Recovering from a recession, and perhaps even a depression, always involves something of a Catch-22. Jump-starting an economy requires consumer confidence. But consumers only feel confident to start spending when broad economic markers are improving—or at least that's how it appears on the surface.

Getting people to comply with social distancing policies is basically an exercise in marketing.

No brand ends the life of a mascot after more than 100 years lightly. But will this “funeral” give people a new perspective on Planters? Mr. Peanut is dead. Planters killed off the mascot in a playful pre-Super Bowl ad that portrays him as a life-saving hero. The company “leaked” the ad early, generating a ton of buzz in the media, particularly on Twitter, well in advance of the game. Read what Leslie has to say about it.

Workplaces are much like marketplaces. They’re filled with people pitching — effectively, trying to “sell” — ideas and competing to get the go-ahead from their bosses, the “buyers.” Even CEOs have to sell ideas to their boards.

What do Apple, Oprah and winning political candidates have in common? More than you might think. Through 25 years spent working with some of the world’s most iconic brands, Leslie Zane has discovered that all extraordinary successes have one thing in common and it lies deep in people’s subconscious.

It’s a fundamental idea that has long been drilled into the minds of marketers: that brands have a predetermined lifespan. But it’s scientifically inaccurate, and leads marketers to miss tremendous opportunities.

Marketers are on such a treadmill—publishing reams of content, monitoring clicks and impressions, and segmenting target groups—that their attention is often distracted away from the most powerful mechanism for accelerating growth: making their brands the instinctive choice for consumers.

The battle for business growth does not take place on the internet or on store shelves. Rather, it takes place in the subconscious mind of prospective customers, whose purchasing decisions are more malleable than many brand leaders realize, write Michael Platt and Leslie Zane in this opinion piece.

Companies should be wary of going overboard when implementing a data-driven marketing strategy.