We all know Maslow’s hierarchy. Yet, even 80 years after Maslow broke down human motivation, most marketers still don’t get it.

Microtrends: those fleeting, viral moments that sweep across social media, have become the bread and butter of social media managers looking for cheap and easy engagements.

Embracing authenticity or AI advancements seem to be standing as opposing approaches for marketers these days.

Much of our client work focuses on crafting authentic brand voices. This week, maybe unsurprisingly, the new Deadpool and Wolverine movie got us thinking about the branding truths that lie behind the fourth wall.

It’s easy to cook up a viable strategy that suits today’s market. But what happens when a wrench hits your plans?

In their race for sales, digital marketers may be selling themselves short.

What started out as a conversation with our resident apprentice Georgie about the merits of brands supporting Pride Month, turned into a more meaningful dialogue about brand strategy.

Very recently, we had a conversation with a client who wanted to better understand why or how one of their ‘competitors’ was so successful on social media regarding engagement and transactions.

Between your own research and that of your stakeholders, you probably have a good bit of visitor feedback. You know to varying degrees what people like, and what could use some work.

"Trust the process" is a phrase often heard in professional sports and something we live by. Whether it's developing a new campaign, or consulting with a client on a new marketing CoE, a sound process bears results.

The media recently took aim at Wendy's talk of dynamic pricing, conflating it with Uber “surge pricing,” saying it will result in higher prices.

Too often, CEOs and their very capable executive teams, operating within siloed industries, lack a more universal depth and breadth of experiences. The result?

Goals are merely wishful thinking without strategies to achieve them @Freek_Vermeulen. Know the difference.

Does your strategy value Net Promoter Score (NPS)? Per @jmspool you may want to consider more reliable research. A worthy 15 minute read.

If You Don't Know Where You Are Going, Any Road Will Get You There.

With marketing, it’s pretty easy to convince yourself doing anything is better than waiting, especially in uncertain times. We would argue the opposite.

My mentor called it ‘the golden football.’ The lesson? Always play offense. Do your homework. Have a solid strategy and anticipate what others will do. Stay ahead of the market by making others react to you.

It's really not about hunches and luck. To quote Maria Konnikova, "what if he (you) had to bet on it?" Knowing what you don't know is a powerful advantage.

Knowledge is a crutch that can make our thinking a little stale & predictable. When we focus on the things we're not so sure about, it opens up our natural rhythm of curiosity…

Our first rule? Park your opinions at the door. Be informed. 100% objectivity. Don’t cherry pick facts or data that reinforces your position. Doing marketing strategy right requires a lot of discipline and the ability to see things from the outside perspective of real world customers.

Marketers: outside in always beats inside out. Real answers for real problems per Harvard Business Review by Larry Minsky and David Aron.