Your source for knowledge, reports, thought leadership, and other tomfoolery. No fluff. No folklore. Just sticky, science-backed brand truth.

The Most ABSurd Blog

Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

We still don't know which half

A century after Wanamaker, we still don’t know which half of our marketing beliefs are wrong—but brand science can finally show us.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

D2C brands are self-limiting

D2C brands aren’t toppling the giants—they’re just startups with limited distribution, and the laws of brand science still apply.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Little loyalty in hospitality too

Turns out your favorite hotel, cruise line, and airline aren’t all that different — a new study shows most hospitality brands win by being generic, not unique.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Loyalty can't die

Nielsen says “disloyalty is the new black,” but the truth is, shoppers have always been brand hoppers — switching’s not a trend, it’s human nature.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

How bad can digital targeting get

Some DMPs are so bad at targeting they literally find your anti-audience — like, 26% accuracy bad. Flip a coin instead; it’s smarter and cheaper.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Online brands are flocking to TV

Purple’s pouring money into TV because they actually want to grow big—and TV, the “dying” medium no one watches anymore, is still one of the best ways to do it.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Don't target Millennials after all

Marketers love chasing Millennials — they’re young, hip, and values-driven! Also: broke. Low wages, high debt, and zero wealth make “purpose” less a virtue and more a survival strategy.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

The value of a Cannes Lion

Cannes Lions entries dropped 4% this year — but Creative Effectiveness entries jumped 34%. Looks like more agencies want to prove their work actually works.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Big data isn’t science

Big data can (usually) predict what flavor of yogurt I’ll buy next week—but not why Greek yogurt took over the world- or what’s next!

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Don’t study the successes

Most “secrets of success” lists forget one thing: they only study winners—so all you’re really learning is survivorship bias.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Imagine a world without ads

A world without ads sounds nice—until you remember mass marketing is still how most people find out you exist in the first place.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

Being relevant is overrated

Brands don’t get big by whispering to individuals—they grow by shouting to the crowd and making everyone care at once.

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Ethan Decker Ethan Decker

The many ways to greatness

The best marketers know the trick isn’t choosing emotion or purpose—it’s knowing which parts of marketing change, and which never do.

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