Editorial
Most days, I drive from my home in central San Francisco to our office in Berkeley. Yes, we have an office. Yes, we actually go to it. And yes, it’s a nice one at that.
That means I get a front-row seat to one of the most expensive and confusing storytelling experiments in the Bay Area: the billboards lining I-80 East, especially the stretch before and after the Bay Bridge.
And here’s the thing: for all their talk about customer-centricity and innovation, tech companies are absolutely failing at this one. Every morning, I pass dozens of giant, glossy signs from companies telling me how amazing they are. Their platforms are “powerful.” Their AI is “cutting-edge.” Their data is “unmatched.”
Their solutions? Unclear. Their benefit to me? Even less clear.
I constantly ask myself: Where’s the value to me? What problem do you solve? What pain do you make go away?
These billboards are the equivalent of someone walking into a room and immediately shouting their LinkedIn bio. Impressive? Maybe. Helpful? Not even a little.
The Emerging Tech Shiny Object Bandwagon
Ironically, the worst offenders seem to be AI companies who you'd think could at least ask their own models how to write better messaging.
Take this gem: “AI runs better on US.”
It’s vague, self-congratulatory and leaves me, the potential customer, wondering what they actually do.
That line belongs to Nebius, a cloud platform provider that, in reality, offers a pretty compelling value prop: enterprise-grade infrastructure, sovereign cloud capabilities, cost-effective compute and robust AI workloads support.
So why doesn’t the billboard say any of that?
Let’s try a better approach using AI itself.
Prompt:
“Take on the role of an expert in B2B marketing, in particular, writing copy for a billboard. Write a billboard headline for a cloud computing company that helps enterprises run AI workloads securely, affordably and at scale. Make it memorable for a tired commuter who needs another coffee and isn’t impressed by vague slogans. Aim for clear over clever. Show the value in 10 words or less.”
Here’s what ChatGPT-4o gave me. Like any of these better?
- Secure AI at Scale. Lower Costs. No Compromises.
- Your AI, Your Cloud, Your Rules.
- Powerful AI Infrastructure. Local Control. Global Performance.
- Run Smarter AI. Save More Money.
- Enterprise AI Without the Enterprise Headache.
I don’t know about you, but I think all of these pass the Billboard Test.
Related Article: AI-Powered Photoshoots: A Game Changer for Digital Marketing
You Don’t Need AI to Be Compelling or Value-Based
Meanwhile, consumer brands get it. Take Cache Creek Casino, which has had a billboard (on I-80 East as you get off the bridge) up for years that most recently says: “Your getaway isn’t far away.”
In five words, they give me time, nostalgia and a clear benefit: it’s nearby, and I’ll have a great time. That’s it. That’s the message. And it works.
So why can’t tech companies — especially B2B ones — do the same? Why the hubris? Why all the me, me, me?
No, I’m Not Being Unreasonable
Now, you may be thinking:
C’mon, Jarie, this is all new. It’s cutting edge. Why are you getting worked up about a billboard?
Well, because it’s my job to be worked up about messaging. I’m a B2B sales and marketing consultant. I live and breathe strategy, messaging and go-to-market activation for a host of tech companies.
If I ever pitched “AI runs better on US,” let alone on a billboard on I-80 East, my boss would question why he hired me. And after that, I’d probably be sentenced to Marketing Malpractice Jail for violating the most sacred rule in the game: How do you help your customer solve a problem or seize an opportunity?
Why emerging tech marketers think they can skip this rule makes me mental.
Webinar
Sep
25
CMS Briefing: A Live Look at What’s Next in AI-Driven Platforms
Learn how leading organizations are using AI‑driven tools to publish faster, personalize smarter and stay secure.
Register
Webinar
Sep
25
Call Spoofing Trends Financial Institutions Can't Afford to Ignore
Don't let robocalls sabotage your customer relationships. Learn how to secure your voice channel.
Register
Webinar
On demand
Ready or Not: How Data-First Organizations Are Unlocking Agentforce Potential
Learn how to cut through the noise, activate Agentforce and build a Salesforce AI strategy that actually delivers.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
CX Reality Check: What Your Customers Are Really Thinking
Register now and get the insights you need to not just meet rising expectations, but exceed them.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
Content Leaders Collective: What a Good CCMS Actually Looks Like
Discover how content leaders transform clunky systems into growth engines — and why your competitors are ahead.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
From Hype to High-Impact CX Strategies That Actually Scale
Turn buzzworthy AI and outsourcing trends into measurable CX wins with fresh 2025 data.
Watch Now
Frankly, it feels lazy. And I think I know why they’re doing it — they don’t actually know what problems they solve.
Related Article: Leveraging AI for Marketing While Protecting Customer Trust
The AI Hype Curve Is Real. Don’t Get Caught in It.
To be fair, there aren’t a ton of clear, concise, compelling reasons to adopt half the AI tech out there right now. It’s new. It’s hard. And it’s riding the hype curve pretty hard.
But so what?
You can still tell potential customers how you help them in 10 words or less. You just have to be willing to do the work.
Maybe some folks aren’t.
Until the real value of AI proves itself — and I believe it will — tech companies need to get better at telling a simple, human story. If you need inspiration, call Cache Creek. I hear it’s a great getaway and close.
Learn how you can join our contributor community.
