With fewer journalists and newspapers to tell stories about companies, brands are building in-house "storytelling" teams to control their own narrative. This shift from earned media to owned media (podcasts, blogs, social channels) is driving the demand for corporate storytellers to act as brand journalists.
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In a saturated media environment, hiring a 'storyteller' to generate more content is ineffective. True brand recognition comes from executing a single, memorable, high-impact campaign that captures mass attention, making it far more valuable than thousands of social media posts.
DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg argues that successful businesses are built on compelling narratives. Storytelling is essential for recruiting top talent, securing investment, and acquiring customers, making it a foundational skill for any leader, not just a creative department's job.
Trust is now built through credible personalities, not just branded content. Channels like podcasts and newsletters succeed because they are personality-driven. HubSpot's CEO advises businesses to identify and empower internal figures with high authority to represent the brand.
The nature of marketing has shifted from promoting a faceless corporation to showcasing an authentic founder personality. Companies without an interesting character at the helm are at a disadvantage. This requires leaders to be public figures, as their personal brand, story, and voice are now integral to the company's identity and success.
Over the last decade, many B2B media brands have disappeared, leaving a trust gap between buyers and sellers. B2B influencers are effectively filling this void. They act as the new intermediaries, providing the validation and proof points that buyers previously sought from industry publications.
CBS News acquiring Bari Weiss signals a strategic shift: legacy media outlets are buying influential independent creators to regain credibility. As audiences increasingly trust individual voices over institutions, these giants are co-opting top creators to bring that trust—and their audiences—back under a corporate umbrella, reversing the traditional talent pipeline.
Legacy media, like The Wall Street Journal, are hiring coaches to help reporters build personal brands. This mimics the success of social media creators who are displacing journalists on the press circuit for major celebrity and political interviews.
Instead of hiring for the trendy "storyteller" role, companies should recognize founders are the most potent narrators. Focus resources on creating a single, memorable marketing campaign rather than a constant stream of low-impact content to truly break through the noise.
As artificial intelligence produces an increasing volume of generic content, companies are placing a premium on authentic human storytelling to stand out. This ability to connect with customers through genuine narratives is becoming a key differentiator in a world of "AI slop."
In a product-led world, the B2B concept of 'founder-led sales' evolves into 'founder-led marketing.' Founders must deeply own the brand's narrative. This means personally onboarding key influencers and being the first to learn how to tell the story broadly, ensuring the message is right before scaling the function.