What is Dr. Pepper Doing Wrong
It is now number 2 in the cola space but you wouldn’t know it from the museum.
Darling, you do have style
I love writing distinctive copy for all my clients. But this one is interesting. Nobody suspects I’m that voice.
Man vs. Machine: Should AI Write Your Ads?
It is by definition derivative. What are other people saying? It’ll say that too.
This Is the Work
You want to build a company that lasts? Then notice what others miss. Ask what others avoid.
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.
Managing High-Performing Sales Teams: The Right Approach
Could giving them feedback put them off or be seen as micromanaging?
Why 1950s Advertising is STILL Relevant Today
Ogilvy almost left Rolls-Royce defeated, but 1 comment changed everything.
Walmart – Big Dreams for Small Towns
After JCPenney, Sam saw that rural America had to travel too far.
AI is OK
AI is right for your business, if you don’t think your business is terribly special.
Partner Book of the Month
Latest Monday Morning Memo
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When Big Guys Get Loud, Small Businesses Should Listen Quietly
In smaller companies, fear isn’t just bad strategy — it’s toxic.
The Hidden Value of Studying Business Failures
Buffet found the number one reason that businesses go bad is complacency.
How Adidas Fumbled the Message With “You Got This”
It starts brilliantly. But by the end it’s a participation ribbon.
Wonka’s Tale of Risk, Failure, and Nerds
The movie was originally a flop, but they kept taking chances.
Google Is a Tactic, Not a Strategy
Google can deliver results but it requires a broader vision and destination in mind.
Lord Byron Killed by SEO Writing
Confused companies spend thousands on SEO writers of ill repute who produce little benefit.
Say What No One’s Saying
What’s unspoken doesn’t disappear. It just moves underground.
Will AI Take Your Sales Job?
75% of Walmart vendors prefer to deal with the bot. And it gets better deals for Walmart.
The REAL Reason Jaguar’s Rebrand Doesn’t Work
In 2022 they sold 61,661 cars. 2 years later it’s 33,320. Just shy of a 50% decline. How? Why?
HELP WANTED: Why Your Hiring Ads Suck
Your best hires aren’t scrolling job boards. They’re already employed.
Sell the Summit: How Rolex Markets a Premium Brand
Their endorsements helped, but it goes far beyond that.
Aspiring to Go Viral Is Lazy
I wish every business owner could go viral once, so they could realize how little it actually moves the needle.
Are You a Real Man?
At first, I thought it was a hoax. But there’s a method to this brand’s positioning worth serious scrutiny.
Be Wild
Don’t fall into the trap of using safe, tame, lame ads. It feels tried and true, but it’s a road to nowhere.
Strategy vs Tactics: What Business Owners Need to Know
If I looked at that the stuff that we did back then, I would laugh.
Classic Advertising Tricks That STILL WORK Today!
People still remember this jingle after 54 years due to the power of echoic retention.
The Space Between the Meetings
The leaders who last know how to pause. Not because they’re less committed. Because they’re more connected.
Secret Ingredients: Free Cookies. Brutal Honesty.
Discounts are dangerous but free isn’t. Nobody expects a second one for free.
The Hallmarks of Good Web Copy
The most effective writing for websites is like feeding your dog the pill inside the cheese.
Where Should You Spend Your Ad Dollars?
Big brands can be a dominant purchaser in every medium but small companies need to budget carefully.
How to Build and Maintain Trust as a Leader
You don’t have to wonder if you’re doing it right. Gibb’s TORI assessment can tell you in minutes.
Trust = Brand Loyalty = $$$
15,000 people told the 2025 Edelman Report that brand trust matters as much as quality or price.
Dirty Dough’s Recipe for Market Disruption
In 3 years Bennett was at 450 franchises sold despite 1 lawsuit and 0 experience.
We Found A GENIUS Advertising Tool In Plain Sight
They took a form of advertising up until that moment, I would’ve said, don’t ever bother.
When the Numbers and the Vibe Don’t Match
Is your company’s spirit strong but the numbers are lagging? This is a solvable problem.
Ernest Hemingway Killed by SEO Writing
Businesses that employ typical SEO writing repel customers and sound like they suck.
5 Pillars of Recognition: Reduce Turnover by 45%
Gallup says that the extra costs of replacing most people is about 40-80% of their salary.
What the 1920s Can Teach Us About the AI Boom
How can entrepreneurs spot opportunities hiding in this new world?
The Genius Behind Allstate’s “Mayhem” Campaign
These actually are using fear, but the crazy ass personification allows it to be comedy.
Flying Money Out the Window
Are you getting what you paid for? There’s science behind a mesmerizing message and artwork.
Get To Know The Procrastinators
There is a hidden trio of friction points that marketers encounter. Here’s how to address each one.
How to Take the Fail Out of Failure
Roy Williams says, “If you’ve never failed, it’s either because you’re frightened or you lack imagination.”
Breaking Through Career Barriers: A Saleswoman’s Story
I had no education. But I believed if you sense it, if you smell it, you can do it.
How’d The Bananas Build a Million-Person Waitlist?
What can your business learn from a no-name team?
A Brain So Smart It’s Stupid
How to remember the details when your brain is determined to forget.
What’s in a Name — The Power Behind Brand Identity
Here are 4 important considerations to choose a strong name.
When Everyone’s “Good”
When meetings end early and everyone nods along, it may not be efficiency. It may be self-protection.
Steve Jobs Presentation Techniques That Still Work Today
Three things separate Steve’s presentations from the ones we immediately forget about.
VRBO’s New Campaign Isn’t Working — Here’s Why
They’re pretending they’re different than Airbnb and hoping we’re stupid.
Shared Suffering: The Missing Ingredient in Customer Loyalty
How do we share suffering? That’s easy: Identify your common enemies.
Innovation or Iteration? Spin Master’s Paw Patrol Playbook
Toys change but there’s always just 11 patterns of play. So they knew what would work.
What Your Praise Teaches
If you celebrate outcomes but never the values behind them, people learn that results matter more than integrity.
How Selling with Purpose Drives Better Business Growth
McLeod proved that having a mission beyond just money yields bigger profits.
Why this Nike Ad was actually a FAILURE
It was brilliantly written and exquisitely produced. But they forgot who usually buys Nike.
The Unignorable Jingle: Win Hearts & Customers in 8 Seconds
Brevity and memorability make them effective in social media, TV, and radio.
Lip Bar – Think big, start small. It’s better to fail than regret.
Shark Tank ripped her apart but she learned something pivotal.
What They’re Not Saying Out Loud
What to do when employees soften the truth to keeps things smooth (and hidden).
From Sales Failure to Success: A Career-Changing Story
After thousands of people, this big New York sales trainer says I’m his least likely to succeed.
Why Do Your Ads Sound Like a Lecture?
The only education your ad should deliver is why the customer should give a damn.
Unwrapping Mars Part 2: How to Spot and Seize Opportunity
His stepmom controls the chocolate. So he partners with her competitor.
What Can Your Business Learn from the OJ Simpson Chase?
It drove Domino’s best sales day ever. Tap into the power of shared experience.
Start Noticing Again
How to recognize the quiet distress signals in your business. When things are bending but not yet broken.
Accountability in Business: Expectations vs Agreements
Leaders are often certain their team knows what they want. But then I go talk to the team.
Five Doses of Medicinal Business Tonic
Start these today to attract more relational buyers, the kind that build the most profitable businesses.
Unwrapping Mars: The Gritty Story Behind its Sweet Success
Father and son were estranged. But a century later the family still owns the company?
Misaligned
The early signs of cultural misalignment don’t come with a neon warning light. They arrive in the form of subtle comments.
Mastering Sales Communication: Lessons from Alan Alda
Even smart people have trouble communicating effectively. Alan’s 5 step method helps.
How Uber Eats Pulled Off One of the Smartest Ads in Years
It’s a shared experience everybody has gone through so people feel something.
Be Known Before You’re Needed: The Secret to Better Marketing
Slow and steady wins. Leads don’t get 100 quotes if they have a name they trust.
When Ads Won’t Work, You Need A “Street Team”
Sometimes you don’t need mass media or social media. You need a two-legged army.
The Cost of Not Talking Money
The vibe is good. But something in the numbers keeps slipping through the cracks. Why?
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Sales: Aristotle’s Persuasion Secrets
There are 3 elements to persuasion. Pathos, logos, and ethos.
The Promise of the Butterfly Effect
Lots of small changes make off the chart results. It works in life. It works in business.
Brand Ads: Brilliant Long Game or Bottom-Line Killer?
Do brand ads actually work, or are they just smoke, mirrors, and Madison Avenue charm?
How Nescafé Turned Instant Coffee Into a Premium Brand
I realized why I disliked it, why it worked, and why I’d run the ads even though I disliked them.
When “We’re Like a Family” Becomes a Shield
Teams thrive on clarity, not just kindness. Is your company sidestepping discomfort?
Scrabble’s Slow Burn: Lessons in Business Perseverance
He launched the game in 1938. Almost 20 years later it finally explodes.
Mastering First Principles in Sales: Transform Your Approach
Principle 1: Don’t try to convince the customer to think and feel like you do.
The Most Powerful Part of Your Story Is the One You Don’t Tell
The best writing knows that persuasion isn’t about pressure. It’s about resonance.
The Word That Makes Us Cringe
It usually isn’t comfortable, easy, or fun. But your business will never grow without it.
When Culture Becomes a Cover Story
Culture. Not the kind companies post on their websites, but the kind you can feel in the room.
Why Your Google Ads Are Bleeding Money
Two PPC experts explain what’s wrong with most of the accounts that they take over.
Knowing your needs better than you do. Marriott’s model.
He succeeded 3 times in a row. How’d he find opportunities?
Hypnagogic State: The Secret to Boosting Your Creative Thinking
Edison and Dali used this long before science explained it.
NIKE ads are finally good again!
They remembered their core audience and spoke to the passion and emotions involved.
Painting With Words
Your words attract either transactional or relational customers, so telling the story of your business well is crucial.
Radio Ads Cost How Much?!
In many cities, spending a dollar reaches somebody with 60-second ads three times a week for a full 52 weeks.
The Most Important Place in Your Business Is Where the Wires Can’t Reach
This kind of presence can’t be automated. But it’s often the reason people stay loyal.
The SECRET To Better Advertising – Entertainment ISN’T Always Funny
When you’re cringing, it doesn’t feel like an ad.
Turtle Power – How Absurdity Built an Empire
They maxed out their cards and got a loan from an uncle. How’d they reach $17 billion?
Marketing Is Dead. Long Live Marketing!
When you understand how humans actually buy, you don’t have to force the sale.
How Pixar’s Culture Drives Financial Success
Their movies net half a billion dollars each. Can we learn what makes them special?
Culture Shows the Way, Strategy Pays the Bills
“If you focus on culture, you don’t need to worry about revenue.” It sounds nice. But it’s not true.
Lure of the Aurora Borealis
Tourists want to gaze at the sky, but it’s too frigid. See how a hotel turned an obstacle into an opportunity.
Connect 4: Turning ‘Different Thinking’ into an Advantage
Howard’s dyslexia spurred innovative ideas, but his Hasbro bosses rejected them.
Marketing’s Focus Group Trap
Why the “smartest” person in the room is ruining your marketing.
Why Your Brand Can’t Afford to Forget What AI Will Never Hold
Are we building for speed, or are we building for staying power?
Unexpected Sales Lessons from a Master Bartender
If you master connection then nobody is buying off the right-hand side of the menu.
Snickers Uses Shared Experience To Make Incredible Advertising
It’s all about entertainment and emotion. They’re owning your brain for 30 seconds.
The Metric Trap Sabotaging Your Marketing
Offline advertising is perhaps 10 times more effective than you think, and digital is about a third.
How Hilton grew despite a bad economy
How did Conrad create the first modern hotel experience facing economic headwinds?
Bold Consistency
Both bird feeders and ad campaigns will typically fail to attract their intended targets for similar reasons.
How to Handle Bad News in Business
Just because your door is open, doesn’t mean you’re approachable.
How To Sell Brown Liquor
How does Nick, a non-marketer, get people making road trips to line up before the store opens?
You never forget your first real coach
They’ll either help you grow or reinforce the belief that coaching is just a fancy word for pressure.
Bet the House, Hit the Road – A Barber’s Belief in UNO
At 60 years old he mortgages his home and it’s not selling.
Public Service Advertising Done Right
It’s really hard to educate the consumer, but they made a dull subject sparkle.
Drifters, Surfers, Drowners, and Sailors
There are four kinds of people you meet when you’re sailing the water of life. Only one finds success.
The Art of Storytelling and Whiskey Tasting with Paul Boomer
The way you share things and the settings that you provide make all the difference.
The Marketing Trap Every Small Business Falls For
A recent report describes the “damage, not deliverance” that results from over-reliance on digital advertising.