What Do Storytelling and Creativity Really Mean for Marketing Today
If you’re in marketing, and you’re wondering how to cut through the noise in 2025, Ann Handley has answers. The Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and bestselling author of Everybody Writes sat down with us to talk about what really matters now: using AI without losing your voice, creating content that crosses borders, and yes, why sewers make for good storytelling. Read on for insights that’ll change how you think about digital marketing.
The Power of the Newsletter
We jumped straight in with Ann’s well-known Total Annarchy Newsletter with over 50,000 subscribers. She says that while she writes for many publications, her favorite outlet is really her own. It’s where her voice is most authentic and where her connection with readers feels the strongest. Why? “Because I have a relationship with them,” she explained. Her 50,000+ subscribers are more than just numbers, they’re an active, engaged community. She invites responses and reads every single reply.
“[They] become my biggest fans, my biggest champions. I get more business from my newsletter than anything else.”
She claims that it’s a great opportunity to build a personal relationship with each person and by personally answering each question or comment, you can create a loyal community.
Storytelling Isn’t Optional
Ann’s talk at the Marketing Forum was a masterclass in how to use storytelling as a strategic tool. Packed, of course,with stories, from sewer districts to Sesame Street, it showed how you can connect with people with the right story, regardless of your personal story. She believes storytelling is a must when you want to move someone emotionally, intellectually, or into action. Storytelling, she says, is not about indulging the storyteller.
“The worst kind of stories are the ones that are indulgent. It’s not about you. It’s about what your story helps the audience do, accomplish, become.”
She described storytelling as aspirational, it helps people feel part of something bigger than themselves, part of a community. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a surprising example. The NEORSD made sewage cool. That’s right. They have followers, readers, and fans that write letters in. A public utility company brought in a loyal public. They built narrative and storytelling into something most people don’t ever really even think about.
Through telling stories and staff members narrating behind-the-scenes footage like a Netflix doc, the company has brought humanity to infrastructure. It’s a clever, compelling way to engage with the public and make them care about a touchy (smelly?) subject. We’ve found ourselves retelling it to people that have in front of them challenging topics to make engaging. If you can endear people to sewers with a story, there’s a good chance you can do it with anything.
During her talk, Ann referenced Elmo from Sesame Street, a character instantly recognizable and beloved in the United States, where generations have grown up with him on television. But in Italy, the reaction was different. Few people had the same nostalgic connection, and the emotional impact of the reference didn’t quite land.
“It was a bit challenging for the Italian audience to relate,” Ann noted. “That’s one of the challenges of speaking globally […], making sure your cultural reference point isn’t influencing too much.”
It is a subtle but powerful reminder that what feels universal often isn’t. At Maka, we see this challenge every day, in our intercultural workshops for global teams, helping businesses work across cultures with clarity and empathy.
Ann calls this the “donut hole” approach. You keep the heart of your message open, leaving space for interpretation, adaptation, and local relevance. In practice, that might mean explaining a reference briefly, swapping out an example, or inviting the audience to bring their own cultural lens.
Advice for Small Teams with Big Dreams
In many organizations, especially small ones, marketers marketers wear multiple hats or all of them. Ann’s advice? Focus. Do one thing well and double down.
“Find the one thing you love doing, do it well, and if the data shows it’s working, go all in.”
She shared how even in her own practice, she tracks what’s working by asking two questions when someone subscribes to her newsletter: How did you find me? And what do you hope to learn here?
That simple act, asking, listening, responding, has not only grown her base, but shaped her direction. And it links back to keeping a human touch to the company, the one thing no technology can replace.
AI Has Raised the “Floor”
Ann doesn’t see AI as a threat. She sees it as a new baseline. Yes, AI can produce a lot of content. But it’s the human care, voice, tone and creative thinking that sets great content apart. “Anybody can tell a story. But not everyone can tell a true story well.”
In a world flooded with content, cutting through the noise and standing out means sounding unmistakably like you. Originality and emotional resonance are the new currency. A voice that feels unmistakably you.
Maka and the Human Side of Digital Marketing
Ann reminded us that the heart of marketing, no matter the tools or trends, is human connection. That’s exactly where Maka steps in. Our multilingual, multicultural marketing services are built for global teams, small businesses, and creative minds who want to grow without losing what makes them unique.
Storytelling is everywhere, and it shapes everything. Let’s tell yours in a way that truly lands.
