It’s never been easier to create content. But what’s the point without a marketing growth strategy
With Canva, ChatGPT, and a few recycled ideas from LinkedIn, anyone can churn out a social post, a quick blog, a website page, or an email campaign in less than an hour.
And that’s exactly the problem.
The floodgates are open – pouring out recycled originality.
Everyone seems to be under the illusion that marketing is something they can do themselves. But when everyone’s out there pumping out lookalike content, the noise drowns out even the best attempts.
Canva’s open, ChatGPT’s on,
Everyone’s posting from dusk till dawn.
From pets in hats to AI-made pie,
It’s all content, but no one asks “Why?”
In 2030, will we see dogs running sales?
Goldfish designing, cats on emails?
If your marketing doesn’t make your brand break through,
Why waste time, what’s it doing for you?
The CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) describe marketing as:
“The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”
Marketing is not a scattergun activity. It is a strategic driver of growth. Without a clear and well-executed marketing growth strategy, every post, every graphic, and every “good idea” is just hours of effort vanishing into the noise.
When we look at how business leaders approach marketing, most companies fall into one of these five categories:
The “Copycat” mindset: Keeping up with the Kardashians won’t win the race
Why are you letting your brand blend in?
“Our competitors are doing that, so let’s do something similar.”
“That’s what’s trending, let’s copy the style.”
This “copycat” approach is killing creativity – and worse, killing results. Along with not having a marketing growth strategy, when your marketing looks like everyone else’s, your brand disappears into the crowd: unseen, unheard, unremembered.
Even global brands fall into this trap. But the ones who succeed? They dare to be different.
When marketing and advertising had real character (and why we remember it)
Think back to the most memorable adverts of the past:
- Tango – “You’ve been Tango’d” and “St George“
- Red Bull – “Gives you Wings”
- Yellow Pages – “JR Hartley”
Why do you remember them decades later? Because they broke the mould. They were bold, clever, emotional, or just plain weird – but they stuck in your mind. They made you feel something. And in marketing, emotion drives memory, and memory drives buying decisions.
Weird Works – Even for B2B marketing growth strategy
Probably a high percentage of people find the whole Domin-oh-hoo-hoo thing a bit irritating. It’s playful, silly… not exactly subtle.
The other day, however, I was searching for a restaurant in Cambridge on Google and “Domino’s” came up in the results. And instantly, my brain went: Domin-oh-hoo-hoo.
Hooked.
Memorable.
Unmistakably them.
If I wanted a delivery pizza, they’d likely be my top choice – way ahead of the other pizza brands that fade faster than a free slice at an office lunch.
Now, I often hear B2B marketers sigh and say, “Yeah, but that’s B2C. B2B marketing must be more serious.” Do you need B2B marketing to always be serious?
Embracing the weirdness in business-to-business marketing: What it means to get noticed
The most unforgettable piece of business direct mail I ever received came from Eurostar – back when the brand was fresh, ambitious, and unafraid to surprise. Inside the box wasn’t a stress ball or a money-off voucher… but a single, real carrot.
Yes, a crayon-bright, crunchy carrot.
Attached was a playful twist on one of Shakespeare’s famous lines: “A carrot by any other name wouldn’t be the same.”
It worked because it broke the script. The carrot has stuck in my mind for 25+ years, and it has sparked numerous conversations. In one move, it positioned the brand as clever, playful, and different.
How Brevity creates “carrot moments”
We’ve all seen this play out time and time again at events. When the majority of exhibitors at trade shows play it safe, the weird one wins.
At London ExCeL, our exhibition stand got dressed as a pub – The Brevity Arms. People stopped, they stayed, they called it “Best stand at the show.”
We’ve turned client stands into outer space, hosted photoshoots by lakes with ‘real’ mermaids, served afternoon tea from the back of a 35-tonne truck, and ordered so many creative props that Amazon’s algorithms never know what to recommend to us anymore.
These aren’t gimmicks – they’re calculated hooks anchored to a growth marketing strategy: arming marketing to be memorable, not background noise.
The science of sameness
Sameness is the silent killer of marketing performance.
Neuroscience tells us we process 11 million bits of information every second, but only 40–50 bits make it to conscious attention. Your brain filters out anything it’s seen before — anything it predicts will be irrelevant.
If your marketing looks like the rest of your industry, it’s already been categorised in your audience’s brain as “I know this.” It’s skipped over before they’ve even realised they’ve seen it.
- Familiar is comforting.
- Same is invisible.
To get noticed, your marketing has to do one thing: interrupt the pattern.
From casting lines to building lakes: Why strategy beats short-term lead gen
Many businesses focus heavily on lead generation marketing. It’s not a bad thing – it’s just incomplete. Lead generation gets you short-term results, but without a strategic framework, those results don’t build on each other.
A marketing growth strategy:
- Differentiates your brand so it’s instantly recognisable and memorable.
- Builds emotional connections that keep customers loyal beyond the first purchase.
- Aligns every campaign and message with long-term business objectives, so your marketing compounds over time.
Think of it this way: lead generation is catching fish. Marketing growth strategy is building the lake, stocking it, and making sure the fish are well maintained and happy.
When you’re doing marketing incorrectly, it’s like having the fastest racing car in the world and then handing the keys to someone who’s never taken a corner at speed. They’re not going to win the race – and they might not even finish it. To win, you need the right driver (your strategy lead), the co-pilot who knows the course (your creative direction), and the pit crew who keep everything fine-tuned (your delivery team). Without that team, all you’ve got is a shiny car going nowhere fast.
The Brevity way: Your pit crew for business growth
At Brevity, we specialise in helping brands stand apart.
We’re not just another marketing agency – our team brings together:
- Chartered Marketer status with CIM Level 6 and Level 7 Postgraduate Diplomas in Marketing.
- Expertise in persona development, customer journey mapping, strategic planning and marketing neuroscience.
- Proven results across B2B and service-based industries, even in the most saturated markets.
Our methodology:
- Discovery & Differentiation – find your unique market space: the “why you” no competitor can claim.
- Creative Pattern Interrupts – campaigns that break expectations and command attention.
- Strategic Growth Mapping – every action with purpose, aligned to long-term objectives.
- Evidence-Driven Refinement – measure, learn, and optimise to keep growth accelerating.
Why this matters now: The early bird catches the attention span
The rise of AI, instant content creation, and social algorithms has made bland marketing easier to produce – and harder to notice.
If your marketing blends in today, it’s not just invisible. It’s actively being pushed down by algorithms in favour of content that sparks engagement. Your competitors are seconds away from flooding LinkedIn, Instagram, or inboxes with more of the same. And if you follow them, you’ve already lost.
Three quick wins to start standing out today
- Audit your messaging: Does your website sound like it could belong to any of your competitors? Rewrite one headline to be bold and specific.
- Flip an industry norm: If everyone is using blue in your sector, try a vibrant alternative.
- Add an emotional hook: People remember stories, not specs. Lead with a human connection, not a feature list.
Remember. If the strategy’s wrong, no amount of Canva magic will make it a success.
Ready to build a marketing growth strategy that works?
If this post made you stop scrolling, that’s a pattern interrupt in action.
Brevity can help you:
- Break free from me-too marketing.
- Build a brand that’s instantly recognisable.
- Turn short-term campaigns into long-term growth.
📞 Book your free 30-minute strategy call and let’s map out how your business can grow without blending in.
Start Your Growth Strategy Conversation
