CREATIVITY OVER FEAR
alan elliott merschen
In today’s marketing world, we've become accustomed to hearing about metrics and measurement. Data is king, but in the rush to quantify everything, have we lost something along the way?
Years ago, campaigns were built on bold, creative ideas. Agencies would pitch smart, original concepts, and clients were willing to take risks to make a real impact. Results took time—months, maybe even years—but the payoff was significant, and by "results," we meant sales. There was room to let campaigns breathe, gain momentum, and truly resonate. Back then, we didn't have the robust measurement tools available now, but we had something else: creative guts.
I’m not trying to sound nostalgic here, but this shift feels like a lot of what makes marketing exciting is being pushed aside. It’s like the confidence someone shows when they get a tattoo—an idea chosen for the long term, not because it was tested in focus groups. That kind of creative conviction is becoming rare.
In the past few years, marketing has become more about immediate results than long-term strategy. We've confused measurement with ROI. Concepts like CPM, CPA, and CTR now drive decisions, leaving less room for creative risk-taking. In the same breath that we admire companies for launching groundbreaking apps or social platforms, we forget to apply that same daring spirit to our own marketing.
Think back to Apple’s legendary "1984" ad. Today, it would be dissected by focus groups, measured by social media likes, and labeled a failure if it didn’t go viral immediately. But that ad became iconic because it had space to exist and breathe.
Marketing was once the most creative side of business—the place where risks were taken, where fresh ideas were celebrated even if they didn’t succeed right away. Campaigns were built to last, with positioning so strong it became synonymous with the brand. Think of New Zealand’s “100% Pure” or Las Vegas’ “What happens here, stays here.” These weren’t campaigns designed to run for a month and then disappear—they were long-term strategies with staying power.
Maybe it’s time to revisit that mindset. To stop chasing short-term metrics and start building campaigns that last. Marketing shouldn’t be just another swipe on Tinder—it should be the lasting relationship everyone wants to invest in.
We can, and should, do better.
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