Your source for knowledge, reports, thought leadership, and other tomfoolery. No fluff. No folklore. Just sticky, science-backed brand truth.
The Most ABSurd Blog
LOYALTY TO CAR BRANDS? MAYBE
We think car buyers are fiercely loyal, but most switch brands far more often than marketers—or Steve Ballmer—would believe.
Bad data takes you confidently in the wrong direction
The biggest problem in marketing isn’t bad data—it’s looking at the wrong data, and doing it confidently.
How will Amazon's brand lose iTs luster?
Amazon’s Marketplace may boost sales, but moldy jerky and expired baby formula are eating away at its brand trust.
Do TV ads impact sales... at all?
A massive study of 250 grocery brands found TV ads barely move short-term sales—good ones pay off in the long run, not week to week.
“But my category is different….”
Even in tourism, the laws of brand science still apply—because growing destinations isn’t that different from selling detergent.
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.
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.
The robot will now write the ads
Can AI really write better headlines than humans — or is it just really good at stealing from Ogilvy’s playbook?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ARE AD AGENCIES NOW COMMODITIES?
Most advertising just treads water—because most clients are paid to avoid risk, not make waves.
Consumers are people too
Crime’s down, perception’s off, and every new Gen Z survey deserves a giant grain of salt.
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!
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.