Stakeholder Confusion

June 8, 2025

The Stakeholder Confusion Matrix

Your story doesn’t sleep. At any moment, someone is studying your website, reading your latest press release, or recalling a conference presentation by one of your company leaders.

Consider how your narrative plays out across your stakeholder ecosystem:

Patients and caregivers encounter your consumer-facing materials and hear about hope, access, and better outcomes. But they’re left wondering: “Is this really for my condition? Will this actually help me, or is it still years away?”

Investors digest your financial projections and market sizing, hearing about TAM and competitive landscape. “How de-risked is this science? What’s the real path to value creation here?”

Employees experience all of these messages simultaneously and struggle to reconcile them. They’re left thinking: “What’s the core story I’m supposed to tell? How do I explain what we’re building when people ask what I do?”

Media and analysts encounter different versions of your story depending on which executive they speak with and which materials they review. They’re trying to piece together: “What’s the throughline here? What makes this company different from the others in this space?”

Healthcare providers read your clinical publications and conference presentations focused on efficacy, safety, and clinical workflow. But they’re asking: “How does this fit into my real-world practice? Where exactly would this change my treatment decisions?”

By not nailing down your narrative, you’ve created a communication puzzle with pieces that don’t quite fit. Each stakeholder walks away with a different version of who you are, and leaves with questions that a solid narrative should have answered.