FOCUS: BRAND MESSAGING DISCONNECT | AUDIENCE: EXPERTS WITH IGNORED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I helped an accomplished M&A advisor move beyond stalled funnels by turning deal talk into compelling human stories.
The advisor was a seasoned deal-maker with several successful transactions behind him. His online presence relied on webinars, white papers, and multi-step sales funnels promising inside knowledge of acquisitions. While traffic came steadily from LinkedIn and niche finance podcasts, conversion into retained advisory work had almost vanished. Decision-makers saw him as technically sound but undifferentiated and transactional.
The more he leaned on automated funnels, the more prospects disengaged. Senior executives and founders sensed the pushy, formulaic pitch beneath the surface. The brand came across as another commoditised advisor in a crowded space, rather than a trusted confidant to guide pivotal M&A moves. Revenue pipelines slowed even as awareness remained stable.
I reviewed every touchpoint … blog posts, social updates, slide decks, lead magnets, and webinar scripts. It became clear that the human drama of deals was absent. Buyers weren’t moved by step-by-step frameworks or gated playbooks; they wanted to see leaders like themselves navigating the complex emotions of selling or acquiring. The advisor had unintentionally hidden his personal journey and his clients’ transformative outcomes behind jargon and rigid conversion paths.
Modern M&A audiences … especially founders and family business owners … are resistant to being funnelled. They respond when they feel understood in the fear, hope, and legacy questions that surround big exits or acquisitions. The missing link was storytelling that built empathy and authority at once.
The breakthrough game-changing idea I suggested was to reframe marketing from hard funnels to narrative gravity. I positioned the advisor as a master deal storyteller: someone who could narrate founder journeys, investor foresight, and cultural integrations with depth and discretion. Each article, LinkedIn post, and keynote now followed a story arc … tension, insight, and resolution … instead of a slide into a call to action.
We created “Deal Stories as the New Funnel.” Prospects were drawn into tales of founders preserving legacy, investors rescuing value, and acquirers avoiding cultural implosions. These stories built emotional trust first, making sales conversations natural and welcome rather than forced.
The first step was a signature brand myth: the advisor’s own journey from lawyer-turned-deal-maker to trusted transition architect. Case studies were rewritten as hero journeys … the founder’s challenge, the turning point, and the value unlocked. Lead magnets became mini storybooks (“Inside the Sale: Lessons from Private Founder Exits”) instead of technical checklists.
Webinars and talks were redesigned to flow as compelling deal dramas rather than sales slides. LinkedIn shifted from generic M&A tips to short narrative vignettes with clear insights. Podcasts and interviews highlighted behind-the-scenes moments of high-stakes negotiations, with names anonymised but lessons vivid. Every touchpoint now felt like a continuing narrative rather than a conversion trap.
Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:
Deal Diaries Blog Series: Long-form posts recounting anonymised acquisitions from founder fear to successful close, teaching lessons through story.
Narrative-Driven LinkedIn Posts: Short weekly parables about deal turning points, culture clashes, or valuation breakthroughs.
Story-Based Lead Magnet: A free mini-ebook titled Inside the Sale … real narratives replacing traditional checklists.
Founder Legacy Podcast: Conversations (with changed names) about emotional and strategic choices behind exits and acquisitions.
Behind-the-Scenes Slide Decks: Visual storytelling decks for keynotes, structured like dramas rather than frameworks.
Video Story Nuggets: Two-minute clips sharing real-world M&A lessons learned through lived deals.
Deal Myth vs Reality Carousels: Social carousels busting M&A myths with story-backed insights.
Narrative Webinars: Live sessions following one big story with embedded teaching points, rather than step-by-step funnel pushes.
Client Journey Spotlights: Case-inspired (anonymised) LinkedIn newsletters showing the arc from uncertainty to deal success.
Story-First Homepage Redesign: Website rebuilt around a central origin story and curated deal narratives instead of service lists.
Average webinar attendance stayed steady but conversion rose from 3% to 11% once storytelling replaced pitch funnels.
LinkedIn engagement (comments + shares) increased by 78%, creating warm inbound leads.
High-value consulting enquiries grew by 40%, reversing a two-year decline.
Speaking fees rose 25% as event organisers booked him for story-driven keynotes.
CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.
If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “How an Eco Detergent Rinsed Out Its Engagement Gimmicks.“
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “How a Courier Service Went Off-Route in Franchise Expansion.“
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