Storytelling: Defining the value and impact of AI coaching.

Client
Pinnacle

Design
Benor Media

In May 2024, Maison Lafargue partnered with Alexei Dunaway, CEO of Pinnacle, to build on the company’s existing momentum and craft strategic messaging for customers and investors. Pinnacle is an early-stage startup redefining career growth by using AI to make coaching accessible and impactful.

Alexei’s experience as a coach, along with his learnings and frustrations, has shaped his vision of unlocking individual potential and making the workplace a catalyst for growth. He believes traditional talent management systems are outdated, built for an era of slower change and predictable improvements. Instead, he envisions a future where career development is transformed, and within five years, every worker will have their own AI ‘guardian angel’ on their shoulder, guiding them through their professional journey.  

Challenge

Pinnacle was navigating both a crowded and fragmented HR tech market, where established players were beginning to add AI features to their existing platforms and the fast-evolving space of LLMs. To stand out, Pinnacle needed to fine tune its messaging for its ideal customer profile, build trust and differentiation for its technology, and showcase its highest-impact use cases. 

Initiative

We conducted a series of in-depth workshops that would help build a comprehensive positioning and messaging strategy, focusing on

  1. Competitive differentiation: We analyzed the HR tech landscape to pinpoint Pinnacle’s strengths against traditional HR platforms and generic AI models. We emphasized the founder’s coaching expertise, strong alignment with customer business culture, seamless integration with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and strict focus on data security and privacy. Pinnacle positions itself as an AI coaching company within the Talent Management and Corporate Learning categories of the HR stack.

  2. High-impact use cases and focused ideal customer profile: We defined three high-stakes use cases—manager effectiveness, career planning, and navigating difficult conversations—where AI can deliver real-time, actionable support, positioning Pinnacle as a value-driven professional development tool for high-performing teams. We targeted four key personas—managers, employees, HR leaders, and IT professionals—across specific industry verticals for maximum impact.

“Veronique’s strategic approach paired with hands-on execution was a game-changer for us. She made it effortless for a busy founder like me by delivering a messaging framework that I could immediately test with prospects.

Her ability to distill complex ideas into compelling narratives has been pivotal in redefining how we position Pascal and establish our authority in the busy AI landscape.

Thanks to her expertise, we’re now confidently differentiated and ready to seize the incredible growth opportunities ahead.”
— Alexei Dunaway, Founder & CEO of Pinnacle.

Branding

With the website refresh as a major deliverable, we prioritized building a strong visual and verbal identity that captures who we are—and who we aren’t—so the brand’s personality comes through clearly.

Building a unique AI personality: We shaped a distinct identity for Pinnacle’s AI, “Pascal,” defining him as empathetic, knowledgeable, and approachable. Naming Pascal was a pivotal moment in humanizing the AI, making it more relatable and memorable for users.

Impact

We developed a clear and compelling messaging framework, translating it into a richer website experience that highlights Pinnacle’s strengths. Our key deliverables included:

  • Creating a narrative playbook: We developed a comprehensive playbook that outlines the core story, value propositions, and key messaging pillars. This strategic document serves as a guide for internal teams, ensuring consistent and impactful communication across all channels.

  • Showcasing product in action: to demonstrate Pascal’s value, we illustrated his capabilities through real-world coaching scenarios tailored to each of the high-impact use cases, making the product’s potential tangible for prospective customers.

  • Highlighting impact through testimonials: We captured and showcased the tangible impact of Pascal through a wall of testimonials from managers, individual contributors, and cross-functional teams, reinforcing trust and credibility.

  • Launching a new website experience: We partnered with Benor Media to revamp the site, prioritizing high-stakes use cases, highlighting Pinnacle’s founder’s unique background, and clearly communicating the company’s AI-first approach. The new site effectively showcases the product’s value and establishes a strong first impression, eventually creating more opportunities for engagement with the brand through content.

This cohesive approach positioned Pinnacle to confidently enter the market with a stronger, more resonant narrative that appeals to both customers and investors.