The story you're telling isn't working.
And it's probably because you’ve chosen the wrong hero.
Kristian Alomá just flipped everything we thought we knew about storytelling in marketing. His insight? We don't buy products because of features and data. We buy them because of the stories we get to tell ourselves after we own them.
That's worth unpacking.
When Data Met Psychology
Curtis started this conversation from his usual place—the data. He's spent years connecting marketing metrics to sales numbers, trying to tell complete stories through spreadsheets. But something was missing.
"I always thought branding was a function of marketing," Curtis said. "Create logo, create colors, those types of things. Then I realized that brand actually sat on top of marketing."
That shift changed everything. You can't write ad copy until you understand why people really buy. And that's where Kristian's work gets fascinating.
The Narrative Economy Will Have Winners and Losers
Kristian has a PhD in psychology, specializing in consumer identity. His research led him deep into narrative psychology—the field that studies how we understand ourselves through stories.
Here's what he discovered: People don't just buy things because the specs say it'll solve their problem. They buy things because of the stories they get to tell about themselves as owners.
"I buy Apple computers," Kristian said. "I'm a Mac fanboy. Whenever I buy a new one, I feel a little bit more creative. Now, I don't do anything differently than if I owned a Samsung. But I feel creative. I feel cooler."
The product didn't change him. The story he told himself about being an Apple owner did.
This isn't manipulation. It's human nature.
Why Your Customer Is the Hero
Here's where most companies get it wrong. They position themselves as the hero of the story. (Sound familiar? It’s been a core theme of Season 2 of Bullhorns and Bullseyes!)
"Look at our amazing features. See our incredible results. We're the solution to all your problems."
But that's not how psychology works.
Your customer is already the protagonist of their own story. They're trying to make sense of their lives, their choices, their identity. When you barge in as the hero, you're competing with their need to be the center of their own narrative.
Instead, what if you became the guide that helps them tell a better story about themselves?
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
This gets deeper than most marketers are willing to go.
"People create, tell, consume, and craft stories to make sense of their lives," Kristian explained. "Make sense of the things they do, who they are, the relationships they have."
Your customers are doing this constantly:
"I'm a generous person because I give to this charity."
"I'm a creative person because I own this laptop."
"I'm an eco-friendly person because I bought this kind of car."
Some of these stories might not even be true. But they don't have to be. They just have to feel true to the person telling them.
Your job isn't to create these stories. It's to create platforms where customers can tell better stories about themselves.
The Interview Truth
Tom and Curtis have been wrestling with how to capture these stories from real customers. Surveys don't work nearly as well to get the true story. CSAT scores miss the point.
"’What are the questions going to be’ is the wrong question to ask," Kristian said about clients wanting to pre-screen our customer interviews. "It's really what stories do we want to try to get."
Tom described his process: "I recently talked to three clients in one day. Every interview was different, even though the map was the exact same, because they said something that I could hear their voice quiver. And I knew that was a scab to pick at."
You can't script authentic discovery. You have to listen for the emotional moments and follow them.
The goal isn't testimonials from your favorite clients telling you how wonderful you are. The goal is understanding the transformation your customers went through and how they think about that change.
The Legacy Mistake
Most established companies make this error: they hide their history.
They think talking about how long they've been around makes them seem old or outdated. So they focus on being cutting-edge and innovative.
Wrong move.
"I think a lot of organizations will hide and get embarrassed of their legacies," Kristian said. "But that legacy is often where your best stories live."
Your history isn't a liability. It's proof that you've been helping customers tell better stories about themselves for decades.
The Creative vs. Technical Divide
Curtis had one of those light-bulb moments during this conversation. He's been living in the data world, trying to prove ROI and optimize campaigns. But he realized something was missing.
"I felt like truth was hidden in the intersection between the marketing data and the sales data," he said. "But what I've learned is you have to tell the story before you can come up with ad copy. We have to understand actually why people buy before we can make any of these other decisions."
Math and magic. Data and narrative. They work together, but story comes first.
You can't optimize what you don't understand. And you can't understand buying behavior without understanding the psychology behind it.
Your Story Audit
Here's where to start. Ask yourself these questions about your current messaging:
Who's the hero? If it's your company, your product, or your founder, you've got work to do.
What story do customers get to tell about themselves after they buy from you? Not what you want them to say about you—what they get to say about themselves.
How does your legacy support their story? Your history isn't about age. It's about wisdom, reliability, and proven results.
Then find a few customers and actually talk to them. Not a survey. Not a form. A real conversation where you listen for the moments their voice changes, where you hear emotion, where they reveal the transformation they went through.
Don't ask what they think about your product. Ask about their life before and after. Ask about the moment they realized they needed to change something. Ask about who they became because of that change.
The Next Chapter
The narrative economy isn't coming. It's already here.
Your customers are already telling stories about themselves. The question is whether you're helping them tell better ones. Or figuring out where you fit into THEIR stories…not the other way around.
Start with understanding who they want to become. Then position your company, your product, your service as the guide that helps them get there.
The hero's journey isn't about you. But you can be the mentor that makes their transformation possible.
What story do your customers get to tell about themselves because they chose to work with you?
Article republished with permission, originally appearing in the Amplify & Aim newsletter.