Customer profiles can be super useful when developing marketing assets. But traditionally static PDF buyer persona documents have a bad habit of getting neglected and stale. Let’s turn to a few emerging tools to see if we can make customer insights more usable, accurate and less likely to collect dust.

Let’s revisit one of our ideal customer profiles, featured earlier on the blog. We can call him Mike “The Entertainer” Anderson. We’ll turn this old static persona into an interactive one, and then try using it to get some help with actual marketing tasks.

Profiling Ideal Customers: The Lake Entertainer

Creating An Interactive Buyer Persona

To bring Mike to life, let’s throw everything we know about him into a Notebook in Google’s NotebookLM. It accepts all kinds of documents and data so the more relevant information, the better. In the previous post, we outlined some of Mike’s demographics and motivations like keeping up with neighbors on the lake. It was easy enough to feed the Notebook with a copy of that post. In your case, you might have some buyer persona posters or buyer journey documentation in the form of slides or PDFs. Whatever you’ve got, toss it into the notebook.

The post was a good start, but I wanted to provide some more background for NotebookLM to go on. Purchase history info would be handy, especially when considering buying behavior. I’m working off of a purely fictional persona, so I wasn’t able to export a list of purchases from my Shopify business or anything like that. Instead, I asked Claude to create a table of purchases that Mike might have made, based on the blog post. With a little back and forth, I was able to get a decent list of purchase that a Mike could have made.

Note: I want to go to one of Mike’s parties!

Claude also helped me embellish the blog post’s descriptions of Mike’s point of view, with some additional questioning. We added a history of what Mike was like in high school, some of the epic stories that he enjoys telling, some of the ways that he justifies his purchases to those in his life. Those exercises, plus the purchase history, went into the notebook.

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Chatting With Our New Buyer Persona

Now that we’ve got some good background material loaded into NotebookLM, we can use the chat feature to kick the tires and see if it is providing useful answers.

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Sanity Check – Product Matches

Before going any further we should do a quick QA check. I wanted to see whether or not our tool could understand the products that Mike is likely to buy. To do that I copied the URLs for a couple of example products and asked whether or not they were likely to appeal to Mike, based on the buyer description.

Test Product 1: Show Covers

NotebookLM was able to correctly point out that Mike was not a great match for these products, since making his guests put on shoe covers is not the most hospitable move for a host.

Mike's purchase decisions are driven by a desire to elevate the lake experience for his guests, maintain a certain social standing, and build lasting memories. The disposable shoe covers, while practical, don't align with these motivations and wouldn't contribute to the carefully curated image he projects at his lake house.

Test Product 2: Mosquito Fogger

Again, NotebookLM understood that this product was a premium item that Mike could justify as “doing it right”, and which he might value as another way he can ensure his guests are having a good time.

The Tomahawk mosquito fogger ticks several boxes for Mike: it solves a problem, enhances guest comfort, and boasts impressive brag-worthy specs. It aligns perfectly with his motivations for lake-related purchases and reinforces his identity as a thoughtful and well-equipped host.

So far, so good. Let’s see what else our interactive persona can help us with.

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Revamping Product Page Assets

Let’s assume for a minute that we are trying to sell propane fueled tiki torches, and are looking to expand customer bases from resorts to luxury lake home owners. The current product description is utilitarian, and not focused on a buyer like Mike.

Product 3: Propane Tiki Torch

How should we re-write this copy to be more effective in influencing Mike?

The overall goal of the rewritten copy is to present the Tiki Torches not just as functional lighting, but as an investment in Mike's lake house reputation and his ability to provide exceptional experiences for his guests. By emphasizing quality, convenience, customization, and a sophisticated aesthetic, the revised description aims to trigger Mike's purchase motivation by aligning with his values and aspirations.

That response from NotebookLM feels useful as an input for a creative brief that will be handed to a copywriter. Great. What if we ask NotebookLM to just write the copy?

Imagine this: The sun sets over the lake, casting a golden glow on your guests as they enjoy cocktails on your beautiful deck. Instead of cheap, smoky bamboo torches, imagine the warm, inviting ambiance created by elegant Focus International Tiki Torches. Crafted with hand-spun copper, these torches add a touch of sophistication and class that reflects your discerning taste as a host.
Powered by propane or natural gas, you can enjoy hours of uninterrupted ambiance without the hassle of messy oil refills or constantly relighting torches. Your guests will appreciate the clean, steady flames, and you'll have more time to relax and enjoy their company. 
Because you know that every detail matters when it comes to creating a memorable lake experience.

This output was not as successful. The effort to set the scene is right, but the actual output is stiff and robotic. Getting publish-ready copy would require some further prompting and refinement, and could be better handled by a writing-focused service like Anthropic’s Claude. And of course the most effective copy will be delivered by a human professional.

What other tips would NotebookLM suggest for making the Tiki Torch product page better?

Showcase high-quality lifestyle imagery that depicts people like Mike using the torches in a beautiful lake setting. The existing product images are rather basic and don't convey the aspirational lifestyle that Mike is seeking. The page would be much more appealing with images that show people enjoying themselves around a beautifully lit outdoor space at a lake house. This would help Mike envision how these torches would enhance his own gatherings and make his lake house the envy of his neighbors.

That’s a solid suggestion and the proposed photo composition would make good input for a creative brief and/or prompt for an image-generating AI.

Incorporate social proof from other lake house owners or discerning hosts. Mike is heavily influenced by recommendations from others, especially his lake neighbors. The product page could feature testimonials from satisfied customers who have used these torches at their own lake houses or for similar high-end entertaining. Seeing positive feedback from people he identifies with would give Mike further confidence in his purchase decision.

Another good tip from NotebookLM, based on our specific buyer persona.

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Go To Market Strategy

What else can our interactive persona help us with? How about thinking through the best way to bring a product to market, when Mike represents an ideal customer? We can ask NotebookLM some practical questions around channels, key opinion leaders and purchase paths.

This time, let’s say we represent a company like Mercer Culinary, which provides professional-grade cutlery, tools and accessories for restaurant chefs. Flat top grills like the Blackstone have become popular for backyard enthusiasts, and Mercer plans to offer high quality spatulas meant for the grill directly to consumers.

Product 4: Premium Spatula

Which channels would be most effective for this product campaign?

Targeted print advertising in upscale publications like Cabin Life Magazine reach Mike's demographic directly. A well-placed ad showcasing the spatula's premium features and highlighting its use in creating memorable lakefront dining experiences would resonate with Mike.

Strategic product placement at high-end retailers like Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn, where Mike frequently shops for entertaining supplies, are ideal. Displaying the spatula alongside premium entertaining and outdoor kitchen accessories positions it as part of a sophisticated lake lifestyle.

Digital ads on Facebook and Instagram can be targeted to users interested in lake living, grilling, and high-end kitchenware. Nextdoor and local lake association Facebook groups are where Mike connects with neighbors and seeks recommendations. Sharing testimonials from satisfied customers within these groups would further enhance the spatula's appeal and create a sense of local buzz.

The channel suggestions from NotebookLM were hit and miss but did provide some good food for thought. How about influencers? Which ones might be a good sponsor fit for Mercer’s launch campaign?

Mike would be more persuaded by BBQ influencers who embody a blend of expertise, authenticity, and a focus on creating memorable social gatherings. Influencers who prioritize theatrics over substance, competitive BBQ over casual enjoyment, or vegan alternatives over traditional meat-based dishes wouldn't resonate with his values and hosting style.

Influencers More Likely to Persuade Mike:
● "Meathead" Goldwyn (AmazingRibs.com): Meathead is known for his meticulous approach to BBQ, emphasizing science and data-driven techniques. This aligns with Mike's research-heavy approach to purchases and his desire for top-quality results.
● Malcom Reed (HowToBBQRight): Malcom embodies the Southern BBQ tradition but also embraces modern techniques and equipment. Malcom's down-to-earth persona and focus on family gatherings align with Mike's hosting goals.
● Jess Pryles (Hardcore Carnivore): Jess's focus on high-quality meats and bold flavors would appeal to Mike's desire for premium ingredients. Her emphasis on creating a "restaurant-quality" BBQ experience at home aligns with Mike's goal of offering guests something special.

Influencers Unlikely to Persuade Mike:
● "Salt Bae" (Nusret Gökçe): While Salt Bae is a viral sensation, his flamboyant style and emphasis on theatrics wouldn't resonate with Mike's preference for authenticity and understated luxury. 
● Competitive BBQ Pitmasters: Influencers who primarily focus on competition BBQ, with its emphasis on highly specialized techniques and equipment, wouldn't align with Mike's needs. He's more interested in creating a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for guests rather than showcasing technical expertise.

These guidelines seem reasonable and useful. The specific recommendation aren’t detailed or thorough enough to replace a deeper effort at recruiting, but illustrate the larger ideas. How about getting some help with the online ads that were recommended?

Claude made quick work of that, providing a good set of blurbs that could easily be added to a Search or Performance Max campaign on Google Ads.

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Media development

Personas can be super helpful when collaborating with creatives that are developing graphics, photos and video. Gen AI can deliver a nicely formatted creative brief that is likely to be effective for reaching a consumer similar to Mike.

You can even get a simple storyboard script for creating a video.

Scene 1: The Setup (0:00-0:03)
Visual: Drone shot of a picturesque lake setting, focusing on Mike's inviting lake house with a beautifully set table on the deck overlooking the water. Guests are starting to arrive, smiling and waving.
Audio: Upbeat, summery music with a hint of anticipation.
Scene 2: The Problem (0:03-0:07)
Visual: As guests mingle on the deck, enjoying drinks and conversation, the camera zooms in on a few people subtly swatting at mosquitoes. Cut to a close-up of an irritated guest with a mosquito bite on their arm.
Audio: Music fades slightly as a buzzing sound effect intensifies, then transitions to a record-scratch sound effect to highlight the disruption.
Scene 3: The Solution (0:07-0:12)
Visual: Mike confidently steps into the frame [..]

How about creating the video itself? Here’s where I ran into some of the limits of Gen AI when put into a business setting (at least for my free tier tools.)

I’ll admit that I didn’t put much time, effort or paid credits toward making that better. But that was pretty bad. You might be able to develop video b-roll, or some funny absurd visuals but for anything involving a product, there are no easy shortcuts to creating compelling content that would elevate your brand.

Conclusion – Personas Made More Useful

Generative AI can be applied to a lot of marketing problems and tuning into strategic ideal customer profiles is one of the best uses I’ve seen so far. RAG equipped solutions like ChatGPT Plus (paid), Claude Project (paid) and NotebookLM (free) are wonderful ways to collect relevant documentation and interact with it.

The most immediately useful applications will be simple questions and answers via chat, summarizing info spread across many documents, and generating planning documents like creative briefs. Some applications for content generation exist but require oversight and editing before publishing.

There are risks to relying on 3rd party platforms to do this work. It’s always a risk to become overly reliant on a separate company, and the option to roll your own model does exist. And you should never send an AI company sensitive company information like purchase history data.

Since persona documents are fictional, representative archetypes, they represent a great use case for how AI can help marketing departments put that research to work.