The Idea
Marketing stands at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the AI era. As Google’s AI Overviews and AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity disrupt organic search traffic, and competitive pressures demand ever-accelerating growth, brands find themselves trapped in an increasingly expensive cycle. This perfect storm is forcing marketers to pour more resources into reacquisition—repeatedly paying premium prices to reach customers they already know—while traditional engagement channels continue to deteriorate.
I’ve written extensively about the profound inefficiencies plaguing modern marketing—what I call the “$500 billion AdWaste crisis.” This staggering figure represents the 70% of digital marketing budgets that brands squander on repeatedly reacquiring customers they already know through expensive adtech platforms.
The AdWaste crisis stems from two fundamental marketing failures: the “Not for Me” problem (generic messaging that fails to resonate with individual preferences) and the “No Hotline” problem (the absence of reliable engagement channels). These failures lead to attention recession, where customers mentally unsubscribe long before formally opting out, forcing brands into expensive reacquisition cycles.
During a recent meeting with an eCommerce client, this reality came into sharp focus. Despite building a successful business with $6 million in annual revenue, he struggled with balancing growth and profitability. His monthly acquisition spending through adtech platforms was $50,000—a stark contrast to the mere $2,000 he spent on martech solutions for retention.
When I pointed out this imbalance, his response captured the fundamental challenge facing marketers today: “Acquisition is easy—I just call up an agency, give them a budget, and they deliver the clicks. ABC. Agency, Budget, Clicks. Retention is tough. Martech platforms are complex. I know my team doesn’t make full use of your platform. I know we need better segmentation, sharper content, more targeted campaigns. But all that is hard work. Can you make martech as easy as adtech? And also provide agency support so you price on outcomes rather than inputs. Become a partner, not a vendor.”
This conversation crystallised the core ideas I’ve been exploring: NeoMarketing, the BRTN (Best-Rest-Test-Next) framework, AI Marketing Agents and Twins, Progency, NeoN, and NeoMails. These concepts represent a fundamental reimagining of marketing for the AI era—one that addresses the AdWaste problem while maximising Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and minimising Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) to deliver “Rule of 40” profitable growth.
As I reflected on this and other conversations during my flight back to Mumbai, I realised I needed a simple slogan to capture the essence of NeoMarketing: “Double the Best, Halve the Waste.” This encapsulates the dual mission of NeoMarketing—doubling the Best customer base (those top 20% who deliver 60-80% of revenue and 200% of profits) while cutting AdWaste (primarily spent on reacquisition) by 50%.
In this series, I’ll explore how breakthroughs like Progency (combining Platform, Experts, AI Agents, and Kaizen-driven continuous improvement) and NeoN (an alternate ad network based on authenticated identity) can transform marketing from a cost centre into a profit engine. I’ll demonstrate how these innovations enable brands to establish reliable hotlines with customers, deliver true N=1 personalisation at scale, and eliminate the wasteful reacquisition cycle that drains marketing budgets and stunts profitability.
Together, we’ll discover how to make NeoMarketing’s “Double the Best, Halve the Waste” vision a reality for businesses.
