Why Most AI Messaging Falls Flat (and How to Fix It)
The new rules of storytelling in the Intelligence Age
Everywhere you look right now, B2B brands are sounding the same.
Everyone is “AI-first.” Everyone is “revolutionizing” something.
Customers are drowning in jargon.
In this week’s Goldenhour Live, I sat down with Mike Berger and Kevin Wu, co-founders of Harmonic Message, to talk about how to build a brand narrative that’s actually differentiated — one that connects the head and the heart.
They’ve done 20+ engagements in the past 18 months with some of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world, and they’ve seen the same patterns (and mistakes) play out again and again.
Here’s what stood out.
The Story Is the Strategy
Most teams treat the “story” as a communications exercise. Mike and Kevin flip that on its head.
Kevin:
“The story is sort of like the start of the strategy. It’s the core of how you convince anyone to see you in a different way.”
Mike added that it’s not just about marketing — a well-crafted narrative can shift who you’re building for, what your roadmap looks like, and even your internal culture.
They see this especially in three scenarios:
A major launch (often tied to a keynote or event)
A new funding round (especially coming out of stealth)
An SKO — “one of the most important internal events for a B2B company”
For early-stage companies, the challenge is starting from zero. For mature ones, it’s breaking through years of inertia.
Brand vs. Product Marketing — It’s Not Either/Or
One of the big tensions inside companies: should brand lead the story, or product marketing?
Mike’s take: it’s about the person, not the function.
Kevin’s take: they need to work together, but product marketing often has the depth to decide what the story is.
The real danger? Brand teams that stay “in the clouds” and never ground the story in the product reality — or product marketers who nail the product but miss the emotional connection.
Why Most B2B Stories Fail
It’s not because the company doesn’t have a “why.” It’s because they stop there.
Mike:
“If you’re stuck at the ‘Just Do It’ level without explaining the what, it doesn’t matter. You’re not going to sell any shoes unless people know you’re a shoe company.”
Kevin introduced what he calls The Differentiation Sandwich:
Why – The mission and emotional driver
How – Your unique approach
What – The tangible product and value
Most companies focus on the why and what, but skip the how — a missed opportunity for real differentiation.
Positioning in the Age of AI
Every company now has AI in its messaging. Most are pulling from the same models. So how do you stand out?
Mike:
“You have to convince someone how AI is significantly enhancing your core value prop — not just say you’re AI-first.”
Kevin warns that early-stage founders often underplay their AI advantage, instead of leaning into a bold, future-looking narrative.
They outlined six “surface areas” where AI differentiation usually lives:
Data
Context
Memory
Reasoning
Actions
Trust & Safety
Figure out where your edge is, and tell the story from there.
The Rebrand Is Dead
Kevin didn’t mince words here:
“The rebrand is dead. Long live the new rebrand — which starts with the narrative.”
Instead of hiring a big agency to create a “skin” (new logo, font, style guide), start with the deeper questions:
Why do we exist?
What makes us truly unique?
How do we want to be seen?
Get that right first — then move to design after that.
Brand Humanity as the Last Moat
One theme we kept returning to: in a world where much of marketing is automated, the remaining advantage is human connection.
Mike:
“Pretty soon you could spend an entire day on social and not know if anything you saw was real. That’s when people will crave something human.”
Kevin’s challenge to founders:
“Why wouldn’t you want the most human brand tied to the best product? It can only help you.”
Is Category Creation Dead?
Mike’s answer: not dead, but rare.
“Five years ago, everyone wanted to do it. Now most realize it’s expensive, time-consuming, and only makes sense in rare cases.”
Real category creation happens when the product itself demands it. As Mike put it:
“If you try to change your category but your product doesn’t change, that’s BS.”
Final Takeaways
A great brand story isn’t fluff. It’s a strategic asset that:
Guides your roadmap
Aligns your team
Differentiates you in a noisy market
Creates emotional connection that drives buying decisions
In the AI era, anyone can copy your features.
They can’t copy your story — or the emotional connection built between your brand and your audience.
And the CMOs who win? They’ll be the ones who learn how to orchestrate the transactional with AI while doubling down on the human.
Thanks again to Mike and Kevin for sharing their wisdom with us. Honestly these guys are two of the best storytellers that I’ve met along the way — hope that you’ve been able to get some value from what they’re seeing.
More soon.
—Anthony
🎥 Catch the full episode of my conversation with Mike & Kevin below — including how they’ve helped companies reposition around AI without sounding like everyone else.