucrative careers, better partners, easier cities and even better breakfast choices that have an even higher complement of vitamin and minerals and conform to our environmental and sustainable footprint goals.

Our preferences and the real reasons we make the decisions we make, come from a place that's inexplicable. A place that makes stories out of separate events. And adds color and nuance to daily situations.

So we say, let's stop pretending that the head is in charge. Let's acknowledge the heart, because it already is our guide.

— end of Let Your Heart Rule —

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Color Obsessed: A Deep Dive of Color in Branding

By Miguel Riebman · Published 2023-11-03 · Updated 2026-06-23

Every time I start a design project I always think and imagine what the color of the design is going to be. It helps me set the tone of the brand, and guides my mission and journey as a designer. Color is one of the most powerful tools in the creative world. It brings depth and life into everything, evokes emotions, sets the tone, and makes a lasting impression. From the vibrant hues of pop art to the moody palettes of film noir, color has the ability to transport us to different worlds and connect us to the stories being told. My favorite example is the iconic red and blue colors of Spider-Man's suit, which not only represent his heroic identity but also embodies the spirit of his comic book origins. The impact and importance of color in pop culture cannot be overstated, as it shapes our perceptions and enriches our experiences in ways we may not even realize.

In the world of branding and graphic design, color plays a pivotal role in creating a lasting impression and establishing a company's identity.

We can see the power of color in the branding of popular companies that have become household names. For instance, the red and white color scheme of Coca-Cola has been consistently used for over a century. The red color evokes excitement and energy, while the white conveys purity and cleanliness. It's a perfect representation of the brand's image. Similarly, Starbucks uses a green color scheme that's associated with growth, renewal, and freshness. The color aligns with the brand's image as a purveyor of high-quality coffee and a commitment to sustainability. Nike's black-and-white color scheme is another example of effective branding. The black color conveys power and sophistication, while the white conveys purity and cleanliness. It perfectly aligns with the brand's image as a provider of high-performance athletic gear. The golden arches of McDonald's are easily recognizable and have been consistently used for over a century.

The first thing we did was to find the tone and the essence of the brand and identify the purpose of the coworking space, which was to make people feel they're in a comfortable place that makes them feel cozy, while also feeling like an elegant office environment. The goal was to attract an audience that appreciates a sophisticated, functional, and comfortable workplace culture. People using the space should feel that, through being provided with the necessary tools, they are in an environment that promotes the growth of their professional or personal intention. Knowing the tone of the brand, we knew that the colors needed to convey the same feeling. Khaki green in combination with grays, contrasting with cream and light orange, was the perfect combination of a color palette that evokes a welcoming feeling while also showcasing elegance, timelessness, and a place where you could feel very comfortable and proud to work.

— end of Color Obsessed: A Deep Dive of Color in Branding —

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Moms in the Network

By Taryn Scher · Published 2023-03-08 · Updated 2026-06-23

When I was 27, I joined a network, and the first thing I was told was how great the maternity policies are. Four months of fully paid leave. This was a company that supported women.

Ten years later I waddled into the agency, seven months pregnant, to discover that my corner office and my teammate were taken away in a bid to plan ahead for my maternity leave. I was taken off a global rebrand, because the client presentation was two weeks before my due date. This was the job that had kept me tethered to the agency for four years. I had asked to continue, not full time, but in my own time, but was told ‘No’. Later my boss told me, he had felt he was looking out for me. Apparently it was for my own good and my own health. Recently I watched ‘Inventing Anna’ and I related to Jessica Pressler who gets the story out just before going into labor. I felt guilty being so ambitious when I should have been preparing to be a mom.

I wanted to write from a woman's point of view. I wanted to express myself in a softer, wittier, more nuanced way. Women have buying power but guy humor rules the advertising industry. I left the agency shortly after my obligation for my paid maternity leave ended. I found my place amongst the independents. I went on my own with the intention of bringing a different writing style and a different type of humor to life, that values women's voices. Recently I connected with an old friend and joined Bald. A global start-up agency that is fully remote. It values diversity, work-from-anywhere, where outputs are rewarded, instead of inputs. While some creatives take smoke breaks during work, I now take breaks to wipe my toddlers bum and check out the flying houses he's built.

— end of Moms in the Network —

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Listen In

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2023-08-03 · Updated 2026-06-23

Listening to #podcasts is one of the best ways to keep up with the fast pace of #marketing, #branding, and #culture. They're like a protein shake for the brain – building new muscles when the workout is washing the dishes or walking the dog.

Here's where I go to get my podcast fix. Only sharing podcasts I have personally listened to and enjoyed.

What Podcasts are you listening to?

— end of Listen In —

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The Think Equation

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

The greatest value I believe I bring to my work as a marketer and strategist…. is probably how I think. But thinking is what I often feel I have the least time to do.

Between deadlines, meetings, admin, tweeting, coffee in, report out, all hands, hand over, strategy deck, status check, onboard, offload, download, paper load, ready to explode. Who has time to think?

If thinking = x / time = 0, then the thinking is carried over… to when exactly? Are there statistics out there of marketers struggling with the same issue? Probably! (ba, dum, dis)

So, here are a few things that are helping me carve out time to think:

1. No Zoom Fridays
2. No meetings past 5PM. 5-6:30pm is my best thinking time.
3. Putting my mind into neutral and doing some physical activity with my hands and/or legs (loading the dishwasher, grocery shopping, cooking, walking, exercising)
4. Writing
5. Escaping to nature when I can
6. Brain.fm or coffitivity for focused thinking
7. Recently joined the 5amClub. The two extra hours of quiet in the early morning to read, think, and plan have been a game changer.

— end of The Think Equation —

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First the Worst, Second the Best

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

One of my favorite campaigns is Avis's iconic 'We Try Harder'.

In the 60's, Avis was trailing market leader Hertz. So Ad Agency DDB decided to use Avis' second-place position to highlight the brand's customer service. “When you're only No. 2, you try harder.”

The campaign was an instant hit. In fact, it was so successful, Avis used this positioning as the fabric of its corporate culture for many years.

What I love about it is not just how counterintuitive it is to acknowledge a supposed disadvantage. But it's the brilliant reframing of this disadvantage as a point of strength and differentiation – that is the mark of genius insight.

As a brand strategist, I also can relate on a personal level. Vulnerability alert: For most of my life, I've felt like an Avis. A number two. I even have the elementary school certificates to prove it. Lots of second place. But while things may come naturally to some, being second has just taught me to work harder.

Today, I use this clarity as my fuel. It accelerates my development, learning, and progress in my craft. And this #2 drive has helped me achieve success in more ways than I could ever have imagined.

So to all the #2's out there, I see you 👀. Being second doesn't need to Hertz (ba, dum, tss).

— end of First the Worst, Second the Best —

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H/T to Marketers

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

Marketers wear many hats. At times, it can feel overwhelming. What skills do you believe are essential for a marketer today? Here's my (partial) roundup:

Marketing automation. Vendor negotiation. Data visualization. Brand activation. Content creation. Coaching, launching, and onboarding. Hiring. Inspiring. Swag hoarding. Inbound, outbound, video with surround sound. Squarespace or Wix. The marketing mix. Data and analytics. Design, out-of-home, mobile phone. UX/UI. Gamify. SEO, PPC, b2b, and b2c. Above the line, below the line, data mine, meet the deadline. Installation. Inspiration. Did you send the email invitation? Writing, nail-biting, again all-nighting. Campaigns, domains, PR and press. Advertising, optimizing. WordPress. Positioning. Social listening. Annual Report's a lock. Social strategy: should we be on tik-tok? Podcast, audio, sound-check. Another revision? What the heck?

— end of H/T to Marketers —

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A Strategy Love Song

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

To be a great brand strategist, you have to fall in love with the brand you're working with. How? Here's an exercise: write the brand a love song. Try it. See what benefits bubble up. Here's one I wrote for my allergy medicine as an assignment for my Master's program at SVA.

Will you be my Antihistamine?

(To the tune of Imagine by John Lennon)

Imagine all the sneezing, it makes your eyeballs cry, nose is red and itchy, throat is sore and dry…

But Zyllergy – you are my savior. Will you be my Antihistamine?

— end of A Strategy Love Song —

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Charge your Creativity

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

We left New York City over the summer.

As a creative strategist, I am deeply impacted by the aesthetics around me. And New York City is chock-full of creative inputs. A walk to Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. The architecture of Soho. People-watching on the subway. The arts and culture scene in Brooklyn. The billboards. The subway ads. The graffiti, the art installations, the pop-ups, and the festivals. You catch my I<3 NY drift. In NYC, my creative energy was always skyscraper high.

We lived 4 inspired years in the city. And then the pandemic hit. Followed by a move to the suburbs. I was worried I would lose my creative mojo faster than a rat dragging pizza down a subway stair.

A study has shown that the linkage between city living and creativity is rooted in the spillover from diversity. The mixing and mingling of people and cultures invite the strange and the new, prying open the mind.

Unfortunately, like toilet paper on pandemic eve, creative inputs in the suburbs are in short supply. So I'm searching for supplements to boost my imagine system. A few things I am experimenting with:

• Meditation
• Nature trail to walk
• Polaroid photography
• Writing every day
• Connecting with the people in my creative network

— end of Charge your Creativity —

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Tool Time

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

I'm on the hunt for new tools. This is not a drill. (ba, dum, tss)

Here are 16 tools every marketer should have in their toolbox (in no particular order):

1. Slack: for internal communications (and self-expression through gifs)
2. Asana: for project management
3. Frame.io: for effective video editing and review
4. Loom: for screen-capture recordings
5. Calendly: for optimizing meeting/appointment scheduling
6. G-Suite: for email and workspace collab
7. Canva: for easy peasy graphic design
8. Hustle: for a 1:1 text messaging service with an awesome interface
9. Evernote: for curating notes, inspiration, images, bookmarks, eureka moments, anything really
10. Grammarly: for writing like a viking
11. Powerthesaurus: for alternative words
12. Whatfont Chrome Extension: for font envy
13. Headspace: for maintaining sanity (with meditation)
14. Miro: for online brainstorming
15. brain.fm / coffitivity: for getting into the zone
16. Unsplash/Pexel: for free stock images

— end of Tool Time —

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Hole in Won

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-04-11 · Updated 2026-05-21

“Let's build a custom-designed mini-golf course.”

This was the idea I pitched to my creative team. All the other brand activations on the table were as exciting as a cold bowl of mashed potatoes. One problem: my boss wasn't buying it. It took me 3 hours to convince him that my idea deserved a shot.

An arrow in every brand strategist's quiver is the ability to sell. Ideas are great but, essentially, are worthless. Ideas that get adopted; however, hold profound value.

Here's what I've learned about selling ideas:

1. Pitch with enthusiasm. You'd be surprised how many people pitch an idea like they're getting a molar removed. I get it can be intimidating, but enthusiasm is infectious.
2. Use visual aids. To better sell my mini-golf idea, I started sketching it out. Showing how it would work made it more tangible and real. Some struggle to imagine an idea from words alone. Sharing an image aligns your vision with theirs.
3. Practice. The only way to get better is to keep at it. Volunteer to pitch your team's ideas every time you get a chance. Use apps like Speeko and Orai: AI Speech Coach to help improve your public speaking.

It's been said that conception is nothing without delivery. Coming up with the idea is the start. Selling your idea is the hole in won.

— end of Hole in Won —

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Word

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2023-08-03 · Updated 2026-06-23

Just as he launches his fist through the air towards the arm of his twin brother, I swoop in like Batman with only seconds to spare and manage to save the day with a simple phrase that has the power of a vibranium shield:

“Use. Your. Words!”

Crisis averted. Fists go down. Eyes begin to roll. A grunt.

In #brandstrategy, words are everything. #Words shape #ideas. They give them their power. Everything from democracy and capitalism to veganism and minimalism came into existence with words. The power of language is so paramount that the greatest act of creativity – the very creation of the world – came about through the utterance of words. Our words matter.

Words inspire. Words cause pain. Words make us smile and move us forward. Words start wars. Words express love. And words can create chaos.

As a #strategist, my goal is to start becoming more intentional with my words. As we live in these tense times, my hope is that we can all begin to try harder to understand each other's worldviews and find more positive ways to utilize our words.

And if that doesn't work, there's always a time out.

— end of Word —

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Laugh through it

By Hillel Hurwitz · Published 2022-03-22 · Updated 2026-05-21

Ever produced something you're super proud of? A sourdough bread maybe. An organic vegetable garden. A painting. An essay or article. And have you ever been in front of something that takes your breath away? A piece of art? A hit play? In front of technology that will change the world?

What's the difference between creativity and imagination?

For many, the terms are interchangeable, and it can be hard to explain the difference. Some would say that creativity has been appropriated by the arts, and imagination is just daydreaming.

Here's my take. One of the best definitions I've heard of creativity is the ability to see connections between things. Connecting the dots. Many think that creativity is a gift that you are either born with or not. But I believe everyone has the capacity for creativity. You see it across industries and professions: like when a scientist develops a new vaccine, a lawyer who crafts a perfect argument, or an investigator that cracks a case wide open. They take divergent elements and combine them to create something new.

Imagination, though, is different. To me, imagination is the creation of something from nothing. Imagination brings something entirely new into the world. It's not just creativity. It's creative genius. We've all been witness to creative genius, usually from masters of imagination (Musk, Spielberg, Jobs, Oprah, Disney etc). In brand strategy, a commonly used phrase is “Imagine a World…” It is those sparks of creative genius, those bursts of imagination that help reshape and reimagine our world.

— end of Laugh through it —