“What’s going to make us stand out in 2026?”

You know it's coming.
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Leadership will crunch the numbers. Compare last year’s wins. Default to the safe bets.

If we don’t shift our mindset, content will get boxed again as a cost center again.

Let’s do things differently this year.

Let's review the data:

Here’s what’s not being said out loud — from multiple studies I pulled together:

• 97% of leaders say humanizing their brand with storytelling is important.
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• 94% of are experimenting with non-traditional media like LinkedIn thought leadership, newsletters, YouTube, even TikTok.
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• 82% believe that B2B marketing is boring and predictable (including their own)
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• 58% believe it humanizing brands through storytelling drives sales
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• 65% admit they don’t know where to start
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• 46% say it's hard to quantify impact in a meaningful way
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• 26% of content producers don't believe their company "has the skill" to produce high quality content
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• Only 11% believe that narrative structure is a top factor for telling non-traditional media stories

I'm confident we can fix all that...

Because here's the most important stat of them all:

100% of leaders want marketers to take the lead — to push risk‑aversion aside, to teach the company how storytelling actually works.
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While they might not show it, behind their "no" is fear:

• They’re unsure where the landscape is headed
• They’re hearing conflicting advice daily
• The C-Suite often doesn't agree on even what marketing “ROI” means

It may not seem like it when you've been conditioned to hear "no" to nearly every cool idea you've come out with, but all of that, for them, is rooted in the fear of the unknown.

If you don't believe me, I get it.

I've been at this for two decades now — as a freelancer, in an agency, at a fast-growinng startup, in the enterprise, and now as a consultant for Fortune 1000's — so I won't pretend like the situation is challenging, because I've gotten shot down many times myself.
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But in that time I've also learned how what it takes to overcome those challenges by helping marketers use Narrative Design principles to create immersive and measurable narratives that have:

• Doubled the amount of assets viewed in a session
• Doubled the number of return visitors in a 60 day time period
• Shortened the sales cycle by half

And now, with 2026 planning right around the corner, I want to help you do the same.

That’s why I’m opening a limited number of Narrative Design Mini-Consults.

In a focused session, we’ll:

• Figure out your customer's archetype
• Identify the objective your audience actually cares about
• Map the conflicts holding them
• Sketch a high-level narrative content calendar
• Tie it all to metrics leadership can’t ignore

I don’t want to waste either of our time. This won't be a vague strategy session, it will be the most valuable hour you've spent this month.

The cost is $250 and I’m capping this at 10 consults total.

Here's what the last mini-consult customer had to say:

If you're ready to start designing narratives and leading the conversation...

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P.S: As a bonus, whatever you invest now comes off the final price of The Narrative Design Toolbox when it launches.

Tommy Walker | The Content Studio ​

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