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NEW YEAR, NEW BUZZWORD CORPORATE WORLD’S NEW OBSESSION: STORYTELLERS
Let me just begin by saying that I nearly puked when I read the WSJ article titled: Companies Are Desperately Seeking 'Storytellers'. It wasn’t the article itself. Something about this entire situation and how this word is about to be bastardised to death just deeply offends me, and I have to write about it. THIS ISN’T A ‘DISCOVERY’ OR WHATEVERFor those who just tuned in, a storyteller is arguably one of the oldest jobs in the world. The skill? Even older. When we lived in hunter-gatherer communities, storytellers (probably some sort of Shaman-like person) passed on wisdom, culture, values, and life-saving advice through the art of storytelling. Storytelling has always been a great way to make a message stick without being didactic. More people remembered not to walk alone in the dark, and fewer people got eaten by tigers—increasing the number of offspring who could potentially follow you on LinkedIn today.
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Storytelling has always been a great way to make a message stick without being didactic. WHO IS A STORYTELLER?Throughout history, storytellers have been recognised as artists, writers, politicians, historians, lawyers (the good ones), marketers, ad agency creatives, teachers (the ones who didn’t make you fall asleep), journalists, film directors, salespeople, and lately, content creators. Rarely scientists. Although Mr Wilkinson always explained complex physics theories very well using LEGO but I guess he’s an anomaly. My point is: You can find storytellers in any field. Not just marketing. A storyteller is anyone who knows how to tell a story. This probably doesn’t help you if you work in recruitment, but I mean come on, did you really think your ATS was gonna be any help finding you candidates for such a position?
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You can find storytellers in any field. Not just marketing. If I had to define what kind of a person would be a storyteller, I would describe them as someone who:
This person’s DISC profile would likely be Yellow/Influence. They’d have that je ne sais quoi that tells you they’re somewhat quirky and nonconforming. Most likely has an artsy hobby of some sort. Most definitely not a Windows user. Still too vague? You should probably define the outcomes you’d like them to achieve for your company and look for people who have achieved similar outcomes in other places, and sort of have that profile outlined above. Keywords you wanna look for in their results: shaped narrative; created campaign; wrote content; translated business objectives; defined brand tone of voice; defined brand story. A mix of a conceptual copywriter and a brand strategist, but more senior would be the profile I would look for. If you’re still not clear on what to look for (I can’t believe I’m doing this), but here’s a description you can customise and use:
JOB DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE (Click to View)
Text Copied!
WHY THIS, WHY NOWThe corporate world may seem like the polar opposite of an environment for storytellers, and it is. Let’s not sugarcoat it. Corporate world sucks. But years of hostility towards the storyteller type have created what storytellers knew was gonna happen decades ago: Corporations ‘corporated’ too much. They became dull and uninspiring. They have no story, no real mission, vision, or values. They all sound the same.
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Corporations ‘corporated’ too much. For years, the focus in advertising was to make things shiny as quickly as possible, and with minimal spend. When AI entered the chat, the race towards efficiency and polished work moved to a different terrain. As everyone continues to look and sound like everyone else, the brands that will stand out are those with clear stories and unique personalities that shine through, even in AI-generated content. IS THIS THE FIX?Let’s explore a couple of scenarios and see how this could play out:
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Scenario AA corporation hires a storyteller. The expectations are clear and realistic. They’re empowered with tools and the ability to make decisions. They’re given proper input. They’re given tools to execute their vision. They’re involved in the right conversations. They can see the impact of the work. They can define accurately what the brand does/doesn’t. The environment is collaborative with minimal to no hierarchy. Result: They establish a brand with an inspiring story that resonates with the audience and connects the company to its potential customers. They’re appreciated, and they continue to improve. 
Scenario BA corporation hires a storyteller. Their task feels like Mission Impossible. No tools, no budget, no proper input. They’re micromanaged to death. They’re kept in the dark about important changes. After months, they still have no idea what the company does or who its audience is. They have no access to results and metrics. The environment is suffocating them with pointless rules and a rigid hierarchy. Colleagues are threatened by them, so they don’t collaborate. They might even sabotage them. Result: After a year, the management looks at their “KPIs” and finds their performance unsatisfactory. Their entire department actually did very badly, but their colleagues find them the easiest target to throw under the bus. They’re fired—or something like it. Then on to the next one. If you had money betting, which scenario would you bet on as most likely to happen? Realistically, it’s probably gonna be somewhere in between. People like to dump on corporations, but some are genuinely trying to incorporate storytelling. They just lack the tools and knowledge to manifest it properly. For those hiring a storytelling expert, it could be a great start if they’re open to trusting them. Both the hire and the corporation have a big role to play here. What they do determines what scenario they get closer to. One side expecting the other to do all the work definitely won’t get either to the finish line. As they say, it takes two to tango.
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One side expecting the other to do all the work definitely won’t get either to the finish line. What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to ask me a question.
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Quotable, Distinct & Screenshot-worthy The 3 Non-Negotiables for Content Marketing in 2026 Seven days ago we entered a new year. I’m proud to share that I’ve already hit my first goal for this year: beat the hangover! Yay! Now that I’m sure that I’m in the right state of mind to share insights without talking out my upside down (how did you like the ending of Stranger Things 5 btw? I loved it!), I’m confident enough to dive back into the content trends for 2026. Something I came across recently was a new trend in making films and TV shows, which I thought would be relevant. Can you look at these images and see if anything stands out?    Some people on TikTok are discussing how Netflix injects these “meme-able” moments or shots within their shows, hoping for them to become popular online memes. Whether this is intentional or a happy accident for Reddit, we can’t know for sure. Although Netflix does use them as memes on their socials. Either way, they work. Many shows are discovered when people come across these memes and wonder “where is this from?” What am I suggesting? Be it memes or something else, you have to create screenshot-worthy content that generates hype naturally for your brand. This could be many other things like graphs, figures, stats, memorable quotes—anything of value makes the user take a screenshot and share it. In 2026, the marketing league is a bit different. We really enter the survival of the fittest era of content creation. Half-arsed content that doesn’t entertain, educate or add value in any way isn’t gonna cut it anymore. With people prompting AI to create pretty much anything of no value, value becomes the main differentiator. AI slop will only hurt your brand and make your content sound like bla bla bla. Even “bold” or “engaging” content isn’t enough anymore.
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With people prompting AI to create pretty much anything of no value, value becomes the main differentiator. If your content isn’t one of these, it shouldn’t exist: 1. SCREENSHOT-WORTHYThe reason those moments in film become memes is because they’re funny and relatable. People can place them in a different context and they’d still fit—only now they create more shock value and are funny. If memes aren’t your brand, that’s okay. Not every brand is meant to be funny, although it doesn’t hurt to introduce a bit of humour every now and then. I’ll elaborate on humour in a later post. Let’s say you’re a bank or an insurance brand. What insights could you share that people would wanna remember? So important that they take a screenshot of it so they won’t lose it? Who can you interview at your organisation who is qualified enough to share such insights? These insights should become the backbone of your content strategy. In a time when hundreds of teenagers are pretending to be investment experts on TikTok, sharing (sometimes harmful) “expert advice” to gain followers, your brand could climb the ladder of that space with actual insights that helps you gain more visibility and trust. Here’s how we break this down into a very simple framework: The Value Framework
01. Get valuable insights
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02. Translate them into simple language that is distinctly you
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03. Share them using different formats in your look & feel
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04. Be remembered for what you shared
(Always check things with legal though ;)) 2. UNMISTAKABLY YOUR BRANDLet’s do a little fun quiz. How many of these brands can you recognise without the logo?
QUESTION 1 OF 8
How did you do? What you saw in these images are distinctive elements that people can associate a brand with even when there is no logo. Does your brand have something like that? If for some reason, the audience couldn’t see your logo, would they still know this is you? With the overwhelming majority of brands (and regular people) generating copy and visuals using AI in 2026, everything is gonna look very uniform. Everyone is gonna sound like everyone else. AI can help make things efficient, but you shouldn’t use it in cases where it removes your personality. Even when you do use it, you should prompt it using Content Bibles that encapsulate your brand personality accurately enough for AI to be able to translate it into distinct content. Shameless plug: I can help you create the right Content Bibles for prompting AI. Email me. 3. BOT-FRIENDLYBefore you raise your eyebrows, let me explain. I really want your brand to smash it in 2026, so while this point may seem to clash with the previous two, I’m gonna show you that it won’t. A massive shift in online behaviour this year will be the way people find information. Many people have abandoned the good, old-fashioned Google research. That’s right. Google is about to be the new library. How are most people finding information in 2026? They’re asking AI. What AI then does is scour the internet for the most relevant information that answers the user’s query. If you’ve done your homework, that answer could mention your brand. There’s no guarantee that it will, but there’s no harm in setting the ground work for:
In my last post, I did a deep dive into how you could do this properly. What you basically need to do is make sure your content is available in text format and that it answers a possible user’s query in the best way possible. Your brand being a possible expert in that space gives you an advantage too. The goal isn’t always to get them to click on your site, but to be mentioned often enough to increase visibility and brand recognition. This year is bringing a unique opportunity for brands to pivot and be unique. My honest prediction? Only about 5% will actually do any of these things. The remaining 95% relying on AI slop and generic “nothing” content is only gonna make it easier for them to stand out. On what side will your brand end up? You decide. Let’s chat and take advantage of the new shift to make your brand a winner. WORKFLOW, PROMPTS, AND INSIGHTS NEW YEAR, NEW TRENDS. ARE YOUR PRODUCT PAGES READY FOR 2026? As we enter 2026, a crucial part of staying-on-top-of-things will be optimising for “Buyer Bots”. That’s right. AI is now your audience too. Sure it might not need shoes and cars, but it’s chatting to your consumer who is fed up with clicking away your banners and going through 4759450983204 landing pages to get to your product. The marketing playbook you’ve been using so far is obsolete. You want to focus on optimising your PDPs (Product Description Pages) with the goal of having it picked up by LLMs and AI agents. Let’s break this down in simple human language. WHAT ARE BUYER/SHOPPING BOTS?AI-powered bots that help customers find products, compare prices, offer discounts, track stock, and even facilitate checkout on a website or through chat. Think AI agents but also LLMs recommending your product to someone who just asked ChatGPT “What are the best running shoes for running a marathon?” WHAT DO BUYER BOTS LOOK FOR?Bots are programmed to read the underlying code and structured data of web pages rather than interpreting the visual layout or lifestyle content that influences human shoppers. This allows them to process vast amounts of product information very quickly. Storytelling is great, but bots don’t give a shit. They target specific keywords, benefits and usage situations. They assess credibility and authority based on rigid standards of professionalism. Your tone of voice and brand personality have little influence here. HOW DO I OPTIMISE FOR BUYER BOTS?It starts with providing the right input [literally, always!]. You wanna imagine how someone might search for your product. What problem does your product solve? What is it used for? In what situations? What makes it special? Work these into your description copy and visuals. You wanna be detailed, thorough, and you wanna give your PDP lots of TLC (tender love and care). HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT AT SCALE?Fair question, honestly. If you’re a major clothing brand, for example, you probably have millions of PDPs. How the hell are you gonna optimise each one for buyer bots? There’s an easy way to do this at scale using automated workflows with software like Make.com or Microsoft Power Automate. This will help you elevate your PDPs and optimise them for buyer bots or LLMs. Remember: Good input leads to good output. Invest time into providing a liberal amount of information about the product for best results. I’ve based on this on an adidas running shoe, as an example, but it can be customised to many different types of products.
The Workflow
STEP 1 — TRIGGER
Product Manager Technical IntakeA Product Manager creates or updates a product record in a central Product Knowledge Database.
Required Input:
Condition: Status set to “Ready for AI Enrichment”
STEP 2 — VALIDATION
IF / THEN: Input ValidationChecks for missing fields, vague entries, or inconsistent geometry data.
PASS
Proceed to Step 3
FAIL
Go to Feedback Loop
STEP 2a — LOOP
Validation Feedback LoopSurfaces in-platform feedback to the PM explaining exactly what is missing and why it matters for AI understanding. The workflow pauses until data is corrected.
STEP 3
Technical CanonicalisationStandardises units, normalises material names, and calculates derived values.
System Prompt
You are converting raw technical product input into a canonical technical profile. Your task is to: 1. Normalise units and terminology. 2. Standardise material and technology names. 3. Calculate derived values where possible (e.g., drop from stack heights). 4. Preserve uncertainty explicitly where data is incomplete. Rules: - Do NOT add new information. - If a value is derived, mark it as derived. - If a value is uncertain, include a confidence indicator. Output a structured object with: - normalised_specs - derived_specs (with calculation notes) - technology_list (standardised names) - confidence_notes
STEP 4
Tech-to-Advantage AnalysisAnalyses functional effects, runner benefits, and trade-offs for each spec.
System Prompt
You are analysing technical product specifications to determine functional advantages. For EACH material, technology, or physical spec: 1. Describe the primary functional effect. 2. Translate that effect into a runner-level advantage. 3. Identify any known or likely trade-offs. Rules: - Base reasoning only on established biomechanical or performance principles. - Do NOT exaggerate benefits. - If a relationship is uncertain, state the uncertainty. - Do NOT reference brand marketing language. Output an array where each entry includes: - spec_or_technology - functional_effect - runner_benefit - trade_offs - confidence_level (high / medium / low)
STEP 5
Intended Use & Performance Goal InferenceEvaluates combined advantages to infer primary use, secondary uses, and non-recommended uses.
System Prompt
You are determining intended use cases for a performance product based on its technical advantages. Your task is to: 1. Identify the primary intended use. 2. Identify secondary acceptable uses. 3. Explicitly list non-recommended uses. Consider: - Weight - Geometry - Propulsion technologies - Cushioning characteristics - Trade-offs identified earlier Rules: - Do NOT assume a broad audience. - Be conservative if confidence is low. - Clearly distinguish between “optimised for” and “can be used for.” Output: - primary_use_case - secondary_use_cases - non_recommended_uses - reasoning_summary - confidence_level
STEP 6
Environment & Situation MappingMaps uses to real-world situations (e.g., Road vs Track, Competitive vs Recreational).
System Prompt
You are mapping intended product uses to real-world situations. For each identified use case: 1. Describe typical environments. 2. Describe typical usage situations. 3. Identify contextual constraints (pace, terrain, runner type). Rules: - Use concrete situations, not abstract descriptions. - Avoid lifestyle or emotional language. - Keep descriptions relevant to buyer decision-making. Output an array of: - use_case - environment - situation_description - constraints
STEP 7
Knowledge-Base Pairing IntelligenceQueries a shared Product & Outfit Knowledge Base to suggest contextual apparel, gear, and footwear rotation pairings.
STEP 8
Buyer-Query Anticipation & Recommendation LogicModels how this product should surface in AI chats and under what conditions it should (or should not) be recommended.
System Prompt
You are preparing recommendation logic for AI shopping and advisory systems. Your task is to: 1. Identify likely buyer questions or queries. 2. Determine when this product should be recommended. 3. Determine when it should NOT be recommended. Rules: - Use natural language query patterns. - Avoid keyword-style phrasing. - Include conditional logic where appropriate. Output: - query_type - example_query - recommendation_rationale - recommendation_conditions - rejection_conditions
STEP 9
Bot-Friendly Product Description AssemblyAssembles all structured intelligence into a machine-legible, human-readable description.
System Prompt
You are generating a bot-friendly product intelligence description. Your task is to synthesise all prior analysis into a structured description that: - Explains what the product does - Explains who it is for - Explains when it should be used - Explains trade-offs clearly Rules: - Prioritise clarity over persuasion. - Use explicit cause-and-effect reasoning. - Avoid marketing superlatives. - Structure content so it can be parsed by AI systems. Output sections: - concise_summary - key_benefits (linked to specs) - ideal_use_cases - environments_and_situations - pairing_suggestions - limitations_and_trade_offs
STEP 10
Studio Image Semantic TaggingExisting studio images are classified by angle and detail, then linked to specific benefits.
STEP 11
In-Situ Image GenerationGenerates lifestyle imagery aligned with usage situations and goals.
STEP 12
Human Review & Approval GateA human reviewer verifies accuracy and claims.
APPROVED
Proceed
REJECTED
Return to Step
OUTCOME: ELEVATED PDP
Distribution & ActivationApproved intelligence is published to PDPs, AI shopping assistants, retail feeds, and image libraries. WELCOME TO 2026With this workflow (first draft) you’re ready to step into 2026 and smash targets. Ideally, you’d want to eventually train a team of AI agents who will carry out these tasks more efficiently and using less AI tokens. This will help you handle a bigger volume, decrease generation time, and use less energy. Training AI agents will take time though. Need help building or implementing a similar workflow for your organisation? ⚡ Marketing in 2026: Buyer bots, AEO, raw content, and dark social. It’s time for a new marketing playbook. In 2026, the landscape will operate on fundamentally different physics. We are moving away from a world where the one who shouts the loudest wins, into a world where trust, distinctiveness, and machine-readability equal survival. If you’re walking into this new year thinking you’re gonna flood feeds with more low-value AI slop or try some tired algorithm hacks, get ready to clean up your desk in 3 months. The forecasts are in, and they paint a very clear picture: AI is shifting from a tool to a customer. Yep, you’re gonna sell to AI now. Audiences are retreating from public squares into private, "dark" corners, away from an internet filled with pop-ups and mediocrity.
Scary? Not really, but read on and find out how these changes could actually be the greatest opportunity in a decade to separate yourself from the noise.
The Roadmap1. AI is now your audience too. Introducing: Buyer bots.The most seismic shift of 2026 is the rise of the "Buyer bots.” With AI agents entering the chat, more people will continue to prompt these agents to look for products and services. Think “find me the cheapest flight to Mallorca” or “I need a tripod for my iPhone 16”. If your brand isn’t legible to these machines, you do not exist. Buyer bots do not care about your "brand storytelling" or emotional hooks. They care about structured data, specs, verified reviews, and logic. It’s time to optimise for “eligibility" not persuasion: Your product data, pricing, and availability must be pristine and machine-readable. Rewrite your product pages. Less fluff, more hard facts. You want your page to be the easiest option for a machine to verify. Storytelling can still happen on earlier touchpoints (ads, content, PLPs), but your product description page needs to be factual, easy to understand, and trustworthy. They should communicate benefits and usage cases. Vague descriptions or ones that don’t tell you when to use this product, won’t be optimised for buyer bots. 2. Trust is the new goldAs the internet drowns in AI slop and deepfakes, trust will shift from a hygiene factor to the primary differentiator. People are becoming allergic to polished, faceless corporate content. A perfectly polished brand now looks suspicious. Many Brand Managers are gonna push back on this, but in a synthetic world, perfection implies artificiality. Human-first media: The brands that win will feature real faces. Founders and employees speaking imperfectly. Non-scripted, real, raw content is 100% in this year. Behind-the-scenes content, live streams, and spontaneous commentary will vastly outperform sanitised, highly-produced crap. If you haven’t done that by now, 2026 is the time to appoint internal "creators.” Give them permission to speak without a script. Without all the corporate red tape. Show the mess, the process, and the failures. Humanity is your premium asset. 3. Clout chasing is out. Original thoughts are in.In 2025, we saw a disgusting abuse of AI to pump out instant content. No imagination, no original thought, no value. Just desperate attention seeking that flooded everyone’s feeds. If you continue to chase volume, you are fighting a losing battle against infinite supply. The way to stand out in 2026 is to focus on creating content of value. If AI could have written it, don’t publish it. Focus on proprietary data, expert-led opinion, and genuinely new perspectives. Stop the content mill. Kill your weekly content quota. Publish one piece of undeniable, expert-quality content a month rather than four pieces of fluff. 4. Search is Dead; "Answer Engine Optimisation" (AEO) is KingNobody can be bothered to go through Google search results, click several links, each making you click away at least two banners, only to find out that the page doesn’t offer them the information they were looking for, and then get disappointed by the next page. AI gives you the answers so much faster. Discovery will happen inside chat interfaces and AI summaries. You will lose traffic, but you can gain influence. If you’re still judging your website traffic metrics in 2026 by 2024 standards, they will look disastrous. This has nothing to do with your SEO strategy. SEO is dead in 2026. Your goal isn’t to get clicks anymore, it’s to get cited by AI. How do you do that? Clarity is queen (Uh-huh, that’s right. Queen): Semantic clarity, clear definitions, and direct answers to FAQs increase the likelihood of an AI citing you. Structure your content to answer specific questions directly. Be the definitive source of truth for your niche, so that AI has no choice but to reference you. Basically, AI needs to see you as the most credible answer there is to that question. How to measure this? A simple hack I use to actually try the queries I wanna target into AI myself, then see what it hits back with. Getting AI to score the credibility of your website content is another one. There’s plenty more techniques, but I’m gonna gatekeep them for my paying clients ;) 5. Invest in creatives with great tasteAs AI homogenises output—making every email, image, and website look "correct" but generic--distinctive taste becomes a massive competitive advantage. "Best practice" design is now your fast track to Invisiville (Invisibility ville…get it?). If you look like everyone else, you will be filtered out. Aesthetic distinctiveness: Your brand needs a visual and tonal identity so strong that users recognise it without seeing the logo. Treat design and user experience (UX) as core infrastructure, not decoration. Audit your brand. Are you making "safe" choices? If so, stop. Be weird. Be bold. Be memorable. Ask yourself: If this didn’t have my logo, will people still know it’s my brand? 6. Step into the “dark” socialsDon’t be so scared. I’m not asking you to step into the dark web just yet. We’ll probably be doing that in 2027 or 2028. In 2026, public feeds are dead. Real influence is moving to "Dark Social”. Private group chats, Slacks, and Discords. Many marketers hate this because they won’t have “metrics” to show leadership. Next year is when we stop creating for feeds and start creating for group chats. Don’t think clickable, think screenshottable. Make content (charts, facts & figures, memes, hot takes) that is designed to be shared privately. For TikTok, create video formats that people can stitch, duet, and remix. The one metric that you might be able to use for your KPI’s is gonna be the "shares." The 2026 Verdict: Taste and value over volume and “fake metrics”The old ways are dying. But to some of us, this is great news. Most of your competitors will get lazy. They will let AI write their blogs, they will hide behind corporate logos, and they will drown in the sea of sameness. You can choose differently and win big. By 2026, the winners will be the brands that are:
Machine-readable: So the bots can find them.
Radically human: So the people can trust them.
Unapologetically distinct: So the market can remember them.
Don't wait for the calendar to flip. The shift has already started. Let me know in the comments if you have any predictions for 2026. HOW TO CREATE AI VISUALS THAT DON'T SUCK I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of seeing AI-generated images of people who look like dolls. We went from lifeless stock photos that at least included real people to lifeless (and sometimes creepy) AI visuals that don’t even make sense. The worst part is: it’s not AI’s fault. We’re just shit at prompting it. Many people forget that AI is an execution tool. It doesn’t think for itself. Nano Banana Pro sort of breaks this pattern, because it is a Thinking Model, not just a rendering engine. Which means it doesn’t merely translate prompts into pixels; it reasons about why a moment exists. When you provide narrative tension, it responds with cinematic realism instead of glossy sameness. With that said, you still need to give it a narrative. Ask a traditional image model for “a woman drinking coffee,” and you’ll get a sanitised lifestyle shot. Give Nano Banana Pro a reason she’s drinking coffee—and you get a frame from an indie film. In this blog, I wanna teach you how to go beyond pro to create AI visuals that do connect your brand to people. Lesson #1: Mess and drama before beautyEmotion comes from imperfection, tension, and specificity. Nano Banana Pro excels when you give it those inputs before asking for visuals. Before you start typing “Generate image…”, you should think about that moment and visualise it in your head. What messy details can I include? In an era where everyone has access to the same tools, those with an imagination are the ones who will stand out. Phase 1: The Idea (Prompt to brainstorm, not to generate the image)Most people start with an image description. That’s the mistake. Instead, you should first use Perplexity as a creative researcher. Here’s a prompt that can help you come up with the idea:
The Researcher Prompt
You are a researcher tasked with deeply exploring a scenario connected to [TOPIC / PRODUCT / OCCASION / THEME]. Discovery through questioning Begin by asking three highly specific, probing questions designed to uncover meaningful moments, emotional drivers, tensions, or decision points within this scenario. The questions should move beyond surface-level description and encourage reflection, storytelling, or lived experience. Aim to reveal why people behave, feel, or remember things the way they do, not just what happens. Contextual insights and hypotheses After posing the questions, share initial insights, hypotheses, or strategic observations based on common patterns in similar scenarios. Highlight potential emotional beats, motivations, unmet needs, or moments of friction. Suggest angles or lenses through which this scenario could be interpreted (e.g. cultural, social, practical, emotional, aspirational). Exploration of real conversations and stories Draw on relevant online conversations (such as forums, reviews, social media discussions, comment threads, or personal blogs) where people naturally describe: Favourite moments Memorable experiences Frustrations, surprises, or turning points Personal stories linked to this topic Summarise the types of moments people repeatedly talk about, the language they use, and what seems to matter most to them in their own words. Moment selection and synthesis Review all responses, insights, and observed patterns, then identify one specific moment or scene that best serves the overarching goal (e.g. storytelling, design inspiration, brand strategy, user understanding, narrative development). Clearly explain why this moment is the most powerful or relevant. Describe it with enough clarity and detail that it could be visualised, written, or built upon in the next stage of work. Your output should demonstrate structured thinking, cultural awareness, and sensitivity to real human experience, while remaining practical and goal-oriented.
Phase 2: Visualising the momentTake that moment and go to ChatGPT. My favourite thing is to hit the mic and start speaking, but you can also type. Ask it to help you explore all elements of this moment using this prompt:
The Explorer Prompt
You are an explorer of moments, tasked with expanding and visualising a specific scene. Begin by identifying a moment where [BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE MOMENT]. Treat this moment as a snapshot within a wider sequence of events rather than an isolated image. Temporal exploration Break the moment down across time: Before: What has just happened to lead up to this moment? What emotional, physical, or environmental cues are already present? During: What is actively unfolding in the exact instant we are capturing? What tension, stillness, or motion defines it? After: What is likely to happen next? How might this moment change the mood, behaviour, or outcome of the scene? Setting and environment Define the type of setting in which this moment would realistically occur. Is it public or private, familiar or unfamiliar, controlled or chaotic? Consider time of day, weather, season, and atmosphere. Describe how the environment contributes to the meaning or emotion of the moment. Objects and material details Identify the objects likely to appear in the scene. Which items feel essential or symbolic? What objects suggest recent activity or human presence? Consider wear, age, texture, and placement rather than pristine or idealised conditions. Foreground and background composition Explore visual depth by separating the scene into layers: Foreground: What immediately draws the eye? What details anchor the viewer in the moment? Midground (if relevant): Where does interaction or action occur? Background: What contextual elements quietly reinforce the setting without stealing focus? Offer multiple compositional options to help visualise different interpretations of the same moment. People and behaviour Decide whether people are present in the scene. If so, how many, and what is their relationship to one another? What are they doing physically, and what might they be thinking or feeling? Consider body language, posture, gaze, and small human gestures rather than exaggerated action. Exploration of variations Generate several plausible versions of the moment: Calm vs tense Intimate vs observational Ordered vs messy Quiet vs subtly active These options should help refine tone, perspective, and emotional intent. Identifying visual flaws and imperfections Actively look for visual flaws that would naturally occur in this moment. Optical imperfections (motion blur, uneven focus, harsh or mixed lighting, lens artefacts) Environmental flaws (clutter, stains, asymmetry, damaged surfaces, weather effects) Human flaws (awkward posture, imperfect expressions, partially obscured faces, unfinished actions) Treat imperfection as a tool for realism and believability, not a mistake. Preparation for image generation The next step is to generate an image using Nano Banana Pro. When ready: Re-engage via voice and clearly state the exact moment you want to see. Specify foreground and background details with intention. Deliberately select a small number of imperfections to include. Remember: perfection is the enemy of realism. Nano Banana Pro responds especially well to controlled imperfection, particularly when flaws are sensory, optical, or human in nature. Prompt construction Describe the scene as you are now visualising it, using clear, concrete language. Then ask Nano Banana Pro to generate a detailed image prompt that captures: The chosen moment The spatial composition The emotional tone The selected imperfections Your goal is not to create a flawless image, but a convincing, lived-in moment that feels observed rather than staged.
Phase 3: Prompt engineeringNo, we’re still not ready to generate an image just yet. All good things come to those who wait, and this is definitely the case here. By following this framework, you’re already doing what 95% of people aren’t doing. In this phase, we’re gonna make the prompt detailed af. Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT:
The Engineering Prompt
You are a professional prompt engineer. Your task is to take the previously defined moment and translate it into a highly specific, production-ready visual description suitable for advanced image generation. Systematically refine and specify the scene by addressing each of the following dimensions in detail. Every choice should serve realism, narrative clarity, and visual coherence. Setting Clearly define the overall setting. Is it indoor or outdoor? Domestic, commercial, industrial, natural, or hybrid? What does the setting immediately communicate about mood, purpose, or social context? Avoid vague descriptors; favour concrete, observable characteristics. Location Specify the location with believable detail. Is it a specific type of place (e.g. a cramped kitchen, a suburban street, a backstage corridor, a corner café)? Consider geographical cues, architecture, materials, or layout that subtly anchor the scene in a real world. Time of day / night Define the exact time period. Early morning, mid-afternoon, golden hour, late evening, after midnight, etc. Explain how the time of day affects light quality, energy levels, and atmosphere. People (Yes / No) If no people: describe how recent or implied human presence is visible (disturbed objects, warmth, mess, wear). If yes: How many people are present? What are they doing at this precise moment? What do they look like (age range, build, posture, grooming)? What are they wearing, and does it feel appropriate, slightly off, or imperfect for the situation? Describe facial expressions subtly. Avoid exaggerated emotion; favour restrained, ambiguous, or in-between expressions that feel human and unperformed. Objects and furniture List the key objects and furniture visible in the frame. Prioritise items that suggest recent activity or unfinished actions. Note materials, condition, placement, and any signs of use or neglect. Avoid symmetry or showroom-style perfection. Human flaw / imperfection factor Introduce one or two believable imperfections that add realism and mild tension. This could be something spilled, something dirty, visible sweat, clutter, a crooked object, rumpled clothing, condensation, fingerprints, or uneven wear. The flaw should feel accidental and relevant to the moment, not decorative. Use imperfection to suggest life, not chaos. Camera and lens choice Specify how the image appears to have been captured. Type of camera (e.g. DSLR, mirrorless, smartphone, analogue film camera). Lens type and focal length (e.g. wide-angle, standard 35mm, shallow depth portrait lens). Indicate whether the perspective feels observational, intimate, or slightly detached. Visual style: realism vs stylisation Clearly state whether the image should be: Fully realistic / photorealistic Lightly stylised but grounded Illustrative or cartoonish If not fully realistic, define the limits of stylisation so it does not undermine believability. Image characteristics Precisely define: Lighting: natural vs artificial, soft vs harsh, directional vs flat Contrast: low, medium, or high, and why Film grain or noise: present or absent, subtle or noticeable Focus: shallow or deep depth of field, what is sharp and what falls out of focus These choices should reinforce mood and draw attention to the intended focal point. Aspect ratio and output size Specify the most suitable aspect ratio and resolution for [PLATFORM]. If the platform is unknown, default to a flexible, adaptable format (e.g. 4:5 or 16:9) that can be cropped without losing key elements. Ensure the composition accounts for safe areas and avoids cutting off essential details. Check the response you get from ChatGPT and adjust anything you would like to change or remove anything you don’t like.
Phase 4: The Generation (Nano Banana Pro’s Master Prompt Structure)Nano Banana Pro handles long, layered prompts better than most models. Use that strength. You already have the perfect prompt from ChatGPT, so chuck it in there and hit ENTER! If the image isn’t what you hoped, see if there’s something in the prompt that you need to adjust. If not, start a new chat and try the prompt again. You won’t always get the perfect result on the first try. Putting the method to the testI’d be full of shit if I didn’t practise what I’m preaching, or show proof that this works. The main image of this blog was generated using exactly this method, but here’s a comparison. The first prompt jumps straight into image generation with: The Basic Image Generation Prompt“Generate an image of a woman drinking a cup of coffee.”  VS. The Narrative-based Image Generation Prompt
“Generate a photorealistic, cinematic still. Subject: A young female architect sitting at a cluttered dining table at 3:15 AM. She is intensely focused on a blueprint on her desk. She’s determined to ace a project. She holds a mug of coffee with both hands, close to her face for warmth. Details: Her hair is in a messy bun with loose strands catching the desk lamp’s light. There are realistic dark circles under her eyes. Environment: The table is covered with eraser shavings, pens, and a glowing laptop. The kitchen behind her is dark and shadowy. Tech Specs: 35mm film grain. High ISO noise. Low-light photography. Product: The coffee mug is a simple ceramic cup. Steam rises from it, slightly distorting the laptop screen behind.”  The Result: Meaning Over MessagingThis image doesn’t scream “Buy our coffee.” It quietly communicates: “We fuel your hustle.” That’s the power of narrative-first prompting. The image from the second prompt could become a post about going after your dreams, describing a scene that an ambitious person could relate to, and would trigger their emotions. More connection = more brand love = more conversions. The first image speaks to no one and is a waste of everyone’s time. If anything, it’s off-putting. Final Takeaway: Stop Prompting Images. Start Prompting Moments. If you feed AI context, narrative, tension, and imperfection, it will reward you with visuals that feel authentic, emotional, and more human. An important thing to remember is to customise the above prompts to your needs and have fun with the process. Need custom prompts for your brand? Get in TouchHOW TO CREATE CONTENT EFFICIENTLY WITH AI We are about to go into 2026. We’ve been talking about using AI in marketing for several years now. The issue: hardly anyone has a clue how to actually do that. I’m probably putting myself out of work with this blog, but here is a proven framework that helps you use AI to create content that generates leads.
"Caution: The prompts below are designed to generate millions in revenue while cutting millions in costs. Use them strategically."
The Step-by-Step AI Content Workflow01. Deep-Dive ResearchEffective content starts with understanding exactly where your audience is hurting. Instead of guessing, we use Perplexity AI to scrape current data from forums and reviews. By deploying the Market Sentiment & Gap Analysis prompt below, you can pinpoint the specific emotional barriers and usability issues your competitors are ignoring.
Market Sentiment & Gap Analysis
“Conduct a comprehensive search of forums, Reddit, and industry reviews to identify the specific frustrations [TARGET AUDIENCE] has with current [PRODUCT/SERVICE] solutions. Categorise findings into: 1. Cognitive friction (usability), 2. Emotional barriers (fears/distrust), and 3. Desired transformations. Identify 'gaps' where competitors are failing to address these needs.”
02. Expert Commentary & AnalysisAI lacks your unique lived experience. To give the machine "soul," open your recorder app and talk through the research points you just gathered. Explain aloud how your brand solves each pain point. Once you're done, upload the audio to TurboScribe to generate a transcript that contains your raw, authentic brand authority. 03. Strategic BrainstormingNow we turn that raw transcript into high-ticket marketing angles. Feed the text into ChatGPT and use the Expert Insights & USP Mapping prompt. This forces the AI to look past the obvious and find the "Authority Hooks" that will set your content apart from the noise.
Expert Insights & USP Mapping
“Using the provided transcript, extract the 'Expert Angle'—the unique perspectives that differentiate my brand from generic market solutions. Identify 5 'Authority Hooks' that challenge the status quo and 5 lead-generation angles that directly address the pain points identified in Step 1. Focus on high-intent conversion messaging. [TRANSCRIPT]”
04. Asset ExpansionOne great idea should become ten great assets. Upload your strategy into NotebookLM to see it transformed into reports, podcast scripts, and whitepapers. While these drafts won't be in your final brand design yet, they provide the structural "bones" for a massive content ecosystem. 05. Multi-Channel PlanningConsistency is what builds trust. To turn your assets into a roadmap, use the Strategic Funnel Calendar Builder within ChatGPT or Claude AI. This prompt organises your content into a 30-day architecture, ensuring every post has a logical psychological hook and a clear path to conversion.
Strategic Funnel Calendar Builder
“Create a 30-day content architecture. Map each piece of content to a stage in the sales funnel: Awareness, Consideration, or Decision. For every asset, define: 1. The psychological hook, 2. The primary platform, 3. The conversion mechanism (CTA), and 4. The relationship to the previous post to ensure narrative continuity.”
06. Polish & DeploymentThe final step is where quality wins. Use the Brand-Voice Replication prompt to ensure the AI mirrors your specific tone of voice. Once the copy is perfect, apply the Advanced Layout & Visual Code prompt in Google Gemini to generate the high-end, digital-magazine look that reflects your brand’s premium status.
Brand-Voice Replication & Styling
“Write a definitive blog post on [TOPIC]. First, crawl [YOUR WEBSITE URL] to extract my 'Brand Voice Profile' (sentence length, level of formality, use of wit/authority). Mirror this profile exactly. Structure the post to lead with a 'Pattern Interrupt' and end with a high-friction CTA that qualifies leads.”
Advanced Layout & Visual Code
“Develop the HTML/CSS for this post using a high-end, editorial aesthetic. Use modular sections, clean typography, and strategic white space. Ensure [YOUR BRAND COLOURS] are used for accents. The goal is to look like a premium digital magazine. Ensure mobile-first responsiveness and scannability.”
Et voilà! You’ll have an aesthetically pleasing blog post that delivers your message clearly and engages your audience. Repeat the last step for each piece of content and make sure to obsess over quality. Realise that even with this framework, you will still need to hire professional creatives to elevate the work. Most people end up posting the first AI slop they get and call it a day. This could really hurt your brand positioning and make you look like everyone else. And if you are just like everyone else, then why should I pay you more, right? This framework will help you save many hours, boost your conversion strategy, and help you create content at scale. Watch this space for more prompts and more tips. If there’s anything you’re specifically hoping to see, let me know in the comments. Cheers! Ready to scale your brand or implement AI strategically? Book a CallWHAT CONTENT SHOULD BE AUTOMATED AND WHAT CONTENT SHOULDN’T By now, we’ve all come across AI-generated content in our feeds. What was your first reaction? What was your first impression? It’s amazing that we live in a time when you can type a few sentences into a chat field and have a robot generate a blog, social media calendar, visuals, branding strategy, media plan, even poetry… but is it actually effective?
"Susan from marketing can get applause in a boardroom by showing she saved the corporation 13% by replacing humans with AI... but Susan will one day realise the system’s glitching."
AI absolutely has its place. Use it to automate repetitive tasks, simplify workflows, and make things more efficient. But please—hire an AI specialist who actually knows what they’re doing. Certain types of content can and should be created by AI, but deciding where and which ones requires real strategy. The content frameworkMost companies just make content and hope for the best. There is no vision, no structure. To use AI effectively, you have to understand exactly what role your content is playing in the user journey. Let’s break it down:
Awareness & Impact TYPE 01
This is the first touchpoint. The split-second scroll-stopper on Instagram or the unskippable YouTube ad. Your goal here is simple: earn attention. In a world of noise, maybe 3% will move to the next step. The other 97% need to at least feel something so your brand sticks. If you think a generic LLM can generate a message powerful enough to pierce the apathy of a modern consumer, you've drunk the Kool-Aid. This is where you need storytellers, innovative thinkers, and creative geniuses.
Verdict: Definitely no AI
Trust & Consideration TYPE 02
By some miracle, they clicked. Now you have a 6% chance of a sale. The other 94% are looking for a reason to leave. This "Momentum Content" is prime real estate where you convince the user that your brand is the solution to their problem. AI can assist here with data and drafts, but it shouldn't lead.
Verdict: AI only to increase efficiency
Utility & Compliance TYPE 03
This is the "Functional" content. Legally required specs, technical data, and enthusiast-level detail. It is the core info that helps us realise the product benefits and USPs. Since this is data-heavy and repetitive, it is the perfect playground for automation.
Verdict: Definitely use AI and automated workflows
Creatives vs Clients
The Client Prompt "make me a visual of a sneakerhead taking a picture of a Nike shoe on a TV screen"
The Creative Prompt "Generate an image where someone is taking a photo of what’s on their TV screen with a purple iPhone 14. On the TV, we see a Nike Air Jordan worn by someone mid-jump on a rustic wooden basketball court. On the phone screen, there’s a close-up of the shoe. The person taking the photo is a Gen Z sneakerhead (male, early 20s) in a modern, slightly messy living room. A bowl of crisps sits on the table beside a remote, a few crisps scattered. The image should look like it was captured with a disposable Fujifilm camera using a 35 mm lens."
 AI is an incredible tool, but it still requires a human brain to steer it. Stop assuming you’re an AI master just because you ask ChatGPT to write your emails. Use it to scale, not to replace the soul of your brand. Would you like me to share some useful prompts for content creation? Let me know in the comments. Cheers! WELCOME TO MY BLOG. HERE’S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT AI, MARKETING, AND THE FUTURE OF COPYWRITING Okay, let's get this out of the way, because I know it's only a matter of time before someone asks: "Why are you writing a blog instead of making TikToks?" First of all, nothing against TikTok. I spend a mentally ill amount of time on that app myself. I've even gone viral a few times, which has given me an idea of what works and what doesn't. I just have the face (and the voice) for writing blogs. Writing will always be the form of communication I excel at most, and I believe that if you're gonna make content, you should either make good content or not make any at all. Seriously, the internet is beyond oversaturated at this point. Isn't written content dead though?Written content isn’t dead. In fact, plenty of writers are making serious money on platforms like Substack. It's just more brain-taxing than video content, which is why it’s more niche. If I’m creating content for a brand, I’d build an ecosystem with a mix of formats. If you're selling identity, written content is a must.
"The top creators on TikTok pay professional copywriters to script their videos... they’ll never trust ChatGPT to do that job."
There will always be something that feels legit and credible about written content. Copywriting might be changing thanks to AI, but it will always be the backbone of content creation. Copywriters are where it all begins; they’re the ones who put meat on the bones of a content strategy. The future of copywritingI see the writing on the wall. Before AI went mainstream, we saw the rise of the "editor/filler" copywriter—hired mainly to fill in the blanks around design. It wasn’t meant to be deep; it was an afterthought. That kind of copywriting is officially dead, replaced by AI. Thank god. Gone are the days of briefs like: “We need a name for this product. It’s like a pizza, but don't call it a pizza.” Those briefs made me want to scream until my life had meaning again. What copywriting will become is what it was meant to be: the story finders. The Evolution: The "Content Bible"Copywriting originally came from journalism. Back then, copywriters were investigators tasked with uncovering the "why" before writing a single word. Today, that expertise is evolving into Content Bibles. These are long-form, strategic assets that serve as the baseline for AI prompting. A Content Bible isn't just a style guide; it’s a deep-dive into brand soul, narrative arcs, and audience psychology gathered by experienced writers. By using a journalistic approach to "extract" the story, we create a master reference that prevents AI from sounding generic. You aren't just prompting; you're feeding the machine a decades-worth of human expertise. Guidelines and promptsBecause we shape the language in these Bibles, copywriters are the natural choice to write the master prompts. Below is a simplified version of a prompt I created for a client that is currently saving them over $2 million a year.
Lifestyle Product Prompt
Write a description for [PRODUCT NAME]. Focus on the design story, heritage, and emotional connection. Use lifestyle storytelling to evoke nostalgia or style identity. Structure: [TAGLINE IN CAPS] [Opening: 2-3 sentences on spirit/heritage] [Body: 2-3 sentences on materials/design] [Close: 3-4 bullet points - Benefit-driven headers in caps]
Performance Product Prompt
Write a description for [PRODUCT NAME]. Focus on innovation and material benefits. Communicate how technology enhances speed, comfort, or durability. Tone: Energetic and empowering. Structure: [HOOK LINE IN CAPS] [Opening: 2-3 sentences on purpose/impact] [Body: 2-3 sentences on technical innovations] [Close: 3-4 bullet points - Technical highlights in caps]
Thank you for making it this far. I’m excited to share the most useful tips and trends every advertising professional should know to stay ahead in this industry. Need help building your brand or implementing AI? Book a Call |