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.

Sometimes, it's not what people say about your business that matters but how they say it. And then how you react. Don't let the future pass you by.

Put simply, people buy the brands they want. Not the cheapest. Not the best. Not the most purpose-driven. And so on. Ask why, and the answer is different. Think Apple.

Too few CEOs recognize marketing as an investment: "Net revenues up 48%, client assets up 39%, earnings per share up 80% from a year ago." Good read from @KimWhitler.

To all marketers: bad ads do not persuade. Even if they are well-produced and are shown during every break in every football game.

Things get off track too often because we don't say "no" or ask "why" per @FastCoDesign and #MikeMonteiro.

In our commoditized world, marketing can be the difference-maker per @NirajDawar.

Scott Berinato: "storytelling with data is not about PowerPoint slides and numbers but about setup, conflict, and resolution" Something #SpikeLee does time and again.

We’ve all seen the stats. CMOs have a shorter shelf life than ever. And for most, it’s not for a lack of ability or intention. So with all of our marketing classes, MBAs and best-selling gurus with quotable quips of wisdom, how is it that marketing efforts so often miss the mark?

Qualitative research will tell you what people really think. Surveys will tell you what they want you to believe per @gkkenny. Choose wisely.

Want brand loyalty? @HarvardBiz says understand and act on wants and needs. A little harder than price rewards.