We’re all seeing it, another LinkedIn post that could have been written by anyone. Same tone, same phrasing, same vagueness. As Generative AI has made it faster than ever to churn out content, it’s also filled the digital world with what researchers are now calling “AI slop”: content that looks polished yet says very little.
And for Microsoft Partners, that sameness is especially risky. With hundreds of thousands of Partners worldwide and the newly launched Microsoft Marketplace attracting over six million visitors every month, competition for attention has never been tougher. Every listing, blog, and post is jostling for a few seconds of a buyer’s time. In such a crowded space, sounding like everyone else isn’t just uninspired, frankly it makes you invisible.
Recent research from Harvard Business Review and the MIT Media Lab highlights the issue. While use of AI tools at work has doubled since 2023, 95% of organisations have seen no measurable return. Why? Because much of what’s being produced is low-effort work dressed up as content. It may look finished, but it lacks understanding, context, and narrative – the things that make people care.
A study from London Business School reinforces this. During Italy’s 2023 temporary ban on ChatGPT, small businesses had to think for themselves again and their content suddenly became more distinctive. The result was a 3.5% rise in consumer engagement. So, when the human brain switched back on, audiences noticed.
This is the paradox of AI in marketing: the more we rely on it to write for us, the more our content sounds like everyone else’s. And sameness doesn’t sell.
When real people tell the story, the results change
We saw this first-hand with one Microsoft Partner we worked with earlier this year. Their marketing team had been told to “just get ChatGPT to write the awards submission.” But it produced generic slop that was technically fine, but completely lifeless and bland.
So, when they came to us, we did what we always do: spoke to the people behind the project, asked the right questions, and found the story worth telling. As a result, not only did they win both awards they entered they were able to repurpose the same submission to win a third. AI couldn’t have done that, because the winning ingredient wasn’t the words. It was the thinking behind them.
Another client approached us with a different challenge. Their web content sounded… well, beige. Safe. Samey. We ran a Tone of Voice workshop, teasing out what made them different, their energy, their humour, and their values. And together, we built a guide that captured not just how they speak, but who they are. Now, they’ve punchier slogans, lively copy, and a voice that finally feels like them — confident, human and fun.
And then there was the Partner who simply didn’t want to go out with the same messages like everyone else in their space. They refused to recycle the templated content from their Partner Hub. Instead, they wanted to show their true character — their values, their commitment to clients, and their belief in doing things the right way. They wanted to call out malpractice in the industry and celebrate genuine efficiencies but with warmth and relatability.
So, we spoke to their experts, got under the skin of their business and uncovered the human stories that demonstrate how they’re different, and how they add value to their clients. And because we’re the kind of team who’ll always go the extra mile, we’ve brought new angles, fresh ideas and unexpected ways to bring their stories to life.
Where humans still matter
That’s what strategy-driven, human-led content creation does. It transforms the technical into the tangible, the complex into the compelling.
We use AI, of course. It’s a useful tool for research, for digesting large documents, and for exploring early drafts. But it’s the human that sets the direction. The insight, the tone, the storytelling and the strategy that connect to your business goals — all of that still relies on judgement, creativity and experience.
A coherent content plan can’t be automated. It’s crafted. The same thought that shapes your tone of voice also informs your visuals, your social storytelling, your campaign rhythm. It’s what ensures that every piece of content — from a blog to a Marketplace listing — has purpose, coherence and heart.
So yes, there’s a place for co-creation with AI. But the thinking, the why behind the words, has to come from us.
Because in a world where everyone’s pressing generate, it’s the human voice that will stand out.
And we’re here to help you find it.
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Don’t settle for AI slop. Stand out in the Microsoft ecosystem with content that reflects your expertise, values and vision.
Talk to us about building a content strategy that’s as smart and as human as your business.
