BJ Bueno

Here’s a hard truth:

Most successful brands sell dreams—not reality.

That’s not a cynical take. It’s just how humans are wired.

Airbnb doesn’t show you the cramped basement apartment with a clunky lock and an awkward host. They show you the treetop retreat in the jungle or the mountain cabin with endless views. 

The fantasy.

Why?

Because the dream is what sells.

Always has.

But There’s a Catch…

There is a time when radical honesty can outperform even the best dream.

It’s when everyone else is faking it.

John E. Powers, the world’s first professional copywriter, knew this over 100 years ago. He didn’t just tell the truth—he made it his edge.

One of his ads simply read:

“We have a lot of undesirable gossamers we want to get rid of.”

They sold out the same day.

Another?

“They’re not as good as they look. But good enough. 25 cents.”

They flew off the shelf.

And then, the boldest of all:

“We are bankrupt. If you come buy tomorrow, we can pay our creditors. If not, we’re done.”

The store was packed the next day.

Why Did It Work?

Not because people prefer honesty.

But because no one else was being honest.

When the market is full of inflated claims, slick copy, and over-polished images, truth stands out. It’s disruptive. It’s real. And in a world addicted to image, reality can feel revolutionary.

So, What Does This Mean for Cult Brand Builders?

If you’re crafting a brand people will obsess over, here’s the formula:

• Sell the dream when it taps into deep emotion and identity.
  
• Tell the truth when it breaks through a sea of noise.
  
• Use contrast as a strategy—not just creativity.
  

Honesty only works when it feels different.

Cult brands aren’t built by picking truth or fantasy.

They’re built by knowing when to deliver each—and doing it with intention.

Dreams pull people in.

Truth earns their trust.

Contrast makes it unforgettable.

Want your brand to live in hearts, not just carts?

Know when to break the script.

In marketing, targeting is often hailed as the holy grail. With today’s digital tools, we can zero in on precise audience segments—down to job title, purchase intent, or even what someone had for lunch. It’s no wonder that many marketers, especially those focused on performance, have come to view reach as inefficient or even wasteful.

But if you’re looking to build a lasting brand and a passionate following, it’s time to challenge that belief.

The Misconception: Treating TV Like Digital

When marketers hit the limits of digital performance, they often turn to broader channels like TV or streaming. But instead of using these platforms for what they do best—mass reach—they try to make them act like digital. They segment. They over-target. They avoid “waste.”

And in doing so, they often miss the real opportunity.

The Reality: Reach Drives Better Returns

It might sound counterintuitive, but reach actually delivers stronger long-term ROI than hyper-targeting. Here’s why:

1. You Build Mental Availability

Consumers don’t make decisions in neat, linear paths. Most buying decisions are subconscious, emotional, and influenced long before the moment of purchase. Broad reach builds mental availability—the likelihood that your brand comes to mind when someone is ready to buy. If you’re not in their head, you’re not in the game.

2. You Avoid Missing Ready Buyers

Over-targeting can blind you to customers who don’t perfectly fit your Ideal Customer Profile, but are ready to convert. Maybe they’re a step removed from your “perfect” demo. Perhaps they’re a future buyer. Either way, reach ensures you don’t leave them behind.

3. You Expand the Funnel

Growth doesn’t come from targeting the same niche over and over. It comes from scaling awareness and nurturing future demand. Every brand needs to continuously introduce itself to new people. REACH is how that happens.

4. You Reduce Cost and Improve ROI

Broad targeting doesn’t just increase exposure—it often lowers your cost per conversion. You tap into underpriced attention and reduce the saturation and fatigue that comes with small, overfished audiences.

Sophisticated Reach, Not Spray-and-Pray

To be clear, this isn’t about advertising to “everyone with a pulse.” It’s about smart, strategic expansion. Sophisticated reach means casting a wider net with purpose—understanding where your future customers live, work, and play, even if they’re not your “perfect” buyer today.

In many cases, you’re better off expanding your target than contracting it.

If you’re serious about building a brand that lasts—one that people talk about, return to, and advocate for—reach must be part of your strategy.

Brands aren’t built in dashboards. They’re built in people’s minds. And you can’t occupy minds you never reach.

“It’s not fashionable these days to say that you want to put more effort towards brand and consumer sentiment because they’re harder to measure… And yet, if you don’t have that balance, you’re going to run into trouble sooner rather than later.”
— Lena Waters, CMO of Grammarly

There’s nothing I love more than hearing a B2B CMO champion top-of-funnel brand building — especially someone like Lena Waters, who helped guide Grammarly from a consumer-loved tool to a trusted enterprise solution.

Grammarly didn’t just “add” a B2B offering — they expanded into it. And their strong brand awareness from years of consumer marketing made that transition significantly smoother.

Lena gets something a lot of performance-minded marketers miss: Most of your future revenue doesn’t come from people in-market right now. It comes from the much larger group of out-of-market buyers — people who aren’t ready to act yet, but will be someday.

If your brand is familiar and trusted when those buyers enter the market, your performance marketing suddenly works a lot harder. Lower acquisition costs, faster sales cycles, better close rates — all fueled by prior investments in the brand.

That’s why Lena continues to invest in brand-building while scaling direct response.

Because here’s the truth:

✅ Brand isn’t soft.

✅ Brand isn’t a “nice to have.”

✅ Brand is a force multiplier that lifts every part of your funnel.

So yes, track your KPIs. 

Optimize your CTAs. 

But never forget:

The best-performing brands are the ones that people already know and trust when it’s time to buy.

—BJ

In brand strategy, I often see teams move forward when they feel pretty confident — when their odds of being right seem just above 50%.

But here’s the truth:

Being barely right isn’t good enough in high-stakes decisions.

The real value comes from pushing that confidence way higher — from 51% to 85%, for example.

Why? 

Because the impact isn’t linear.

The difference between probably right and very likely right can flip a third of your bad bets into good ones.

That’s why great strategists pressure-test assumptions, gather more insight, and ask tougher questions — even when things feel clear.

✅ More clarity.
✅ Fewer missteps.
✅ Stronger outcomes.

The goal isn’t just to move — it’s to move with confidence and precision.

—BJ

Brand or Performance?

Long-term or short-term?

Storytelling or selling?

The binary is broken.

Thinkbox’s “Profit Ability 2” study (with Ebiquity, EssenceMediacom, Gain Theory, Mindshare, and Wavemaker), is based on a rigorous analysis of £1.8 billion in ad spend across 141 brands, 14 categories, and 10 media channels.

And the big takeaway?

🧠 58% of advertising’s profit impact occurs after the first 3 months.

So if you’re only measuring short-term “performance,” you’re leaving most of your return off the books.

Most Channels Do Both — But in Different Ways

Linear TV drives the highest sustained profit over time — far more than Paid Social or PPC.

But even channels like Generic PPC and Paid Social have carryover and sustained effects — not just immediate clicks and conversions.

The old “brand vs. performance” divide ignores this nuance.

It’s Time for a Smarter Framework

The researchers suggest moving away from the Brand/Performance binary and toward a better way of evaluating channels:

✅ SCALE

How large of an impact do I need for this campaign?

✅ EFFICIENCY

At what point will I hit diminishing returns?

✅ TIME

How long am I willing to wait for full payback?

This framework helps you understand what each media channel actually delivers — and when.

So yes, use Paid Social. Use PPC. But don’t over-rely on them, especially if you need long-term growth. (Spoiler: many brands are overspending on social by 3X, according to Richard Kirk, who’s shared additional insights from this study.)

Stop Choosing Sides. Start Choosing Strategy.

Your media mix shouldn’t be about Brand vs. Performance — it should be about Brand and Performance, each doing what it does best.

Want to build something truly sustainable?

Map your media against time, scale, and efficiency, and you’ll get closer to the truth of what actually works.

And remember:  If you’re not measuring long-term impact, you’re only seeing half the story.

— BJ  📩 Want to bring this conversation into your leadership team? I’m happy to come in and walk you through the full picture — and how to make your media work harder for your brand. Learn more about our work at www.cultbranding.com.

Let’s face it: this isn’t the same marketing landscape we were operating in even a year ago.

💸 Budgets are tighter.
🧑‍💼 Teams are leaner.
🛍️ And customers? They’re more cautious, selective, and value-driven than ever.

In this environment, there’s one area that smart brands are doubling down on:

Customer Retention.

Because when new acquisition gets harder and more expensive, your existing customers become your most valuable growth engine.

Why Retention Matters Now More Than Ever

Retention isn’t just a support metric anymore — it’s a core business strategy.

Here’s why:

• It costs 5–7x more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.
  
• Loyal customers are 5x more likely to repurchase.
  
• Increasing retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25–95% (Bain & Company).
  

Retention gives you predictability. Efficiency. Stability.
And right now, that’s exactly what marketing leaders are looking for.

The Metrics That Matter

If you’re ready to shift from acquisition obsession to retention mastery, Robbie Kellman Baxter’s Customer Retention Metrics Kit (📊 see image above) offers a smart foundation.

Here are just a few metrics every brand should be watching:

• Churn Rate: Are people leaving, and how fast?
  
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Will your customers recommend you?
  
• Gross Revenue Retention (GRR): Are you keeping the revenue you already earned?
  
• Feature Adoption Rates: Are customers using what you’re building?
  
• Time Between Purchases: Are you staying top of mind?
  

Each one tells a story — not just about your product, but about your relationship with your customer.

Retention Isn’t Just Keeping — It’s Growing

Retention isn’t just about keeping people around. It’s about:

• Deepening loyalty
  
• Increasing customer lifetime value
  
• Creating brand advocates
  
• Driving additional and repeat sales
  
• Reducing reliance on short-term acquisition hacks
  

When you shift your focus here, everything compounds.

How to Start the Shift

Here’s what I’m seeing from brands that are doing retention right:

✅ They know their metrics and track them consistently
✅ They create intentional post-purchase journeys
✅ They connect product, marketing, and support for seamless customer experience
✅ They reward loyalty — not just first-time purchases
✅ And most importantly, they treat retention as a strategic growth lever, not a back-end support metricHere’s to keeping the customers who already love you — and giving them more reasons to stay.

—BJ

Here’s a simple but powerful question I ask every time I review a media plan with a brand team:

👉 How did the idea inform this media strategy?

Most media plans start with audience behavior:
What do our customers watch? Where do they scroll? When are they most likely to see us?

That’s a solid start — but it’s also what everyone else is doing.
If your plan only follows habits, you’ll end up in the same places as your competitors, saying slightly different things. That’s not brand leadership — it’s brand camouflage.

Great Media Strategy Starts with a Great Brand Idea

What separates exceptional brands is this:

They use media not just to reach people — but to amplify the brand idea.

Let’s look at a few standout examples where the idea came first and the media made it real:

Spotify — “Wrapped” Meets the Real World

Spotify’s core idea: You are what you listen to.

Every year, they bring this idea to life with Spotify Wrapped, turning user data into personal stories. But what really sets it apart is how they extend that campaign into physical environments.

They’ve taken over subways, buses, even laundromats with hyper-local, highly specific ads like:
“You played ‘Sorry’ 42 times after your ex moved out.”
That’s not just advertising — it’s self-reflection turned cultural currency.

It works because the media placements are where life happens — amplifying the idea that our playlists say something deeply personal.

GE — “Unseen Heroes” of Energy

GE’s idea: We power the world in ways you never think about.

Rather than flood primetime with product features, GE placed beautifully crafted content in airports, train stations, and long-form podcast sponsorships — places where thoughtful decision-makers have time to reflect.

Even their film “The Message” (a sci-fi podcast about alien communication) was a storytelling platform that mirrored GE’s own message: We make the invisible, visible.

It wasn’t just smart content. It was placed where curious minds go to think — making the media strategy an extension of the brand’s essence.

Netflix — Turning Culture Into a Canvas

Netflix doesn’t just buy space. It hijacks culture.

When promoting Stranger Things, they didn’t settle for trailers and digital banners. They transformed entire towns, mall storefronts, and even elevators into 1980s Hawkins, Indiana.

In Paris, they took over 100 metro station ads with black-and-white photos — then flipped every single one to vibrant color overnight to promote the new season of The Umbrella Academy.

Why does it work? Because the media becomes the medium of surprise. It mirrors the emotional shifts Netflix is selling. Again, the idea drove the placement — not the other way around.

AT&T — “It Can Wait” Campaign

AT&T’s idea: No text is worth a life.

Instead of just running PSAs, they put their message in parking lots, outside high schools, and within apps teens use the most. They even embedded it into driving simulations at events and used Snapchat filters to simulate distracted driving consequences.

The result? A campaign where the media meets the moment of danger — and reclaims it with intention.

This is the kind of media planning that not only lands — it saves lives.

What Happens When the Idea Leads? You Lead.

If your brand is serious about moving from safe and expected to bold and unforgettable, let’s talk.

My team and I are now offering in-house brand strategy sessions for companies ready to break the mold.

We’ll walk your leadership and marketing teams through the 7 essential frameworks we use to help top brands build powerful, idea-driven strategies that outperform the competition.

💡 Whether you want to pressure-test your positioning, unlock new creative energy, or finally bridge the gap between strategy and media — we’ll help you turn insight into action.📩 Send me a note or visit www.cultbranding.com to start the conversation.

For years now, many in the advertising world have been ringing the death knell for television. “TV is dying,” they say. “Nobody watches anymore.” “It’s all about digital now.”
But what if I told you that a lot of what’s been said about the value of TV is completely false?

That’s not my opinion — that’s the clear conclusion drawn from decades of rigorous data by marketing effectiveness expert Peter Field.

Peter is known for his work with Les Binet on effectiveness marketing, popularizing the now-famous “60/40 rule” (60% brand-building, 40% activation). He’s a tireless advocate for the power of reach, emotional storytelling, and long-term brand investment.

But one of Peter’s most passionate — and often overlooked — messages is this:

TV advertising is not only still effective — it’s more effective now than ever before.

The Case for TV: What the Data Tells Us

Peter Field doesn’t deal in gut feelings or hot takes. His work is grounded in data — thousands of campaigns tracked over decades through the IPA Databank. And the numbers paint a clear picture:

• TV delivers unmatched attention: In a world of skippable ads, banner blindness, and silent autoplay videos, TV still commands full-screen, full-sound, often co-viewed attention.
  
• TV offers scale and reach: Linear TV still reaches millions in one go. And now, connected TV and BVOD (broadcaster video-on-demand) allow precision layering on top of that reach.
  
• TV builds long-term memory structures: The combination of sight, sound, and story in a relaxed environment creates an ideal cocktail for brand-building.
  
• TV ads are becoming more efficient: Counterintuitive but true — as TV CPMs have been relatively stable and digital ad clutter has increased, the effectiveness per dollar of TV is rising.
  

Why This Matters for C-Level Leaders

If you’re leading a brand today, the pressure to chase short-term ROI is relentless. Performance marketing dashboards glow with attribution models, tempting you to pull dollars away from brand-building into ever-more trackable — and often diminishing — returns.

But here’s the cold, hard truth: without sustained brand-building, your activation efforts will hit a wall. You’ll get diminishing returns, increased price sensitivity, and shorter customer lifecycles.

TV, when used properly, is still the gold standard for brand-building. It amplifies creativity. It fuels fame. It adds scale to storytelling. It builds mental availability — the thing that matters most when a customer is ready to buy.

“TV Is Dead” Is Lazy Thinking

Smart marketers know not to mistake change for decline.

Yes, how people watch TV has evolved. Streaming. Time-shifting. Second screens.
But that doesn’t mean TV has lost its power — it means you have to get smarter about how you use it.

The most effective campaigns today are integrating traditional and digital — not choosing between them. TV acts as the tentpole for emotionally resonant, long-term stories that digital can then extend, retarget, and personalize.

Brand Fame Still Matters

Peter Field reminds us that fame is the most effective brand metric, and TV is the most reliable channel for generating it.

So the next time someone tells you that TV is outdated, remember:
The truth isn’t just on your side — it’s on Peter Field’s spreadsheets.

TV is underpriced. It’s the original storytelling machine. And it’s ready to work harder than ever for your brand.