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Marketing is all about numbers... until it isn't.
Because we (almost) ALL have values. There are things that matter to us more than impressive conversion rates, more than remarkable sales spikes, more than any metric that measures only immediate returns.
We instinctively turn down opportunities that cross our internal boundaries - often unconsciously avoiding methods and marketers that feel wrong.
I just came across a post celebrating a video ad as "the best direct response video I've ever seen." It used cheap shock tactics involving a pretty woman in a bathrobe opening a bathroom door and speaking to the man inside.
The woman in the bathrobe was selling her "viral video formula," which she claimed this video demonstrated.
Did her approach generate views? Absolutely! Did it likely produce revenue? I’m sure it did.
There will always be those desperate to learn how to go viral at any cost.
But it’s ick.
It’s cheap.
It’s not what most of us want to be associated with - even if it generates impressive results.
That video? It’s what happens when direct response techniques are completely divorced from any deeper brand values.
Let’s take this one step further.
The most powerful marketing doesn't just avoid crossing red lines while pursuing all other options.
"But it has to be about the numbers," you might say. "What purpose does advertising serve if not to generate results? Shouldn't we focus on conversions, ROAS, CTR?"
Numbers are indeed important. They let us know if we're moving in the right direction. When conversions, sales, or profits consistently decline, something clearly requires our attention.
But numbers represent just one element of a complex picture.
The most resonant marketing doesn't fixate on driving immediate metrics, but rather on leaning into the brand's "yes" lines - the values and voice that feel natural to the founder or team - even when that focus might not yield immediate results.
Hyper focus on metrics can cause us to lose our way.
When you sharpen your focus too narrowly on numbers, you risk losing connection with the soul of your brand. Sounds woo-woo and unimportant, because who cares about the “soul of your brand”? You want sales, not soul.
Yet here's what I've learned - when you don’t know, or disconnect from, your brand's soul, you eventually lose those sales, even if you’re aggressively using the best marketing tactics.
It’s been true for my own business. And it’s true for my clients.
When you know who you are, you can communicate in a way that feels natural and resonant.
And that allows you to break free from the exhausting cycle of competing solely on urgency, price and manufactured scarcity.
To attract customers so aligned with your essence that they return to you again and again.
To create genuine stability and growth through connection rather than manipulation.
The artistry in your marketing matters.
The values driving you matter.
The passion that drove you to create your product matters.
When you express all of that in a way that embraces the art of creativity and writing, while using conversion principles as a guidepost rather than heavy chains binding you to a specific path, you naturally draw the right people toward you.
And you establish a brand presence more vibrant and successful than any collection of clickbait videos could ever create.
Convinced that pure direct response is the path forward? Go ahead. Make that AI generated UGC video.
But I want to work with brands who CARE too deeply about their offerings to diminish them through cheap tactics.
With brands who celebrate the craft of powerful brand storytelling and marketing.
With brands who recognize that marketing at its most potent is simply truth - about your brand and your product - beautifully told.
If that's you -
Tell Your Story is calling your name
Less ick, more impact,
Chavy