Effectiveness Depends On Noticing And Adjusting Quickly
Bad marketing persists and may get worse as the creation speed increases and barriers to launch evaporate. I see three factors driving this phenomenon:
First, marketing has democratized. Everyone with a product or idea now does marketing, regardless of skill, understanding, ot training. The sheer volume guarantees diminishing quality and effectiveness. Second, most people handling marketing excel elsewhere. The artisanal baker knows bread, not positioning. The hospital administrator understands healthcare systems, but less so, if at all, emotional storytelling. Most professionals treat marketing as an afterthought. Third, marketing lacks clear feedback mechanisms. Without definitive standards or immediate consequences, practitioners struggle to evaluate their work objectively, resulting in failures being misidentified as missed opportunities rather than catastrophes.
The solution starts with developing a critical eye for noticing what succeeds and analyzing why, then asking penetrating questions that should include:
• When something captures attention, what elements trigger that response?
• Did contrast, unexpectedness, or emotional resonance drive engagement?
• When consumers choose one option, what factors influence that decision?
• Did accessibility, social proof, or perceived value tip the scales?
• When messaging resonates, what underlying human truth did it connect with
• What anxieties did it address, or aspirations did it validate?
• When campaigns fail, what assumptions proved incorrect?
• Where did audience understanding miss the mark?
Systematic observation always results in the emergence of patterns which allow you, fellow marketer, to test results, refine approaches, and develop sophisticated pattern recognition skills leading to identifying improvement opportunities.
Art and science. Analytical rigor and creative courage. Disciplined noticing practices and acting on observations. Accidental practitioner into deliberate professional.
Marketing can be better. It should be better.