Yes, it's important to keep abreast of the latest technological developments and tools of the moment for reasons that are not germane to this musing. And it is equally important to read (or listen to) books that reveal the consistent and pervasive variables of human nature. Why? Because within those books are timeless truths that will help you better understand how to communicate in an impactful and even meaningful way with the audience you seek to serve.

84% of purchase decisions are made before shopping even begins, according to new research tracking 1.2 million consumer journeys across 200+ categories, meaning that by the time your prospect actively shops, the decision is already made.

Over months and years, your favorite and not-so-favorite brands build neural pathways beneath your conscious awareness so that when the buying moment arrives, what feels like a rational choice is actually the echo of impressions accumulated long ago.

You probably aren't feeling weighed down by a lack of opportunity or talent. Or maybe you are. And most of us are a bit buried under the things we haven't let go of, including the habits we've stopped questioning, the patterns we keep feeding, the noise we mistake for progress.

Rationality can be viewed as goal-dependent; a belief that harms truth-seeking can still be rational for preserving social ties if social ties are valued more than the truth. Overconfidence thrives when forecasts aren’t recorded; smart people misjudge the future, in part, because they seldom track or audit their own predictions.

The human brain uses predictable mental shortcuts (heuristics) to navigate overwhelming choices. The question isn't whether these psychological mechanisms exist but how we use them ethically and effectively.

Effective marketing works with, rather than against, four dominant natural patterns.

Welcome to the digital high school cafeteria where everyone competes for attention with louder claims, flashier presentations, and more outrageous promises.

Have you joined the performance circus or are you building something serious?

When faced with a deluge of information, many a marketer will fall prey to the data dredging trap, leading to drawing false conclusions from the random patterns that appear. Those patterns can appear remarkably convincing, especially when analyzing multiple variables simultaneously. This "data dredging" effect explains why so many research findings fail to replicate and why misleading correlations flood social media and information outlets

When resources tighten, average marketing teams scatter across channels, hoping something sticks. But we know that repeated exposure increases preference, and your audience needs multiple touch points with your message to convert, not single exposures across scattered channels.

You can't force a breakthrough campaign. You can't manufacture genuine brand passion. But you can plant seeds and create the environment where marketing mastery grows. Those seeds might not sprout for months or years. Plant enough seeds and tend the soil consistently, and breakthroughs will bloom.

There's a difference between marketers who follow trends and those who create them. The gap isn't talent or luck, it's philosophy. The masters I've studied, who built empires from ideas, all shared certain beliefs that guided their decisions. What are some of those beliefs? I can't believe you asked...

Like any creative endeavor, each campaign represents an experiment with unknowable outcomes. This uncertainty bogs down marketers who expect guaranteed results before investing resources. Marketing campaigns exist in a space that resists predictability and is filled with false expectations.

We mostly hear about the winners (like Facebook and Apple), not the many entrepreneurs who tried similar approaches and failed. This creates a false picture that can lead to poor business decisions.

Picture yourself walking through a graveyard where only the fanciest tombstones still stand. Time crumbled away the simple ones. Looking around, you might think everyone buried here was wealthy. You're just seeing the survivors.

Marketers must constantly look closely at their growth engine. What looks successful on paper often conceals disastrous vulnerabilities. Here are eight (if that is too many, just read 3 or 5 or whatever works for you) questions you can ask during your investigation:
1. Are we building on rented or owned platforms? Every algorithm change, reach reduction, or cost spike exposes the fragility of platform-dependent marketing.
2. How quickly can external forces dismantle our current strategy? LinkedIn throttling reach, Instagram algorithm shifts, or rising paid customer acquisition costs can instantly transform a "solid" marketing system into a leaking structure.

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.

Creating the conditions for the word to spread is the job of the marketer. Spreading the word is the job of the customer. Great brand marketing doesn’t just promote a product. It creates an emotional container people want to step into and incorporate into their lifestyle, and tell other people about.