Ads are interruptions. Stories are invitations.

By Joseph Perello, Founder & CEO of Props

For years, content has been seen as a cost center—expensive, slow-moving, and too often disconnected from measurable outcomes. Paid media, by contrast, promised precision and predictability. But in today’s fractured attention economy, that equation is outdated. The real calculus of content has changed, and marketers are overdue to flip the script.

Content isn’t a soft asset anymore. It’s the most capital-efficient way to build relationships, drive acquisition, and reduce long-term marketing costs—if it’s built the right way.

Stories Reach the Unreachable

We’ve known this for centuries: people trust people more than institutions, and stories more than slogans. Neuroscience tells us that stories activate more areas of the brain than rational arguments. Sociology tells us that identity is shaped in narrative. Marketing has finally caught up.

Most ads are ignored. Most content isn’t. Especially when it’s real—stories told by people, not brands, in ways that feel native, personal, and useful. Authentic stories don’t just attract attention. They convert indifference into interest.

This makes content one of the few reliable ways to reach modern consumers who are allergic to anything that feels like marketing. Ads are interruptions. Stories are invitations. And today’s most effective growth strategies understand that an invitation is more powerful than an intrusion.

Not Just Awareness—But Advancement

Too often, content is treated as a top-of-funnel tool, useful only for “brand” or “engagement.” That’s a mistake. Done right, authentic content pulls double duty: it attracts new audiences and deepens relationships with existing ones. It doesn’t just drive traffic—it moves people. The power of content isn’t just in its ability to turn strangers into customers but also into lifelong advocates.

Think of the customer journey not as a funnel, but as a loyalty ladder. At the bottom: “I don’t know you.” At the top: “I love you.” Most performance marketing focuses on moving someone from “I know of you” to “I bought from you.” But it misses the more valuable goal: moving people to “I choose you.”

That kind of brand affinity—the kind that drives repeat purchases, advocacy, and resistance to churn—requires something stronger than a promo code. It demands cultural credibility. It demands emotional resonance. And that only comes from content rooted in truth and relevance.

Loyalty Isn’t a Program. It’s a Feeling

Marketers often obsess over Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and  Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). These are important snapshots, but are not strategies. The deeper question is: are you building something compounding?

A loyal customer is a compounding asset. They return more often. They buy more. They tell others. They make your future marketing cheaper and your brand stickier. Content is how you earn that loyalty—not with points or perks, but with trust.

The best content isn’t transactional; it’s relational. It makes people feel seen. It speaks in their language, about their world. And in doing so, it elevates the brand from vendor to ally.

This is especially true in subcultures, where traditional ads often fail. Whether it’s emerging creators in niche communities or tight-knit interest groups, trust is table stakes. Surface-level campaigns don’t land. But content from the subculture, not about it, creates instant legitimacyIn these spaces, storytelling isn’t just effective—it’s required.

Trust Earned, Data Gained

Today, the convergence of technology and creator partnerships has given brands an unprecedented ability to produce and distribute meaningful stories with both speed and precision. What once required guesswork and long lead times can now be optimized in real time. Brands can see exactly how content performs at each stage of the funnel—what sparks curiosity, what drives engagement, and what ultimately converts.

More importantly, this content-driven engagement generates something far more valuable than impressions: first-party data. In a world where third-party tracking is vanishing, first-party data is the new currency. It reflects real interest—collected directly from people who’ve willingly chosen to interact with your brand. It’s permissioned, high-signal, and infinitely more actionable than cold traffic or anonymized clicks.

This shift replaces the old model of spraying generic messages across the internet and hoping for resonance. With first-party signals and predictive targeting, brands can now deliver the right story to the right person at the right time—moving beyond reach into relevance.

Because at the end of the day, the brands that thrive aren’t just the loudest. They’re the ones that foster belonging. The ones that give people something to come back to. Stories do that—not by broadcasting, but by inviting. Not by targeting demographics, but by building community.

The Right Content Doesn’t Just Work. It Works Harder Over Time

Great content compounds just like loyal customers do. Unlike ads, which stop performing the moment the budget runs out, great stories continue to attract, inform, and convert—days, weeks, even months after they’re published.

That means smart content isn’t a line item. It’s an asset. An investment in every stage of your marketing funnel and every level of your customer’s journey. And unlike most ad spend, it builds on itself. Every interaction — whether it’s a comment, a share, or a user-generated post — adds value, compounding over time.

When content is integrated across your funnel—with stories that create awareness, narratives that deepen consideration, and endorsements that drive action—it becomes a system, not just a series of posts. It becomes not just marketing, but momentum.

Final Thought

We need to stop asking, “How much does content cost?” and start asking, “What is the cost of not building trust?”

In an era of ad fatigue, data restrictions, and brand skepticism, the clearest path to sustainable growth isn’t louder ads. It’s better personalized and targeted stories.

And the brands that win tomorrow will be the ones who stop treating content like a campaign—and start treating it like a conversation worth having.

About the Author

Joseph Perello is the founder and CEO of Props, a performance-based creator marketing platform. He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for the City of New York appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and as Vice President of Business Development for the New York Yankees for George M. Stenbrenner III.

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Appendix: Supporting Sources

People Trust People More Than Brands
 Edelman Trust Barometer 2023

• 63% of consumers trust what influencers say about a brand more than what brands say about themselves.
• Link: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2023/trust-barometer

Stories Are More Memorable Than Facts
 Stanford Graduate School of Business – Jennifer Aaker, “Harnessing the Power of Stories”

• Stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone.
• Source: Stanford GSB Research

The Effectiveness of Creator Content in Performance Media
 Meta (Facebook) Branded Content Studies

• Creator content delivers 2x higher ad recall and 4x lift in brand affinity versus traditional ads.
• Source: Meta for Business, Creator Marketing Insights

The Long-Term Value of Loyal Customers
 Harvard Business Review – “The Value of Keeping the Right Customers”

• Increasing customer retention rates by just 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.
• Source: HBR Article

Culture-Driven Marketing Outperforms
 Nielsen, “Trust in Advertising” (Global Study)

• Recommendations from people (earned media) are the most trusted form of advertising across all markets.
• Source: Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising

Content Builds Compounding Value
 McKinsey & Company – “The Consumer Decision Journey”

• Brands that build mental availability early in the funnel lower acquisition costs over time and boost lifetime value.
• Source: McKinsey Insights

Case Study Data from Props

• Source: People trust people