You hear a lot about analytics these days: how brands need to use “the numbers” to create content and advertising campaigns.

It’s supposed to make you more efficient: analytics tell you what worked and what didn’t so you can create more of what worked.

Sounds logical– what’s not to like?

I’m not going to argue against analytics. It’s useful to know what’s resonating with your target audience. You’d be foolish to ignore that information.

But numbers aren’t the whole story. If you follow them slavishly, you’ll limit yourself to what’s worked before. You’ll shy away from breaking new ground.

Without consciously thinking about it, you’ll be more averse to risk, more apt to play it safe– and that’s the biggest risk of all for a brand.

Ogilvy UK’s Rory Sutherland writes that data doesn’t always reveal the truth.

What looked like gender bias in admissions at UC Berkeley, wasn’t. … Read more

Disrupting Disruption

Today I want to talk about a great marketing system can overcome disruption in business. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of disruption over the last handful of years. I was in a networking meeting this morning with a handful of people. And one person said, “I really do need to market more, but I’m too busy. What I really need is to just find some leads.”

Many businesses, when they get disrupted immediately say, we need more leads. We need to create more sales. Well, there’s a big difference between leads and sales. So let me explain.

Buying or Earning Leads

There are two different ways to find leads. A lead is obviously something that could lead to a sale. You can buy leads or you can earn leads. Now I belong to a group, a networking group, and it was a … Read more