What 7-Eleven teaches about ditching your cash cow
An ice company sees demand melting and becomes the world’s most prolific retailer.
What’s the Right Mix of Digital and Offline Marketing for My Business?
Spending less than 30% on brand building puts you at risk of a doom loop.
AI Makes You Invisible
You can smell it a mile away. It’s like looking at 50 photos of the same person dressed up in different costumes.
Why Your Ads Aren’t Working
You’re talking about the wrong person. It’s about listeners. It’s about empathy.
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.
The benefit of being Absurd
Don’t overexplain what you’re doing because then nobody’s going to like it.
The Serendipitous Story Behind Modern Movie Concessions
Theaters would crumble without snack sales, and these 3 people built that empire.
Why Your PPC Approach Is WASTING Your Money
You’re walking into a bear den, naked, slathered in honey, and hoping you come out unscathed.
Irresistible Marketing – Why Stories Sell & Facts Don’t
Gurganus was right. Stories only happen to people who can tell them.
Partner Book of the Month
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How Trust Fills Your Funeral Home
Showing up in their darkest hour is a calling. So earn real trust before they need you.
How Smarties became a Billion Dollar Brand…
Why do 185 countries (except the USA) all know which color to eat last?
Discounts, Data, and Delusion: Rethinking Valpak
Is Valpak effective marketing or just organized junk mail?
Look Elsewhere: The Power Rangers Strategy
1992: She puts her job on the line for this. 1994: It’s 40% of all action figure sales.
You Have to Be the Captain
For whatever “sea” you’re crossing, something subtle but vital separates sailors from true captains.
This Story Changed How I See Problems!
She was so kind about my mistake that it actually pained me. And brands need to hear her advice.
The 7 Truths of Sales Activation – Calls to Action That Work
Customers are jaded, experienced, and hard to fool. So don’t try.
How Do I Reduce Churn and Keep Customers Longer?
Every relationship is always doing one of two things: getting deeper or slowly fading.
UNTUCKit: Imperfect products built a resilient brand
It’s 2 years before anyone makes his off-spec shirt. Badly.
When Sex Appeal doesn’t sell…
Charlie was the bestselling perfume on the planet until it traded 1970s empowerment for a more traditional appeal.
What Business Owners Need to Know About Apple Maps Ads
New platforms often start with lower competition, higher visibility, and greater flexibility.
How to Write Headlines That Demand Attention
Have the courage to be different, evocative, surprising, and occasionally absurd.
The “Hail Mary” Trap: Why One Great Ad Won’t Save Your Brand
There’s no “killer bell” that would have conditioned Pavlov’s dog in a single ring.
The Secrets To BUILDING Trust In Marketing
True trust is only garnered over time. But you can also affect superficial assumptions.
When the going got rough, Avis kept trying.
Warren Avis expected big things in Miami. It failed spectacularly, so he took another swing.
Have You Fallen Prey to The Committee?
You developed a Good Idea. They said, “Let’s make it stronger. Build consensus.”
How Do I Decide if a New Media Channel Is Worth Pursuing?
Many run in circles as they chase what looks active and abandon what looks slow.
Google LSA Changes for 2026
Many owners noticed their Google Local Service Ads declined recently. Here’s why.
The Habit Loop of Advertising & Unforgettable Brands
Predictability kills advertising, but consistency is its lifeblood.
I Was Fired for Not Being a Digital Weasel
“Yes, but at what cost?” That’s the question most businesses forget to ask when they just chase volume.
This Campaign Never Stopped Running?
The redundancy of “Kills bugs dead” is the point. The unusual phraseology makes it sticky.
Don’t Be an Egg-Laying-Woolly-Dairy-Pig
You instinctively know what that phrase means. Trying to please everyone satisfies no one.
The Trick to getting the MOST Bang For Your Ad Budget
Most people hold the same biases and assumptions for media ROI.
I Did Not Watch Bad Bunny. It’s Not Why You Think.
The ads now cost 213 times more than they did in 1967. Worth it?
Hertz: Don’t Change Buyers, Change Yourself
When prospects say no, they’re telling you something important and promising.
How Do I Find More Customers Like My Best Ones?
The best customers self-select; they hear your story and think, “this is for me.”
Why Your Paid Advertising Isnt Working And How To Fix It
Google is for harvest time. You need seed time.
How do I Make My Marketing More Effective?
You might not need to spend more money. First, evaluate what you are doing and why.
What People Already Want
You can shape how both buyers and their AI tools evaluate you when you know what they’re looking for.
Unicorns Are Real
Every business owner believes they are a unicorn. Most are just horses, indistinguishable from the herd.
Sawdust in Their Veins: Surviving the Third Generation Curse
It started as 1 man and a station wagon in America’s biggest city. But he had no chair.
Is It Better to Specialize or Expand When Revenue Feels Flat?
Will your expanded offerings reinforce what you’re known for, or confuse it?
The Art & Science of Copywriting. Move Hearts AND Minds.
Creative products are always shiny and new. The creative process is ancient and unchanging.
You should know why this ad worked…
It’s been decades since we’d seen this Canadian Tire ad, but the shared experience and emotions still resonate.
Should I Turn it Green?
Every March, businesses seem to go under mass hypnosis in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. Most get lost in the crowd.
Why You Should Definitely Not Hire a Full Time Social Media Person
You should also avoid the whole consistency thing. Business momentum is overrated…
Frappuccino: The Summer Fix That Rewrote Starbucks’ Future
Schultz, a coffee purist, wasn’t on board at first. But slow seasons can open minds.
How Do We Build a Customer Loyalty Engine?
“Reward programs” miss the mark entirely, because people are loyal to those they trust.
Strategy vs Tactics. The Truth About Building Ads That Work
Forget gimmicks. What can I say that’s true that people would actually accept as the truth?
The 1% Fallacy: Measuring the Wrong Moment of Truth
AI is not a traffic source. It’s a decision source. And that distinction is everything.
Why Uber Eats’ 2026 Super Bowl Ad CRUSHED
The best comedy takes things to ridiculous levels but still has an element of truth to it.
Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street’s 95% Reach?
Joan asked, “What if our TV addiction problem could solve our education gap?”
What Is Your True Competitive Advantage
Do you have an advantage your competition doesn’t? Most owners think about this the wrong way.
5 Truths About TV Advertising You Must Know
Anybody who says, “Nobody watches TV anymore,” or “TV is always too expensive,” is a fool.
New Marketing Can Be Deadly
It takes years to turn your company into a trusted source. It takes way less time to destroy all progress.
I Can’t Believe Raisin Bran Pulled This Off…
The risk isn’t in going too far with the joke. The risk actually lies in not going far enough.
How Mr. Coffee Used Hutzpah and Joe DiMaggio to Brew Success
Vince was a delivery driver with no engineering background. But he smelled opportunity.
Is Print Dead? Why Powerful Messages Outlive Every Medium
What’s the big advantage? People can reread it. But only if it’s worth it.
Why Marketing Feels Less Predictable Now
Owners want to try various messages in uncertain times, but this resets your brand’s progress.
People are Not Demographics
It’s so tempting to think, “We just need to get the right data, and our marketing will never be a problem again!”
The NHL’s New Marketing is Actually GENIUS
Non-fans were drawn in by speaking to something we all feel. And the Easter eggs for fans were incredible.
Google Ads Won’t Save You: Be the Brand They Search For
The profit is in branded search and relational customers.
Folgers – The Best Part of Waking Up
The problem is that back in the 1850s, coffee was actually pretty gross.
Some Businesses Scale Calmly, Others Don’t: The Hidden Reason
You want to grow by scaling, not by stretching. And customer trust makes the difference.
They Knew EXACTLY What They Were Doing
See what all the fuss is about with these eyewear ads. No pun intended.
The Hidden Power of Sound: How Great Ads Build Belief
The thing that has the highest impact is not the easiest thing to measure.
Red Bull’s Branding Duality
It was innovation and risk taking that crowned them king. But unparalleled consistency and discipline kept them there.
How Should I Plan for Growth Despite Economic Uncertainty?
For business owners, good planning comes down to what investors call scenario discipline.
The Quiet Power of Luxury Branding
It’s about patience. Identity. Emotion. And telling a story so compelling that people justify the purchase to themselves.
Got Milk? Commercial
Our minds fight factual claims almost the way our body fights a virus. So we wrap it in entertainment.
How Great Brands Turn Customers Into True Believers
The more powerful the attraction, the more powerful the repulsion. Choose who to lose.
How Alienware Spotted Unidentified Flying Opportunities
You could get a PC for $500 at the time. They were selling units for $7,000.
Why Your Online Trust Is Built Offline (and Always Has Been)
84% of purchases are people choosing among brands they’re already biased towards.
How Loblaws Sold a Feeling, Not Food…
It’s the frame of mind of the customer. Loneliness. What’s the aspiration they want to have? Connection.
Is Your Brand Sending Mixed Messages? Here’s Why It Costs You
Your voice must be the same from ads to experience.
You Gotta Earn It!
What’s your challenge? Getting the public to know you, like you, and trust you. And earned media can help.
Hexclad – A failed actor’s rise from broke to $1 billion
Danny is on crutches and spent his last $2 to buy oranges. The bag rips. They roll downhill. He collapses crying.
Attention Is Not the Prize
If your marketing gets seen but not chosen, relevance may be the missing piece. Learn how to become the obvious choice.
How Do I Raise Prices Without Losing Jobs?
Why two companies can charge different prices in the same market and both stay busy.
This campaign was ALMOST perfect
They’re good billboards, but they could have been so much better.
The new realities of AI search
Organic and paid search leads are dropping fast as AI search gains in popularity.
Why Most Brands Fail to Connect
Without personality or story you don’t have a brand. Sadly, all you have is a company.
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.
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.
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.