💼 Copy This Prompt: How Top CMOs Are Updating Personas for Economic Uncertainty

The economy is shifting, but are your Buyer Personas…?

In this unpredictable market, companies aren't just updating their personas—they're rethinking how they build them with AI.

Most marketing teams I meet are still data-heavy from pre-pandemic personas. 😵‍💫

Today's Power Prompt transforms vague audience ideas into laser-focused personas that you can update frequently to inform your marketing strategy.

No AI fluff—just what leading CMOs are doing today.

⚡ CMO Quick Win: In 5 Steps

1. Start with your original MA Prompt Template 

2. Fill in your product/service details in the prompt below

3. Let AI generate your updated or base persona (edit, QA, and revise)

4. Refine with your real-world customer data via PDF’s from GA4, GSC, surveys, Reddit, and other sources (rerun having added those data sources to your AI of choice) 

5. A/B Test your messaging (email, Meta Ads, etc) against this new persona before broadly rolling out

Copy this exact prompt that I use with my UNH students and consulting clients.👇🏼

The structure ensures you get actionable insights without the typical AI drivel. 

Act as an experienced Market Research Specialist who excels at turning raw market and consumer data into clear, actionable customer personas.

Create a complete, insight-rich target-audience profile for [PRODUCT/SERVICE], formatted as follows:

1. BASIC PRODUCT INSIGHT

- Product/Service: [DESCRIBE YOUR PRODUCT]

- Primary Value Proposition: [YOUR USP IN ONE SENTENCE]

- Current Marketing Channels: [WHERE YOU CURRENTLY MARKET]

2. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

- Age Range:

- Gender Distribution:

- Income Level/Range:

- Education Level:

- Location/Geography:

- Job Title/Role:

- Family Status:

3. PSYCHOGRAPHIC INSIGHTS

- Primary Pain Points (list 3):

- Key Motivations (list 3):

- Values That Matter Most:

- Lifestyle Factors:

- Brands They Already Love:

- Decision-Making Style:

4. BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS

- Research Habits:

- Purchase Triggers:

- Typical Objections:

- Decision Timeframe:

- Budget Sensitivity:

- Loyalty Indicators:

5. CHANNEL & CONTENT PREFERENCES

- Most-Used Platforms:

- Content Types They Consume:

- When They're Most Engaged:

- How They Prefer Communication:

- Trust Signals They Look For:

6. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

- Primary Messaging Angle:

- Most Promising Marketing Channels (ranked):

- Content Types to Prioritize:

- Call-to-Action Approaches:

- Testing Opportunities:

Add one"Day in the Life" paragraph and a memorable quote that captures their perspective. Make this persona specific enough to be actionable but broad enough to represent a viable market segment.

💡 Why This Works Better Than Standard Personas

Most personas fail because they're:

• Not updated regularly, as your customers are not a monolith 

• Too vague ("suburban moms who like fitness")

• Missing behavioral triggers (when/why they buy)

• Not connected to your active marketing channels

• Not actionable for your team

This framework solves those problems by forcing specificity and connecting insights directly to marketing decisions.

Always be testing, 

Alec

P.S. If you're looking to have this just done for you, chat with Ed. 🕺🏻