The Audience Value Matrix
One-size-fits-all messaging weakens your market position. Start delivering the right message to the right audience with an Audience Value Matrix.
In 2011, Maersk — a 120-year-old Danish shipping company that carries roughly 20% of the world’s containerized freight — started their Instagram account.
Their marketing team did something that seemed, at the time, completely insane. They didn’t post infographics about fuel costs. Or tonnage. They posted photos of the ocean. Of crew members watching sunsets from container ships. Of literal ships passing in the night. They highlighted the bizarre and beautiful places a cargo vessel travels. They told human stories that that made them a B2B powerhouse. And millions of people took notice.
Here’s what most people miss about that story: After government contractors approve that billion dollar contract, they go home. They aren’t thinking about procurement schedules. They’re scrolling Instagram just like the rest of us. They’re stopping on a photo of the Moon’s surface taken 238,000 miles away. They’re showing their kid. They feel part of something.
The insight here is that our partners, clients, procurement officers, and board members are all human first. Their job title is what they do from 9 to 5. The person underneath is the one who feels connected to your mission, they’re the ones who remember your name, and whether they recommend you to someone else. Or root for you.
So yes, talk specs. But specs is a post-awareness play. Awareness is the wrapping paper on the valuable present. And humans cannot resist beautiful wrapping paper. To extend the holiday analogy — when a Maersk container ship carrying Christmas trees appears on your social feed, you don’t think about freight rates. You think about your living room in December. That’s the memory that stays with you.
The Audience Value Matrix is your start to a stronger business strategy. And a stronger AI strategy.
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What Is the Audience Value Matrix?
The Audience Value Matrix (AVM) is a strategic planning tool that forces you to do one thing. Not vision your future. Not talk about mission and pillars. It asks you to get specific about who your customers are and what they value.
I didn’t invent this tool (despite the fact that Google quotes me extensively on this topic), but I did refine it to work across organizations — for profits, nonprofits, trade orgs, economic development offices, solopreneurs, small businesses, enterprise orgs.
Because almost every business gets stuck on the same first steps.
- Business default to describing features in their About Statement (if they even have one)
- People prioritize what they care about. Not just features. Feelings.
- The more people care, the more they value your services.
- Christmas trees on a ship will always leave a stronger impression than tonnage and CO2 counts.
This is true whether you’re selling rockets or running a chamber of commerce.
Does the AVM replace the one-on-one spec meeting? No, of course not. Once people are invested, once they are ready for that call? Let that spec sheet fly. But when people are in the search phase? in the who should I talk with first stage? In the should I subscribe to that newsletter phase? That requires a different message.
Building Your Audience Value Matrix
The Audience Value Matrix has five columns — though it can be modified to your organizational needs:
- Audience Segment — who, specifically
- Pain Points, Needs & Values — what do they care about, what keeps them up at night?
- Key Features — what do you offer that addresses their specific concerns
- Call to Action — what you want them to do next?
- Sound Bite — What’s the one thing they should remember days after they stopped reading your content?
The Sound Bite. Simple. Almost Always Overlooked
The Sound Bite column almost always gets dropped first. But it is the foundation of your internal organizational strategy. Telling your people how to talk about your products and services.
The Sound Bite is the bullet point that defines what your front desk staff, your board members, your sales team, your volunteers remember. What they say when someone asks “so what does your organization do?”
Realistically, it’s much harder for a staff member to cite: Our ships had 0.8gCO2, a record EEOI, a key ocean efficiency measure in gCO2/t nm. (And much harder to drive customer interest with this technical word ballet.)
Much easier: Our newest facilities are equipped with solar panel rooftops, smart LED lighting, and rainwater harvesting that are breaking international records.
Same company. Same facts. Completely different conversation.
Why the Audience Value Matrix Matters for AI
Here’s where it gets practical: once you’ve built your AVM — once you know exactly who each audience target is and what they value — you load it straight into your favorite AI tool.
The single most important thing you can do before you run any output for your business, any prompt, any content calendar, any automation is this: get your positioning straight first. Humans and algorithms both reward clarity. And humans first notice things that make them feel.
➤ Read More: Your voice has the power to move people to take action. Don’t let AI write you out of your own story Read: Your Voice is Power..
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Let’s Build Our First AVM: Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company based in Cedar Park, Texas. They build rockets, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles. They just landed on the Moon — successfully, the first commercial company to do so. They have a $177 million NASA contract for a mission to the Moon’s south pole.
They’re completed their IPO in 2025. And they have 63,200 Instagram followers.
That connection is important. A defense contractor doesn’t accidentally accumulate 63K Instagram followers. That’s an intentional human content strategy running parallel to a very serious B2B operation. It’s the Maersk playbook, applied to rockets. And it raises an immediate question: Who are all those people, why do they even follow, and what does Firefly need from them?
The answer is: a lot of different things, depending on the customer type.
Below is what Firefly’s AVM might look like. I’m extrapolating from public information — their press releases, website, social content, and DREAM program — because Firefly doesn’t publish their messaging strategy.
Segment 1: Government & Defense Customers (NASA, U.S. Space Force)
Pain Points: Mission reliability above everything. Cost certainty. Schedule discipline. A delayed launch window sets back the mission — and revalidates an outdated sentiment that space travel isn’t ready.
Key Features: Proven track record. Blue Ghost Mission 1 — fully successful Moon landing. The only commercial company to achieve both rapid-launch capability and a successful lunar landing.
Call to Action: First commercial company to land on the moon. Request a briefing with our launch team.
Sound Bite: Upon receiving launch orders, the Firefly team completed all final operations within 24 hours, successfully landing on the moon during the first available window.
Segment 2: Commercial Satellite Operators
Pain Points: They need dedicated launch — not a timeline dependent on someone else’s payload. They need competitive pricing, a realistic window, and a partner who treats their mission like it matters.
Key Features: Alpha rocket for small-to-medium payloads. Responsive Space capability — the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit on approximately 24-hour notice.
Call to Action: Your mission deserves its own ride. Book your launch.
Sound Bite: “Your mission. Your orbit. Your schedule. We don’t make you share your ride.”
Segment 3: Investors
Pain Points: Commercial space has a long history of appealing companies that burned through capital without delivering. Investors need proof of execution, a clear path to recurring revenue, and a competitive moat that most players can’t easily replicate.
Key Features: Five NASA CLPS awards. First commercial Moon landing. Growing Elytra orbital constellation. Ocula lunar imaging service — recurring revenue in orbit. IPO announced.
Call to Action: Betting on space? See why we’re the safest bet. Visit the investor portal.
Sound Bite: “Moon landing? We’ve been there. And we’re just getting started.”
Segment 4: Engineering & Technical Talent
Pain Points: Top aerospace engineers have options. The pitch has to be about ownership and the chance to build things that are ready to fly — not a decade spent on systems that get defunded or cancelled.
Key Features: Vertically integrated design and manufacturing. Small team, fast cycle times. Real missions launching now.
Call to Action: Want to get to the Moon? Apply now.
Sound Bite: “At Firefly, you don’t wait ten years to touch a rocket. You’re building one in your first year.”
Segment 5: Media & Public Audience
Pain Points: Space is crowded. Every launch competes for attention. The story needs a hook beyond “rocket goes up” — accessible to someone who can’t tell an Alpha from an Elytra.
Key Features: Genuine firsts. Remarkable imagery. A Texas team with serious cowboy energy and a rocket called Blue Ghost. A story about a scrappy company doing what the giants said couldn’t be done on that budget.
Call to Action: Want to know what it takes to land on the Moon? In the 21st century? Our experts are available for your press stories and conference programs.
Sound Bite: “We’re not trying to be the biggest space company. We’re trying to be the most reliable one. There’s a difference — and it matters.”
Business Aside: Firefly Aerospace is clearly doing things right, which is why I featured them. If I could change one thing, I’d make their team bios more human. Impressive credentials — yes, all of them. But a “what do you see when you look at the stars?” section would do a lot of work for segments 4 and 5 simultaneously.
Segment 6: Students, Educators & Future Workforce (DREAM Program)
This one is my favorite. Firefly’s DREAM program (Dedicated Research and Education Accelerator Mission) donates excess payload capacity on the Alpha rocket to educational institutions. No cost. No barrier. Just — here’s space, go use it. Universities, high school aerospace programs, and science museums have launched CubeSats because Firefly handed them the keys.
The Hawaii Science and Technology Museum used their DREAM slot to inspire over 400 students from 3rd grade through grad school. A team of students built a low-cost satellite. The CEO of the resulting company, Mahina Aerospace, called it “a movement to democratize space.”
Pain Points: Cost is the biggest barrier to hands-on aerospace education. Students need to see themselves in the industry before they’ll pursue it. Teachers need real projects, not simulations.
Key Features: Dedicated payload capacity at zero cost. Technical support. The legitimacy of an actual launch.
Call to Action: Think your students are ready for space? So do we. Apply for a DREAM payload slot.
Sound Bite: “Dreaming of outer space? Send us your proposal and let’s see what happens.”
Six Different Conversations
Six audience segments. Six completely different conversations. Space cowboys on Halloween? That’s recruiting, media and conference awareness. A $177M NASA press release? Pure government contractors with investor credibility signals woven in.
Notice what’s underneath every single one of those sound bites: a feeling, not a feature. The procurement officer wants to feel safe. The engineer wants to feel significant. The student wants to feel possibility. The investor wants to feel certain.
Feelings get people to notice you. To remember you. Features come when you’re sitting at the table one on one.
➤ Try This: Look at your last five pieces of content. Write down who each one was for. And what they were feeling. I want to get rich vs. I feel dumb because I can’t get more clients are related the same service, but they should be packaged in very different wrappers.
The best AI in the world can’t fix a positioning problem. You have to know who you’re talking to and what they care about before AI can accelerate your business.
– Monica Poling
AVM and the Arts
At first glance, Americans for the Arts couldn’t be more different than Firefly One launches rockets. The other advocates for arts and culture.
But they’re solving the exact same problem: giving people a vision for a better future. In many ways, the arts vision is harder.
They need very disparate audiences to understand that arts isn’t a story about “artistic values.” It’s a story about 4.6 million jobs. That’s a much harder story to get right than we made the moon happen.
Segment 1: Policymakers & Elected Officials
Pain Points: They need data that survives a budget meeting — a number they can say out loud at a town hall, from a source credible enough to quote.
Key Features: Arts & Economic Prosperity study — $166 billion in economic activity, 4.6 million jobs. The most cited research on arts economic impact in the country.
Call to Action: Ready to learn why the arts impact your community*? Download the AEP6 report. Request a district-level briefing.*
Sound Bite: “The arts aren’t a luxury — they’re a $166 billion industry supporting 4.6 million jobs. We have the data for your district.”
Segment 2: Corporate Sponsors & Funders
Pain Points: They need ROI on philanthropic spend — logo visibility, employee engagement, community goodwill. They want to partner with a credible organization that makes them look good.
Key Features: BCA 10 recognition, National Arts Awards, co-branding with a 60-year institution, access to 6,000+ arts leaders.
Call to Action: Want to reach 6,000 arts leaders? Learn about corporate membership.
Sound Bite: “When you partner with the arts, you’re investing in the communities where your employees live, work, and raise their families.”
Segment 3: Arts Professionals & Member Organizations
Pain Points: Isolation. Chronic underfunding. The exhaustion of making the case year after year to people who should already get it. And now, artificial intelligence.
Key Features: AFTACON, research and advocacy tools, the collective weight of a national organization amplifying local work. Nearly 1,000 arts leaders at the annual conference.
Call to Action: Ready to stop fighting alone? Join as a member. Register for AFTACON 2026.
Sound Bite: “AFTACON 2026 is where we gather to shape the future of arts and culture — and organize for impact that extends far beyond four days in June.”
You can write segments 4 and 5 yourself at this point. Educators need ammunition. The media needs a deadline-friendly expert and a stat that makes their editor say, “Great story idea.” The structure is identical to Firefly’s — different vocabulary, same human need underneath.
The AVM Works for Every Business Type
AI Integration Companies Enterprise clients need security, compliance, a proven implementation team, and a roadmap for when the current model gets deprecated. Solopreneurs and small business owners need to feel like they don’t need a degree to use AI. The companies that figure out how to speak both languages are going to own the next five years. Anthropic releasing guides and tools for small business owners? Not surprising they’re outpacing their competitors.
SaaS Companies The enterprise IT buyer needs security documentation, uptime guarantees, and a migration plan. The solopreneur needs to feel like the tool was built for someone their size — not like they wandered through the enterprise door by mistake. (This is changing in the AI space, but not fast enough.)
Healthcare Systems Patients need reassurance and someone who explains things in plain English. Employers buying group plans need cost containment and utilization data. HR needs to know which plans are being discontinued. None of them want to read the other one’s brochure.
Hotels Conference planners need room blocks, AV specs, and F&B minimums — they’re managing a budget and a reputation. International travelers need maps and itineraries. Can I do San Francisco and LA in one day? Locals booking a staycation need permission to treat themselves. Breakfast in bed? Yes, please.
Restaurants The harassed parent on a timeline wants drive-through. The Yelp reviewer wants an experience worth photographing. The corporate catering account wants reliability, invoice simplicity, and a contact who picks up the phone.
Cultural Tourism Organizations Travel journalists need a story angle and a fam trip. Indigenous community members need to know their culture is being represented with dignity, not packaged for someone else’s Instagram. Travelers need to know they won’t be embarrassed if they don’t understand every cultural nuance.
Nonprofits Major donors need impact metrics and legacy — they want to know their investment will make a difference that outlasts them. First-time small donors need to feel like their $25 matters, not like they’re rounding errors on someone else’s philanthropic portfolio.
Chambers of Commerce Member businesses need referrals, visibility, and a reason to renew. Why is membership better than that private paid restaurant community? Elected officials need economic development data and a credible community voice. Both are asking “what’s in it for me?” — at a very different scale.
Business Incubators & Accelerators Founders need mentorship, connections, and a desk that doesn’t cost them runway. Corporate sponsors need deal flow, innovation optics, and talent pipeline. Completely different conversations happening in the same building.
Universities Prospective students need “will this get me a job?” Parents need “is this a party school?” — they may not ask out loud, but they are absolutely thinking it. Donors need legacy and impact. Employers recruiting on campus need talent pipeline. Potential grad students are asking if an MBA is still worth it. Five audiences. Five conversations. One institution.
➤ Read More: Are you protecting your data? Or are you just hoping no one will steal your content?
How AI Accelerates Your AVM
I’ve been teaching the AVM for years. Building a comprehensive document usually takes two half-day workshops to build well. Organizations leave with a solid draft, good intentions, but sometimes a strategy that quietly stopped being used six weeks later. Because something for everyone feels like a good alternative. Until it stops working.
Also, there’s near-zero chance most of your team will read a full AVM— and even less chance they’ll remember it when they’re standing in front of a funder at a conference with thirty seconds to make an impression.
That’s where the matrix part of Audience Value Matrix comes in. The AVM is the at-a-glance document — the version that fits on one page, is taped to the wall, gets handed to the new board member, and the page that everyone can quickly reference.
Write the long version first. Then have AI compress it into the matrix. Then upload your final AVM to your AI’s memory — and immediately watch your AI results get better.
Your human customers and your algorithmic partners are both trying to figure out the same thing: who are you, and why does it matter to me?
When your positioning is clear, every piece of content gets you closer to the right audience. Every prompt focuses on your goals. Drive customers and engagement. time.
The Bottom Line
The Audience Value Matrix is a five-column framework: Audience Segment → Pain Points → Key Features → Call to Action → Sound Bite. Build one for each distinct customer segment. Use the Sound Bites as the foundation for everything your team says to attract new customers.
Key Takeaways
- Maersk expanded this playbook. A human content strategy alongside a B2B operation sets the long game.
- B2B is a business category, but the buyers are still human. Your procurement officer goes home and scrolls Instagram just like everyone else.
- Feelings get people to notice you. Features get the signature. Every Sound Bite in your AVM should lead with emotion, not your spec sheet.
- The AVM works in any sector. Rockets to arts advocacy — same structural problem, different vocabulary.
- Get your positioning straight before you touch AI. The AVM is how you do that — and once it’s built, it makes everything downstream faster and sharper.
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