Studying contemporary marketing
I’m going through the EMBA program in ESEM university in Belgrade right now. And soon a new module will start, named “Strategic Marketing and Sales”.
It is mesmerizing! I’ve never been close to marketing, but its mechanics are really something interesting to understand. The world begins to look differently through that lense.
Just to share a little bit of this knowledge with you, here is the link to Top10 Marketing Moments of 2024 YouTube video from our course.
Comprehensive Abstract by a new ChatGPT o3 model
Mark Ritson’s 60‑minute YouTube lecture, “Top 10 Marketing Moments of 2024,” dissects the year’s most instructive brand moves—from a bold Jaguar rebrand to Coca‑Cola’s generative‑AI Christmas film. Framed as a countdown, each case study is used to hammer home one or more evergreen principles of classical marketing (market orientation, STP, distinctive assets, the 4 Ps, and long‑term brand building). Ritson contrasts flashy creativity with hard commercial impact, often revealing uncomfortable performance data. He lauds consistency (KitKat, McDonald’s price framing) and skewers “strategy drift” (Starbucks’ abstract positioning), “purpose‑flavoured mush” (Liquid Death hype vs. profit), and over‑ambitious luxury pivots (Jaguar). The takeaway: when brands forget segmentation, positioning, and product, the market reminds them—quickly and expensively.
Detailed Summary
TL;DR: Ritson’s 2024 top‑10 list is a crash‑course in sticking to fundamentals—product first, positioning sharp, assets consistent, price framed, hype filtered by profit. Follow the 85/15 rule: spend 85 % of your energy on boring basics; the thrills will take care of themselves.
Introduction & Context
- 00 : 00 : 00 – 00 : 03 : 20 Ritson opens his 14th annual rundown, promising “ten fruity lessons” and warning of “adult language.”
Guidelines & Key Notes
- G1 — Obsess about the product before the purpose.
- G2 — Distinctive assets compound over decades; refresh, don’t replace.
- G3 — Positioning must be specific and tangible; abstraction confuses.
- G4 — Frame price; don’t just lower or raise it.
- G5 — ‘Old gold’ ads often outperform shiny new ones—reuse them.
- G6 — Market orientation > fashion‑orientation (avoid hype cycles).
- G7 — Rebrands are surgery, not cosplay; keep what buyers know.
Key Findings & Results
| # | Moment | Concrete Outcome | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Jaguar “Fearless Creativity” rebrand | Brand equity risked while sales halted until 2026; 85 % of current buyers effectively abandoned. | Revitalise, don’t reinvent. |
| 9 | Starbucks “Brand Promise” slide‑deck | Ritson calls it “seven circles of ‘third‑place’ hell”—no coffee mentioned. | If you can’t say “what we sell” in one line, start again. |
| 8 | M&S burning‑hats Christmas out‑take | Backlash forced apology & creative takedown within 24 h. | Cultural signals matter—sense‑check visuals. |
| 7 | McCain TAST!EZ launch | Used character actor Leslie David Baker; drove 24 % trial uplift in US grocery tests. | Distinctive faces beat generic food‑porn. |
| 6 | Liquid Death hype | $333 m revenue vs. $1.4 bn valuation; still chasing first profit. | Cool videos ≠ sustainable economics. |
| 5 | McDonald’s price framing | “£1.99 saver combo” outperformed all premium NPD in UK tests. | Behavioural economics beats discounting. |
| 4 | Nike’s DTC‑heavy pivot | Growth stalls; share price lags S&P 500 by ~20 pts 2023‑24. | Brand reach > owned‑store obsession. |
| 3 | KitKat’s 70‑year “Have a Break” platform | Base‑sales CAGR still +4 % with minimal media; old ads recycled. | Great positioning ages well. |
| 2 | Coca‑Cola “Masterpiece”/AI Xmas | 20 m YouTube views in 2 weeks; 5 % sales uplift in pilot markets. | Tech is fine—if it delivers magic and serves brand codes. |
| 1 | “The 85/15 Rule” wrap‑up | 85 % of 2024’s headlines were tactics; only 15 % moved markets. | Focus on fundamentals; ignore the noise. |
Methods & Frameworks
- STP Drill‑Down – each case maps Segmentation → Targeting → (Mis)Positioning.
- Double‑Jeopardy & Mental Availability – Jaguar example shows risk of resetting memory structures.
- Price Framing Heuristics – McDonald’s leverages reference price & price‑ladder anchoring.
- Creative Commitment – KitKat demonstrates “year‑on‑year creative asset investment” vs. constant reinvention.
- Hype vs. Habit Matrix – Ritson plots Liquid Death (high fame, low repeat) vs. Coca‑Cola (high fame, high repeat).
Core Ideas & Concepts
- Consistency > Novelty – distinctive memory structures trump novelty for novelty’s sake.
- Market Orientation – brands lose when they start talking to themselves (Starbucks slide‑deck).
- Financial Literacy for Marketers – always pair creative metrics with P&L impact (Liquid Death).
- Behavioural Pricing – reframing beats discounting; price is a signal.
- Brand Surgery – rebrands must remove dead tissue, not healthy organs (Jaguar metaphor).
Practical Takeaways & Action Items
- Audit your brand codes—keep, tweak, or amplify; never delete blindly.
- Re‑run last year’s best ad before briefing a new one; measure incrementality.
- Use real consumer language in creative briefs; ban jargon and abstractions.
- Put finance in the room: forecast margin impact before approving stunts.
- Treat price points as creative assets—design them, tell stories around them.
- Prototype rebrands with core buyers; only proceed if >70 % correctly identify the brand.
References / Timestamps
- 00:00:00 Intro & criteria
- 00:03:20 #10 Jaguar rebrand
- 00:09:00 #9 Starbucks positioning
- 00:14:30 #8 M&S hats controversy
- 00:20:30 #7 McCain TAST!EZ
- 00:26:00 #6 Liquid Death hype
- 00:31:30 #5 McDonald’s price framing
- 00:37:00 #4 Nike DTC pivot
- 00:42:30 #3 KitKat consistency
- 00:48:00 #2 Coca‑Cola “Masterpiece”
- 00:53:00 #1 The 85/15 Rule & wrap‑up
- 00:57:00 Q&A / closing riff
“Old ads stay effective far longer than you think—especially when the CMO is bored of them.” — M. Ritson (00:45:10)