The Best Marketing Strategy? The One That Works.

What Is the Best Marketing Strategy?
Answer: The One That Works. True Story.

It sounds almost like a joke, doesn’t it?

“The best strategy is the one that works.”
You might be thinking, Thanks for the insight, Captain Obvious.

But hear me out—because I’m dead serious.

Luck Dressed Up as Strategy

I first embraced this idea when reading The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard Marks. One of the central lessons is that there is no such thing as a formula to consistently predict how markets will behave. Not investors, not economists, not even the so-called gurus on CNBC.

And yet, when someone gets it right—maybe they predict a crash or pick the next unicorn-they’re instantly crowned by the media and public opinion as visionaries. They start charging premium consulting fees, writing books, speaking on stages, and giving masterclasses.

But more often than not, it was a fluke.

Their “strategy” worked once. Then they tried to replicate it... and failed. Because it was never a strategy to begin with. It was a lucky shot dressed up in hindsight as brilliance.

Marketing Has the Same Flaw

The same happens in marketing. People idolize viral campaigns, clever funnels, ad hacks, or content strategies that blew up. Everyone wants the blueprint.

But here’s the truth no one wants to hear:
What worked there might not work here. What worked then might not work now. What worked for them might not work for you.

Why?
Because markets are dynamic. Audiences evolve. Algorithms shift. Context changes. Your brand, your story, your customers-these are all unique variables in the equation. And most of all: you don't know what's working until it does.

I elaborate on this in more detail in Why Copy-Paste Marketing Doesn't Work: LightBlue Digital Approach to Digital Strategy.

Strategy isn’t a fixed plan—it’s a feedback loop

When I say “the best marketing strategy is the one that works,” I’m not being sarcastic or cynical. I’m advocating for humility.

Instead of assuming you know the answer, assume you don’t—and set up a system to find it out fast.

That’s where real strategy lives:

• Test quickly.

• Fail cheaply.

• Learn fast.

• Double down on what works.

That’s how you let the market guide you, instead of forcing the market to fit your theory.

This mindset applies beyond marketing. Monetization strategies, pricing models, product positioning, even entire business models—they all follow the same logic. You can have the smartest minds in the room and still be wrong.

LightBlue Digital: Built on This Belief

At LightBlue Digital, this is more than a belief—it’s the foundation.

We don’t sell one-size-fits-all playbooks. We don’t push cookie-cutter strategies. We design custom experiments, gather real feedback, and build momentum based on results. That’s how we turn vision into reality.

So next time someone asks you, “What’s the best marketing strategy?”
Feel free to smile and say: “The one that works.”