How Combining Story and AI Can Transform Your Marketing Into a Message That Connects, Converts, and Feels Like You.
Whether you’re a brand builder, business owner, or creative trying to stand out online, one thing hasn’t changed: the power of story. What has changed is how we scale it. In this piece, I’m going to show you how to craft story-driven marketing that connects and how to use AI as a creative partner, not a content crutch. This isn’t about hype. It’s about resonance, clarity, and the kind of messaging that lasts.
The Moment I Rewound on Repeat
I was seventeen when The Last of the Mohicans came out on VHS. I didn’t know it then, but that film would be the match that lit the fire of everything I do today. There’s a scene near the end, the chase sequence, set to that haunting, perfect score, where the character Alice, the younger sister, stands at the edge of a cliff, glances back over her shoulder, and makes a decision that’s quiet, devastating, and unforgettable.
For those of you who’ve seen the film, you know what happens right before and what happens after was brilliant storytelling. I rewound that moment over and over again. Not because I needed to understand it, but because I needed to feel it again. Even then, I knew: this is what story does when it’s done right. It doesn’t just tell you something, it moves you, it shifts something inside you. And once that happens? You don’t forget it.
Why That Moment Still Matters, Especially Now
I didn’t have the words for it back then, but what I was experiencing in that scene, what so many of us feel when we’re pulled into a story, was the emotional architecture that all great storytelling is built on. And whether you’re creating a film, building a brand, or launching a product, that architecture still matters.
Because marketing is story. And if your story doesn’t move people, it doesn’t matter how many ads you run, how much content you crank out, or how clever your headline is. That’s where so many entrepreneurs and small brands miss the mark. They try to scale before they’ve even connected. And now, with AI everywhere, it’s even easier to skip over the human part and fall into mass production mode.
If you lead with a story and then use AI strategically, you can create marketing that not only scales but also works effectively.
The Architecture of Story and How to Use It in Your Marketing
One of the biggest mistakes I see in marketing, especially with entrepreneurs writing their copy, is that the story is always the same. It goes something like: “Here’s what I sell. Here’s how it works. Here’s where to buy it.” It’s logical, informational, efficient, and completely forgettable. Because in an oversaturated world, where we scroll past a thousand “offers” a day, people don’t want to hear what your product does. They want to feel what it means. They want to see themselves inside the story you’re telling.
When I worked on the television show Dr. Phil, we were constantly asked one question when pitching a story: “Where’s the conflict?”. The show’s success was built on the story arc: conflict, journey, change, resolution.
The same thing applied when I worked on dating shows for MTV. We were asked, “When do they realize they’re in love?” and “When do they realize they’re not a match?”
Whether it’s a talk show or a dating show, the structure is the same: conflict, journey, change, resolution. That’s story architecture. It’s the same rhythm that Joseph Campbell laid out in The Hero’s Journey, a model that has shaped everything from mythology to modern movie scripts.
Not all transformations look the same. And that’s the power of story. Here is where AI can come in, not to replace the storyteller, but to help you explore the shape of different stories faster, without losing depth along the way.
The Wolves That Changed the River
A few years ago, I was speaking to a group of people about surrender, trust, and listening to a power greater than yourself. I didn’t want to cause friction with people who weren’t faith-based. So instead, I told a story. One that started with a scientific study and ended with a river that changed direction.
Fifteen years after wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, researchers noticed something wild: the rivers had literally started to shift. The wolves thinned the overpopulated elk and deer, which allowed riverbank vegetation to regrow. Shrubs returned. Birds came back. So did beavers. The beavers built dams, which slowed erosion. And the rivers changed course.
And I couldn’t help but remember what my mom used to tell me when I was little: “The only thing that can change the direction of a river is God.” That was the moment I realized everything is connected, and that belief in something greater didn’t need to be proven. It just needed to be felt. It didn’t matter what the scientists thought or what the ranchers wanted. No one could have predicted what those fourteen wolves would do.
That story brought the room to a state of full-body stillness. It wasn’t about wolves. It was a conflict, the journey, change, and meaning. It left people feeling something real. AI cannot generate that feeling, but it can help us iterate on the stories that create the emotions. One of the ways I use this daily is by shaping one of the most critical shifts in marketing:
Reframing the Story So Your Customer Becomes the Hero
Donald Miller made this structure more widely known in his book Building a StoryBrand, but the idea itself is timeless. Still, it’s one that many of my clients struggle to grasp. They know they’re supposed to “lead with the benefit”, but the more profound truth is your audience isn’t watching your brand’s movie. They’re watching their own. Your product or service just plays a role in the transformation they want for themselves.
This is where AI becomes such a valuable creative partner, because you can use it to reshape your message, retell your story, and see what it sounds like when the customer is the one who’s center stage.
One example is a client of mine who specializes in sports branding, particularly for high school stadiums. When we first started working together, their messaging was heavily focused on them: “We transform your football field into a first-class stadium.” Accurate. But still positioning the company as the hero. So we reframed it. Using a combination of Claude, Chat GPT, and story-driven prompts we shifted the lens: “Transform your stadium into the pride of your community.”
Same outcome. Different message. And now the community—the people the brand wanted to reach—became the center of the story. That’s how story shifts perception. AI can help you get there faster, by showing you alternate paths that still align with your vision and voice.
One of the ways I use AI most often is by combining it with a custom framework I adapted from my mentor, Nic Peterson.
How I Use AI to Save Time
It’s called the 4A Framework. I’ve built a custom GPT inside ChatGPT to apply it directly to my own messaging. I start with a core story or ad, and then I use AI to rewrite that message in four distinct ways, each tailored to how different people emotionally process information.
Most marketers tell stories the way they process information. But that doesn’t always match their audience. That’s where the Four A’s come in. These aren’t customer types or personality tests. They’re emotional access points—ways people receive, process, and respond to information.
Here’s how it breaks down:
Actionable
Think of this like a classic action movie: high stakes, forward momentum, clear steps to victory. These are your people who want solutions. Now. They’re not interested in vague promises or deep backstory. They want to know what to do and how to do it.
These buyers often ask:
“What’s the first step?”
“What do I need to do to get the result?”
Aspirational
This is your feel-good drama: character-driven, full of growth and breakthrough moments. Aspirational thinkers are motivated by transformation, identity, possibility. They don’t just want to fix something, they want to become something.
These buyers ask:
“What could this make possible for me?”
“Who do I get to be on the other side of this?”
Anthropological
This is your documentary: contextual, cultural, deeply human. These are your meaning-makers. They care about backstory, patterns, and symbolism. They want to feel like your message isn’t just a pitch—it’s part of something bigger.
These buyers ask:
“What does this say about me?”
“How does this connect to who I am or what I care about?”
Analytical
This is your sleek, strategic thriller—think James Bond, solving complex problems with precision. Analytical processors want the facts, the numbers, the proof. They’re not driven by emotion alone—they want logic and credibility to back it up.
These buyers ask:
“Where’s the data?”
“What evidence do you have that this works?”
Why the 4A Framework Matters
You don’t need four different stories. You just need one story told in four different ways, because people don’t all process information the same way. Some want data. Some want inspiration. Some want steps. Some want to see themselves reflected in something bigger. Let’s see it in action with a simple example everyone can relate to: weight loss.
Here’s a simple original message you might see in a marketing campaign for a fitness program:
“My program helps busy moms lose weight in just 20 minutes a day—without giving up time with their kids.”
That’s the story. It’s solid. But now let’s use the 4A Framework to shape that same message for four different emotional access points, each tailored to how someone might best hear it. This is where I use AI as a creative partner. Once I’ve written the core copy, I prompt my custom GPT to reshape it across these lenses, helping me test and discover which version connects best.
Here’s how the same message plays out through each lens:
Analytical:
- “Struggling to lose post-baby weight? Studies show that 20-minute workouts combined with meal planning improve success by 65%. Let’s break down the strategy.”
Aspirational:
- “Imagine feeling confident in your body again, even after kids. My program helps busy moms lose weight in just 20 minutes a day.”
Actionable:
- “Want to lose weight but don’t have time? Here’s a simple 3-step system for busy moms that gets real results—no gym required.”
Anthropological:
- “Throughout history, moms have struggled to balance family and self-care. My program helps you prioritize your health without sacrificing time with your baby.”
The offer doesn’t change. The outcome doesn’t change. The story doesn’t even change. Only the lens does. And that one shift? That’s what makes the message land.
Final Thoughts: Story Is the Strategy. AI Is the Scale.
This isn’t about frameworks or prompts or productivity hacks. It’s about understanding that marketing is emotional architecture. It’s story that creates trust. It’s story that sparks connection. It’s story that moves people to act.
And AI? AI helps us do it faster, with more precision, and less friction, as long as we start from the right place. Because when you begin with the story, when you make your audience the hero, and when you use tools like the Four A’s to translate that message into language people hear, your marketing stops sounding like marketing. It starts sounding like resonance. You don’t need to write louder. You just need to write what’s true and deliver it in a way that people can feel. AI doesn’t replace the spark. It helps fan the flame so you can keep it burning—without burning out.
