Cover Brand: The Gorgonzola Problem
Ever notice how the businesses spending the most on marketing often seem to be getting the least out of it? In this episode, Ethan Decker sits down with Gee Ranasinha, founder of KEXINO, to dig into why so many "marketers" are really just doing comms, and why that confusion is quietly wrecking growth for small and mid-sized B2B companies. Gee and Ethan trade stories about founders who won't say no to anything, the evolutionary reasons B2B buyers play it safe, and why trying to be all things to all people is a race to the bottom on price. Expect sharp analogies, a little biology, and a shared conviction that narrowing your focus is the fastest way to actually get noticed. Great for founders, in-house marketers, and anyone who has ever been asked to just make the deck look prettier.
Main Topics
Why so many people with marketing in their job title are actually just doing communications, and what real marketing has quietly lost over the past fifty years
The founder's dilemma of not wanting to say no to anything, and how that turns a business into a commodity
Why B2B buyers aren't chasing the best option, they're chasing the least risky one, and the evolutionary biology behind that instinct
How narrowing your focus, like Canva starting with high school yearbooks, can be a smarter path to growth than trying to out-Photoshop Photoshop
Links to Additional Resources
KEXINO, kexino.com
Featured Cover: Soft Cell's cover of Gloria Jones's Tainted Love
https://open.spotify.com/track/0cGG2EouYCEEC3xfa0tDFV?si=ed11010692134286
If you've ever been told your marketing needs to be louder, shoutier, or on one more channel, this one's for you. Subscribe to Cover Brand for more, share this episode with someone who's been asked to just make the deck look nicer, and head to appliedbrandscience.com to dig further into the science behind the stories.
