With more than 20 years of experience working as an executive at NBC, MTV Networks, and major advertising agencies with accounts such as Miller Lite, Uncle Ben’s, and Dole Foods, Dr. Mara Einstein knows a thing or two about media and marketing. Now working as a self-proclaimed marketing critic, Dr. Einstein, who authored the book, HOODWINKED: How Marketers Use The Same Tactics As Cults, believes marketers have become way too focused on the digitally driven attention economy, often to the detriment of their own brands.

On this episode of On Scope, Dr. Einstein joins host Mike Berberich to outline exactly why it is that she thinks attention at all costs is a net negative for the marketing practice. She covers why thinking about digital as a strategy instead of a tactic is misguided, how marketers might convince executives that harder-to-measure analog channels viewed more favorably by consumers might be worth a larger investment, and shares the fascinating story of a cosmetic brand that moved off social media entirely and saw a huge surge in business as a result.

On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a new GetResponse survey of more than 2,400 consumers indicating that they think new customers get all the love from brands, despite most brands reporting a 50/50 split on spending on new customers versus retaining existing ones. The pair hypothesize about what brands are doing to enhance existing relationships with consumers and express skepticism that the tactics are truly about building the relationship rather than just trying to upsell. They also note a huge disconnect in the number of consumers who are interested in high-end luxury programs and the number of brands that offer them.

Dr. Mara Einstein feels strongly that digital fixation is pulling brands off course. If you agree with that assessment, it’s time to rethink your team’s approach. The ANA Talent and Marketing Operations Practice helps you develop sharper skills, build stronger teams, and identify smarter ways of working, while still delivering stellar business results. Explore the resources and start getting smarter by visiting www.ana.net/talent.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.