Uncensored CMO Mark Ritson's Top Marketing Moments of 2025
5 snips
Dec 18, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, marketing expert Mark Ritson shares his top moments of 2025. He critiques Tesla's fighter brand strategy while advising Elon Musk to reconsider his promotional approach. Ritson explores Amazon's effective use of familiar holiday ads and the backlash of Cracker Barrel's rebranding efforts. He also tackles buzzwords like hyper-personalization and deepfake ads, revealing their pitfalls. The conversation culminates with a keen insight into rising consumer resistance amidst 'maximiniflation.'
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Advertising Industry Bifurcation
- Large agency mergers signal a bifurcation: two huge supergroups and thousands of small independents will coexist.
- Many brands will prefer nimble creative shops over giant holding companies for flexibility and fit.
Silence Can Be The Strategic Move
- Sometimes the best crisis response is to do nothing and let the issue dissipate.
- Mark calls this the Fabian strategy and highlights Tylenol's restraint versus its legendary past response.
Fighter Brand Pitfalls
- Fighter brands are created to attack competitors, not customers, and often cannibalize the parent brand instead.
- Tesla's stripped-down Model 3 risks distraction, low profitability, and brand dilution in Europe.