Dr. Gross Skincare – Better to be gross than boring
He first resisted the name, then got the last laugh with his $450 million payday.
Why Customers Don’t Believe You Even When You’re Honest
Potential buyers listen and nod, but still hesitate when trust hasn’t had time to form.
How McDonald’s Accidentally Ruined a Global Campaign
The jingle made them run out of buns. But then they got cheap about it.
Ad Fraud Isn’t a Glitch. It’s a Business Model.
How to protect your spend, tighten targeting, and future-proof your marketing as AI search reshapes everything.
THE WIZARD (bi)WEEKLY
Twice a month we’ll send our best advice, no strings attached.
Let’s grow your business.
No spam. No nonsense.
How to Build a Remarkable Brand They’ll Never Forget
You can’t copy anybody. You have to see the angel in the marble.
The Transformers Story: More Than Meets The Eye
Tonka’s GoBots got a head start in the market. But Hasbro’s storytelling won the larger race.
It’s Getting Harder To Find Good Workers. Why?
People are being more careful about where they invest their lives. And they’re watching you.
The Plague taking over the Marketing Industry…
Many have abandoned the long-running campaign that was so powerful in days of yore.
Partner Book of the Month
Latest Monday Morning Memo
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The Truth About Storytelling and Why It Beats Objections
Our entire biological structure is uniquely built for stories.
How to win the Super Bowl
The station: “The boss offered me ONE chance to upgrade a client, and I chose your guys.”
Specialized Bikes – Choose What To Lose, Or Lose It All
A dropout grew from flea markets to millions. But going mainstream nearly ruined him.
Rebranding: When Panic Wears a New Logo
Double-check that it’s good for you and not good for that person’s billable hours.
The Phone Is Ringing Less This Year For Everyone
Something has changed for a lot of companies. Buyers are hesitant.
What separates Hokey from Funny in advertising
If you’re not remarkable and you have a small budget, you’re usually invisible.
Why Company Culture Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Asset
What do employees believe in their heart about the company? That’s your culture.
Branding Beyond the Gold Rush: The Levi’s Story
How an immigrant startup became an American icon for 170 years and counting.
When explanations still sound right and no longer work
Many leaders assume ambiguity buys safety. But times are changing.
Trust Is Already Deciding Your Prices (You’re Just Not In The Room)
Low-trust businesses pay a kind of tax for being low-trust.
The Move That Separated TD From Other Banks
We’ve got this shared experience, and it humanizes TD Bank.
He Didn’t Have to Do It
My awesome bourbon steward is the perfect foil for every failed customer service bot.
Win Attention and Trust with Vulnerable Ads
Say something significant, maybe embarrassing, but don’t make anybody feel creepy or awkward.
Drift: When Leadership Loses Alignment Without Failing.
It’s not that decisions are harder, exactly. They just feel heavier.
Marketing Myths That Just Won’t Die
These myths spread with good intentions: “Don’t do [X media]. I tried [X media]. It doesn’t work.”
Tapping Into the Zeitgeist: Monopoly’s Origin Story
Most board games at the time moralized at people.
Busy, Booked… and Still Broke
My explanation to a home services company with record call volume & jobs completed, but shrinking profit.
Porsche – The sound says it all
There’s almost no copy in this. But it still speaks directly to the heart of their tribe.
Selling to Walter Mitty: People Buy Who They Want to Be
How do I see myself, and how can I announce it to the world?
How to Ruin a Campaign in 30 Seconds or Less
The greatest lessons are forged in failure. So let’s fight through some real follies.
From Mars Men Mediocrity to Sour Patch Success
Both the concept for the candy and the name stemmed from observing others.
How To Die From Advertising: One, Zero, Minus One
Experiences of delight or disappointment are the only times people will tell their story about you.
Apple’s Smartest Marketing Move EVER — Here’s Why It Worked
All 15 messages in one ad wasn’t going to work. They needed an integrated campaign.
Why People Buy: The Emotional Triggers Behind Every Sale
I can’t put the need in your heart, but I can speak to the need.
AI Isn’t Ruining Your Marketing, It’s Revealing Your Leadership
AI will not choose for customers. It will show them who you are.
Marketing, Marriage, And The Trust Equation
What rebuilding my marriage taught me about winning customers.
Marketing Has a Physics Problem
There are marketing forces you can’t see. But they exist just the same.
We Got a Freebie
My own negligence, plus a plumber’s generosity, demonstrate how to keep your customers loyal.
Brain Scans EXPOSE Samsung’s Brand Weakness
“The only evidence that Samsung users showed was reverse empathy for Apple.”
Beyond ROAS: How to Know if Your Advertising is Working
Branded search and gross revenue are the best metrics. But they take patience.
The Hidden Psychology Behind Cabela’s Success
What’s the difference between free shipping vs a free product?
Getting a Foot in the Door — Of Perception
How to move out of background clutter to be perceived and, more importantly, remembered.
Stop Popup Abuse: Your Customers Deserve Better
Next time someone says, “Just throw it in a popup,” ask, “Would I find this annoying?”
Is AI the New Yellow Pages
It’s shinier, faster, but still largely dependent on what people already know and feel about you.
What’s Kind Got To Do With It?
It’s not just decent, it’s profitable. Win the heart, and the mind will follow.
7 Laws of Advertising: Why Storytelling, Emotion, and Clarity Still Win
Differentiate yourself. And don’t worry about who approves.
Winning in Hard Times: Why Most Businesses Shrink and a Few Roar Back
When consumer sentiment tanks, buying becomes emotionally loaded.
The Tangled Origins Of History’s Most Sold Meal
3 different inventors made McDonald’s one of the largest toy distributors ever.
Do You Keep Your Promises?
Research shows that 40% of Americans will NEVER return to a brand once they’ve lost trust in it.
AI Turns Choices Into Decisions, Especially For “Boring” Businesses
AI-driven leads convert at 23x the rate of SEO leads.
A poem a day keeps the stagnation away
Ad Writers Guild students are instructed to read a poem every day. Forever.
What Digital Superstars Know About Offline Advertising
Why is Amazon, the biggest online retailer, still mailing print catalogs?
The Moxie Behind Supergoop: Faking It ‘Til You Make It
She booked a flight to San Francisco without even having a meeting lined up.
They Thought Turning Vegas Into Disneyland Would Work…
You cannot be all things to everybody. You lose both sides.
When Should a Home‑Service Business Start Advertising?
How do you do it so it generates quality leads, not tire‑kickers?
The Risk of Insult is the Price of Clarity
If you say what people expect you to say, you’re boring and your ads will never work.
Unmistakable: A Tale of Two Boots and Branding Done Right
If we invest in a status symbol, we want it recognized by others.
Bond’s Surprising Authenticity Makes Him Immortal
Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale, was inspired by firsthand experience.
Lead Generation vs. Branding: How to Win the Marketing War
Unnecessary targeting by competitors is a beautiful thing.
Marketing is about People
I know that doesn’t sound very revelatory, but hear me out. Great marketing makes people feel seen and heard.
AI Won’t Take Your Job (But Someone Using It Will)
Tom Capone reports firsthand on sales, business, and the future of work.
The Invisible Problem You Only Notice When It’s Late
Only 31% of workers are engaged. That’s a lot of people showing up without leaning in.
Making the Branding Math *Math* with Broadcast Radio
This ain’t theory. It’s math, hard data, and real-world results.
What Swatch Teaches Us About Price Wars
The Swiss watch industry had declined by two-thirds but they didn’t just chase Seiko to the bottom.
Why Visual Metaphors Still Dominate Modern Marketing
This is an ad for the concept of fractional shares, which can be a difficult idea to explain.
Built to last. Advertise to accelerate. Run smoothly.
A simple plan for home‑service owners who want more quality leads.
It’s Not the Tool. It’s How You Think.
Whether you find AI useless, or can’t live without it, depends on how you think about thinking.
Quiet Quitting & Culture: Does Your Company’s Soul Sell?
Is culture the backbone of your brand, or just a corporate fairytale?
From Maps to Memorability: Local SEO Will Bury the Unprepared
The winner won’t be the one with the most Google reviews.
Identity-Based Branding
Brands that powerfully appeal to identity can not only charge more, they can make it a point of pride.
The Genius Move Behind Sydney Sweeney’s Jeans Ad
Anytime you put an emotional campaign out there, you get lovers and you get haters.
If AI’s Letting You Down, This Might Be Why
Automation without clarity doesn’t get you there faster. It just gets you lost faster.
PEZ – Part 2 – From Loophole to PEZ Outlaw
How Steve Glew made $4 million giving the people what they wanted by beating the system.
Reversing Declining Sales: Learning from New Balance’s Comeback Story
The new approach took 18 months but it kept improving.
Pick Me! vs I’m The Only Option
The bonus of having a fleet of wrapped trucks is they’re in the exact areas you want to reach.
I Think I Swallowed An Elephant – The Author’s Story
After several bestsellers, Bryan’s latest book goes deep.
Packaging Your Business So There Are Never Any Mistakes
Trusted packaging means we are going to feel good about what we buy.
The Power of Context: Why Some Ads Hit Harder
How owners evaluate ads differs from how buyers actually encounter them.
How wars and smoking led to PEZ and collecting
Edward’s secret weapon? His germaphobia.
Influencers Are Charlatans
According to Shopify, one in four influencers purchase FAKE followers.
Flattery Through Storytelling
Story-based ads, when done well, can flatter the audience in a way that overcomes suspicion.
The Hard Truth About Workplace Performance Standards
Should you have forced turnover like Jack Welch did?
Are These the Greatest Corporate Ads Ever Made?
Whoever came up with this script is a total rock star.
Lessons In Being A More Interested Human from ChatGPT
It always asks a value-building question that probes beyond “is there anything else I can do?”
TV Ads on the Cheap: Champagne Taste, Shoestring Budget
Spending $1,500 to $10,000 results in average quality. So what’s right for you?
Jacuzzi’s Wild Ride From Planes to Pains to Fame
From the death of a sibling and the diagnosis of a child, the Iacuzzi family always came back stronger.
You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy.
You’d be a lunatic if you ignored Google ads, or relied solely upon them. Here’s a balanced and proven approach.
Midnight Musings of a Relational Marketing Mom
It is possible to make money and create a name to be proud of all while making a positive difference.
Combining Sales Activation and Long-term Branding
Get the split right, and you’ll escape the treadmill and grow year after year.
How a Beer Ad Became a Masterpiece
It’s a minute and 20 seconds until you know it’s a Guinness ad.
Is this the worst logo ever?
It breaks all the rules of design, yet the company holds a sizeable chunk of market share in Australia.
Polaroid’s Rise – Instant Idea, Instant Empire
It was like in Willy Wonka, “Daddy, I want the picture now!” And Edwin figured it out that night.
Struggling with prices?
You can follow the pricing of others. But you’ll never become a leader when you’re just one of the pack.
The Leader Shift Playbook: Overcoming Mount Stupid
Phillip B. Wilson’s shares his 4 changes with us and explains who should read this, and why.
How Mexican Avocados Took Over!
Growing from $1.7 billion to $11.2 billion in 6 years doesn’t happen by accident.
3 Techniques That Work on Highly Skeptical Audiences
Ads that flattered the customer outperformed others by 50%!
Don’t Be a Puppy Mill Professional
Only help puppies (potential customers, clients, etc.) that are grown-up enough to take the next step.
How To Navigate The 3 Levels of Trust
If you want people to trust your business, you must trust them first.
How Do You Become a Beloved ICON?
Sports is a microcosm of life, so what can your business learn from Lee Corso’s 29 years?
Flaman Reveals the 3 Pillars That Built Their Empire
They successfully sold spy gear, farm supplies, fitness equipment, and more. What makes it all work?
Why this Satisfying Ad works so well!
I won’t even finish my beer by the time I got this sucker together.
The Digital Power of Consistently Posting Articles
The more there is for the search engines to feed potential customers, the better your business will do organically.
From $70 to an Empire: A Handyman’s Journey
Kaminskiy started with no money, no computer, nothing but grit.
Acting “as if” can be more than wishful thinking
This approach can grow your business. No weird “woo woo” manifestation meditations required.
Building a Family Business Legacy: The Flaman Story
His grandpa landed his plane on farms unexpectedly. And he built a local legend.
THIS is how you get Referrals!
How a small roofing company increased referrals from 6% to 32% without resorting to bribery or begging.
The Father, the Boy, and the Boat
Every business, every team, has a Boat, of some sort, that they’re trying to build. And they all get invisibly bogged down.
Diamonds, Drains, and the Danger of Over-Education
Business owners know too much. And “educating the customer” is one of their worst mistakes.
Birkenstock’s 250-Year Journey to a $7 Billion IPO
People found them profoundly ugly. Now they’re in the Barbie movie and on runways.
Transform Your Sales Team’s Performance
Everybody wants to get recognized. But your approach can’t be one size fits all.