Is Prose the Product or Just the Packaging in Marketing Copy?

Is Prose the Product or Just the Packaging in Marketing Copy?

What Marketers Miss When They Call AI Writing “Slop”

 Framing the Question

A recent HubSpot survey found that 73% of marketers say content is their most important business asset. But too many still confuse how something is said with what it delivers. As AI-generated writing becomes more common, many marketers dismiss it as “slop”—soulless, synthetic, or somehow inferior. But this reaction often reveals a deeper misunderstanding: the goal of most business writing isn’t to impress; it’s to inform, persuade, or guide. Prose is just the packaging. And if your writing doesn’t transfer knowledge or spark action, even the prettiest package is an empty box.

What’s Actually Being Delivered—Prose, Information, or Knowledge?

Let’s break down what’s really at play in any piece of content:

Information: Raw data, facts, or figures.

Knowledge: Interpreted meaning—what the data means in context.

Prose: The structure and style that delivers the message.

Think of it this way: if information is the ingredient and knowledge is the meal, prose is the plate. A beautiful plate helps—but if the food is undercooked or confusing, the experience fails. Great marketing writing puts clarity and value at the center, with style in a supporting role.

The Data Behind Clear Communication

The evidence for clarity over cleverness is mounting. A 2023 study by the Nielsen Norman Group found that users spend 37% more time on pages with clear, direct language versus those with elaborate prose. Meanwhile, Boomerang’s analysis of 40 million emails revealed that messages written at a 3rd-grade reading level had the highest response rates—not because audiences lack intelligence, but because simplicity reduces cognitive load.

Even more telling: Morning Consult’s 2024 research showed that 68% of B2B buyers prefer “straightforward product descriptions” over “creative marketing copy” when making purchase decisions. The pattern is clear—when money is on the line, clarity trumps creativity.

Style Isn’t Substance—But Context Matters

Marketing copy isn’t poetry. Most of the time, its job is to:

• Educate customers about a product or service
• Clarify how it solves a real problem
• Persuade action based on value

But here’s where the “prose is just packaging” argument needs nuance. Style does matter—when it serves the right purpose at the right moment.

When style adds genuine value:

• Brand differentiation: In crowded markets, distinctive voice can be the deciding factor. Mailchimp’s playful tone helped them stand out in a sea of serious email platforms.
• Emotional connection: Nike’s “Just Do It” works because the style embodies the brand promise—action over hesitation.
• Complex concept simplification: When explaining difficult ideas, metaphors and storytelling can make abstract concepts concrete.

When style becomes a liability:

• High-stakes decisions: Emergency instructions, legal disclaimers, or technical documentation
• Time-pressed contexts: Mobile users, frustrated customers, or urgent communications
• International audiences: Cultural nuances in humor or idioms can confuse rather than clarify

The key insight: style should amplify meaning, not obscure it.

Real-World Examples—When Boring Beats Brilliant

Case Study 1: The Password Reset

Let’s say a B2B SaaS company needs an FAQ page. The AI writes:

“To reset your password, click ‘Forgot Password’ on the login screen. We’ll email you a reset link within five minutes.”

A human copywriter adds flair:

“Oops—locked out? Click our friendly ‘Forgot Password’ button and we’ll send a helping hand to your inbox in minutes.”

Clever? Sure. But when your customer is frustrated at 11 PM, they don’t want wit—they want clarity. UserTesting research confirms this: 89% of users prefer direct instructions over “personality-driven” help text in high-stress moments.

Case Study 2: The $2M A/B Test

Marketing automation company Autopilot ran a year-long test on their homepage hero text. Version A used clever copy: “Marketing automation that doesn’t suck.” Version B went direct: “Increase sales with automated email campaigns.”

The boring version drove 31% higher conversion rates and $2M in additional annual revenue. The lesson? When purchase intent is high, benefits matter more than brand personality.

Case Study 3: When Style Won

Conversely, consider Slack’s early growth. Their homepage could have said: “Team communication software for businesses.” Instead, they chose: “Be less busy.”

This worked because Slack was solving an emotional problem (workplace overwhelm) as much as a functional one. The style embodied the solution—simplicity over complexity. But note the difference: the style still served clarity, just at a higher conceptual level.

What AI Writing Reveals About Our Blind Spots

AI isn’t lowering the bar—it’s revealing how often we wrote for ourselves instead of the audience. It shows how much of marketing writing was performative rather than purposeful. Consider these uncomfortable questions AI forces us to confront:

• How much of our “brand voice” actually helps customers make decisions?
• Are we optimizing for award show judges or actual buyers?
• When we critique AI for being “bland,” are we defending clarity or just our creative egos?

Research from the Content Marketing Institute found that 70% of marketers admit they sometimes prioritize “creative expression” over “audience needs.” AI’s utilitarian approach holds up a mirror to this tendency.

The Counterargument: Why Human Creativity Still Matters

Before we crown our AI overlords, let’s acknowledge what human creativity brings that algorithms currently cannot:

Cultural sensitivity: Understanding when humor helps versus when it hurts requires cultural context AI lacks.

Ethical judgment: Knowing what not to say—especially around sensitive topics—requires human judgment.

Strategic empathy: Reading between the lines of customer feedback to understand unstated needs.

Brand evolution: Adapting voice and tone as companies grow and markets shift requires strategic thinking.

The smartest approach isn’t human versus AI—it’s human with AI, each playing to their strengths.

A Framework: When to Choose Style Over Simplicity

Use this decision tree for your next piece of content:

Start with the stakes:

• High stakes (purchase, safety, compliance): Prioritize clarity
• Low stakes (social media, brand awareness): Style can lead

Consider the context:

• Time pressure or frustration: Direct language wins
• Leisure browsing or entertainment: Creative language can engage

Test the outcome:

• Does adding style make the core message clearer or cloudier?
• Would your grandmother understand this—and does that matter for your audience?

Measure what matters:

• For conversion-focused content: Track behavior, not engagement
• For brand-building content: Monitor sentiment and recall
• For educational content: Test comprehension, not just retention

Make Prose Serve Purpose

So what should today’s marketers do?

Use AI strategically: Let it handle first drafts, structure, and functional copy where clarity is paramount.

Apply human judgment: Reserve human finesse for brand differentiation, cultural sensitivity, and creative strategy.

Test relentlessly: A/B test not just what sounds good, but what actually works for your specific audience and goals.

Audit your existing content: How much of your current copy serves the reader versus your ego?

Always return to the fundamental question: Does this help someone understand or do something better? Let prose elevate your message—but never let it distract from it.

The Verdict: Impact Over Elegance

The smartest marketers understand that great writing isn’t about impressing—it’s about transferring value from your brain to your reader’s. Sometimes that requires the emotional resonance of a perfect metaphor. Sometimes it demands the brutal efficiency of a bulleted list.

The skill isn’t choosing one approach over another—it’s knowing when each serves the reader best. Because in business writing, the true win isn’t elegance—it’s impact. And impact comes from putting your audience’s needs ahead of your creative desires.

Prose is the vehicle, not the destination. The best marketers know the difference and write accordingly.

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 Bookmarked for You

Expand your thinking with these sharp reads:

Everybody Writes by Ann Handley – A modern bible for content marketers who want impact and empathy

The Elements of User Onboarding by Samuel Hulme-Lowe – Clarity in action for product and UX writing

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller – When narrative structure actually serves clarity

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 QuestionStrings to Practice

QuestionStrings are deliberately ordered sequences of questions in which each answer fuels the next, creating a compounding ladder of insight that drives progressively deeper understanding.

 Utility Filter String

“What is the reader trying to learn?” →

“Does my writing deliver that clearly?” →

“Would they thank me—or feel talked down to?”

Try these on your next headline, email, or web page.

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For more sharp takes and daily insight prompts, follow QuestionClass’s Question-a-Day at questionclass.com.