Recent Writings – 2
The Coming Age of Anti-Acquisition: “A seismic shift is about to reshape the landscape of marketing. For the past two decades, the relentless pursuit of new customer acquisition has dominated every marketer’s agenda, fueling the rise of digital-first brands and disrupting countless industries. However, this era of unchecked expansion is drawing to a close, heralding the dawn of what I call the “Age of Anti-Acquisition.” While “retention” might seem the natural successor, the term “anti-acquisition” more accurately captures the impending paradigm shift. It represents a direct challenge to the extreme and often destructive focus on acquisition, reacquisition, and even re-reacquisition that has, like a metastasizing cancer, eroded the health and profitability of businesses across sectors… The Age of Anti-Acquisition promises to fundamentally alter the marketing and business landscape, creating new winners and losers. Just as artificial intelligence is ushering in the Intelligence Age, succeeding the industrial, information, and Internet ages, agentic AI and other innovations will revolutionise marketing beyond traditional branding and acquisition strategies.” [Part 4 of the essay discusses the shifts in marketing.]
I added: “The time is now for marketers to reclaim their role as the true architects of business growth. In this new paradigm, CMOs have the opportunity to evolve into Chief Profit Officers, taking ownership of the entire customer lifecycle and directly impacting the bottom line. Those who successfully lead this transformation may well find themselves on the fast track to the CEO’s chair, as businesses recognise the critical role of customer-centric, profit-driven marketing in overall corporate strategy.”
How BEAM and BEAN can Fashion a New Email Era: “The House of Anti-Acquisition represents a paradigm shift in marketing strategy, addressing the unsustainable practices of excessive customer acquisition and AdWaste. This framework aims to transform businesses from profitless entities into ‘profipolies’ – industry leaders in profitability. The core goal is to maximise customer Lifetime Value (LTV) whilst minimising Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC). Built on ten critical tenets, the House comprises three pillars: Better Data (utilising Unistack and Unichannel for a unified customer view, and leveraging a Large Customer Model), Better Customer Experience (enabling in-channel conversions in all push channels, and creating differentiated experiences for the most valuable customers), and Better Personalisation (leveraging AI-powered Co-Marketers and AI Twins). These are supported by three foundations: AI (predictive, generative, and agentic capabilities), Kaizen Progency (continuous improvement via a thin services layer), and redefined Metrics and Leadership (focusing on Earned Growth and evolving the CMO role to focus on profits). This framework challenges the status quo, prioritising retention over acquisition and utilising AI-driven strategies to achieve sustainable, profitable growth in the digital age.”
Also see Building The House Of Anti-Acquisition For Sustainable Profit Growth.
