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When Should You Test Advertising Creative?
Not every asset deserves the same level of creative testing. Start with the work that has enough reach, investment and consistency to affect the result.
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Why Most Marketing Plans Fail: Too Many Objectives
Why most marketing plans fail from too many objectives. Mark Ritson on the objective-bloat problem, the 'would we notice?' test, and why limiting to two objectives compounds focus.
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Why Creativity Can't Replace Media Spend (And Never Could)
Why creativity can't replace media spend — and never could. The myth of the zero-budget hit, the evidence on creative effectiveness, and why investment compounds creative impact.
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Marketing Effectiveness: The Complete Guide for Modern Marketers
A complete guide to marketing effectiveness for modern marketers — the evidence base, the 60:40 rule, measurement methods, and the most common mistakes that destroy effectiveness.
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How Brands Grow: The Evidence-Based Guide to Brand Growth
An evidence-based guide to brand growth from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute — how brands actually grow, the 95:5 rule, category entry points, and where marketers go wrong.
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Change my mind: Anastasia Zemleanschih and the YoungDogs hot takes at Cannes
The next generation of marketers took the floor. Dentsu Creative's Anastasia Zemleanschih on debates, hot takes and the YoungDogs meet-up.
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A match made in Cannes: TikTok's Beatrice Mustocea on creators and brands
From the LIONS Creators stage, TikTok's Beatrice Mustocea on where entertainment, creators and advertising actually meet.
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The Creator Effectiveness Playbook: System1's Andrew Tindall on what actually works
The question has moved on from 'can creators build a brand?' to 'how can creators build MY brand?'. At Cannes, System1 brought the evidence.
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Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp find five marketing truths they can actually agree on
At Cannes Lions 2026, two of marketing's loudest disagree-ers shared a stage to find common ground. Here's what they settled on.
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Boringly Effective publishes opinion, analysis, and reporting on marketing fundamentals, strategy, and effectiveness. Longer-form thinking that complements the podcast.