BRANDING
BULLSHIT

DON'T FALL FOR IT.

Customers don’t "fall in love" with brands, marketers don't need to "differentiate or die," and advertising a "brand purpose" has no impact on growth.

Stay up-to date on all the bullshit, and the evidence that debunks it.

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Myths Featured Brands Featured Ads Brand News Resources For Fun

For Fun

Featured Brands

Which ads will actually sell products, and not just entertain consumers or win advertising awards?

SUPER BOWL AD WINNERS & LOSERS

2022

For Fun

A world without branding & advertising might seem like it would be a utopia, but personally, I wouldn't want to live in that world.

A WORLD WITHOUT BRANDING & ADVERTISING

For Fun

Why have we anointed a handful of Christmas movies as Christmas classics? I do some digging.

HOW CHRISTMAS MOVIES GROW

Featured Brands

Everyone loved the 2011 Super Bowl ad featuring a little boy dressed up as Darth Vader, but do they remember which brand was being advertised?

GOOD AD/BAD AD

VW's "The Force"

Resources

Brands share the same customer types with each other, in line with size, not brand personality.

DISCOVERIES IN MARKETING SCIENCE

The Duplication of Purchase Law

Resources

Loyalty is predictable as brands grow. The NBD curve proves customer loyalty shouldn't be your priority.

DISCOVERIES IN MARKETING SCIENCE

The NBD Dirichlet Model

Featured Brands

Looks like State Farm has read the evidence regarding the importance of distinctiveness in advertising.

GOOD BRAND/BAD BRAND

State Farm

For Fun

Why I use the word "bullshit" to expose the marketing industry.

ON BULLSHIT

Resources

If I assigned a reading list for a class on spotting bullshit in the marketing industry, I would assign these books, in this order.

READING LIST

The Books That Have Shaped My Thinking

For Fun

Featured Brands

What does the Beanie Baby craze of the late 1990s tell us about the power of labels?

REMEMBER BEANIE BABIES?

For Fun

A high school football coach in Arkansas has a radical approach to the sport. Can marketers learn from him?

BIAS IN FOOTBALL AND MARKETING

For Fun

Resources

Google and YouTube are dangerous tools for acquiring any industry knowledge beyond technical skills.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR OWN EXPERTISE

Myths

Colors don't have universal meaning, and prioritizing color meaning in brand design is a worthless exercise.

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Myths

Having a brand purpose, outside of profit, won't increase your market share.

BRAND PURPOSE

For Fun

Featured Brands

Some ads were funny, some were emotional, some were boring, but which ads will be the most effective long-term?

SUPER BOWL AD WINNERS & LOSERS

2021

Myths

Mission Statements don't work, regardless of how well they are written.

MISSION STATEMENTS

Myths

Customers rarely perceive differentiation, and the few that do, shouldn't be the focus of your marketing efforts.

DIFFERENTIATE OR DIE

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Stay informed.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

BRANDINGBULLSHIT

DON'T FALL FOR IT.

Which ads will actually sell products, and not just entertain consumers or win advertising awards?

SUPER BOWL AD WINNERS & LOSERS

A world without branding & advertising might seem like it would be a utopia, but personally, I wouldn't want to live in that world.

A WORLD WITHOUT BRANDING & ADVERTISING

Why have we anointed a handful of Christmas movies as Christmas classics? I do some digging.

HOW CHRISTMAS MOVIES GROW

Everyone loved the 2011 Super Bowl ad featuring a little boy dressed up as Darth Vader, but do they remember which brand was being advertised?

GOOD AD/BAD AD

Brands share the same customer types with each other, in line with size, not brand personality.

DISCOVERIES IN MARKETING SCIENCE

Loyalty is predictable as brands grow. The NBD curve proves customer loyalty shouldn't be your priority.

DISCOVERIES IN MARKETING SCIENCE

Looks like State Farm has read the evidence regarding the importance of distinctiveness in advertising.

GOOD BRAND/BAD BRAND

Why I use the word "bullshit" to expose the marketing industry.

ON BULLSHIT

If I assigned a reading list for a class on spotting bullshit in the marketing industry, I would assign these books, in this order.

READING LIST

What does the Beanie Baby craze of the late 1990s tell us about the power of labels?

REMEMBER BEANIE BABIES?

A high school football coach in Arkansas has a radical approach to the sport. Can marketers learn from him?

BIAS IN FOOTBALL AND MARKETING

Google and YouTube are dangerous tools for acquiring any industry knowledge beyond technical skills.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR OWN EXPERTISE

Colors don't have universal meaning, and prioritizing color meaning in brand design is a worthless exercise.

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Having a brand purpose, outside of profit, won't increase your market share.

BRAND PURPOSE

Some ads were funny, some were emotional, some were boring, but which ads will be the most effective long-term?

SUPER BOWL AD WINNERS & LOSERS

Mission Statements don't work, regardless of how well they are written.

MISSION STATEMENTS

Customers rarely perceive differentiation, and the few that do, shouldn't be the focus of your marketing efforts.

DIFFERENTIATE OR DIE

Stay informed.

BRANDING
BULLSHIT