Something’s been troubling us for a while… and it’s all about connections.

Or rather the lack of human connectivity in modern marketing.

In a world of Big Data, AI, ML, MA etc, we’re supposedly being more targeted and efficient with our marketing than ever.

Technology can create the illusion of connectivity, but if over-used, or indeed misused, it can actually limit engagement.

Marketing Technology has, in effect, replaced marketing. But isn’t this a case of replacing a marketing strategy and real creative with tactics? Surely it’s a given nowadays that any agency will have the data, the customer insights, the reporting.

The problem is that in developing all these nurturing strategies something has been left behind – the customer.

What attracts a customer is not the tactics, it’s not the nurture strategy, it’s not even the targeting.

It’s the creative – the big message, the brand proposition, the visuals. The one thing you have to say in the infinitesimally small part of their lives you can have, that captures their attention.

We can automate, personalise, and retarget all we want, but that core message has to be big and it has to resonate.