Two weeks into January and we’re noticing something…
There’s a pattern across a lot of businesses we’ve been speaking with recently, especially in the data, technology and AI space.
The founders and leaders we meet all have ideas and expertise coming out of their ears. They know their space inside out, and in leadership conversations, that’s a huge strength. There’s clarity and a shared understanding of what the business does and why it matters.
Once that fizz of energy travels beyond the room, though, something starts to change.
Different versions of the message begin to appear. Things get over-explained, then distorted. Confidence in the message drops and progress slows.
What happens next is that founder’s step back in. Not because they want to control everything, most are actually trying to step back, but because too much of the meaning in the business still sits with them. When they’re not involved, the story doesn’t quite land and marketing starts to feel hard.
In place of the right content, we get more content. And gradually, that original clarity disappears back into a fog of confusion.
This is rarely a capability issue of the founders or marketing directors. They both understand the challenge – that the organisation has not yet turned its thinking into something others can confidently use, without constant correction.
Which raises the real question: where does the message start to lose focus in your business?