Les Binet: Why most marketing fails (and what actually works)
Les Binet sat down with The Media Leader at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 to discuss where marketers are going wrong and what really works.
The effectiveness expert highlighted the misalignment between boardroom expectations and what he described as “fluffy” language used in discussion of marketing outcomes.
According to Binet, whilst marketing is inherently probabilistic, marketers need to be implementing principles in a different way to appeal to CEO’s who want definitive results.
While Binet acknowledged this is not really how advertising works, he offered tips for marketers to build a bridge with commercial leaders.
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For example, though marketers cannot promise certainty, changing their language when talking about potential outcomes is a good place to start.
Moreover, focusing on vague terms like “brand love” is where marketers often go wrong.
“We talk about brand love, brand loyalty, brand awareness, image and inserting ourselves into culture,” said Binet. “They are all at best a means to an end. You do brand advertising because the probability is, when you do brand advertising, you’ll make more money.
“The aim is not to sell units, the aim is not to shift volume, the aim is to generate revenue and profit and shareholder value and shareholder value is actually a much more concrete concept than people in marketing think.”
The Long and Short of It co-author highlighted how measurement systems are also a challenge, as short-term metrics are often prioritised over long-term measurement and thinking. This is due in part to internal incentives, such as bonuses and organisational structure, acting as hurdles to change.
Yet he also expressed the need to lean into the human aspect of marketing.
“The core of marketing is about people, we spend too much time thinking as marketers and we forget we are talking to people and we need to put ourselves in other people’s shoes,” said Binet.
He added: “Culture eats strategy for lunch.”
The interview was conducted by consultant Justin Lebbon on behalf of The Media Leader.