In today’s performance-obsessed marketing culture, optimization feels like the golden rule. We measure, we A/B test, we trim the fat. We narrow our targeting to the most “efficient” segments. It feels smart. Clean. Precise.
But there’s a problem: what feels like smart marketing on a dashboard is often the first step toward starving your future.
Let me explain.
The Dashboard Deception
We’ve all been in the room when a team proudly reports on how they’ve optimized their campaigns by cutting “low-converting” traffic. They beam as they show higher CTRs, better ROAS, cleaner funnels. It’s a dopamine hit for the data-driven mind.
But zoom out. What’s being cut is not just inefficiency—what’s being cut is discovery.
That top-of-funnel “inefficient” traffic? That’s tomorrow’s loyal customer. That mobile evening browser? She’s not converting today—but she’s getting to know your brand. And when she’s ready to make a purchase—likely on a desktop, likely in the morning—you may have already cut the thread that connected her to you.
The Hidden Cost of Hyper-Efficiency
We’ve worked with some of the world’s most beloved cult brands. One pattern we’ve seen again and again is that they don’t treat attention like a transaction. They treat it like a relationship.
Relationships require patience. Not everyone converts on the first touchpoint—or the fifth. But if you’re only investing in people who are ready to buy today, you’re ignoring the journey that leads them there.
And more importantly, you’re handing tomorrow’s buyers to your competitors.
Building for Tomorrow
Too often, marketers focus only on quick wins—optimizing for immediate conversions while unknowingly shutting down the pathways that lead to long-term growth. When discovery moments—like evening mobile browsing—are ignored or undervalued, the brand misses a crucial chance to make an early impression.
Instead, the brands that win are the ones planting seeds. They understand that someone browsing on their phone at night might come back the next morning on a desktop, ready to convert. That trust, built quietly over time, is what drives tomorrow’s results.
This is the “messy middle” that Google describes—a nonlinear, emotional journey filled with loops, detours, and returns. If your brand isn’t showing up early in that journey, you may never be in the running when the final decision is made.
CEOs: This Is a Leadership Issue
The temptation to prioritize short-term gains is strong. Your board wants results. Your team wants wins. But leadership isn’t about chasing the nearest carrot—it’s about having the courage to invest in long-term value.
Ask yourself:
- Are we cutting spend that builds awareness simply because it doesn’t convert fast enough?
- Are we designing our customer experience to support exploration and evaluation, or are we fixated only on conversion?
- Are we building loyalty, or just transactions?
Remember: cult brands aren’t built on conversions. They’re built on connections.
The Cult Branding Mindset
Cult brands don’t optimize people out of their funnels. They create magnetic experiences that pull people in. They understand that brand love is a journey—and they’re willing to invest in it.
If you’re serious about building a loyal following, stop starving your future pipeline in the name of short-term efficiency. Get curious. Get expansive. Play the long game.
You’re not just building for today—you’re building for tomorrow.P.S. Want to see what bold creativity looks like in action (without sitting through another dull pitch deck)? Cult. Creative. is our latest live deck—packed with killer ideas, unforgettable ads. View it in Google Slides—no downloads, just instant inspiration. [Request access here.]