I grew up among entrepreneurs who believed that work should teach you and then you build something on your own. This mindset has shaped the way I view marketing. My opinion is simple: most brands don’t fail because of bad products; they fail because they hide behind the fear of marketing.
Fear in marketing is delaying decisions, passing judgment to the wrong partners, and pretending that the “brand” will fix a weak strategy. This appears in all sectors. It’s time to let go and be disciplined about communication, testing, and execution.
The central argument
The biggest risk in marketing isn’t the expense, it’s the denial. Too many companies entrust their growth to people who don’t know what they’re doing, then blame the channel. I’ve watched it for years, across thousands of brands we’ve supported at Hawke Media, names like Red Bull, Sweetgreen, Barstool and Casamigos.
I learned early on that the best product loses if no one hears about it. Media and messages matter more than ego. As I often say: if you don’t have a real communication strategy, you just sell products at retail and hope that it lasts.
“Whatever you do, if you don’t have a good communications strategy, if you don’t understand how to leverage media…you’re spending a lot of time selling products at retail. »
This conviction pushed me to create a different type of business. The mission was clear: be excellent at their job and easy to work with. Too many “big” agencies hide behind jargon, lock you into bad contracts, and confuse activity with progress.
“There’s no barrier to entry as a marketer. So 99% of them have no idea what they’re doing.”
Evidence from the trenches
Experience has taught me to trust results rather than rhetoric. We helped launch an activewear brand that was sold to Bally Total Fitness within a year. It wasn’t luck. The focus was on channels, creativity and speed. Years earlier, I lived in AdWords, studying changes daily as the platform continued to evolve. This effort paid off when self-service tools were opened up and scalability became real.
Social media tells the same story. I’ve seen companies in the financial sector lead on social issues years before the rules caught up. One team even helped FINRA shape the first guardrails. Yet most businesses still don’t use social media properly. Not because it doesn’t work, but because they’re afraid to try, because they’re afraid to learn, or because they’re stuck in old playbooks.
“We were the first company to really do it…And I would say most companies still aren’t taking advantage of it. It’s kind of crazy.”
Entrepreneurs share the same complaint about agencies. I hear horror stories every week. This pain is real, but it can be resolved with the right mindset and pattern.
How to overcome the fear of marketing
Here’s the simple framework I use to keep teams honest and results-driven.
- Start with clear goals, channels and deadlines. No vague KPIs.
- Test quickly. Kill what fails. Evolve what works. Weekly.
- Own the message. The product only wins when the story happens.
- Demand clarity from partners. No measure of vanity. No black boxes.
- Keep the optionality. Month to month beats long lockdowns.
Apply these steps and fear gives way to data and decisions.
Red flags I won’t ignore
These signs tell me that a campaign or partner is going in the wrong direction.
- They can’t tie spending to the results you care about.
- They talk more about theory than execution and learning.
- They hide behind buzzwords or refuse to share raw data.
- They sell you “set it and forget it”.
- They need a long contract to prove their worth.
If you see two or more, cut the bait and regroup.
Dealing with pushback
Some people say it’s hard. They say big agencies need complexity and control. I don’t agree. Expertise should create clarity, not confusion. If a partner can’t explain what they do and how it will drive revenue or real brand enhancement, that’s not expertise, it’s theater.
“There has to be a way to solve this problem that allows us to be the best at what we do, while still being easy to use.”
My takeaways
Marketing works when courage meets responsibility. My father told me one day:
“I have no idea what you’re doing, but as long as it’s legal, I’m proud of you.”
This line remained. Make bold decisions, but make them measurable. Don’t trust your future to fear or to partners who take advantage of your confusion.
Here’s the call: check your plan this week. Set clear goals. Cut weak channels. Double down on winners. And if a partner can’t show you how to win, find one who can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know if marketing is actually working?
Define one main goal per channel and review it weekly. Track cost per acquisition, return on ad spend or qualified leads. If the trend is not increasing, change it.
Q: What should I expect from a good partner agency?
Clear plans, transparent reporting, rapid testing and frank feedback. They should show learning cycles and decisions related to your revenue goals.
Q: How much should I spend to get started?
Spend enough to get a signal quickly. For pay channels, this often means a few weeks of daily budget that can reach statistical reliability. Next, winners scale.
Q: Are social platforms still worth it?
Yes, if your creation is solid and you test it often. Social remains powerful in reaching and capturing demand. Most failures are problems of strategy or execution.
Q: How can I avoid getting hassled by an agency?
Use short contracts, insist on access to accounts and data, set measurable goals and review weekly. If results stall for two cycles, pivot quickly.
