W.H. Auden perhaps spoke for marketers when he said 'great art is clear thinking about mixed feelings'
“It matters what matters we use to think other matters with; it matters what stories we tell to tell other stories with; it matters what knots knot knots, what thoughts think thoughts, what descriptions describe descriptions, what ties tie ties.” - Donna Haraway
Marketing breeds complexity. Such is its nature that complexity manifests itself internally first. Projects, committees, portfolios, bureaucracies often grow weeds more than flowers leaving little time, resources or mind space to innovate.
Yet innovate we must, else it’s a slippery slope to extinction. Nora Bateson said, “the opposite of complexity is reductionism. Simplicity is complexity with grace.” I wholeheartedly agree from a marketer’s perspective.
The ask is wickedly simple. We need to separate what’s needed from what’s not—across technology, data and people. If it’s not delivering value, then it’s not a priority. No matter what the strategy, vision and brand purpose—less is more. If only doing this would be as easy as stating it.