This week, we're introducing the Marketing Order of Operations (MOO). Think of it as a step-by-step system for prioritizing marketing investments, no matter the size of your brand or budget. The goal is to bring greater clarity and consistency to decision-making
69% of tiny brands have lower loyalty than expected.
Research from Byron Sharp and colleagues tracked more than 400 brands over five years. Tiny brands that grew did so almost entirely through market penetration.
Seven steps to marketing effectiveness
Where does the MOO begin?
Start by defining your competitive playing field. Stop thinking about your "ideal customer." Start thinking about everyone who buys in your category, occasionally, inconsistently, or not yet. Your real competition is whatever option is easiest to remember when the buying moment arrives.
Once the audience is defined, what's next?
Build distinctive brand assets. Audit what you already have, map the blank space in your category, and commit. The best assets are “smashable,” meaning they’re recognizable even without your logo.
How should those assets show up in advertising?
Use them in every ad, across every channel. Memory structures take years to build.
When is it time to think about your channel mix?
Start with digital to diagnose friction in the customer journey. Once that’s working, shift to reach-based channels like TV, CTV, and radio to build demand and drive long-term growth. Staying in performance channels too long means fighting over the same small pool of buyers.
How do you know if it works?
Layer your measurement. Short-term indicators like conversion rates and sales response confirm the system is functioning. Market-level signals like brand tracking, MMM, and geo tests tell you whether you’re actually expanding demand.
What's the final step?
Communicate results in the language of the business. Translate data into a clear story: here is what we invested, here is what changed, here is how it connects to revenue, and here is what stopping would cost.
“The Financial Order of Operations”
The Money Guy Show’s FOO, the framework that inspired this episode, lays out a step-by-step system for prioritizing financial decisions. It’s worth reading to see how structured thinking applies across disciplines.
On strategy and sequence
"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
— Sun Tzu, The Art of War
This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.