We’ve come a long way from the Mad Men era of marketing to Instagram ads and, in pursuit of quick growth, we’ve lost the plot. The arts of storytelling, positioning, copywriting, and producing high-quality creative are too often overlooked. And in turn, the algorithms are stealing the soul from your brand.

It’s true that marketing at its core is about investment choices. Where you allocate your time and dollars dictates your outcomes and, in a rapidly changing digital landscape, set it and forget it doesn’t work. Marketers must be active investors with both a long-term thesis and the ability to respond to opportunities.

But chasing scale on paid channels can lead to an over-reliance on KPIs that don’t tell the full story. What works today may be collecting short-term gains at the expense of long-term brand resonance. Metrics matter, but it is a dire mistake to ignore the intangibles.

The brands that sustain make strategic bets that align with both their near and long-term interests. They identify which stories set them apart and the right avenues to tell them rather than getting lost in the chasm of rudderless experimentation. Persistent focus and authentic storytelling are the keys to unlocking breakthrough marketing.