June 9, 2025 – By Kevin Anselmo
Confession: I used AI to come up with new messaging for my consultancy, Experiential Communications, and it took me MORE time than if I had done it without the luxuries of ChatGPT a few years ago.
However, without AI support, the result wouldn’t have been nearly as compelling. I wouldn’t have gone on such a meaningful journey, one that pushed my thinking, challenged assumptions, and broadened my perspective on what it means to be a marketing communications consultant in 2025.
Here’s another truth: AI alone couldn’t have created the messaging that now anchors my website and brand assets. The first iterations ChatGPT offered? Boring. Generic. We had to spar. We had to debate. For weeks, we went back and forth, grappling over nuance, rhythm, clarity and meaning. It was exhausting and exhilarating.
But in the end, we landed on something that felt just right. It’s message that captures what I’ve done for clients for over 11 years, reimagined for the future.
Strategic communications to help you reach the top – aligned with your mission and what matters most.
Real Goals.
Real Strategy.
Real GAINS
The acronym GAINS is: Goals. Accountability. Inspiration. Navigation. Sustainable.
I help clients clarify goals. There is accountability. With my energy and enthusiasm, I bring inspiration. Goals alone aren’t enough. Hence the importance of navigation: execution of tactics. Finally there is sustainable communications – leaving clients after an engagement with new insights, confidence and systems in place to keep taking steps toward their goals.
The metaphor we developed – reaching a mountaintop with GAINS as the guide – felt like the perfect expression of my work.
Over the years, I’ve developed messaging for organizations and thought leaders across sectors. I love the process, and based on feedback, I know it makes a real difference. But this was the first time I turned my full messaging toolkit inward, toward my own brand.
I used probably over 1,000 prompts throughout the process. Here’s how they broke down:
- Strategic Messaging Development: Building the GAINS framework, refining my value proposition and identifying what makes my work unique
- Wording and Tone Adjustments: Rewriting headlines, taglines, and service descriptions; experimenting with voice and nuance
- Website Copy: Drafting homepage structure, calls to action, testimonials, and offer descriptions
- Creative Brand Elements: Playing with metaphors (like the Sherpa/mountain guide), brainstorming T-shirt slogans, and exploring visual themes
- Client-Facing Offers: Clarifying solutions like “Strategic Comms Guide & Support Lite” and aligning them with GAINS and the mountain metaphor
Each of these interactions was a small moment of alignment, a chance to make sure my message reflected my mission.
Using AI didn’t replace creativity. It demanded more of it. That’s why it took so long. Every iteration pushed me to think deeper, sharper, and more strategically about what Experiential Communications stands for.
AI gave me speed, structure, and feedback. But it was my prompts, values, and judgment that shaped the final product.
When I work with clients, I now see messaging as a collaboration between their vision, my experience, and the power of AI.
So if you’re working on your own brand or messaging, remember: AI won’t replace your creativity. But it will challenge it, amplify it, and help you bring it to life, often in unexpected and powerful ways.
Kevin Anselmo is the Founder of Experiential Communications. Learn more about his Messaging Sprint workshops.