Everyone Has a Voice. Why Do They Sound the Same?

Did you know that getting HIGH can make you recognise a stranger? Especially when the stranger sounds exactly like the last four strangers.

A Monday morning. I was scrolling through Instagram while my coffee slowly became a cold brew without its consent. A café was “more than just coffee.” A shoe brand was “more than just footwear.” A furniture store was, naturally, “more than just furniture.”

By the fourth post, I was more than just irritated.

MeM.R.K, I think five companies have hired the same person.

M.R.KGood for that person. Bad for their sleep.

MeThey all talk about journeys, passion and making a difference. Even the punctuation looks related.

M.R.KWhat does the café actually do differently?

MeIt serves coffee.

M.R.KA bold move for a café.

MeYou know what I mean. Everyone is using AI to write now. Is that the problem?

M.R.KThe tool can help. But if your instructions are “make it professional and engaging,” do not be surprised when it sounds professionally interchangeable.

I opened another post. This one announced a “revolutionary experience.” It was a new sandwich.

MeShould brands stop using AI, then?

M.R.KShould photographers stop using cameras because everyone owns one? The tool is available to everybody. The observation need not be.

MeSo what should this café say?

M.R.KAsk the owner why they exist. Maybe they keep a table free for people working alone. Maybe their filter coffee reminds the owner of a railway-platform stall. Maybe they refuse to rush someone finishing a book. Start with something they actually believe and do.

Me“A place where your coffee gets cold because the conversation gets interesting.”

M.R.KBetter. But only if that is the place. You cannot manufacture a personality in a caption and leave it outside the door.

MeThat makes brand voice sound like a business decision.

M.R.KIt is. What do you stand for? What do you refuse to pretend? Which details would your competitors never say? Words become distinctive when they come from distinctive choices.

MeWhere does AI fit into all this?

M.R.KGive it your observations, customer language and point of view. Let it explore versions. Then edit with taste. It can help arrange the furniture; you still have to decide who lives in the house.

AI-assisted content is part of the current marketing conversation. HubSpot’s 2026 research puts brand trust and a sharper point of view alongside that adoption. The useful response is not a promise to sound “human.” It is a reason to sound like yourself.

MeI have a test. Remove the logo. Would someone know which brand wrote the post?

M.R.KAnd could the brand prove what the post says?

I looked down at my cold coffee.

MeThis café certainly gave me an experience.

M.R.KWas it revolutionary?

MeMore than just disappointing.