It’s incredible how fast things change. Do you remember that slogan? “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby.”

That phrase was used in an advertising campaign for Virginia Slims, a brand of cigarettes marketed specifically to women. The slogan was introduced in 1968, and cigarette ads were banned in 1971. It lasted only three years but was so successful that it’s still remembered and used today in cultural references.

In the first four years of the 2020s, technology has not changed much except that it has become cheaper, faster, and more powerful. But when it comes to marketing, the game has completely changed.

Today, I want to discuss the three things we must pay the most attention to and how you can increase your ability to break through the marketing morass and noise.

Some of you may remember the Toys R Us ad “I Don’t Want to Grow Up,” which touted play and toys. I still have that feeling today. I love toys. AI is a toy that helped me come up with this post. Computers are fun because they help us do so many things: become organized, be better communicators and more analytical thinkers.

I believe that thinking of marketing as play with data, computers, and tools can help us focus on the fun and not the function. And be careful not to choke on your marketing efforts.