Category: Advertising (Page 1 of 3)

The Strategist’s Dilemma: When Even Google Says “Just Let Us Run It”

July 27, 2025 / Andy / 0 Comments

Early in my career, I was a tactician. Email campaigns, SEO, SEM, building landing pages, hacking together A/B tests. Whatever the job needed, I’d figure it out.

Then I got older. Took on bigger roles. Strategy became my thing. I got an MBA, which basically teaches you how to never do real work again. Just make PowerPoints and use fancy terms like “ubiquitous” and “leveraging synergies.” Just kidding. Kind of.

Then I taught at UW. Strategy-heavy, theory-driven. But not much time for learning how to troubleshoot a broken Meta ad pixel or chase down why TikTok didn’t like the file format you uploaded.

Fast-forward to a recent client gig. A small, scrappy brand with big potential. I figured with AI at my side, I could go back to being a full-stack marketer. The headlines promised that AI was like hiring a 12-person team. All I had to do was show up and prompt. Well, that’s what I thought would happen…

To be fair, some of it worked. AI helped me:

Learn the market faster than any onboarding doc ever could
Code landing pages I wouldn’t have touched otherwise
Test language, generate image prompts, draft copy

But some things were harder than I expected. Not because of AI. Because of me.

I wasn’t great at managing $500 social ad budgets with a bunch of audience segments. I’d get excited, generate new copy, then forget which ones were running. I’d have four tools open at once and three dashboards with zero clear answers.

And the real challenge? AI made me want to move too fast. It gave me confidence, not always clarity. I overlooked the years of work the brand had already done. I thought, “Let’s just rebuild it.” Because I could. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Not only that, but with all the worry about tactics, I forgot about building an actual strategy. Sure I was fixing things, but why? Why was I spending the time on these ad images and audiences a la carte? Where was the the overall gameplan, which is the thing I’m actually really good at?

And then came the pressure. I’d read stories of brands handing over their entire budget to Meta’s Performance Max or Advantage+ campaigns and watching sales jump 300 percent. Google says the same. Just let the algorithm run it. Trust the machine.

But then the experts, the real paid media folks, all say the opposite. You should never blindly hand over your budget. You need control. You need constraints. You need human judgment layered over the models.

So which is it?

That’s the strategist’s dilemma. You’re smart enough to see the big picture. But now you’re supposed to run the machine, too. You’re supposed to click every box, track every metric, and learn new rules every week. It’s not that you can’t. It’s that if you’re not careful, you’ll burn your whole day trying to beat an algorithm that’s already 10 moves ahead.

And yet… you also can’t sit back. This isn’t a time for marketers to lean only on decks and plans. You have to try things. Publish things. Watch what works. Learn what doesn’t.

Especially if you’re working with a brand built on authenticity. You can’t just let the machine write your voice. You have to start with something human. Something true. Then let AI accelerate, not replace.

That’s what I’d do differently next time. Not give up the strategy. Not fake the tactics. But respect both. Use AI as the intern, not the architect. Build the plan myself, then use the tools to get further, faster, without losing the voice or the vision.

Because in the end, it’s not about chasing trends or automating everything. It’s about making sure the brand stays true, the work gets done, and the results actually matter.

Does LinkedIn Still Belong in 2025 Marketing Budgets?

December 15, 2024 / Andy

As companies (like my clients) finalize their 2025 marketing strategies, many are asking whether LinkedIn still warrants a dedicated line in the budget. Once a critical space for B2B visibility and thought leadership, the platform now faces new competition, rising costs, and declining returns for some sectors. Plus, it seems like hardly anyone actually works there.

It seems like for every reason to keep it, there’s an equally valid one for abandoning it.

Engagement Is Still Strong—But Flattening

For B2B marketers, LinkedIn has historically been unmatched in terms of audience intent. But engagement metrics suggest the platform may be nearing a plateau. According to LinkedIn’s own Benchmark Report, click-through rates on thought leadership posts declined year over year:

2023: 0.55%
2024: 0.49%

Meanwhile, a June 2024 Socialinsider study found carousel posts remained the most engaging format, especially for professional services firms. Short videos, once seen as a growth area, now underperform outside of HR or recruitment content.

The Cost Equation Is Shifting

Advertising on LinkedIn remains expensive—often prohibitively so for performance marketers. Wordstream’s Q3 2024 report shows stark differences in average CPM:

LinkedIn: $38.12
Meta (Facebook/Instagram): $14.74
TikTok: $8.91

For campaigns focused on lead generation or direct conversions, the ROI may be difficult to justify compared to cheaper alternatives.

When LinkedIn Still Delivers

Despite those challenges, LinkedIn still drives value for certain brands—particularly those with high-ticket offerings or a professional audience. Sectors continuing to see returns include:

SaaS and enterprise software
Management consulting
HR technology and recruiting firms
Financial services
Executive coaching and leadership training

These industries benefit from the trust and credibility that LinkedIn still holds with decision-makers.

For Consumer Brands, Less Justifiable

For lifestyle or direct-to-consumer brands, LinkedIn rarely makes sense. The professional context limits emotional storytelling, and users are less receptive to brand content unless it’s tied to employment, entrepreneurship, or career development.

Even brands experimenting with employer branding and culture posts are seeing limited traction unless the content is truly unique or backed by a hiring initiative.

A Tighter, Smarter Approach

LinkedIn isn’t dead, it just isn’t automatic. Marketers should reevaluate its role based on goals, cost, and audience fit. For brands that use it well, the platform can still offer high-quality engagement. For others, 2025 may be the right year to scale back and reinvest in channels with broader reach and better value.

Why Businesses Should Be on TikTok Before the Year Ends

December 17, 2023 / Andy

I know you’re going to hate hearing this. I hate writing it. But if your brand still isn’t on TikTok as 2023 wraps up, you may be behind. This isn’t trend-chasing. We have to suck it up and go where attention lives. TikTok is shaping buying decisions across nearly every demographic, not just Gen Z.

1. People Are Spending Serious Time Here

TikTok now has over 1 billion monthly active users, and the average person spends about 95 minutes per day on the app. That’s more screen time than Netflix for some people (Saintnicks). And it’s not background noise. People are watching closely, not just scrolling past.

2. The Algorithm Works in Your Favor

You don’t need a huge follower count. TikTok’s algorithm recommends content based on what people like to watch, not who they follow. That gives smaller brands a legit shot to go big—even from zero. (Wikipedia – TikTok)

3. Low Budget, High Impact

You don’t need fancy gear or a studio. TikTok rewards authenticity. A founder talking to their phone camera can outperform a polished brand ad—if the message hits home (Third Wunder).

4. It’s Already Working for Small Businesses

This isn’t theory. One small brand boosted revenue by 1,650% after going viral on TikTok (Business Insider). TikTok itself reported $24.2 billion in economic activity from small businesses using the platform in 2023 (TikTok Newsroom).

5. TikTok Shop Removes Friction

Launched in September, TikTok Shop lets you sell right inside the app. No redirecting people to your website. No friction. You see it, you click it, you buy it (Wikipedia – TikTok Shop).

6. People Trust What They See

A TikTok study found that 92% of users who took action after watching a video said they did it because the content made them feel something. And 72% said they trust TikTok creators more than traditional ads (TikTok “What’s Next” report).

The Takeaway

TikTok isn’t just silly videos anymore. Used effectively, it can be a source of leads.

An Olympic Sized Irony

July 11, 2021 / Andy

My deep thought of the day.

This is backwards-looking of course. But if the IOC powers-that-be had figured out last year how to test potential Olympic athletes for COVID-19, quarantine them when they got to Tokyo, and accept that they would have to ban all spectators, then a global population stuck at home would have made it the most-watched Olympics ever. Maybe by 25-40%. People would have been arguing on Twitter about archery and synchronized swimming.

But instead, out of safety, the Olympics were postponed a year. And in the summer of 2021, when we can all go outside again and do other things with friends and family, who really wants to sit at home and watch the Olympics? Instead, this could be one of the lower-rated Olympics ever. Tough break for NBC.

Missed the .COM rush? Grab a .FAMILY Domain for your clan

January 25, 2016 / Andy

If you’re not keeping up with all the online tech publications these days, you probably don’t know much about what are called, “Top Level Domains (or TLD’s).” The traditional TLD’s are the ones attached to url’s you know and love – .com, .net, .edu, .org, etc…

But some really smart people realized that with all the url’s already owned by people, the only way to make any money was in the secondary market. And since those smart people who made money the 1st time around weren’t in the secondary market, they needed a way to create a new primary market.

Hence, we have the expansion of hundreds of new TLD’s. Things like .Lawyer, .Ninja, .Me, etc…

The newest one to come out is .Family. For those of you who fancy the idea of having a personalized web site that your family can post info to, or have email addresses with your family surname, the opportunity to get it is now.

Just go to www.name.com and grab your family surname. Note: for most people the surname without an “s” at the end (ie www.Boyer.family) is like $500. Add the “s” (ie www.Boyers.family) is $20.

Note: Yes, those links are referral links above so if you use them, I would get $5 credit to my account (not cash.) But that’s not why I’m writing this. If you don’t want me to get the referral bonus, just type or click thiswww.name.com/domains/family. There’s no referral code attached to that one.

Join me at the Seattle Interactive Conference November 3

October 20, 2015 / Andy

Over the last few years, I’ve had a few amazing chances to get in front of a large audience and either speak on, or moderate panels full of smart people. In about two weeks, I’ll get the opportunity to moderate a panel at one of my favorite events – the Seattle Interactive Conference.

The panel is focused on the changing role of online advertising. Here’s the description:

Game of Screens: The Rise of Multi-Screen Marketing
The rapid evolution of consumer behavior as it relates to their media consumption has rendered many of advertising’s traditional targeting and measurement metrics difficult or obsolete. So how do you accurately measure results when Device proliferation is making even basic reach and frequency management nearly impossible? How can you balance the new expectations amongst consumers that messaging to them should always be relevant and timely? And what are some recent technology advancements in targeting and measurement to help address some of these challenges? In this panel, executives from Choicestream, GoDaddy, Logitech and Sharethrough will share their experience and expertise in delivering successful behavior-driven marketing to consumers who live on multiple screens.

The panel will be on Nov 3 at 11:00am. If you’re attending the event, please come on by and check out our session. And if you have questions you want answered, shoot me an email and I’ll add them into the queue.

Join Me at the American Ad Federation Seattle This Thursday

April 7, 2015 / Andy

Well this should be fun. You’ve seen it before. We get 4 people who know everything there is to know about a topic and I ask them a lot of questions for 90 minutes. And try to throw in a joke or two along the way.

Here’s the scoop for this Thursday from the AAF website:

FORTUNE Magazine recently published a survey of the world’s most respected brands. The Seattle area boasts 6 in the top 30.

As marketing and advertising professionals that call the Seattle area home, we are global stewards for the brands by nature of our profession. Join AAF Seattle as we continue the discussion around diversity and multiculturalism from the perspective of driving brand engagement, both from the agency and brand perspective.

We’ll touch on such topics and questions as:

How prepared are we to support billions of consumers that share the Great Circle of the Pacific Rim?
What are the key insights we can share on how to optimize the brand experience and messaging?
What role does multiculturalism play in our ability to connect with consumers?
What works (and may not work so well) when it comes to strategy to addressing diversity in your teams and your advertising message?

Who are the experts? A really strong group.
Ben Rudolph – Director, Sales Evangelism, Worldwide Retail Channel Marketing, Microsoft
Natalie Rouse – CEO, Southern Cross International
Ken Cho – Co-Founder and CEO, People Pattern
Shelly Kurtz – Executive Director, NBC Universal, International Media Distribution

Hope to see you Thursday. Email me if you have a question or topic you want me to sneak in.

Join Me With a Bunch of Ad Folks Thursday

September 24, 2014 / Andy

Thursday, September 25 will be a busy evening for advertising professionals.

You *could* go drink free beer and play bocce ball up on Capitol Hill. But for those of you who like some education with your alcohol, and prefer a more refined audience, I invite you up to Pike Place Market’s Atrium for the AAF Seattle panel entitled: MARKET INSIGHTS: MOBILE FIRST.

Here’s how they describe the content:

With Twitter machines in every pocket, mobile is key to consumers’ experiences today. How are you incorporating it into you clients’ brands—and into yours? We dialed up a bunch of experts in the mobile biz and asked them to share their secrets, strategies and insights on the topic.

We’ll look into what customers expect from mobile interactions with a brand, when you need an app (and when you don’t), thinking beyond responsive design, and plenty more.

Oh, and I’ll be moderating this group of experts. I’m not an expert myself, and I’ll have as many questions as you do, so it should be a fun time.

A “Spirited” Discussion About Marketing

June 23, 2014 / Andy

I tend to enjoy listening to panel discussions more than most people. And I like them even better when I’m the one who gets to ask all the questions.

On June 19, the Seattle Chapter of the American Advertising Foundation hosted an event with four of the city’s strongest small craft distilleries. When they asked me if I’d moderate this panel about how to market a small craft distillery, I thought they were kidding me. But they were serious, and I excitedly prepped for a topic that I had not previously done much business research on.

Our panelists were fantastic (left to right):

Nathan Kaiser: Owner, 2bar Spirits
Sven Liden: Cofounder, Black Rock Spirits, home of Bakon Vodka and Sparkle Donkey Tequila
Kathy Humphrey: Chief Marketeer, Copperworks Distilling Company
Steve Hawley: Director of Marketing, Westland Distillery

Here are a few bullets I took from the event:

The one piece of advice every small batch distiller will give you is, “Don’t start a small batch distillery.”
“Taste” can only get you so far. You have to have a decent flavor, but you are selling a brand, not what you taste like.
Your brand needs a story. Sparkle Donkey Tequila has the made up history of “El Burro Esparkalo” and then follows that up with a legend of, “In the modern era, Sparkle Donkey Tequila has come to mean many things to many people. But above all it means celebration, fertility, and quality.”
Winning awards is good for a boost, but you need a great follow through campaign to keep it going.
Great quote: “Whiskey is what beer wants to be when it grows up.”
Advice for anyone who thinks they can make tons of money in the burgeoning cannabis industry: “If you think there are a lot of forms to fill out for liquor, the cannabis guys have no idea what’s headed their way. We love that it’s getting legalized. The Liquor Control Board has so many headaches with them, they barely pay attention to us anymore.”
Fact: “40% of people in the bar do not know what they want to order when they walk to the bar.”
Make your bottle bright and easy to see against all types of backgrounds in all types of light. Don’t let it hide on the shelf.

The hashtag #AAFInsights has more of these nuggets if you want to roll through them.

Thanks to the AAF for letting me moderate. It was a blast and I hope people in the audience had as much fun as I did.

How Marketing is Like Little League

May 31, 2014 / Andy

Every spring, tens of thousands of dads, friends, uncles and even moms embark on the gratifying, frustrating and always surprising journey of coaching a Little League baseball team.

Other than Crossfit and Fantasy Football, there may not be an activity that is so mind-absorbing to you – and that absolutely no one around you wants to hear about. No one outside your bubble of coaches and parents cares about little Jimmy’s amazing catch in center field.

But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t subject you to my thoughts on the matter in this little forum. And my thoughts revolve around how coaching 9 year old baseball players is a lot like running a marketing program.

1) Every channel / kid is different: Coaching would be easy if you could just get out front of the audience, give a little spiel about how to turn your hips when swinging, and watch everyone respond in perfect union. But one kid is going to interpret that message as, “Pretend like its a hula-hoop” and another is going to hear, “Keep my feet perfectly still like they are in cement and turn my hips.” Just as every online or offline channel you choose needs its own nuanced content, you must also shape your message for the kids.

2) No matter what you do, some audiences are just not going to do what you want them to do: You can test images, graphics, copy, videos and more. Your content can be fabulous, and still there’s a percent of the market that will ignore, or not understand, anything you try to get across to them. You can explain over and over again, “Run through first base.” You can do drills in which they run through first base. You can have quizzes and ask them what they are supposed to do when they get to first base. During the game, 11 out of 12 kids will run through first base. And the 12th kid is still going to slide, come up short, be out by 2 feet, end the rally and the coach will have to resist throwing his scorebook through the fence.

3) You will have some successes you shouldn’t have, which makes it hard to change: A 9 year old doesn’t know how good he can be. He looks around and sees he hits better than most of the kids despite only keeping one hand on the bat, and says, “That’s good enough.” You beg and plead, “You will be a better hitter if you keep that 2nd hand on the bat.” And so he takes one swing in batting practice, keeps both hands on the bat, misses the ball and decides that sample set is large enough that he’s never going to listen to you again. He shouldn’t be able to hit with one hand, but since he can, he won’t change. We have marketing campaigns that are “doing ok” so we may be resistant to change. It shouldn’t be doing well, but we can’t ensure we’ll do better. And when we dip our toes in the water and have a day of less success, we revert back to what we know.

4) There is always a team with greater resources who looks impossible to beat: In our league, we have the team that plays hard and fast with the rules. The team knew of an all-star player, kept him out of the draft, and then had him join their team later when no one was looking. In 9 year old Little League! Plus, the kids of all the coaches are all 1st rounders that got placed on the team with their dads. So by very definition, they have 4 first round quality players and everyone else has one, maybe two. Your marketing team has less money than Starbucks, less brand power than Coke, fewer distribution channels than Microsoft and can’t afford Apple’s Brand, Design and Ad Agencies. That’s just the way it is. You have to be smarter, see who it is you can beat, and possibly just accept you may not beat everyone.

5) The losses will be hard to take but the wins will be fantastic: Something is always going to surprise you. The kid who never gets a hit will make it to first – and even run through the bag! The center fielder will track down the longest ball hit against you all season and make an amazing catch. The first baseman staring at the kids in the other dugout will make a back handed stab. You just never know where these unexpected gems will happen. You’ll want to take credit for them, but just enjoy the win. It doesn’t matter if the idea for the ad came from the copywriter, admin, customer service rep or janitor. It’s a team win when it works, no matter how and why it happened.

Those are my 5 takeaways. I’m sure I’ll think of more, but like most Little League baseball games, this post has dragged on too long and we’ve seen enough pitches already. I’ll just be thankful if someone of them were strikes.