Your Marketing Sucks

It isn't just you, most marketing sucks right now.

That’s not just my opinion. According to Gartner, 87% of brands said their marketing campaigns underperformed last year. And nearly half (45%) had to pull the plug on campaigns early because they were so bad they weren’t worth keeping alive.

That’s not just “oh, the economy is tough” numbers. That’s a full-blown industry crisis.

So, what’s happening? Are budgets too tight? Are customers just impossible to reach now? Is AI ruining everything?

No. The real reason most marketing campaigns are flopping is simple:

Most brands are playing it way too safe, and the creative is just... boring.

Nobody cares about another bland, overly-optimized, “safe” campaign. Marketing has become so obsessed with data, channels, and optimization that we’ve sucked the fun and originality out of it.

And guess what? People can tell.

Here’s Why Most Campaigns Are Failing (And How to Fix It)

1. Marketers Are Too Afraid to Take Risks

The biggest reason marketing is flopping? Brands are terrified to do anything that might actually get attention.

• They don’t want to offend anyone.

• They don’t want to polarize.

• They don’t want to take a stance.

• They don’t want to be weird.

So, instead of creating something bold, funny, or memorable, we get sanitized, corporate-approved nothingness.

Here’s the deal: If your campaign could run in any industry and any brand’s logo could be slapped on it without anyone noticing, your campaign isn’t good enough.

My Fix: Be bold. Be weird. Be something. The brands that stand out take calculated risks, not just A/B-tested baby steps. Stop worrying about pleasing everyone, focus on being unforgettable to someone.

2. There’s Way Too Much “Content” and Not Enough Big Ideas

Another problem? Marketers are drowning in content production instead of focusing on actual campaigns.

• There’s a 31% increase in the number of campaigns year-over-year, but brands aren’t spending more time or money on great ideas.

• Instead of focusing on one killer concept, teams are churning out endless posts, Reels, and ads that no one remembers five minutes later.

• We’ve become content machines instead of storytellers.

Remember when ads actually made you feel something? We don’t get those much anymore because brands aren’t spending the time crafting ideas, they’re just checking boxes.

My Fix: More isn’t better. Instead of launching 10 forgettable campaigns, focus on one or two that actually have some guts. Big, emotional, creative ideas still work, they just take more effort.

3. Over-Optimization Is Killing Creativity

I love data. I love analytics. I love knowing what works.

But too many brands are optimizing their campaigns into the ground before they even have a chance to succeed.

• We’re so obsessed with performance metrics that we’re scared to take creative swings that don’t deliver instant results.

• If something doesn’t drive an immediate, measurable ROI, it gets scrapped.

• Instead of bold, creative storytelling, we get 30 variations of the same generic ad because the algorithm told us to.

Guess what? The most effective marketing campaigns in history weren’t built to drive clicks in the first 24 hours. They built brands. They created culture. They made people feel something.

My Fix: Stop killing ideas just because they don’t have an immediate, trackable ROI. The best brands think long-term. If you only do what’s measurable, you’ll never do what’s memorable.

4. Channel Overload Is Diluting the Message

Every year, there are more platforms marketers “have” to be on.

• TikTok

• YouTube Shorts

• Instagram Reels

• LinkedIn

• Podcasts

• Programmatic

• SMS

• Email

• Web3? AI? Whatever’s next?

It’s exhausting.

The problem is, when brands try to be everywhere, they end up being nowhere. Instead of creating impactful, channel-specific content, they spread their budget too thin and end up with a sea of forgettable, one-size-fits-all campaigns.

My Fix: Pick 2-3 platforms and own them. Be strategic about where your audience actually engages. You don’t need to be everywhere, you need to be great somewhere.

5. Marketing Teams Aren’t Aligned with Business Goals

Another major reason campaigns flop? Marketing is working toward one goal while leadership and sales are working toward something completely different.

• 60% of marketers say they struggle to align campaign strategy with business objectives.

• 25% say their own sales teams actively make it harder to execute campaigns.

That means tons of marketing campaigns are doomed before they even launch because they don’t have full company buy-in. If leadership, sales, and marketing aren’t on the same page, it’s impossible to create a campaign that actually drives impact.

My Fix: Marketing leaders need a seat at the table. If your campaign isn’t fully supported by leadership and sales, it’s a waste of time. Get alignment before you launch.

The Fixes?

Take creative risks. Stop playing it safe. Safe = forgettable.

Prioritize big ideas over just making more content. People remember great marketing, not more marketing.

Stop optimizing campaigns to death. If you’re only doing what’s measurable, you’ll never do what’s memorable.

Focus your efforts on fewer channels. You don’t need to be everywhere, just be great where it matters.

Make sure marketing, sales, and leadership are aligned. If you’re all pulling in different directions, your campaign is already dead.

Marketing Isn’t Broken. Your Approach Is.

Marketing isn’t failing because the economy sucks. Marketing isn’t failing because attention spans are shrinking.

Marketing is failing because too many brands are afraid to be interesting.

The ones that take risks, tell stories, and make people feel something will win. The ones that play it safe, optimize themselves to death, and pump out generic content will keep wondering why their campaigns aren’t working.

Oh ya, and hire me to make your brand great.