Lab-Grown Marketing

Marketers keep talking about brand building — meanwhile, half of today’s brands are quietly dying. Jon and Peter are here to stop the funeral.This week on Lab Grown Marketing, the guys break down how to avoid brand death in the synthetic era — why it happens, what causes it, and what the top 1% are doing differently.We open with Move 37, where Jon shares the story of how AI beat the world champion of Alpha Go and explains the shift from making “one ad” to making “infinite ads.” Peter argues the old model wasn’t just slow — it was creativity-blocking. Yes, there are framework jokes.In From the Feed, Jon and Peter dissect the internet’s latest identity crisis: brands acting like people, people acting like brands, and why the line keeps getting blurrier.Then, in Million Dollar Data, Jon shares new findings showing that most “breakthrough” assets aren’t novel — they’re consistent. Peter walks through why repetition remains the most underrated growth lever in the synthetic century.We wrap with this week’s Synthetic Salon, where the guys tackle the real question: How do you keep a brand alive when everything is changing? The rules are simple, the execution isn’t — but the payoff is massive.Four segments. One mission. No brand funerals.3:30 - Move 378:26 - From the Feed18:13 - Million Dollar Data30:55 - Synthetic Salon

This week, Jon and Peter resurrect one of marketing’s most misunderstood — and most financially powerful — ideas: the 60/40 rule. If half of B2B marketers still claim brand “isn’t a priority”… well, the guys have thoughts.First up in From the Feed, they break down the newest Marketing Week report, where human respondents (adorable!) reveal why they still don’t believe brand delivers ROI. Then Jon and Peter unpack why ROI might be the worst way to measure anything — especially brand — and why B2B’s obsession with short-termism is slowly starving growth.Next, they revisit Les Binet & Peter Field’s 20+ years of econometric evidence, tracing how the 60/40 rule actually works — and why marketers keep misinterpreting it.Finally, in the Synthetic Salon, they welcome the Pocket Professor to explore how AI is shifting the balance between demand creation and demand capture — and why brand becomes more important, not less, in the synthetic century.Timestamps:01:11 — From the Feed: Why marketers still think brand doesn’t drive ROI09:54 — Marketing Mental Models: The truth behind the 60/40 rule22:57 — Million Dollar Data: Binet & Field, econometrics, and the Aston Martin effect29:37 — Synthetic Salon: How AI changes demand creation vs. demand capture Feat. Pocket Professor

What if everything marketers believe about precision is, well… probably wrong?In this ep, Jon and Peter crack open the illusion of certainty that defines modern marketing — and expose why “the right person, the right message, the right time” might be the industry’s biggest fantasy. From LLMs to audience targeting, they’re breaking down how marketing magic is more about managing uncertainty than mastering control.First up in From the Feed, the guys explain why it’s time to give LLMs a break. After all, they can’t be right about everything — so why are people riding so hard on a probability machine’s accuracy?Then, Jon and Peter survey synthetic marketers to see if they think probabilistically or deterministically. Do most marketers really think success is as simple as finding the right person, with the right message, at the right time? Yes. Errr — probably.Finally, in Mental Model and Synthetic Salon, the conversation takes a quantum leap as the guys channel Niels Bohr to explain why probabilistic thinking isn’t just for physicists — it’s the future of marketing. They explain why chasing perfect targeting and timing narrows your reach, and how embracing uncertainty can open the door to true scale.01:40 - From the Feed05:44 - Million Dollar Data23:42 - The Synthetic Salon Feat. Niels Bohr

How can you add a little more movie magic to your marketing mojo? Jon and Peter dive into the theory of blockbuster marketing and explain why movie marketers either go big – or risk getting buried.  First up, they break down how Warner Bros. just beat Disney at its own game, raking in $1.3 billion to Mickey’s measly $1.2 billion. How can the blockbuster strategy work for a variety of industries? And why, oh why, are movies stuck in an endless cycle of prequels upon sequels upon threequels (*cough* Marvel, we’re looking at you *cough*)? The guys discuss the state of the movie attention economy and break down why familiarity, distinctiveness, and total merchandising are the three key components to winning big at the box office.And later, they turn to the synthetic data to expose how marketers really bet their budgets — does playing it safe with a bunch of small bets really pay off? Or does a little a less job security and a lot more risk reap more reward? 03:30 From the Feed – WB Beats Disney at the Box Office07:39 Synthetic Salon – Anita Elberse Fan Breaks Down Blockbuster Strategy15:51 Mental Model – From Movie Studio Marketing to B2B and B2C29:42 Million Dollar Data – Are Marketers Afraid to Bet Big?

Mark Ritson, a marketing professor and consultant, shares his sharp insights on brand strategy and marketing effectiveness. He explains the ridiculousness of trying to play tennis against Roger Federer, illustrating a broader point about competition. Ritson critiques the distinctions between B2B and B2C marketing and condemns the hype around NFTs and the metaverse. He argues that marketers don't need MBAs or fancy personas, focusing instead on the fundamentals of marketing. Ritson's candid humor makes this discussion both brutal and refreshingly honest.

What do Weight Watchers, Tropicana, ABRDN, Jaguar, and HBO all have in common?You guessed it — terrible rebrands. In this ep, Jon and Peter are putting risky marketing moves under the microscope to ask the question — just how much risk is too much?First, they’re diving into the feed and covering some of marketing’s biggest acts of brandilism. Why are so many brands turning into blands? And are there better ways for marketing to take the risk out of risky business (like, oh, say… rebranding)?  Step away from the computer and drop the rebranding stick immediately because Peter and Jon are explaining why category optionality is a far superior solution, keeping a diverse customer base is king, and how AI can be a clutch component to making your customer research completely risk-free.Plus, how do CFOs and CMOs really feel about risk management? Peter and Jon unpack the data to get to the juicy center of your CFO's cold, steely heart before heading into the Synthetic Salon to chat with Rory Sutherland and Nassim Taleb about the perception and safety of brand in decision-making. 01:17 From the Feed – The Risk of a Rebrand09:33 Million Dollar Data – How Marketers and CFOs Think About Risk16:02 Mental Model – Why Marketing and AI Derisk Business26:38 Synthetic Salon – Sori Rutherland

Back from Cannes and still reeking of overpriced rosé, Peter and Jon tackle the pain point marketers love to hate but can’t stop obsessing over: measurement. In this episode, they take a flamethrower to the click-through cult and ask the real question: why are we still chasing metrics that don’t matter?First up in From the Feed, the boys unpack the 95-5 rule thanks to a spicy little post from a French professor and dive into why most brands are over-indexing on the 5%. Can we finally just agree? Brand is the real engine of demand.And why do 8 out of 10 marketers still worship at the altar of click-through rate? You know… the metric that hasn’t correlated with purchase intent since like, ever. Can Jon and Peter talk some sense into the cult of CTR? They introduce the CMO Scorecard — a smarter framework for measuring what actually matters (creative, media, and outcomes) and explain how your obsession with CTR might be negatively impacting your brand’s performance.Finally, in the Synthetic Salon, they welcome Fannie Duke (not Annie, obviously), the probabilistic princess of poker and marketing realism. She explains how in both games and marketing, you can make the right decision and still lose. So then, just how much does measurement matter in a game of chance? 03:07 From the Feed — The 95-5 Rule Receives Pushback11:29 Million Dollar Data —  Enough with Click Through Rates Already17:51 Mental Model —  How to (and NOT to) Think About Measurement35:07 Synthetic Salon — Probabilistic vs. Deterministic (ft. Fannie Duke)

This week on the pod, Peter and Jon are done talking about the marketing renaissance — so they’re leaping into the new age of marketing maximalism. When it comes to ad targeting, more is more. So why do so many marketers keep trying to hypertarget the “perfect” audience? After all, brands used to succeed before targeting was invented… so is it possible it just isn’t as important as we’ve been led to believe it is?In a recent article, 67% of people targeted as parents didn’t actually have any kids… so that begs the question — how accurate is hyper-specific targeting anyways? And is it possible you’re really just being scammed?Then, the guys reveal what the only number that matters in marketing is and why they live by the mantra “go broad or go broke.” Are you shooting yourself in the foot by limiting your targeted audience? And just how much targeting is too much targeting?And later, Peter and Jon break down the synthetic stats on how B2B and B2B marketers prioritize targeting vs. reach before heading over to the Synthetic Salon for a lively showdown with Helena, a die-hard hypertargeting fan. Can Peter and Jon convince her to embrace the maximalist mindset? TBD. 01:30 From the Feed — When Ad Targeting Goes Wrong04:43 Mental Model — Reach Maximalism12:37 Million Dollar Data — Targeting vs. Reach19:04 Synthetic Salon — The Case for Hypertargeting

Creative: everyone's got an opinion, but no one seems to have a framework. Until now.In this episode of Lab Grown Marketing, Jon and Peter pull back the curtain on what makes creative actually effective—not just award-worthy. Spoiler: most award-winning ads are terribly branded.They cover Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday ad (spoiler: creative directors hate it, the AI loves it), and walk us through the ABLE Framework—a financial formula for creative effectiveness that's as brutal as it is helpful. Finally, they use lab grown research to test IBM's most famous taglines through the ABLE lens and reveal which one actually drives business results (hint: it’s not “Let’s Build a Smarter Planet”).Creative may be art—but it turns out, it’s also math.01:54 - From the Feed – Coca-Cola’s AI Ad: Good, Bad, or Just Too Branded?14:49 - Million Dollar Data – Which IBM Tagline Actually Works?24:39 - Synthetic Salon with Pocket Professor

If you aren’t standing out, you’re blending into the competition.So, how can you ensure you’re creating distinctive brand assets that stay top-of-mind in buyers everywhere? Jon and Peter break down the data behind what makes brands memorable— and explain how to analyze the numbers to guarantee your assets leave a lasting impression. Why are brands like McDonald's, Liberty Mutual, and Apple so successful at what they do? And what are the top mistakes your creative team is probably making when it comes to branding?Then, the guys chat with the Pocket Professor to glean some foolproof tactics to measure and manage your distinctive brand assets before getting into the weeds about which specific parts of a brand consumers actually remember most.  And hint: it’s not what you think. 02:06 From the Feed- Art Imitates Life (and Distinctive Branding)04:57 Mental Model- Distinctive Brand Assets12:25 Synthetic Salon- What Makes a Brand Memorable? 21:08 Million Dollar Data- AI and the Future of Brand Marketing