Search
magnifying-glass
Marketing Mental Models
Log in
Subscribe
Home
Archive
Marketing Mental Models
Oliver Buchannon
Sumeshwer Dhuper

I used to treat marketing as an art form - “vibes”, “Hacks”, and luck. It was exhausting and expensive. Now I rely on math. I write here debug my thoughts, and to share the frameworks, systems and the mental models I wish I had when I started.

MMM#19 The Agility Barbell: Agility without an anchor destroys brands

MMM#19 The Agility Barbell: Agility without an anchor destroys brands

Leveraging technology to go fast without fortifying the core = kaboom

Mar 4, 2026

MMM#18 The McKinsey Paradox: Why “Brand is Back” is a massive trap

MMM#18 The McKinsey Paradox: Why “Brand is Back” is a massive trap

94% of marketing leaders are treating AI and Brand as an either/or choice. They shouldn’t.

Feb 25, 2026

MMM#17 The Courage to Walk Downhill: Why the best marketers get stuck

MMM#17 The Courage to Walk Downhill: Why the best marketers get stuck

Why being the smartest person in the room is actually a trap

Feb 18, 2026

MMM#16 The Wet Cement Rule: The Mechanics of Brand Equity

MMM#16 The Wet Cement Rule: The Mechanics of Brand Equity

Why inconsistency is a strategy for startups, but suicidal for scale-ups

Feb 11, 2026

MMM#15 The Forest Path Mental Model for Distinctive Brand Assets

MMM#15 The Forest Path Mental Model for Distinctive Brand Assets

Building memory structures as a secret recipe for brand building

Feb 3, 2026

MMM#14 The High Wire & The Net: The Physics of Career Longevity

MMM#14 The High Wire & The Net: The Physics of Career Longevity

And a lesson in retaining your best people

Jan 28, 2026

MMM#13 The Trust Gravity Framework: Building trust in the zero trust era

MMM#13 The Trust Gravity Framework: Building trust in the zero trust era

The internet is like a city, and many brands are shouting in the wrong neighbourhood

Jan 21, 2026

MMM#12 Will your business survive ZERO TRUST social media?

MMM#12 Will your business survive ZERO TRUST social media?

70% of social feed is AI generated, and is creating a trust deficit

Jan 14, 2026

MMM#11 The $0 ad budget: Why you shouldn't spend a penny yet

MMM#11 The $0 ad budget: Why you shouldn't spend a penny yet

Jan 7, 2026

MMM#10 The 2026 "Stop Doing" List (Via Negativa)

MMM#10 The 2026 "Stop Doing" List (Via Negativa)

Why I am choosing subtraction over resolutions

Dec 31, 2025

MMM#9 The Creative Supply Chain: Solving the “Asset Depreciation" Crisis

MMM#9 The Creative Supply Chain: Solving the “Asset Depreciation" Crisis

How to solve the "Volume Crisis" without burning out your team

Dec 24, 2025

MMM#8 The "Campaign Tax" (You are losing ~10% of your budget)

MMM#8 The "Campaign Tax" (You are losing ~10% of your budget)

Why 12-week campaigns are financial suicide (+ Free calculator template)

Dec 17, 2025

MMM#7 The Marketing Autopilot: The New Rules of AI-Led Media

MMM#7 The Marketing Autopilot: The New Rules of AI-Led Media

We pretend we are flying the plane. The robot is actually flying the plane.

Dec 10, 2025

MMM#6 From Vibes to Verdicts: How to Fix Broken Feedback

MMM#6 From Vibes to Verdicts: How to Fix Broken Feedback

Why 6-year olds are better at feedback than marketers.

Dec 3, 2025

MMM#5 Garbabe In. Garbage Out. Why Bad Briefs Kill Great Ideas

MMM#5 Garbabe In. Garbage Out. Why Bad Briefs Kill Great Ideas

Garbage in, garbage out. How to write a brief that actually works.

Nov 26, 2025

MMM#4 Focus is the Strategy: How to Choose the Right Growth Pillars

MMM#4 Focus is the Strategy: How to Choose the Right Growth Pillars

How to turn scattered growth ideas into one focussed, high-impact marketing plan.

Nov 20, 2025

MMM#3 Your Brand Doesn’t Need More Fuel. It Needs a Mechanic

MMM#3 Your Brand Doesn’t Need More Fuel. It Needs a Mechanic

When growth becomes elusive, and nothing works

Nov 13, 2025

MMM#2: How to Build Brand Strategy from Scratch

MMM#2: How to Build Brand Strategy from Scratch

The Strategy Stack for Businesses That Don't Feel Brand-y

Nov 7, 2025

MMM#1 Why great marketing often looks boring

MMM#1 Why great marketing often looks boring

And why that’s a good thing

Oct 29, 2025

Oliver Buchannon
Sumeshwer Dhuper

I used to treat marketing as an art form - “vibes”, “Hacks”, and luck. It was exhausting and expensive. Now I rely on math. I write here debug my thoughts, and to share the frameworks, systems and the mental models I wish I had when I started.

Login

Profile

Search

© 2026 Marketing Mental Models.
Report abusePrivacy policyTerms of use
beehiivPowered by beehiiv