For years, the brief was predictable: we need more content. More articles, more posts, more thought leadership, more everything. And for a long time, I agreed. Content was the answer. Then smarter content. Then “always-on content,” which sounds impressive until you realize it mostly means feeding a machine that doesn’t care. What changed wasn’t the volume. It was the outcome.

The brands that are winning aren’t the ones producing the most. They are the ones being talked about in the right places. Mentioned, cited, linked to, included. Not just present, but present in environments that carry weight.

When AI showed up it made the whole situation brutally obvious. Because AI doesn’t read everything. It prioritizes what it trusts. It leans on authoritative sources, credible media, consistent signals. It ignores the vast majority of brand-produced content unless it’s validated elsewhere. Which means PR, real PR that earns coverage, citations and authority, isn’t just relevant again. It’s central.

The problem isn’t content. It’s credibility.

Most Content Doesn’t Fail. It Never Had a Chance.

Here’s the blunt reality: 90.63% of pages get zero organic traffic (Ahrefs). At the same time, 70% of marketers are investing in content marketing (HubSpot). 

So, we’ve built a global system where everyone is producing and almost none of it is seen. That’s messed up! Most marketing teams don’t have a content problem. They have a misallocation problem. And credibility doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, placed and amplified properly.

Search Doesn’t Reward Volume. It Rewards Authority.

Backlinko’s analysis shows the #1 Google result has ~3.8x more backlinks than positions #2–#10—one of the clearest indicators that authority still drives visibility. Google itself has consistently confirmed backlinks remain a top-ranking factor.

You can see this play out in how companies become visible. When Stripe, a global payments platform, publishes its annual “Stripe Sessions” content and economic reports, it’s picked up and cited by major outlets like the Financial Times and Bloomberg—creating authoritative backlinks and reinforcing its dominance in search around payments infrastructure.

Similarly, Property Finder, a UAE-based real estate marketplace and property portal, releases regular market reports that are cited by outlets like The National and Gulf News, generating backlinks and search visibility around real estate trends.

None of this comes from publishing more blog posts. It comes from being cited, covered and linked to by sources that search engines already trust.

Most of what brands create isn’t useless, it’s just undiscovered. The role of PR-led, credibility-driven content is to create the entry point. The signal that gets picked up, cited, linked to and surfaced. Once that happens, everything else benefits. Traffic doesn’t just go to the article that got coverage, it flows across the entire ecosystem. Your site, your deeper content, your product pages.

Think of it like a rock band. A few credible “hits” get the audience in. The coverage, the mentions, the visibility. Then people go deeper. They explore the deeper cuts. The earlier work. The overlooked pieces. Without those hits, the rest of the music just sits there.

This is where many companies fall down. They produce content. They run social. They buy media. But they do it in silos, and none of it compounds because no one is orchestrating credibility across channels. That’s not a content problem. That’s not a social problem. That’s a marketing leadership problem.

Buyers Trust Everyone Except You.

According to Edelman, earned media is trusted more than brand-owned content. And Gartner shows buyers spend just 17% of their time with suppliers. So when Notion, a productivity and collaboration platform, grew globally, it wasn’t by flooding content channels, it was through organic advocacy, media mentions and creator ecosystems that others trusted and referenced. The implication is uncomfortable: you don’t control your reputation. Other people do. And managing that isn’t about publishing more. It’s about aligning content, social, SEO and paid behind a single credibility strategy—led by PR, not separated from it.

Regional Reality: Credibility Travels Faster Than Content.

In the Middle East, Bayut, a UAE property portal and part of Dubizzle Group, has built consistent visibility by publishing quarterly and annual real estate market reports on prices, rents and transaction trends that are regularly picked up by outlets like Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Arabian Business. The content is structured for citation, not just consumption.

Similarly, YallaCompare, a UAE comparison platform for insurance, banking and personal finance products, publishes consumer finance insights on insurance pricing, credit behavior and cost-of-living that are frequently referenced by regional media, reinforcing its authority in personal finance.

In Europe, Raisin, a Germany-based fintech platform for savings and deposit products, releases data on savings rates and cross-border deposits that is cited by financial media, strengthening its visibility in a crowded category.

And in Asia, iPrice Group, a Southeast Asian ecommerce data and price comparison platform, built recognition through ecommerce trend reports that have been widely covered across regional publications, generating backlinks and sustained search visibility.

You don’t just publish content. You create content that others need so that they reference it, cite it and distribute it for you. And when that happens, the impact doesn’t stop with the article. It flows across your entire ecosystem—your site, your deeper content, your commercial pages—because authority has been established externally. That’s what integrated PR actually looks like in practice.

Reviews Help. But They Don’t Carry You.

Yes, reviews matter. Hugely. But they’re baseline. Tripadvisor has over 1 billion reviews and Booking.com has hundreds of millions. Which means everyone has reviews. What separates brands is where else they show up. For example, Rove Hotels consistently appears in international “best value” lists and travel media, extending its visibility far beyond review platforms. Getting into those lists is not an SEO trick. It’s not a content calendar. It’s PR coordinated with search, social and distribution so it actually drives visibility.

Platforms Are Quietly Killing Your Content Strategy.

Organic reach on Facebook sits around ~5% or less, So even if you produce more content, fewer people see it. Meanwhile, Google emphasizes E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), a framework that prioritizes credibility signals over output. Translation: you don’t need more posts. You need more proof. And proof doesn’t come from one team. It comes from aligned signals across media, search and social—again, coordinated, not fragmented.

AI Has Removed Any Remaining Illusion.

AI systems don’t reward effort. They reward validated presence. If your brand appears across credible sources, you show up. If not, you don’t. This is exactly what we broke down in our PR for Robots session about how PR, SEO, social and paid must work together to influence what machines surface and what people trust. The point was simple: PR leads because AI trusts authority. SEO makes sure it’s found. Social and paid amplify it. Content feeds it. Run them separately and you disappear.

So What Actually Works?

Not more content. Better signals: coverage in authoritative media, backlinks from credible domains, citations in trusted contexts, structured presence across platforms. And, most important, integration led by PR. Because PR is the only discipline designed to shape narrative, secure third-party validation and place stories where authority is built. Everything else should support that instead of operating independently.

Stop asking: “How much content are we producing?” Start asking: “Where are we being referenced and by whom?” Because the system has already decided: content is expected, credibility is scarce, scarcity wins. You don’t need more content. You need content that someone else is willing to reference.

Sources: Ahrefs: “90.63% of content gets no traffic from Google”, Backlinko: Google ranking factors study, Edelman Trust Barometer, Gartner B2B Buying Journey research, HubSpot State of Marketing Report, Hootsuite Social Media Benchmarks, Google Search Central (E-E-A-T guidance), Tripadvisor company reporting, Booking.com company reporting

I remember seeing an ad years ago—print, probably in a magazine or buried in one of those junk mail stacks in my mailbox. It stopped me cold because it didn’t even pretend to be clever. Just a hot girl and one word in oversized type: “SEX.” Then, in smaller print beneath it, almost sheepishly: “Now that we have your attention…” before proceeding to make its pitch. There’s an old adage that “Sex sells”. But this company was taking the suggestion literally.

If memory serves, it was selling auto parts. Or something equally unsexy. I wouldn’t swear to the category, but I would swear to the tactic. Because that line—or versions of it—popped up all over the place for a while. Subway, the sandwich makers, used exactly the same headline on billboards just a few years ago.  Different companies, different industries, same blunt-force approach. Grab attention by any means possible, then pivot into whatever you’re actually trying to sell.

At the time, I used it often as an example—half admiring, half critical. It was undeniably effective as an attention device. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. You noticed it. You read it. You might even have responded to it. But it also revealed something uncomfortable. It did very little for the brand. In fact, you could argue it worked against the brand over time. It trained people to remember the trick, not the company. The interruption, not the message.

And the punchline still holds: I remember the ad perfectly. I have no idea who ran it.

We’re watching the same dynamic play out again—just dressed differently, distributed faster and optimized by machines.

Yap Yap Yap.

Today’s equivalent isn’t a single word in bold type. It’s a person talking—and taking their time doing it. The modern version shows up across platforms like TikTok, Meta and YouTube. A creator leans into the camera and starts explaining. There’s usually a hook, but it’s soft. The point arrives late. The product reveal is delayed just enough to keep you from swiping.

These are what we now refer to as “yapper ads.” Low production, conversational tone, often indistinguishable from organic content. Sometimes engaging, often a bit exhausting. But calling them a format misses the bigger point. Yapper ads aren’t a creative trend. They’re a system outcome.

They exist because the environment rewards them. Platforms reward time, not meaning. Brands reward conversion, not memory. Tools reward speed, not craft. And this is the critical shift: they hack the algorithm, not the audience. TikTok has reported that 67% of users say ads that feel native perform better, which is a polite way of saying that if your ad blends in, it gets more time to work.

You can see this clearly in Temu, a fast-growing online marketplace known for ultra-low-priced goods, where ads often stretch a simple product demo into a drawn-out explanation designed to keep you watching. Or Shein, a Chinese fashion brand that rapidly produces and sells inexpensive clothing driven by social media trends, where influencer “haul” videos feel more like casual conversations than structured selling. In both cases, the goal is not elegance. It’s duration. Nielsen reinforces the incentive: ads with higher attention scores drive stronger sales lift. So attention—by any means—wins.

They Don’t Persuade. They Sort.

What’s changed most isn’t how these ads look. It’s what they’re trying to do. Traditional advertising tried to change your mind. Yapper ads are trying to figure out whether your mind is already half made up.

Google and YouTube research shows that longer video formats can increase purchase intent when viewers actively choose to keep watching. That choice becomes the signal. If you’re still there after 20 or 30 seconds, you’ve effectively qualified yourself.

Brands lean into this behavior. HelloFresh, a subscription service that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to customers’ homes, uses relaxed, testimonial-style ads where someone casually explains how the service fits into their life. The pacing is unhurried, almost conversational. It doesn’t feel like a pitch. It feels like you chose to listen. AG1, a premium daily greens powder marketed as an all-in-one health supplement, does something similar in audio, with long host-read segments that rely on trust and familiarity rather than brevity.

This aligns with broader consumer behavior. Stackla found that 79% of consumers say user-generated content influences purchasing decisions. So brands don’t just use UGC—they recreate its tone and rhythm. Sometimes well, sometimes badly. Either way, the mechanism is the same. This isn’t about convincing everyone. It’s about identifying the ones who were already close. [This is that broader shift from targeting audiences to reading behavior signals I explored in last week’s article, After Personas: The Next Evolution of Targeting.]

Why They Scale (and Why Everyone Copies Them)

The real shift isn’t creative. It’s economic. The old “SEX” tactic was limited by media cost. You couldn’t run endless variations. Now you can. Yapper ads are cheap to produce, easy to adapt and built for constant testing.

Gymshark built early momentum by working with large numbers of creators producing simple, talk-to-camera content. Not one perfect ad—many iterations. Wish took this logic even further, flooding feeds with variations at scale.

Meta’s own data shows that increasing the number of creative variations improves performance outcomes. So the strategy becomes obvious: don’t refine one message, multiply many and let the algorithm decide.

Why They Feel Off (Even When They Work)

For all their effectiveness, yapper ads create a deeper issue. They are, almost by design, anti-brand. They prioritize watch time over clarity, volume over craft and conversion over memory.

The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has shown that brands grow by building mental availability—being easily recognized and recalled in buying situations. That requires consistent assets, clear positioning and repetition with purpose. Yapper ads often strip those away in favor of looking “native,” which makes them blend in rather than stand out.

That matters because, as McKinsey reports, over 70% of consumers consider multiple brands before purchasing. If your advertising doesn’t leave a distinct impression, you become interchangeable. At the same time, Microsoft research suggesting the average attention span is around 8 seconds has led marketers to chase attention more aggressively. Ironically, that often results in longer, less focused content rather than sharper communication.

The Performance Trap

Yes, yapper ads work. They drive clicks. They convert. They show up nicely on dashboards. That’s why they’ve spread so quickly.

The danger is not in using them. The danger is in relying on them exclusively. Binet and Field’s research shows that brands over-investing in short-term activation at the expense of long-term brand building tend to see weaker profit growth over time. Short-term gains are visible. Long-term erosion is not. So the system keeps reinforcing itself—more ads, more yapping, more testing, less differentiation.

What Smart Marketers Do Instead

The answer isn’t to reject the format. It’s to discipline it. The most useful principle is simple. Yapper ads fail when they stretch a weak idea. They work when every second carries meaning.

You can see the difference in how stronger brands operate. Apple communicates complex ideas with clarity and restraint, even in short formats. Nike relies on visual storytelling and emotion rather than explanation. Mattress brand, Purple, uses longer formats effectively because they are structured around clear proof, not filler. And Coca-Cola ensures that even informal content reinforces recognizable cues that build memory over time.

The difference isn’t length. It’s intention. It’s knowing what to say, saying it well and not overstaying your welcome.

“SEX! Now that we have your attention…”  Still works as an attention device. So do Yapper ads. But both rely on the same underlying tradeoff. They capture attention and sometimes drive action, but they don’t necessarily build anything that lasts.

And in the long run, the brands that win aren’t the ones that talk the most. They’re the ones you remember when it matters.

Sources: TikTok Marketing Science reports (2023–2024), Google/YouTube Video and Intent Research, Nielsen Attention and Sales Lift Studies, Stackla Consumer Content Report, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute research on mental availability, Binet & Field, The Long and the Short of It, McKinsey Consumer Decision Journey reports, Microsoft Attention Span Study, Meta Advertising Insights on creative testing and performance.

For those who know me, I tend to treat marketing like a cocktail party—equal parts clever, playful and unexpected. I reserve solemnity for things that actually warrant it: hospitals, courtrooms, hostage negotiations…maybe funerals. But even then, why let death spoil a perfectly good eulogy? So, no surprise—I have little patience for brands that think the height of luxury is whispering in a marble showroom.

It’s not that elegance is dead. It’s that playfulness, once taboo in luxury, is now a differentiator. And the brands that understand this are walking the line between exclusivity and delight—and cashing in on it.

Luxury has always had a bit of a God complex. Legacy brands were built on mystique, tight-lipped heritage and unapproachably smooth surfaces. But what once signaled value now risks signaling detachment.

A 2023 Bain & Company study found that 72% of Gen Z luxury consumers say a brand’s personality matters more than its exclusivity. Yet many brands still behave like we’re in 1992—launching products as if the internet doesn’t exist and smiling is beneath them.

Joy Is a Competitive Advantage

Take Loewe, the Spanish fashion house revitalized by designer Jonathan Anderson. Their balloon heels and pixelated clothes are as surreal as they are covetable—and their sales rose 20% last year, according to LVMH. The products feel like high-concept art school jokes with couture-level execution. That’s the formula: wit with weight.

It’s not just fashion. In hospitality, Baccarat Hotel in NYC blends crystal-dripping opulence with Instagram-bait maximalism. Their room revenue is up 18% from 2019, (Statista). Guests want elegance, yes—but also a little sparkle, a moment, a flex.

Even in design, India Mahdavi—the Iranian-French architect known for her candy-colored interiors—has earned cult status. Her redesign of Ladurée’s flagship salon in Paris swapped sugary pastels for bold jewel tones, mirrored walls and sculptural velvet seating, turning the iconic patisserie into a surrealist jewel box. It wasn’t just a facelift—it was a repositioning. According to WGSN, brands partnering with Mahdavi saw social engagement rise 43% between 2022 and 2023. She makes luxury that feels like dessert—rich, layered and impossible not to share.

Not All Mischief Lands

Let’s be clear: not every attempt at fun is a masterstroke.

Remember the Chanel $825 Advent Calendar? Released in 2021 to celebrate 100 years of No. 5, it promised luxury behind 24 glossy black-and-white drawers. What it delivered: stickers, keychains, an empty dust bag and a plastic snow globe that looked like a cheap department store giveaway. TikTok had a field day, led by influencer Elise Harmon, whose unboxing racked up millions of views and a collective gasp from Gen Z. According to Morning Consult, Chanel’s brand favorability among that demographic dropped 14% in the US after the backlash.

The problem wasn’t the concept—it was the execution: joyless, stingy and wildly out of touch with what $825 is supposed to feel like.

Then there’s the Rolls-Royce NFT drop—an attempt to dip a toe into the Web3 hype without offering anything tangible, useful or even particularly beautiful. It didn’t damage the brand outright but disappeared without a trace, like a press release nobody read. A 2023 YouGov study showed 44% of consumers now view brand collaborations and gimmicks as “increasingly desperate.”

Fun without intent isn’t fun. It’s just noise.

Consumers Want to Play—With Meaning

Jacquemus gets it. The French designer sells micro-bags that can’t hold a Tic Tac—and somehow that’s a strength. He turned a Paris fashion show into a lavender field fantasy and created a collection around inflatable pool toys. Yet his brand has one of the highest engagement rates on Instagram across all luxury fashion houses (Launchmetrics, 2023). Why? Because people aren’t buying function. They’re buying a vibe. And increasingly, that vibe is about being in on the joke.

Luxury homebuyers are changing too. A 2023 Houzz Global Trends report found that 47% of luxury homeowners under 45 described their design style as “bold” or “playful,” versus just 19% of Boomers. That generational shift is seismic.

Even Furniture’s Getting Funky

Interior design has caught the memo. Kelly Wearstler, the American designer behind Proper Hotels, fuses brutalism with whimsy—hotels designed for guests who Instagram their bathtubs.

Or look at Toogood, the London-based design studio founded by Faye and Erica Toogood, whose sculptural “Roly-Poly” chairs look like they belong in a Pixar film—but are priced and positioned as functional art. They sell out with waiting lists.

When Herman Miller, the American office furniture legend, collaborated with streetwear giant Supreme on a red logo-branded Aeron chair, it sold out in hours. That wasn’t about lumbar support. That was about cultural cachet.

The Future of Luxury Is Expressive, Not Impressive

Gen Z and Millennials will account for 80% of all luxury spending by 2030, according to McKinsey. This is not the era of quiet power. It’s the era of conspicuous delight.

A recent McKinsey survey found that 81% of Gen Z luxury buyers globally prefer brands with a sense of play. Not play as in childishness—but personality, story, contradiction. Something to connect to. Something to talk about.

Even The Macallan’s collaboration with Bentley wasn’t just about whiskey or cars—it was about shared craftsmanship and indulgent storytelling. The packaging, the narrative and the product all reinforced each other. It gave consumers something to drink, post and brag about.

Let the Others Keep Whispering

Let the solemn brands stay in their grayscale temples, worshipping at the altar of Seriousness with capital-S serif fonts. But don’t be surprised when the playful ones outsell, outbuzz and outlast them.

Because…fun isn’t the opposite of luxury. It’s the evolution of it. A brand that can make you laugh, spark delight or surprise you—and still charge $1,000 for it—isn’t diluting its value. It’s upgrading it.

And if they do it while wearing pixelated pants and drinking out of a crystal goblet shaped like a duck?

Even better.

Now that anyone can churn out halfway decent content using the same generative AI tools—and, yes, that still a pebble in my shoe—your brand’s tone of voice may be the last defensible edge. Not the tagline. Not the logo. Not the claims on the packaging. The voice. Because that’s what makes people feel something—and more importantly, what makes them trust you.

According to Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer, 81% of consumers say they must trust a brand to buy from it. And while we’re still obsessed with what brands say, more and more, it’s how they say it that’s doing the heavy lifting. So maybe stop trying to sound like you think a brand like yours should sound (you know who you are).  And start crafting a defining tone for your brand that truly fits its personality.

Confessions of a CopywriterI’ve written for brands as different from one another as Coca-Cola, Sony, Volvo, Lavazza and TABASCO, and hundreds more. Each one spoke in a completely different voice—and needed to. Coca-Cola had to sound effortless, global and warm. It was always smiling, even when it wasn’t saying much. Sony was polished and deliberate—sharp without being cold. Volvo needed to be calm, thoughtful and reassuring, with the kind of language that made every sentence feel like it was wearing seatbelts. Lavazza was expressive—every word punctuated with an Italian hand gesture. TABASCO didn’t waste words. It was as bold as its sauce.

Writing for these brands (in English, Russian or Spanish) wasn’t about finding the right words—it was about finding the right voice, every time. Sentence length, vocabulary, rhythm, punctuation—everything changes when the tone is doing the heavy lifting. It’s not unlike writing dialog for a film. The products may be similar, but the characters are wildly different—and each one deserves a script that actually sounds like them.

It’s Not a Style Guide. It’s a Strategy.

Here’s the truth: if your tone is just a line in the brand book between “Pantone Red” and “don’t stretch the logo,” you’ve just ticked a box.  You haven’t defined your tone.

According to a Nielsen study, brand consistency across touchpoints—including tone—can increase revenue by up to 23%. This isn’t about your witty tweets or poetic product blurbs. This is about consistent tone building credibility over time, whether someone is reading your chatbot, your invoice or your CEO’s keynote.

Take Monzo, the UK-based finance upstart. While most high-street banks still write like lawyers, Monzo speaks like a human being. That tone—clear, friendly and smart—helped it amass over 7 million customers, largely through word of mouth and user love. No jingles. No billboards. Just tone.

When You Can’t Outspend, Out-Tone

Brands with big voices often start small. Liquid Death, for example, sells water. Just water. But it wraps that water in a tallboy can and a tone that screams death metal and dark comedy. Its slogan? “Murder Your Thirst.” Its copy reads like it’s been possessed by the ghost of a punk band’s marketing intern. And somehow, it works—brilliantly. The company hit a $263 million valuation in 2023. 

Then there’s Duolingo, whose irreverent, unhinged TikTok presence is a masterclass in strategic insanity. It doesn’t sound like a tech platform. It sounds like your emotionally unstable roommate who’s also somehow great at languages. The result? A 44% year-over-year increase in monthly active users as of 2023.

Or consider Oatly, which turned oat milk into a lifestyle by speaking with anti-corporate sarcasm and the confidence of a college radio DJ with a marketing degree. They IPO’d at a $10 billion valuation in 2021—on the strength of tone, not just taste. When the product is a commodity, tone is what adds the premium.

How to Create—and Codify—Your Tone of Voice

So how do you create a voice that actually earns attention?

1. Define what you’re not.

Every brand thinks it’s “authentic.” That’s not tone. Tell me if you’re not formal. Not cutesy. Not sarcastic. Boundaries are where tone gets teeth.

2. Translate values into language.

If your brand stands for empowerment, how does it sound in a product update? If you’re about innovation, what does your FAQ page read like?

3. Build a playbook, not a paragraph.

Tone guidelines should be long enough to prevent disasters and short enough to be read. Include real examples: a tweet, a support reply, a hero banner. Avoid tone that’s defined by adjectives alone—“bold yet warm” means nothing until you see it in action.

4. Localize like a native, not a tourist.

Tone doesn’t travel without translation. It transforms. A joke that kills in English might offend in Spanish. A humble brag that lands in Russian might sound like weakness. Global tone means emotional equivalence, not linguistic one.

5. Train everyone, not just your writers.

If your social media intern writes like a comedian and your CFO posts like a Bond villain, your tone’s dead. Product managers, recruiters and chatbots all need to speak with one “voice”.

6. Audit and adapt.

Even great tone drifts. Especially when AI gets involved. Use online tools to keep the language in line. And if you do use AI? Train it on your tone—not someone else’s.

The AI Effect: Why Voice Matters More Than Ever

AI can write a paragraph in three seconds. But unless you’ve trained it properly, it’ll sound like everyone else.

Klarna, the Swedish fintech company, uses an AI assistant to handle two-thirds of its customer service chats. But that’s only because it was trained on the brand’s own language and customer history. Otherwise, your chatbot sounds like a polite alien who once read The Elements of Style.

As more brands pump out AI-generated content, the world is drowning in functional blandness. Tone is your only shot at standing out—and being remembered.

Final Word: If You Don’t Define It, You Can’t Defend It

Your brand will have a voice—whether you choose it or not. And if you don’t choose it, you won’t recognize it when it starts slipping out of your control.

In a world of infinite content, attention is expensive and trust is fragile. Tone of voice is your soft power. It’s how you earn attention without shouting. So speak easy. But sound unmistakably like you.

I began my career in Boston at the tail end of the Mad Men era—when creative reviews were still fueled by martinis, ashtrays still overflowed onto conference tables and the power of an idea was measured mostly by instinct and a gut feeling. But over the decades, I built agencies that were on the forefront of digital transformation, from launching some of the first websites in the 1990s, adopting programmatic advertising, embracing social media campaigns, and today, integrating AI-driven personalization engines that predict what customers want before they do. 

Along the way, I watched the industry split into two camps, each convinced they held the keys to growth.

For years, marketers have treated brand and performance as separate species. One was about telling big, emotional stories nobody could quite measure—the kind that inspired John Wanamaker’s famous lament: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” The other was about clicking, converting, and optimizing the soul out of every message. 

But today, when cookie banners block half your tracking pixels and consumers are tired of being stalked by discount codes, it’s time to consider what happens when these disciplines stop glaring at each other across the budget table—and start working together.

The Two-Track Mind of Modern Marketing

Performance marketing rose on the promise of clear attribution—how credit for sales gets assigned to specific campaigns. Early Google Ads relied almost exclusively on last-click attribution, where the final click before a purchase received 100% of the credit.

That model worked for companies like Wayfair, the U.S. e-commerce giant, which poured budgets into SKU-level search ads and dynamic retargeting. But it also led to over-investment in bottom-funnel tactics while neglecting the brand awareness that inspired people to search in the first place.

Allbirds, the sustainable footwear company, quickly adapted. Instead of just shrinking retargeting audiences, they invested in top-funnel video storytelling and then retargeted video viewers. Conversion lift studies—controlled experiments comparing exposed groups to holdouts—proved these ads were driving incremental conversions, not just cannibalizing existing demand.

Etsy faced the same need to validate brand campaigns. The marketplace ran geo-experiments, launching ads in specific regions and comparing them to untreated markets. The results showed emotional gifting videos boosted conversion rates by over 20% in retargeting audiences.

And Airbnb offered perhaps the most telling example. Even after halving their search budget, they used econometric models to show storytelling campaigns preserved 95% of pre-pandemic traffic. In other words, brand awareness picked up the slack when performance data dried up.

What Brandformance Actually Means

At its core, Brandformance means accepting that attribution will always be complex. Rather than hoping every sale comes from a neat click path, it combines four principles:

Consistency ensures your brand looks and feels the same wherever people find you. Glossier, for instance, shows up with a unified pink aesthetic and approachable voice across Instagram Stories, Google Shopping and checkout flows. They track view-through conversions—sales influenced by ad impressions—and ask buyers, “How did you first hear about us?”

Emotion plays a central role. Etsy’s 15-second gifting videos, measured with lift studies and pixel-based tracking, showed viewers were significantly more likely to convert later—even if they never clicked.

Utility makes performance creative work harder. Chewy, the pet supplies retailer, uses Google’s data-driven attribution to assign partial credit to every touch, recognizing that helpful messages about free shipping and 24/7 service drive sales alongside caring brand stories.

Optimization brings it all together. Brands like Allbirds and Gymshark use Facebook Conversion Lift and Google Brand Lift to measure incremental conversions and sentiment shifts, layering in media mix modeling (MMM) to understand long-term revenue impact.

How to Build a Brandformance Strategy

A smart Brandformance plan starts with mapping your funnel and clarifying how you’ll measure credit across touchpoints.

Sephora excels at this. They run YouTube TrueView campaigns to drive awareness, then survey exposed audiences with Google Brand Lift to measure recall. When a shopper later converts on Google Shopping ads, Sephora’s data-driven attribution splits credit between the upper- and lower-funnel interactions.

Warby Parker shows how creative can-do double duty. The eyewear company produces testimonial videos with real customers, builds credibility on YouTube, then retargets shoppers on Facebook with a “Try 5 for Free” offer. They track YouTube view-through conversions, Facebook Conversion Lift and journey paths in Google Campaign Manager.

Allbirds drives traffic to product pages that blend commerce with purpose-led stories. These content-rich landing pages convert 86% higher, according to Unbounce benchmarks. Allbirds validates success through assisted conversions, scroll depth and surveys about what influenced a purchase.

Gymshark re-edits influencer content into Instagram Stories ads with UTM codes (unique tracking parameters added to URLs to capture campaign source data) to capture clicks, while also tracking view-through conversions and branded search increases.

ASOS goes further, running multi-cell split tests comparing brand-focused and discount-focused creative. They reconcile results with Conversion Lift, data-driven attribution and path analysis to see which sequences work best.

If you want to create this rigor in your organization, consider using a framework that includes:

• Data-driven attribution models (Google and Meta)
• Lift studies to measure incremental impact
• Brand Lift surveys for sentiment and recall
• Media mix modeling to estimate long-term contributions
• Post-purchase surveys to validate attribution
• Visual journey mapping to see how touchpoints interact

Metrics Without Mayhem

Short-term KPIs—like click-through rate, CPA, and ROAS—are still necessary. But they only tell part of the story. Meta’s own research shows that branded creative can lift conversions by as much as 3X over direct-response ads.

Mid-term measurement adds nuance. Etsy’s Brand Lift surveys revealed a 12-point increase in favorability during integrated campaigns. Chewy relies on Google’s path analysis to track how upper-funnel ads help close sales.

Over the long term, attribution models reveal brand’s real power. Kantar BrandZ has shown brands that combine emotional storytelling with performance marketing grow twice as fast over a decade. Airbnb’s econometric models confirmed that storytelling videos, not search alone, drove consistent booking volume.

Brandformance Done Well

Some companies have already proven how effective this integration can be.

Monzo, the UK digital bank, blended education and conversion in Facebook Carousel Ads that explained its mission to make banking fairer while inviting customers to “Open an Account in Minutes.” They measured impact with Conversion Lift, multi-touch attribution in Google Analytics and brand surveys showing a 20% increase in trust.

Airbnb reallocated search budgets into storytelling about host-guest connections and saw traffic hold steady thanks to econometric validation and holdout testing.

Sephora combined branded content and time-limited offers inside loyalty campaigns, using CRM-linked purchase data and Brand Lift to prove customers spent 15 times more.

Allbirds invested in sustainability messaging across social and retargeting, tracking view-through conversions, blended CPA, and brand sentiment surveys to prove results.

Common Pitfalls

Even the best strategies can stumble. One of the most common missteps is over-relying on last-click attribution. Gartner reports that 58% of CMOs still default to this model, ignoring all the unseen impressions and assisted conversions that drive sales. Another mistake is dumping long-form video into banners without accounting for frequency or deduplicating impressions—leading to wasted spend and shallow engagement. And when teams work in silos, fighting over credit rather than sharing dashboards, the benefits of Brandformance disappear.

The Future of Brandformance

Fortunately, technology is making attribution smarter and less manual. Platforms like Smartly.io automate creative production and tagging so campaigns are trackable across channels. VidMob uses AI to analyze which visuals drive results. Shopify’s predictive attribution now helps e-commerce brands forecast how today’s campaigns will convert weeks from now. And cultural relevance is no longer optional. Edelman’s Trust Barometer found that 63% of consumers buy or boycott based on a brand’s values, making sentiment as important to track as revenue.

Conclusion

Brandformance isn’t a compromise—it’s a competitive edge. In a world where attention is fragmented and attribution is fuzzy, the brands that master this art will outlast the ones still shouting “Buy Now” into the void.

Sources: Kantar BrandZ, Meta Marketing Science, Google Marketing Platform, Gartner, AdExchanger, Think with Google, Meta Business, Edelman Trust Barometer

I’ve never understood the low bar set by most B2B marketing. Isn’t it obvious that the same person buying enterprise cloud software on Tuesday is also buying oat milk, a luxury watch or Taylor Swift tickets over the weekend? Why should their expectations plummet the moment they walk into the office?

And yet, business‑to‑business (B2B) marketers have long behaved as if they’re targeting a different species. One that devours white papers for breakfast, watches webinars for fun and eagerly submits contact forms labelled “Request a Demo.” It’s a world ruled by left-brain logic—features, specs, ROI models—with all the warmth and emotional appeal of a tax audit. Meanwhile, over in B2C (business‑to‑consumer) land, marketers are building brands, sparking loyalty, and, crucially, making people feel something.

But the walls are coming down. Savvy B2B marketers have figured out what should’ve been obvious all along: all buyers are people. And increasingly, they want to be spoken to that way.

B2B Logic vs Human Emotion: Who Wins?

For decades, B2B marketing has operated on the myth that businesses make decisions based solely on logic. It’s tidy. It’s comforting. It’s also completely untrue.

According to Gartner, 77% of B2B buyers say their last major purchase was “very complex or difficult.” Translation: they were overwhelmed, second-guessing themselves and craving confidence. That doesn’t sound like someone who wants a spec sheet—it sounds like someone who wants reassurance.

LinkedIn’s B2B Institute and research firm System1 put some hard numbers behind this. In a study of over 1,600 B2B ads, they found emotional campaigns were nearly twice as effective as rational ones. Another LinkedIn study found emotionally resonant B2B ads can be up to seven times more effective than those that cling to features and facts like a drowning man to a life raft.

So no, your audience doesn’t want to read about your proprietary data harmonization framework. They want to know how it makes them look smart, sleep better or avoid disaster. Emotion drives action. Logic just provides the justification.

If Your Marketing Feels Like Homework, You’re Doing It Wrong

Let’s talk content. For years, B2B marketers treated it like a compliance requirement—something to check off with the enthusiasm of a quarterly audit. But your buyers are no longer sifting through gated PDFs for kicks. They’re watching short-form video, listening to founder podcasts and, yes, binging docuseries.

Take Slack, the workplace messaging app owned by Salesforce. Its animated explainers feel more like Pixar than PowerPoint. Or HubSpot, the CRM (customer relationship management) platform, which created Scaling Up, a documentary series tracking the messy rise of real startups.

There’s a reason 70% of B2B buyers now rely on video during the buying process. And why 80% of B2B marketers say video delivers the highest ROI. It’s not just that video is snackable. It’s that it can carry tone, personality and actual emotional nuance—three things your average product page could never dream of.

Right Message. Right Tone. Right Time. 

One thing consumer brands get right? Context. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing masters the art of speaking to the right person, in the right moment, with the right tone. B2B, on the other hand, often defaults to one-size-fits-all—with all the intimacy of a robocall.

But buyers notice. Salesforce’s research shows that 63% of B2B buyers say vendor experiences fall short of what they’ve come to expect from consumer brands.

Adobe—maker of Photoshop, Illustrator targets its Creative Cloud campaigns based on user personas. A freelance designer in Lagos sees something different than a creative director in Berlin. Canva, the browser-based design platform, adapts its walkthroughs and language based on region. The tone, examples and value prop all change based on who’s watching.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s just respect for your audience.

Influence: Not Just for Lip Gloss and Life Coaches

People trust people, not brands.

That’s why influencer marketing—once the domain of unboxings and skincare tutorials—is fast becoming a B2B power move. Not with celebrities, but with insiders. Engineers, analysts, technologists, and yes, even employees.

SAP, the German ERP (enterprise resource planning) giant, partners with LinkedIn Top Voices to break down complex solutions in plain English. Salesforce has cultivated internal brand ambassadors who share product tips and company culture in ways that feel more authentic than any glossy ad.

This isn’t vanity. It’s strategy. IDC reports that 91% of B2B purchases are influenced by peer recommendations and expert content. And according to Onalytica, influencer-led B2B campaigns generate up to 5x the ROI of traditional digital advertising.

Visibility is easy. Credibility is earned.

Loyalty Can’t Be Automated

Consumer brands have long understood that loyalty is emotional. B2B brands still treat it like an onboarding checklist.

Bain & Company—the firm that invented the Net Promoter Score—found that a 5% increase in customer retention can drive up to 95% more profit. Yet according to Salesforce, 60% of B2B customers say their vendor basically disappears once the contract is signed.

This is where brands like Notion and Adobe shine. Notion—the minimalist workspace app beloved by productivity nerds—turns customer templates into spotlight features. Adobe regularly showcases creator work across channels. They don’t just market to customers—they market with them.

If you want loyal users, treat them like co-conspirators, not line items.

Brand comes first

Everyone wants leads. But brand is what gets you shortlisted in the first place.

According to LinkedIn, 96% of your audience isn’t actively buying at this moment. That means you’re talking to future buyers—who will remember you based on what you stand for, not what you pitched last quarter.

Marketing legends Les Binet and Peter Field found that brand-building drives 80% of long-term growth in B2B. Cisco’s “Bridge to Possible” platform doesn’t sell routers—it sells purpose. Mailchimp, the all-in-one email and marketing platform, is remembered as much for its quirky tone and visual identity as its automation features.

If your brand has no memory, it will never have momentum.

The Bottom Line

There’s no such thing as B2B or B2C anymore. There’s only business to humans. And humans—whether they’re buying software, servers or SEO tools—still want to feel something.

They want stories, not specs. Confidence, not complexity. And they want brands that respect their intelligence and their time.

If your next campaign wouldn’t work on a billboard or get shared in a WhatsApp group, maybe it’s time to write something else.

Sources: Gartner: 77% of B2B buyers say their last purchase was complex or difficult, LinkedIn B2B Institute & System1: Emotional campaigns are nearly 2x more effective, LinkedIn: Emotionally resonant B2B ads are 7x more effective, Demand Gen Report: 70% of B2B buyers rely on video, Wyzowl: 80% of marketers say video delivers best ROI, Salesforce: 63% of B2B buyers expect better experiences from vendors, IDC: 91% of B2B decisions are influenced by peers and experts, Onalytica: B2B influencer campaigns generate 5x ROI, Bain & Co: 5% retention increase = 95% profit increase, Salesforce: 60% of customers say vendors disengage post-sale, LinkedIn: 96% of B2B buyers aren’t in-market, Binet & Field: 80% of growth comes from brand-building.

I’ve been doing this advertising and marketing thing for a long time—working with some of the biggest brands in the world. And despite the obvious success that comes from continuing to invest in brand communications—whether it’s advertising, PR, content, or experience—we often revisit the same nagging question: Do we really need to keep marketing at this level?

Can’t we take some time off? Maybe reallocate that spend? Or just ride the wave for a bit?

Now, sure, there are smart ways to stretch a budget. Even the biggest brands can’t afford to be constantly communicating. We often take a campaign-based approach: we don’t spend the same amount every day of the year. Instead, we execute three or four major campaign bursts annually which creates the perception of constant activity, even if we’re not “always on.” But make no mistake: we’re still investing. Just more strategically.

The argument still holds: yes, you have to keep investing in marketing to drive growth. Always.

Sure, there are exceptions. A few rare brands embed the marketing process so deeply into their product or identity that it doesn’t look like they’re promoting anything. But they’re still connecting. Still building narrative. Still staying visible. And even those brands? They usually end up advertising eventually. Loudly. Publicly. Expensively.

So why do the best brands never take their foot off the gas? Because they know what happens when you try to glide.

And that brings us to… airplanes. Yes, airplanes. Yes, I know it may be a time-worn analogy. But it works, so stay with me.

Gliding Isn’t Flying

A plane at cruising altitude can glide—for a while. A brand with momentum can coast too, living off past campaigns, built-up goodwill, and earned media. But gliding means you’re losing altitude. Slowly, subtly, but inevitably.

Some brands try to mask that descent by dipping the nose to pick up speed—offering big discounts, pushing flash promotions, or leaning on attention-grabbing stunts. It feels like acceleration. It feels like momentum. But it isn’t. It’s controlled descent. And worse, these tactics often train customers to expect less, eroding brand value and pricing power in the process.

The real danger is what happens when you try to restart your engines at low altitude. Once you’ve lost your strategic height—brand love, cultural relevance, customer trust—climbing back up is expensive and uncertain. It’s far harder than simply keeping the engines running in the first place.

The Best Brands Know This—That’s Why They Spend More, Not Less

Just look at the brands you think wouldn’t need to advertise anymore—because they’re already part of the cultural wallpaper. In 2023, Coca-Cola spent approximately $4 billion on advertising worldwide, maintaining a consistent—and growing—investment in global brand visibility (Statista). The company has shifted more than 60% of its media spend to digital channels to deepen storytelling and experiential activation strategies.

Apple spent $775 million in the U.S. alone on display ads in 2023, two-thirds of that on YouTube (Adbeat). This doesn’t even include the value of its product launches, PR coverage, or the media halo that comes from its highly produced events and packaging design.

McDonald’s, under its “Accelerating the Arches” platform, spent approximately $445 million globally on advertising in 2024, not just pushing burgers, but also driving messaging around values, employer branding, and tech innovation (Statista).

Samsung, among the top five global spenders, invested heavily in tech expos, influencer-driven product launches, and localized earned media strategies across Asia and the Middle East. In the U.S., Samsung Electronics spent $128.7 million on television advertising alone in 2023 (Statista).

And L’Oréal? It spent €13.36 billion globally on advertising and promotions in 2023, a massive increase from the previous year, with much of that growth going to PESO-driven (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) content across TikTok, YouTube, and influencer networks in Latin America and Southeast Asia (Statista).

These companies understand the fundamental truth: stopping the engine doesn’t save you money in the long run—it just puts your altitude at risk.

What Happens When You Stop Flying

For every brand that stayed airborne, there’s one that tried to coast. BlackBerry didn’t just lose to the iPhone; it failed to maintain cultural relevance and stopped communicating with consumers in a meaningful way. Yahoo is another case study in brand drift, losing momentum through fragmented messaging, weak PR, and no real identity anchor. And then there’s Gap, which saw online sales fall 11% and in-store sales drop 7% in Q2 2023 after pulling back marketing support and losing the cultural conversation to competitors with bolder campaigns and better storytelling.

Wilkinson Sword, once a respected challenger to Gillette, has largely faded in many markets due to lack of voice and presence. Gillette, meanwhile, continues to dominate not just in product placement but through purpose-led campaigns and media consistency.

The stats are frightening. Kantar’s global tracking data shows that brands that go dark for just six months can see up to a 39% drop in mental availability—the kind of top-of-mind presence that fuels choice and loyalty (Kantar).

Brands that go dark for just six months can see up

to a 39% drop in mental availability.

Marketing Is Altitude Control

Marketing isn’t noise—it’s navigation. It’s what keeps you on course, lets you make adjustments, and ensures you stay in the conversation.

Nike knows this. Its strategy isn’t limited to glossy commercials—it includes strong Public Relations tied to major moments in sport and culture, grassroots content, and community-building through apps like the Nike Run Club. Dove continues to grow through campaigns that span all PESO elements: paid media, earned headlines, purpose-led content, and user-driven social advocacy. Airbnb, too, shifted from performance-heavy advertising to brand-building, investing in emotionally resonant storytelling and community-based content.

A 2023 McKinsey study found that companies investing in integrated PESO marketing strategies outperformed their peers by 3.6x in brand equity and 2.2x in overall ROI (McKinsey).

Smart Flight Planning

Now, none of this means every brand needs to blast full-throttle 365 days a year. As I wrote earlier, some of the smartest brands use campaign flighting—allocating budget to three or four bursts of high-intensity outreach per year rather than a flat spend. To the outside world, it feels like the brand is always present. But in reality, it’s a smart illusion, not a retreat.

Smart marketers today build systems, not just campaigns. They orchestrate PESO ecosystems—where paid, earned, shared, and owned media all work in concert. They balance performance and brand, use storytelling that compounds in value, and invest in owned assets, communities, and thought leadership that yield dividends long after the campaign ends.

According to Deloitte’s 2024 CMO survey, companies that commit 60% or more of their marketing budgets to long-term brand building see double the revenue growth of those who chase short-term performance metrics (Deloitte).

Don’t Mistake Altitude for Control

If you stop marketing, your brand might still be flying—but if your engines are off, you’re gliding. And gliding, as every pilot knows, is just falling in slow motion.

The brands that survive and thrive aren’t necessarily the loudest. They’re the ones who know how to stay visible, stay relevant, and stay in motion. They keep investing in advertising, yes—but also in PR, in content, in earned media, in community. They don’t confuse fame with momentum. And they certainly don’t confuse coasting with strategy.

If famous brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, McDonald’s, L’Oréal, and Nike are all still marketing at full throttle, can your brand afford to stop?

I’ve always believed that marketing is a blend of science, art and a whack in the head—metaphorically speaking, of course.

The science comes from our understanding of human behavior and psychology, the art is our creative flair in crafting compelling stories, and the whack in the head is how we deliver those stories with bold, unforgettable impact.

As you may have guessed, this article is about that science-y bit.

Many of these behavioral science concepts will feel intuitive to many marketers. But consider this list a fun brain teaser designed to spark your creativity. Whether you’re brainstorming your next big campaign, designing a website, developing a promotion, or simply refining your customer personas, these terms can inspire fresh, innovative thinking that gives your marketing strategies that extra oomph.

That said, please remember that with great power comes great responsibility. These techniques are meant to help us better understand the psychological mechanics behind the marketing process we use every day, often without even realizing it—not to deceive or manipulate. Dive in, have fun, and let these insights guide you to new and exciting ways of connecting with your audience, ethically and thoughtfully.

Decision-Making Biases
Decision-making biases are cognitive shortcuts that can influence consumer choices, often leading them to make decisions that are not entirely rational. Understanding these biases allows marketers to craft strategies that align with natural human tendencies, making it easier to guide consumer decisions in desired directions.

1. Anchoring: Anchoring is the cognitive bias where people rely heavily on the first piece of information they encounter when making decisions. Marketers might use anchoring by initially displaying a high-priced product, making other options seem more affordable by comparison.
2. Loss Aversion: Loss aversion is the tendency to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains, as losses feel more impactful than gains. Marketers can emphasize potential losses, such as “Don’t miss out on saving $50 today!” to create urgency.
3. Framing Effect: The framing effect occurs when people react differently to the same information based on how it is presented. Marketers can frame offers to make them more appealing, such as “Save $20!” versus “Get 20% off!” depending on what resonates more with their audience.
4. Sunk Cost Fallacy: The sunk cost fallacy is the tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made, even when it’s not the best choice. I always remember it as the “Used Car Syndrome”, i.e. putting more time/effort/money into something (like repairing a car) just because you have already invested so much into it, versus recognizing the point at which you should cut your losses and move on. Marketers can use this insight to influence a new purchase decision or to emphasize the investment customers have already made in a membership or subscription, for example, such as “You’ve come this far—don’t stop now!”
5. Decoy Effect: The decoy effect occurs when the presence of a third, less attractive option makes one of the other two options more appealing. In pricing, a marketer can introduce a decoy product that is priced close to a higher-priced option but offers less value, making the higher-priced option look more attractive.
6. Default Effect: The default effect is the tendency for people to stick with the default option when faced with choices. Marketers can set preferred options as defaults, such as auto-renew subscriptions, which customers often leave unchanged.
7. Hyperbolic Discounting: Hyperbolic discounting is a behavioral bias where people disproportionately prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones, even if the delayed reward is significantly greater. The preference for immediacy declines sharply and inconsistently as the delay to the reward increases—people might choose a smaller reward today over a larger reward next week but would prefer the larger reward if both options were months away. This differs from temporal discounting, which undervalues future rewards at a steady rate. Marketers can leverage hyperbolic discounting by offering immediate incentives, like instant discounts or bonuses, to drive quick decisions and actions.
8. Temporal Discounting: Temporal discounting is the tendency to value immediate rewards more than future ones, but with a more consistent and predictable decline in value over time. Unlike hyperbolic discounting, where the preference for immediacy drops off sharply and inconsistently, temporal discounting reflects a steady devaluation of rewards as the delay increases. Marketers can counter this bias by making future rewards more concrete and enticing, such as highlighting the long-term savings of a subscription or offering significant discounts for committing early to a service.
9. Choice Overload: Choice overload occurs when having too many options leads to decision paralysis and reduced satisfaction. Marketers can simplify the decision-making process by curating selections or highlighting a “best choice” to help guide customers.
10. Availability Heuristic: The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples when evaluating a topic or decision. Marketers can highlight dramatic results or memorable customer success stories to make these outcomes seem more common and achievable.

Social Influences
Social influences shape consumer behavior by leveraging the human tendency to look to others for guidance, validation, and conformity. These principles can be powerful tools for marketers seeking to build credibility, foster community, and encourage desired behaviors.

11. Social Proof: Social proof is when people look to the actions of others to determine what is correct or desirable, especially in uncertain situations. It’s about using others’ behaviors as a guide. Marketers use social proof by showcasing reviews, testimonials, or stats like “5,000 happy customers,” making the behavior of others a benchmark for new customers.
12. Bandwagon Effect: The bandwagon effect is about jumping on board with what’s popular because people want to be part of the majority. It’s less about guidance and more about not missing out. Marketers tap into the bandwagon effect by emphasizing how many people are already using or loving a product, like saying “Join the millions who’ve made the switch!”
13. Herd Behavior: Herd behavior is when people copy the actions of a group to fit in, often without much thought. It’s more about following the crowd instinctively. Marketers leverage herd behavior by highlighting trends or what’s currently hot, such as using phrases like “Everyone’s talking about this product!” to nudge people to conform.
14. Reciprocity: Reciprocity is the psychological tendency to feel obligated to return a favor when something has been received. Marketers can use reciprocity by offering free samples or valuable content, making consumers more likely to reciprocate with a purchase.
15. In-group Bias: In-group bias is the tendency to favor members of one’s own group over those in other groups. Marketers can create a sense of belonging and community by tailoring messages to resonate with specific groups, such as “Join thousands of like-minded fans!”
16. Liking Bias: Liking bias is when people are more likely to be influenced by others they like. Marketers can use relatable influencers or friendly brand ambassadors to enhance the appeal of their products.
17. Social Norms: Social norms are the implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members. Marketers can emphasize how using their product aligns with social norms or trends, encouraging conformity.

Temporal Preferences
Temporal preferences describe how consumers value immediate versus future rewards, influencing their purchasing decisions and actions. By understanding these biases, marketers can tailor their strategies to tap into consumers’ natural inclinations for immediate gratification or long-term benefits.

18. Scarcity: Scarcity is the perception that products or opportunities are more valuable when they are limited in availability. Marketers can drive demand by highlighting limited stock or time-limited offers, prompting faster purchasing decisions.
19. Urgency Effect: The urgency effect is the tendency to prioritize actions that have immediate deadlines over those that do not. Marketers often employ urgency by using countdown timers on sales or flashing “Today Only” deals to spur quick action.
20. Temporal Landmarks: Temporal landmarks are significant dates or events that psychologically influence people to start or change behavior, such as New Year’s resolutions. Marketers can time campaigns around these landmarks to align with consumer readiness for change.

Emotional Influences
Emotional influences drive consumer decisions by tapping into their feelings, fears, and desires. Marketers who understand these dynamics can craft messages that resonate on a personal level, making products and brands more memorable and appealing.

21. Cognitive Dissonance: Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs, leading to changes in beliefs or behaviors to reduce discomfort. Marketers can reduce dissonance by reinforcing the value of a customer’s purchase with follow-up messages like, “You made a smart choice!”
22. Affect Heuristic: The affect heuristic is when people make decisions based on their emotions rather than objective analysis. Marketers can evoke specific emotions like excitement, nostalgia, or fear in advertising to drive decisions that are emotionally rather than logically based.
23. Peak-End Rule: The peak-end rule is the tendency for people to judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than the total experience. Marketers can create memorable peaks during customer interactions and ensure a positive ending, such as a thank-you message or bonus at checkout.
24. Regret Aversion: Regret aversion is the tendency to avoid making decisions that could lead to regret. Marketers can reduce fear of regret by offering risk-free trials or easy returns, making the choice feel safer.
25. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): FOMO is the anxiety that others are having rewarding experiences without you, often driving quick decisions to avoid missing out. Marketers can use FOMO by promoting limited-time offers or showcasing user-generated content that highlights what others are enjoying.

Perceptual Biases
Perceptual biases affect how consumers interpret information and make judgments. By leveraging these biases, marketers can shape consumer perceptions and influence how their products are viewed in comparison to competitors.

26. Endowment Effect: The endowment effect is when people assign more value to items simply because they own them, leading them to overestimate the worth of the item compared to its market value. This bias causes individuals to demand more to give up an item than they would be willing to pay to acquire it. For example, a person receives a free t-shirt at a promotional event, but later refuses to sell it for $5, feeling that it’s worth much more to them now that they ”own” it — even though they wouldn’t have purchased it themselves in the first place. Marketers can leverage the endowment effect by offering free trials, samples, or money-back guarantees, making customers feel a sense of ownership that increases their attachment and willingness to buy at a higher perceived value.
27. Ownership Bias: Ownership bias is the tendency to prefer items simply because they belong to us, but without necessarily assigning them a higher value. It’s more about favoring the familiar or what is already part of our possessions. For instance, if someone has several brands of pens but consistently reaches for their own even if another is objectively better, that’s ownership bias. Unlike the endowment effect, ownership bias doesn’t involve a valuation increase; it’s just a preference. Marketers can use this by encouraging early connections to products through tactics like pre-orders, early access memberships, or personalized marketing that makes the product feel like it’s already part of the consumer’s life.
28. Halo Effect: The halo effect is the tendency for positive impressions in one area to influence opinions in another. Marketers can leverage their flagship product as a halo to raise the perception of other products in their line, for example.
29. Mere Exposure Effect: The mere exposure effect is the phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus increases a person’s preference for it. Think of the ubiquity of famous brands like McDonalds or Coca-Cola. Marketers can increase brand familiarity and likability by consistently exposing the audience to their brand through ads and social media.
30. Contrast Effect: The contrast effect occurs when the perception of a stimulus is influenced by the comparison to a nearby or preceding stimulus. Unlike anchoring, which is about first impressions, contrast is about side-by-side comparisons. Marketers can use this by placing high-end products next to regular ones to make the standard options seem more attractive by comparison.
31. Illusory Correlation: Illusory correlation is perceiving a relationship between variables even when no such relationship exists. Marketers can create associations between their brand and positive outcomes, even if indirectly related, such as linking a product to happiness or success through imagery and messaging.
32. Perceived Risk: Perceived risk is the belief that a decision carries potential negative consequences, affecting consumer confidence. Marketers can reduce perceived risk through guarantees, transparent communication, and showcasing safety or satisfaction data, such as “100% money-back guarantee.”
33. Relative Thinking: Relative thinking involves comparing options to each other rather than evaluating each option’s absolute value. Unlike anchoring, which is based on initial exposure, relative thinking occurs during side-by-side comparisons. Marketers can use this by positioning products next to higher-priced items to make their own product seem like a better deal.
34. Prospect Theory: Prospect theory describes how people make decisions based on potential losses and gains, often valuing losses more heavily than equivalent gains. Unlike simple loss aversion, this theory also includes how people weigh probabilities differently from reality. Marketers can frame messages to emphasize potential gains while minimizing the perception of risk.

Cognitive Strategies
Cognitive strategies are techniques that leverage mental shortcuts and biases to streamline decision-making and improve the consumer experience. By understanding how the brain processes information, marketers can design more intuitive and effective interactions.

35. Cognitive Load: Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in working memory. Marketers should reduce cognitive load by simplifying user interfaces, minimizing the number of choices, and creating straightforward pathways for decision-making to ease the customer journey.
36. Heuristic: A heuristic is a mental shortcut that allows people to make decisions quickly and efficiently, often based on experience or common sense rather than detailed analysis. Marketers can streamline user experiences by minimizing complex choices and presenting straightforward options, making it easier for consumers to decide quickly.
37. Priming: Priming is the process by which exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, often unconsciously. Marketers can prime customers by using specific images, words, or scenarios that align with their product message to subtly influence perceptions and actions.
38. Information Bias: Information bias is the tendency to seek information even when it does not affect action, often leading to over-complication. Marketers should provide just the right amount of information needed to make a decision, avoiding overload that might deter customers.
39. Dunning-Kruger Effect: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when individuals with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. Marketers can leverage this by offering educational resources or workshops that appeal to a person’s desire to improve, subtly acknowledging their overconfidence in a constructive way.
40. Attribution Bias: Attribution bias is the tendency to attribute someone’s behavior to their character rather than to situational factors. Marketers can use this by highlighting positive behaviors of their brand or staff, assuming customers will attribute these actions to core brand values.
41. Expectation Bias: Expectation bias is the tendency to perceive outcomes that we expect because of our preconceptions. Marketers can manage and exceed customer expectations through strategic messaging and under-promising while over-delivering on their products or services.
42. Salience: Salience is the quality of being particularly noticeable or important; things that stand out are more likely to affect behavior. Marketers can make their products or calls to action stand out through bold design, distinctive branding, or urgent language.
43. Temporal Framing: Temporal framing affects how people perceive actions or products based on timing (immediate vs. future). Marketers can frame offers to appeal to either immediate gratification or future benefits, such as “Start saving today” vs. “Invest in your future.”

Behavioral Strategies
Behavioral strategies are approaches that marketers use to guide consumer actions by subtly influencing their choices and reducing friction. These techniques help align marketing efforts with natural human behavior to achieve desired outcomes.

44. Nudging: Nudging involves subtly guiding decisions by structuring choices in a way that leads people towards a desired outcome without restricting their freedom of choice. Marketers might use nudging by setting beneficial options as defaults, like auto-enrollment in loyalty programs.
45. Gamification: Gamification is the application of game-design elements in non-game contexts to enhance engagement. Marketers can use gamification by adding rewards, challenges, or levels to shopping experiences, making interactions more fun and engaging.
46. Foot-in-the-Door Technique: This technique involves getting someone to agree to a small request first, making them more likely to agree to a larger request later. This is the basis for the “freemium” pricing model. Marketers might start with a low-commitment offer, like a free trial, and then upsell to a full membership or paid service.
47. Door-in-the-Face Technique: This technique involves making a large request that is likely to be turned down, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request. Marketers might start with a high-priced item before following up with a more affordable option, making the latter seem like a concession, thus increasing the likelihood of acceptance.
48. Commitment and Consistency: This principle suggests that once people commit to something, they are more likely to stick with it to remain consistent with their commitment. Marketers can encourage small commitments, like signing up for a newsletter, leading to larger actions, such as making a purchase.
49. Commitment Devices: Commitment devices are mechanisms that help individuals stick to their goals by restricting their future choices or adding a cost to breaking commitments. Marketers can use these by encouraging customers to pre-commit to services, like monthly subscriptions that renew automatically.
50. Friction Reduction: Reducing friction involves removing obstacles that make it harder for consumers to take desired actions, such as simplifying the checkout process or reducing the number of steps needed to complete a purchase. Marketers can enhance user experience by streamlining these processes, making it easier for customers to convert.
51. Behavioral Segmentation: Segmenting customers based on behavior (such as purchase history, website interaction) rather than just demographics. Marketers can target specific segments with tailored offers, enhancing relevance and effectiveness. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making deep segmentation at scale practical.
52. Identity Signaling: Identity signaling is making choices that communicate a desired identity to others. Marketers can position products as expressions of personal identity, like eco-friendly brands appealing to consumers who want to signal their environmental consciousness.
53. Vividness Effect: The vividness effect is the tendency to be influenced more by vivid, emotionally engaging information than by more logical, factual data. Marketers can create compelling visuals or stories that highlight the impact of their product in an emotionally resonant way.
54. Decisive Moments: Focusing on key moments that significantly impact decision-making, such as the first interaction or the checkout page. Marketers can optimize these moments with clear calls to action and minimal distractions.
55. Perceived Scarcity: Perceived scarcity is when people believe something is scarce or rare, increasing its desirability. While similar to scarcity, perceived scarcity focuses on the consumer’s belief rather than actual availability. Marketers can create perceived scarcity with messages like “Exclusive edition—only available for a limited time!”
56. Behavioral Triggers: Using specific actions, like an abandoned cart email or a notification, to prompt desired behaviors based on consumer actions. Marketers can employ triggers that respond in real time to customer behavior, enhancing engagement and conversion.
57. Identity Influence: Identity influence involves using aspects of self-identity (such as values or group affiliations) to drive behavior. Marketers can appeal to these identities by aligning product messages with the values or traits of the target audience.
58. Sequential Request Strategy: Gradually increasing the ask, starting with a small request that leads to a larger one, can help overcome initial resistance, a technique similar to the foot-in-the-door phenomenon but applied in broader contexts. Marketers can use this to build up consumer commitment over time.
59. Emotional Contagion: Emotional contagion is the phenomenon where emotions spread from one person to another. Marketers can harness this by creating ads that evoke positive emotions, leading to a more favorable perception of the brand.
60. Fresh Start Effect: The fresh start effect refers to the tendency for people to take action towards a goal after temporal landmarks, such as the beginning of a new year or month. Marketers can leverage this by aligning campaigns with these fresh start moments to motivate consumer action, such as joining a fitness club after the holidays.

Understanding these behavioral science terms gives you a powerful toolkit to craft marketing strategies that resonate on a deeper psychological level. By tapping into the core drivers of human behavior—our biases, social influences, and emotional triggers—you can design campaigns that don’t just reach your audience but truly connect with them. Remember, the goal is to use these insights to enhance your marketing efforts in ways that are authentic, ethical, and effective. As you explore these concepts, let them challenge your thinking, inspire new approaches, and ultimately, elevate your marketing from good to exceptional.