Source: Thebrandwaves
The ability to track every marketing touchpoint has inverted incentive structures: companies optimize relentlessly for measurable metrics (clicks, conversions, CAC) while systematically underinvesting in unmeasurable brand work (awareness, trust, category leadership) that compounds over years. This creates a competitive opening for incumbents with patient capital or challenger brands willing to sacrifice quarterly attribution to own mental real estate. Most publicly-traded companies and VC-backed startups lack the organizational tolerance to stay the course.