Marketing is full of “truths” everyone repeats like gospel. But sometimes, the unpopular opinions - the ones that make your peers tilt their heads are the ones worth exploring. After 15 years of working in the field and now focusing my energy on growth and performance marketing, I’ve learned that challenging assumptions isn’t just fun - it’s profitable. Here’s a list of some of my favourite unpopular opinions, with my real-world examples to prove the point.

Creating a 2026 marketing plan takes more than repeating last year’s strategy or guessing what might work. I know that a winning marketing plan for 2026 needs to set clear goals, use real data, connect with the right audience, and adapt to new trends and technology - just like we did in 2025. It’s important to think about what has changed - because the marketing landscape in 2026 is shifting fast, from AI tools to new social media platforms.

I get this question every November: how can I build a plan for next year that will deliver real results and help my brand stand out in a crowded market? In this article, I’ll walk you through key steps and simple strategies to help make your 2026 marketing plan practical, flexible and set up for growth.

I’ve seen strategies that were once reliable become far less effective as feeds get more crowded and the algorithms become stricter about what content they show. Whether you manage a brand page or a personal account, you’re not alone if you’ve noticed less engagement and slower growth.

If you want to understand why organic social isn’t performing like it used to and what you can do about it, it’s important to look at how the platforms have changed and what new tactics work best today.

I get this question all the time: what is Growth Marketing, and how can it help my startup? Leaning heavily on data and constant testing is key when you are scaling your business.

For startups, growth marketing matters because it uses creative tactics and ongoing experiments to reach new customers, keep existing ones, and maximize ROI. Unlike traditional marketing, this method cares about the entire customer journey—not just getting people in the door.

After tackling this concept in a recent lecture with my students, I thought it was worth writing about The Gartner Hype Cycle - and how it can cut through the noise by showing where a technology stands in its journey from launch to mainstream use.

With this tool, we can see which digital marketing innovations are worth exploring and which might be overhyped or not yet proven. By understanding the Hype Cycle, we can make smarter decisions about where to invest my time and resources, so I don’t fall for every shiny new thing or miss out on real opportunities.

Instagram is now letting some users manually control which topics influence the Reels they see, marking a notable step towards user-driven content curation. With the new "Your Algorithm" section in the app’s settings, I can directly add or remove interest categories, shaping my feed to better match what I want. This development gives me more say over the content shown to me, rather than relying fully on automated recommendations.

Tapping on a specific topic reveals even more options for managing what appears in my Reels feed, making it easier to keep what I enjoy and discard what I don’t. As Instagram rolls out these controls to more users, the impact on how I discover, engage with, and create content could be significant.

After almost a decade working with small, nimble, focused startup teams, here is what I know: building a lean, high-impact marketing team isn’t just about hiring skilled individuals - it’s about adopting the right structure, roles, and strategies to drive results with fewer resources. The most effective teams have a specific make up - and one key element to this is leadership - the most effective teams are lead by individuals who know who to coach, train and work with their teams, and how to get out of the way when they themselves are the roadblock.

Artificial intelligence is transforming branding by making processes more efficient, more data-driven, and opening up new possibilities for how brands connect with their audiences. I’ve seen firsthand that when I blend AI-powered tools with human creativity, I can build brand strategies and identities that stand out without losing authenticity. This balance lets me experiment with AI for tasks like data analysis or creative inspiration, while making sure my core brand messages remain original and emotionally resonant.

With AI evolving quickly, I can use it to streamline everything from market research to design concepts, giving me more time to focus on big ideas. I don’t have to choose between creativity and efficiency—by combining both, I can develop brand experiences that are both innovative and meaningful.

Today, AI is changing the way businesses connect with their audiences through email. Marketers are now able to create emails that feel more personal and relevant, leading to better engagement and higher response rates. The power of AI allows companies to deliver smarter personalization that makes emails useful—without crossing the line into feeling invasive.

With the right approach, brands can use customer data to improve their campaigns while respecting privacy and trust. It’s now possible to predict what a subscriber wants or when they’re most likely to open an email, all without making people feel uncomfortable. This careful balance is helping email stay effective, even as digital trends shift.

Gen Z (born between 1997-2012) and Gen Alpha (born between 2013-2025) are changing the way marketers think about brand loyalty by demanding more authenticity, values, and social responsibility from the brands they choose. These younger consumers are less influenced by traditional marketing tactics and care more about whether a brand stands for something meaningful and reflects their beliefs. Companies are now expected to show transparency, inclusivity, and real purpose in everything they do.

AI is transforming Google Search by delivering concise, AI-generated summaries and personalized results that reduce the need for users to click through to individual websites, fundamentally changing how information is accessed and consumed. This shift requires marketers to prioritize high-quality, authoritative content and structured data to remain visible, as AI-driven algorithms increasingly focus on relevance, user intent, and trustworthiness.

Recognizing and addressing gaps in strategic marketing leadership is crucial for driving business growth, aligning teams, and ensuring marketing efforts deliver measurable results. Key warning signs include stagnant growth, unclear goals, poor ROI, misaligned messaging, outdated tactics, and ineffective cross-department collaboration, all of which can be mitigated by strong leadership focused on data-driven strategy, clear communication, and innovation.

AI has accelerated content creation but also led to a flood of repetitive, generic material that risks audience disengagement; the key to avoiding AI fatigue is to use AI as a supportive tool while emphasizing originality, authenticity, and human insight. By blending AI’s efficiency with personal perspective and thoughtful editing, writers can produce distinctive, valuable content that truly connects with readers.

Small businesses can effectively leverage influencer marketing by partnering with micro and nano-influencers whose audiences closely match their target customers, focusing on authentic collaborations that drive engagement and measurable results. Clear goal-setting, transparent communication, and ongoing performance tracking are key to maximizing ROI and building lasting brand trust through influencer campaigns.

Employee-generated content (EGC) offers authentic, relatable insights into company culture and daily work life, building trust and credibility that traditional marketing often lacks. By encouraging employees to share their experiences, organizations can boost brand awareness, enhance employer branding, and foster stronger employee engagement and advocacy.

Choosing the right attribution model is essential for accurately understanding which marketing efforts drive conversions and optimizing budget allocation, with the best model depending on factors like sales cycle length, marketing complexity, and data capabilities. While simpler models like first-touch or last-touch suit straightforward journeys, multi-touch and data-driven models provide deeper insights for complex buying processes, enabling businesses to align marketing strategies with their specific goals and customer behaviors.

Social commerce enables businesses to sell products directly within social media platforms, blending seamless shopping features with social engagement to create a faster, more interactive buying experience. By leveraging tools like shoppable posts, in-app checkouts, and user-generated content across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, brands can boost sales, enhance customer trust, and meet consumers where they spend their time online.

Brand loyalty stems from building trust, shared values, and emotional connections through consistent value, reliable service, and honest communication, leading customers to choose a brand repeatedly despite alternatives. By focusing on personalized experiences, strong customer service, loyalty programs, and a distinctive brand identity, businesses can transform first-time buyers into lifelong advocates.

Performance marketing is a results-focused digital strategy where advertisers pay only for specific, measurable actions like clicks, leads, or sales, enabling precise tracking, real-time optimization, and efficient budget allocation. By leveraging channels such as affiliate marketing, paid search, and social media ads, businesses can drive cost-effective growth with transparent ROI and data-driven decision-making.

Startups can achieve meaningful growth by focusing on understanding their target audience, crafting clear messaging, and leveraging cost-effective digital marketing channels while consistently measuring and adjusting their strategies. Building a strong brand identity, optimizing online presence, and prioritizing data-driven decisions enable startups to maximize limited resources and stand out in competitive markets.