Crafting brand stories that stick
Andrew Ettinger is a pro at crafting stories that don’t suck.
He’s not just your average consultant helping startups refine their positioning. As the founder of storytelling studio, use your words, he’s diving deep into leveraging AI to help him be more productive and create better work.
In a recent hour-long workshop, Andrew gave us an insider's look at how he uses AI tools to streamline and enhance his storytelling process for clients. Whether he's working with founders who are pivoting their businesses or helping a company clarify their narrative for investors, Andrew is at the forefront of integrating AI into creative strategy. But don't think he's ready to hand over the reins just yet – he's still very much in control.
Here’s a taste of what Andrew showed us:
Using AI to speed up and scale positioning sprints
Positioning is at the heart of what Andrew does, and in his view, it's crucial that founders get it right.
“Positioning answers the question of what your product is and why it exists,” he explained. In the session, he walked us through how he helps founders articulate their vision, whether they're just starting or rebranding.
His process typically unfolds in three phases: understanding the vision, defining the brand, and crafting the messaging. But what makes his approach unique is how he leverages AI at each stage.
"I can upload transcripts, get summaries, and even call out the most important details—all without missing a beat in the conversation.”
Tools like Claude, Fathom, and Notion AI help Andrew streamline these phases, allowing him to be more efficient and focus on creative decision-making rather than manual tasks. For example, he uses Fathom to record and transcribe intake interviews with founders and teams, and then feeds those transcripts into Claude to summarize key themes and insights. This allows him to create an initial draft of the brand’s story faster than ever before.
Crafting narratives with AI assistance
One of the most insightful parts of the session was watching Andrew use AI to help draft brand messaging.
Once he has a solid understanding of a client’s vision, he uses Claude and Notion to generate brand guides, tone of voice documents, and copy for various platforms. During the demo, he even had Claude rewrite sections of a deliverable for a client based on feedback, adjusting for tone and brevity.
Andrew was quick to acknowledge that while AI helps with efficiency, the results still require a human touch.
“AI is great at getting the ball rolling, but it’s not always great at making things good and short.”
He pointed out that much of his work still involves fine-tuning the outputs. His process is very much about editing, prompting, feedback, and repeat until both he and the client are satisfied.
AI tools stack for storytelling
Andrew’s favorite tools are a mix of well-known and niche products, including:
- Claude: Used for content generation and summarizing interview transcripts, especially when he needs to draw out recurring themes or critical insights from client conversations.
- Fathom: An AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and highlights key moments during calls, allowing Andrew to stay focused on the discussion without worrying about taking notes.
- Lex: A purpose-built tool for AI-assisted writing, which Andrew uses to turn bullet points and rough outlines into long-form content.
- Eleven Labs Reader: Helps him review documents while multitasking, as it converts written content into audio for easier consumption.
AI isn’t replacing Andrew just yet
Despite his deep use of AI, Andrew reassured everyone that AI wasn't going to take his job anytime soon. “My job still feels secure,” he joked, explaining that while AI has made him more productive, the creative aspects—like distilling a founder's vision into a compelling narrative—are still very much his domain.
He emphasized that AI isn’t perfect and requires constant input, feedback, and editing, especially when crafting brand messaging that’s nuanced and original.
However, he also admitted that the tools have made him more efficient. “I can handle more work now, thanks to AI,” he said. His use of AI has allowed him to scale his storytelling business, taking on more clients while still delivering high-quality work.
Andrew Ettinger’s workshop was a captivating deep dive into how AI can be used to accelerate the often painstaking process of brand positioning and storytelling. From automating the transcription of founder interviews to drafting brand guides in record time, Andrew demonstrated how the right mix of tools can turn AI into a powerful ally for creatives.
Want to learn more?
Catch the full recording of Andrew's workshop (available to Pro Ben’s Bites members) to see his AI-powered storytelling workflows in action.
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