Category: Strategy

Brand is what makes you different, but AI slop is making everyone sound the same. The businesses that win over the next few years won’t be the ones using AI the most. They’ll be the ones with a point of view clear enough that AI can’t flatten it.

Everyone’s suddenly a content machine

A few years ago, writing a website, an Instagram caption, or a sales page took time. Now it takes a prompt.

That’s not a bad thing on its own. I use AI in my own business, and I’ll get into exactly how, further down. But here’s what I’ve been noticing: when everyone has access to the same tools, asking the same kind of questions, a lot of businesses are starting to sound exactly the same.

Same openers. Same three point lists. Same “in today’s market” energy. You’ve probably scrolled past ten versions of it this week without remembering a single one.

There’s a name for this now: AI slop. It became official enough that Merriam-Webster made “slop” its word of the year for 2025. It’s not really about quality in the traditional sense. The content is often grammatically fine. It’s just generic. Faceless. Forgettable. It could have come from any business, which means it doesn’t actually do its job for yours.

The real risk: a billion businesses sounding exactly the same

Here’s the bit that matters most for you as a founder.

Your brand isn’t your logo, your colours, or your tagline. It’s your positioning. It’s what makes you different from every other business solving a similar problem, and it’s the reason a customer chooses you over someone else doing roughly the same thing.

When everyone uses AI the same way to write their content, their messaging, even their positioning, you end up with a market full of businesses that all sound interchangeable. If your brand doesn’t have a clear point of view before you start generating anything, AI won’t create one for you. It can’t. It can only reflect what’s already out there, which is exactly the problem.

This is why brand work has to come first. Not after you’ve built your content calendar. Not as a nice to have once the basics are sorted. It should come before any of that.

This isn’t just a smart marketing move. It’s your bottom line.

I want to be really direct about this part, because it tends to get treated as fluffy when it isn’t.

Trust is what gets people to buy. Generic, robotic sounding content slows trust down, because people can feel when something wasn’t really written for them. A clear, consistent brand builds that trust faster, because it shows up the same way every time and it actually sounds like a real person wrote it.

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 86% of people globally now refuse to buy from brands they don’t trust, up from 81% the year before, and it’s only moving in one direction. Brand isn’t separate from revenue. It’s one of the biggest levers you have over it.

If you haven’t done the groundwork on your own positioning yet, that’s genuinely the place to start. I’ve written about how to approach this in brand positioning and brand strategy.

I’m not saying don’t use AI. Here’s exactly how I used it for this article.

I’m not anti-AI. I use it in my business every day, and I think founders who avoid it entirely are leaving real time on the table. What I’m against is using it without a point of view behind it.

So let me be fully transparent about this piece, because I think how something gets made matters, especially when the article is about exactly this.

I used Claude to help write this article. Here’s the actual process:

• I started with the topic and my own point of view: brand matters more in a world of AI slop, and AI should be the tool, not the decision maker.
• Before any writing happened, I had it interview me. It asked me what I actually believe, what my real opinion is, and where I wanted to take the piece. That’s the opposite of typing in a topic and letting it run.
• We agreed on a structure together. I reviewed it, made changes, and approved it before a single sentence of the article was drafted.
• I’ve built what’s called system-level prompts into how I work. That’s a fancy way of saying I’ve taught the AI tools I use what my brand actually sounds like, what frameworks I use, and how I think about positioning, so it’s pulling from how I actually talk and think, not generic patterns scraped off the internet.
• Using that grounding, it wrote a draft in my voice.
• I edited it after that. Nothing goes out the door without me reading every line.

That’s the difference between using AI to replace your voice and using it to scale it.

While I’m being upfront about this, I’ll go one further: the cover image on this article was AI-generated too. I gave it direction and a reference photo of myself, and it generated the image from there. I think being honest about when and how AI shows up in my work builds more trust, not less, so I’d rather tell you than have you wonder.

AI is the force multiplier – it’s not the chef

Here’s the way I think about it.

AI is changing fast, and learning to use it well is genuinely saving me real time. But it has to be human led, always.

Think of it like baking a cake. You want fresh ingredients. You want it to taste like you made it, because that’s the whole reason someone wants to eat it in the first place. If you hand the ingredient list over to AI completely and just let it pick whatever’s lying around, you don’t actually know what’s in the final product. It might look fine. It might even taste fine. But it won’t taste like yours.

This isn’t a new problem. It’s the same garbage in, garbage out rule that’s been true of every tool we’ve ever used in business, from CRMs to spreadsheets to content generators. The output is only ever as good as what you feed it. Give it the good stuff, your actual point of view, your real experience, your specific way of saying things. That’s what makes the output worth using.

What this means for your business

Before you generate anything with AI, whether it’s content, messaging, or your positioning, get clear on your own point of view first. A few questions worth sitting with:

• What makes you different from the business next to you doing something similar?
• Could a competitor say the exact same thing you just wrote? If so, it’s not your brand talking.
• Does this sound like you, or could it have come from anyone?

If you can’t answer the first one clearly yet, that’s not a content problem. That’s a brand problem, and it’s worth solving before you write another word.

A few quick questions people ask me about this

What is AI slop? It’s the term for generic, AI-generated content that lacks a clear point of view or brand voice. It’s usually technically correct but forgettable, because it could have come from any business.

Does using AI for content mean I don’t need a brand strategy? No, the opposite. AI makes brand strategy more important, not less. Without a clear point of view to direct it, AI tends to default to generic, safe, sameish output. Your brand strategy is what gives it direction.

How do I stop my content sounding like everyone else’s? Start with your own positioning before you generate anything. Know what makes you different, write that down in your own words, and use it to guide whatever you create next, AI-assisted or not.

Where to start

If you’ve read this far and you’re not totally sure what makes you different yet, that’s genuinely the place to begin. Not more content. Not another AI tool. Your actual point of view.

Start with brand positioning or brand strategy. Get clear on that first, and everything else, including anything you create with AI, will actually sound like you.

In a crowded marketplace, playing it safe is the riskiest move you can make.

The brands that truly stand out aren’t the ones following the competition’s playbook. They are the ones that dare to be different – rooted in who they are, driven by their vision, and unafraid to carve their own path. And boldness isn’t just about being loud – it’s about being authentically you.

Be brave enough to be authentic

It’s easy to follow trends. But the most memorable brands are the ones that stay true to their values and identity.

Consumers today crave authenticity. They want to connect with brands that stand for something real – not those simply chasing what’s popular. Being authentic means knowing who you are as a brand and having the courage to express that consistently.

88% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support.

Whether it’s your messaging, design, or customer experience, authenticity builds trust – and trust drives loyalty.

Ask yourself: What does your brand truly stand for? And are you brave enough to let that guide everything you do?

Don’t follow the competition – Lead with your vision

Too many brands play a constant game of catch-up, copying what their competitors are doing. But imitation is not a strategy for long-term success.

Bold brands focus on their own vision. They understand their unique value and let that shape their decisions. Instead of reacting to the competition, they stay ahead by focusing on their purpose and how they can deliver real value to their audience.

When you’re clear on your vision, you create a brand that stands out – not one that blends in.

Pro Tip: Competitor analysis has it’s place for positioning your brand as unique and competitive. But try not give too much focus on what your competitors are doing and more on how you can deliver a unique experience only your brand can offer.

Embrace your own way of doing things

The brands that capture attention do things differently – their way. They break conventional molds and refuse to be boxed in by industry expectations.

Being bold means trusting your instincts and embracing your unique approach. It means speaking directly to your audience in a way only you can. This is how you create a brand that resonates deeply and builds lasting connections.

Because when you own your brands unique point of view and communicate it fearlessly, the right audience takes notice.

Why bold brands win

In a world full of noise, the brands that win are the ones brave enough to be themselves. They stand for something. They lead with vision. And they aren’t afraid to do things their way.

If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing out, it starts with being bold.

Are you ready to be brave?

In a world of make-believe and AI-generated content, it’s harder than ever to truly tap into the authenticity of your brand, let alone yourself. Yes, our mums told us we were special, but if we’re all special how do we stand out from the crowd? How do we build new connections with people when we want to earn their trust, gain their preference and keep them coming back? There’s only one way you should be doing this – and that’s with authenticity. 

Brand authenticity has become more than just a buzzword, it’s a defining factor for success. Whether you’re a small business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a recent marketing graduate, understanding the importance of authenticity in your brand is crucial. 

In this article, we’ll explore what authenticity truly means, why it’s vital for your business, and how to build an authentic brand that resonates with your audience.

What is authenticity?

Authenticity, in the context of your brand, means staying true to your core values, beliefs, and promises. It’s about being genuine, transparent, and consistent in your business practices. When your brand is authentic, it reflects the essence of who you are and what you stand for. 

It’s the difference between doing something for the sake of earning money versus doing something that truly aligns with your brand vision. Which is easier said than done.

Why is brand authenticity important?

1. People should know who they are doing business with:

Customers want to connect with the face behind the brand. When your business exudes authenticity, it’s easier for people to understand and relate to your mission and vision. This humanizes your brand and fosters trust. 

2. Build trust with people: 

Trust is the foundation of long-lasting customer relationships. Authenticity is the key to building and maintaining trust. People are more likely to engage with and remain loyal to a brand they trust.

3. People will tell others about you:

Satisfied customers become brand advocates. When they experience an authentic connection with your business, they’re more likely to share their positive experiences with friends, family, and online communities. Word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable.

4. It helps you grow organically for a long time: 

In an era of ever-changing trends, chasing quick profits can lead to short-lived success. On the other hand, authentic businesses focus on their unique purpose, addressing real problems and providing value. This long-term perspective allows you to grow steadily, rather than seeking fleeting gains.

How to build an authentic brand?

1. Define who your brand is and what it stands for:

Start by identifying your brand’s core values and mission. What do you want to achieve, and what principles guide your decisions? This foundational Brand Marketing Strategy will be your North Star.

2. Align your business activity with this purpose: 

Every business decision should be measured against your brand’s purpose (vision). Create a culture within your organisation that encourages questioning if a decision aligns with your values and mission.

3. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes:

Empathy is a powerful tool. Continuously consider how your customers perceive your brand. Be honest, and transparent, and ensure your actions match your words. Remember, customers are excellent lie detectors, if they sense you are not telling the truth they are more likely to tell people about it. 

People are more likely to tell their friends about a bad experience than about a good one.

For every bad review or customer you lose, make sure you understand their experience and put in place better systems or processes to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

4. Learn from your mistakes: 

It’s impossible to please everyone all the time. When you encounter negative feedback or lose a customer, take it as an opportunity to improve. Listen, learn, and adapt. By doing so, you demonstrate your commitment to growth and authenticity.

5. Don’t be afraid to be yourself:

Authenticity should start with you. Share your story, your passions, your vulnerabilities, and your strengths. When people can connect with the human side of your brand, trust is nurtured. Be approachable and relatable.

How to find your brand authenticity

1. Soul-searching:

Begin by asking yourself what inspired you to start your business. What values and principles guide your decisions? Your brand’s authenticity often mirrors your personal values. For example, brands like Ecostore are driven by values of sustainability and eco-friendliness. By emphasising natural ingredients, responsible packaging, and a commitment to reducing their environmental footprint, these brands appeal to consumers who also value sustainability and ethical practices.

2. Customer feedback: 

Pay close attention to what your customers are saying. Their comments and suggestions can help you refine your brand’s identity and offerings to align with their needs better. Build a system for capturing customer feedback, you can do this through surveys, interviews or automated NPS software. Put time aside each month to review the feedback and implement improvements to your offering. Don’t forget to thank your customers for their feedback, they are doing you a favour by sharing their opinion. 

3. Competitor analysis:

Study your competitors to identify gaps in the market and areas where you can stand out authentically. This market research will help you position your brand uniquely. If 12 brands are offering the same product or service, what makes yours special and unique? Yes, all software has the benefit of ‘saving you time’ but what is it about you that makes your software unique? Lean on your authenticity and brand purpose, and give your customers a reason to choose you over the competition. 

Brand authenticity isn’t just a trendy concept – it’s a business imperative. By staying true to your values, consistently delivering on your promises, and engaging with your audience authentically, you can build a brand that people not only trust but also passionately advocate for. In the long run, authenticity will be your greatest asset on your journey to business success.

If you’ve started a business, or you’re getting close to it, or you’re a year or two into your business – you’ve probably been told you need marketing personas – or asked about an ICP – whatever that is! (Ideal Customer Profile or Persona).

And you’ve probably nodded along, found a template, added a name and a fictional job title to a document, and then quietly moved on to more pressing things.

You’re not alone. Most small business owners do exactly this. And it’s not because marketing personas aren’t useful. It’s because the way most people build them almost guarantees they won’t work.

I’ve spent over ten years in marketing, and this is one of the most common problems I see with early-stage businesses: the persona exists, but it’s not doing anything. This guide will show you what a marketing persona that actually shapes your decisions looks like, why the standard approach falls short, and how to build one even if you don’t have a single customer yet.

What is a marketing persona? 

A marketing persona is a detailed profile of your ideal customer, based on research into who they are, what they’re trying to achieve, and what’s getting in their way.

The key word is research. A persona isn’t a guess about who you’d like your customer to be. It’s a working model, built on real insight, that helps you make better decisions about what to say, where to say it, and who to say it to.

Done well, a marketing persona answers questions like: what does this person need to hear before they’ll trust me? What’s already stopping them from solving this problem? Where do they go when they want to learn something new? Those answers shape everything from your website copy to your social media content to your ad targeting.

Done badly, a persona is a slide in a deck that no one looks at after the first week.

Why most marketing personas don’t actually work

Here’s the common version of what usually happens.

You sit down with a template, fill in the fields. Name, age, job title, a few bullet points about goals and challenges. Maybe a stock photo to make it feel real. Then it gets saved in a folder, referenced once or twice, and quietly forgotten by the time you’re writing your website or planning your first ad.

The problem isn’t the format. It’s what goes into it.

Most marketing personas are built on assumptions, not evidence. They reflect what you think your customer looks like, not what real conversations or research tell you. And when that disconnect exists, the persona stops being useful almost immediately. Your messaging ends up speaking to a person who may not exist, and missing the ones who do.

There’s also the demographics trap. Age, location, job title. These feel like the right things to capture because they’re easy to fill in. But they rarely explain why someone would choose you over another option, or what would stop them buying at all.

What actually drives decisions is motivation. What’s keeping someone up at night. What they’ve already tried. What they’re afraid of getting wrong. What a win looks like for them specifically.

When you understand those things, your marketing starts to sound like it was written for a real person. When you don’t, it sounds like it could be for anyone, and anything that resonates with everyone usually connects with no one.

What a marketing persona that actually works looks like

A useful marketing persona goes well beyond demographics. It captures how someone thinks, not just who they are.

Here’s a simple example. Imagine you’re building a business that helps people start an online store.

The surface version: Emma, 31, works in retail management, wants to start her own business.

The version that actually helps: Emma has been thinking about going out on her own for two years but keeps getting stuck on whether her idea is viable. She’s done a lot of reading but feels like she’s going in circles. She’s worried about wasting money on something that won’t work. She has evenings and weekends to work on it but her time is limited, so she wants to feel confident before she invests in it. She makes decisions based on practical proof, not inspiration. She follows a few small business accounts on Instagram but hasn’t found anything that answers her specific questions.

See the difference? The second version tells you what Emma needs to hear, where to say it, and what would make her trust you enough to buy.

A strong marketing persona answers questions like:

• What is this person actually trying to achieve, specifically?
• What have they already tried, and why didn’t it work?
• What’s the thing they’re most afraid of getting wrong?
• Where do they go when they want to learn something? (Google, Instagram, YouTube, a Facebook group?)
• What would make them trust a business enough to pay for something?
• Who else influences their decisions?

You don’t need to answer all of these perfectly from day one. You need enough to start making better decisions about what to write and where to show up.

How to build marketing personas when you’re just starting out

Most guides tell you to interview existing customers, dig into your CRM, and run surveys. That’s great advice if you’ve been in business for a year. It’s not very useful on day one.

If you’re just starting out, here’s how to build a working first draft.

Start with who you had in mind when the idea came to you. Most business ideas come from a problem you’ve experienced yourself, or watched someone close to you struggle with. That person, or that version of you, is often a good starting point. Write down everything you know about what that person is going through right now.

Look for where your potential customers are already talking. Online communities are one of the best free research tools available. Search Reddit, Facebook groups, or niche forums for conversations about the problem you’re solving. Read the comments, not just the posts. Pay attention to the exact words people use to describe their frustration or what they’re looking for. That language is gold and it will go straight into your marketing copy later.

Talk to at least three real people. Even informal conversations count. Friends, people in your network, people you find through communities online who fit the profile. You’re not running a focus group. You’re just asking questions: what are they finding hard, what have they tried, what would make them feel confident enough to spend money on a solution. What you hear will often surprise you, and those surprises are exactly what make a persona useful.

Use AI to build a working draft. This is genuinely useful when you’re starting from scratch and don’t yet have customer data to draw on. Try the Customer Clarity Tool for free, it takes less than 10 minutes and you’ll have a draft persona emailed directly to your inbox.

Treat what you get back as a hypothesis, not a finished document. The goal is to get something on paper that you can test and update as you learn more. The more context you give the AI about your business and your audience, the more useful the output will be.

Once you have a persona built, you can also use AI to pressure-test your marketing decisions. Paste the persona into a conversation with Claude or ChatGPT and ask: “Would this person click on this headline?” or “What objections would this person have to buying this product?” You’re essentially creating a thinking partner that can stand in for your ideal customer, which is valuable when you’re making decisions alone.

Practical rules that make a real difference

Create two to three personas, not ten. It’s tempting to try to cover every possible type of customer, but too many personas splits your focus and makes execution harder. Pick the two or three that represent the people most likely to buy from you. Start there.

Focus on the person most ready to act. There’s a difference between someone actively looking for a solution and someone who is vaguely curious. Your primary persona should be the person who has a problem they need to solve now, not eventually.

Put your persona somewhere visible. Print it out. Pin it above your desk. Keep it open when you’re writing. The single biggest reason marketing personas fail is that they get filed away and forgotten. Your persona should be the first thing you check when you sit down to write a caption, an email subject line, or a sales page headline.

Update it as you learn. A persona built on assumptions in month one will be more accurate by month six, when you have real conversations and real data to draw on. Plan to review it at least once a year, or sooner if something you’re hearing from customers surprises you.

What good looks like: a quick reference

A marketing persona that actually shapes your marketing does four things:

1. Captures motivation and context, not just demographics. Age and job title are background. What drives decisions is what they’re trying to achieve and what’s getting in their way.
2. Is grounded in something real. Start with your best assumptions, but pressure-test them against real conversations as soon as you can.
3. Answers the questions that matter for your marketing. What does this person need to hear? Where do they need to hear it? What would make them trust you?
4. Gets used, not filed. A persona only works if it’s in front of you when you’re making decisions.

Frequently asked questions about marketing personas

What is a marketing persona? A marketing persona is a detailed profile of your ideal customer based on research into their goals, challenges, behaviours, and motivations. It goes beyond basic demographics to capture how your customer thinks and makes decisions. Unlike a general description of your target market, a persona is specific enough to influence real marketing decisions like what to write, where to advertise, and how to position your offer.

How many marketing personas should a small business have? Two to three personas is the right range for most small businesses. One gives you focus but may miss important segments. More than three becomes difficult to execute against, especially if you’re running your marketing yourself. Start with the persona that represents your most likely buyer and add others only when you have enough insight to make them meaningful.

How do I create a marketing persona with no existing customers? Start by writing down everything you know about the person who has the problem your business solves. Then look for online communities where that person is already talking about the problem, and pay attention to the language they use. You can also use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to generate a first-draft persona by describing your business and your intended audience. Treat it as a starting point, not a finished product, and update it as you gather real conversations and data.

Can I use AI to create marketing personas? Yes, AI is a useful starting point for building marketing personas, particularly when you’re just getting started and don’t yet have customer data. The key is to give the AI enough context: describe your business, the problem you solve, and who you think your customer is. The more specific you are, the more useful the output. AI works best as a drafting tool, not a replacement for real customer research. Once you have a persona, you can also use AI to test your marketing ideas against it.

How often should I update my marketing personas? At minimum, review your personas once a year. More often if you’re in the early stages of your business and actively learning from new customer conversations, or if something in your market is shifting. A persona built on early assumptions gets more accurate over time as you gather real insight. Treat it as a living document, not a one-time exercise.

What’s the difference between a marketing persona and a target audience? Your target audience is the broad group of people you’re trying to reach. A marketing persona is a specific, detailed representation of one segment within that group. Where your target audience might be “small business owners in New Zealand”, a persona is Emma: a retail manager who’s been planning to start her own business for two years and is stuck on whether her idea will work. The persona is what makes your marketing feel personal and specific rather than generic.

Build the research into your process from the start

Getting clear on who you’re talking to is one of the highest-leverage things you can do early in your business. It shapes your messaging, your content, your ad targeting, and how you describe what you do.

The Research Bundle includes the customer interview questions and persona template you need to get started, whether you’re building your first persona from scratch or sharpening one you’ve already got.

Download the Research Bundle today.

What is brand positioning

Brand positioning is the strategic steps you take to create a positive perception of your business in the minds of your customers. 

How to conduct a competitor analysis

A simple 6-step guide for small business owners to conduct a competitor analysis to inform a positioning strategy.