Reality Check.

Growth Creates Complexity. We Keep It Simple.

This blog is where we break down insights on strategy, growth, and systems.

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How to Actually Track Marketing ROI
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

How to Actually Track Marketing ROI

Clean connections, young grasshopper.

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. And yet, most companies still treat marketing ROI like a vague hope rather than a hard number.

They’re “pretty sure” that email campaign worked. They “think” the new ad brought in leads. And when the CFO asks for proof? They start sweating.

Photo by Héctor Berganza: https://www.pexels.com/photo/serene-coastal-stone-cairn-at-sunset-31689113/

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Your CRM Isn’t the Problem
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Your CRM Isn’t the Problem

A lot of teams blame their CRM when deals slip through the cracks, data gets messy, or nobody follows up on leads.

“It’s clunky.”

“It’s not intuitive.”

“We need something better.”

So they switch systems. Again. And guess what? The problems don’t go away. Because the problem usually isn’t the software—it’s how you’re using it.

Photo by j.mt_photography: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rusty-orange-volkswagen-beetle-1428547/

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Will AI Replace Marketers?
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Will AI Replace Marketers?

Every time a new AI tool drops, someone declares the end of marketing jobs.

Copywriters? Replaced. Designers? Replaced. CMOs? Hanging on by a thread.

It’s dramatic—and mostly nonsense. Yes, AI is changing how we work. But replacing marketers entirely? Not happening. Not now. Not soon. Maybe not ever.

Photo by Tara Winstead: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-photo-of-a-transparent-mannequin-8386366/

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Marketing Trends to Ignore in 2025
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Marketing Trends to Ignore in 2025

Every January, the internet spits out 100 “must-know marketing trends” that all sound the same: AI, NFTs, the metaverse (again), Web3, voice search, QR codes, holograms, whatever.

Here’s the problem: most of these trends are either recycled, overhyped, or totally irrelevant to your actual business.

If you're a marketer or business owner trying to focus on what works, here’s what to ignore in 2025—and where to put your energy instead.

Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-and-white-floral-shirt-wearing-eyeglasses-8111383/

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Funnel Evolution in 2025
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Funnel Evolution in 2025

Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Deloitte—even Google—they’re all saying the same thing:

The funnel is dead.

Not because people suddenly stopped buying things, but because the way they move through a buying journey is nothing like that tidy awareness → consideration → decision diagram you saw in your marketing textbook.

Let’s break down what’s changed—and why it matters.

Photo by Maria Orlova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/set-of-glass-coffee-pots-for-pour-over-4946622/

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Are Chatbots & AI Assistants Ruining Customer Experience?
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Are Chatbots & AI Assistants Ruining Customer Experience?

You just want to change your shipping address or cancel a subscription, and instead of a human, you get a cheerful little chatbot named “SupportBot 3000” who’s totally not helpful and definitely doesn’t understand what you’re asking.

AI is everywhere in customer service now—and while it’s not all bad, let’s be honest: a lot of it sucks.

Here’s what’s actually going wrong—and what companies need to fix before the bots take all the blame.

Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-white-message-balloons-1111368/

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Run Marketing With a Small Team (or Solo)
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Run Marketing With a Small Team (or Solo)

Be Flexible and Open

Running marketing with a tiny team—or by yourself—is part strategy, part juggling act, and part improv show.

You don’t have time for fluff. You don’t have budget for a 12-person creative team. And you definitely don’t need another “10-step framework” written by someone with three interns and a six-figure ad budget.

Photo by fauxels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-sitting-near-wooden-table-3183190/

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Ad Fatigue in 2025
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Ad Fatigue in 2025

Why Your Best Campaigns Are Dying Faster

You launch the campaign. It hits. Clicks, conversions, leads—things are working.
Then, two weeks later… crickets.

Welcome to ad fatigue in 2025—where even your best ideas have a shelf life shorter than a TikTok trend.

It’s not you. It’s the system. The platforms, the pace, the audiences—all of it has changed. If you’re wondering why your high-performing campaign is suddenly on life support, here’s what’s going on.

Photo by Marcus Herzberg: https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-billboards-1058276/

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Landing Pages That Actually Convert
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Landing Pages That Actually Convert

Most landing pages are pretty. Clean layout. Nice fonts. Maybe even a snappy headline.

And then… crickets.

Because here’s the truth: pretty doesn’t convert. Clarity does. Relevance does. Trust does.

So if your landing page isn’t doing its job—bringing in qualified leads or sales—it’s not because your button isn’t orange enough.

Here’s what’s actually going wrong (and how to fix it).

Photo by Davide Baraldi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-an-ipad-11813187/

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Your Company Isn’t Apple, or Amazon, or Google
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Your Company Isn’t Apple, or Amazon, or Google

Let’s get something straight:

  • You are not Apple.

  • You are not Amazon.

  • You are not Google.

And you don’t need to be.

The problem is, too many companies try to act like they are. They copy the branding. They mimic the tone. They throw out buzzwords like “innovation” and “scale” as if that magically puts them in the same league.

Photo by Essow K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-high-rise-buildings-936722/

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What The Newsroom (HBO) Can Teach You About the Truth
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

What The Newsroom (HBO) Can Teach You About the Truth

A Lot, As It Turns Out

Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom is a show about journalism, but it might as well be a lesson in how to cut through noise and deliver real truth—something marketing and media both struggle with today.

In a world where clickbait headlines, AI-generated content, and engagement-farming rule, The Newsroom reminds us that truth matters—and it’s worth fighting for.

Image © Home Box Office, Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

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The Marketing Industrial Complex
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

The Marketing Industrial Complex

Modern marketing has a dirty secret: it’s built to extract as much money from you as possible before you see any results.

Agencies, platforms, “experts,” and tools all promise the world—strategy, scale, brand love, hockey-stick growth—but what you often get is a confusing invoice, a bloated tech stack, and no real pipeline.

Welcome to the Marketing Industrial Complex.

Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/empty-shopping-cart-on-yellow-background-7195232/

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Is Reddit the Next Big B2B Platform?
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Is Reddit the Next Big B2B Platform?

Every few years, marketers get obsessed with a new platform. Right now, some are hyping up Reddit as the next big thing for B2B marketing—claiming that its engaged communities and organic discussions make it a goldmine for leads.

Nice theory. The reality? Reddit isn’t built for B2B marketing, and most brands will struggle to make it work.

Image © Reddit – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

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Marketing Tech Stack
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Marketing Tech Stack

Marketing teams love tools.

CRMs, automation platforms, SEO trackers, social schedulers, AI-powered chatbots—if there’s software for it, someone’s convinced you need it. But most companies waste a ton of money on tools they barely use, overcomplicate their workflows, and end up drowning in tech instead of actually doing marketing.

Photo by Christina Morillo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-black-coat-1181346/

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Google Ads Is Pushing "Performance Max Campaigns"
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Google Ads Is Pushing "Performance Max Campaigns"

Google really wants you to use Performance Max campaigns. And if you’ve tried them, you’ve probably noticed something:

The leads suck.

Google promises that Performance Max (PMax) will use AI to optimize across all ad placements—Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery. In theory, it sounds great. In practice? It’s a black box that eats your budget and floods you with garbage leads.

Photo by AS Photography: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-samsung-tablet-display-google-browser-on-screen-218717/

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Your Phone Is Listening to You
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Your Phone Is Listening to You

Ever talked about something random—like buying new boots—only to see ads for them minutes later?

It’s not your imagination. Your phone is listening.

Not in a “government surveillance van outside your house” way, but in a big tech, hyper-targeted advertising kind of way. And while companies deny it, the evidence says otherwise.

Here’s what’s actually happening, and which apps are the biggest offenders.

Photo by Tracy Le Blanc: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-iphone-showing-social-networks-folder-607812/

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What Ted Lasso Can Teach You About Positivity
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

What Ted Lasso Can Teach You About Positivity

Ted Lasso isn’t just a show about soccer—it’s a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and the power of a positive mindset.

And one of its best lessons? “Be a goldfish.”

In other words, let go of mistakes, don’t dwell on the past, and move forward fast. It’s simple advice, but if you apply it to work, leadership, and life, it changes everything.

Image © Apple Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

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Why Do We Call It “Restructuring”?
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Why Do We Call It “Restructuring”?

Every time a company announces a “strategic restructuring”, we all know what’s coming: people are getting fired.

But instead of saying that, leadership rolls out a carefully worded press release about “realigning business priorities” and “positioning for future growth.”

It’s nonsense. Layoffs are layoffs. Pretending otherwise doesn’t soften the blow—it just makes leadership look dishonest.

Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/job-slogans-written-on-piece-of-papers-9830274/

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Grind Culture is Stupid
Bruen Creative Co. Bruen Creative Co.

Grind Culture is Stupid

Somewhere along the way, we decided that burnout is a badge of honor. Hustle harder. Sleep less. Outwork the competition.

Sounds cool—until you realize it’s just a great way to be miserable, exhausted, and ultimately worse at your job.

Here’s the truth: Grind culture is a lie. The best work doesn’t come from people running on fumes. It comes from people who know when to push and when to rest.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hitachi-white-black-angle-grinder-162534/

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