In today’s fast-paced marketing landscape, staying relevant is no longer just a goal—it’s a necessity. Marketers are constantly chasing trends, adapting to new technologies, and refining strategies in an attempt to remain competitive. However, in the midst of these constant changes, it's surprisingly easy to fall into what experts call marketing blindspots. These are the critical gaps in strategy that marketers often overlook, even when they believe they're covering all the right bases.
Blindspots don’t always appear due to negligence or lack of effort. In many cases, they arise precisely because marketers become too focused on certain metrics, customer demands, or competitor moves, failing to see the broader picture. According to Yunan Fadillah, a Corporate Strategy Consultant at MarkPlus, Inc., going back to foundational marketing principles—like those taught by Philip Kotler—can help marketers rediscover what they may be missing.
In a presentation during the Asian Tiger Marketing Manager Bootcamp, Yunan shared valuable insights on the most common marketing blindspots. Here are five of them, based on research and industry observation, that marketers need to be aware of—and avoid if they want to stay ahead.
1. Being Too Focused on Customers and Competitors
It might seem counterintuitive to say that being too focused on customers and competitors is a problem. After all, aren't these the core pillars of any marketing strategy? While understanding customer behavior and monitoring competitors are undeniably important, placing too much emphasis on them can actually restrict innovation and long-term vision.
When marketers focus only on what customers say they want today, they risk ignoring emerging needs or unarticulated desires. Customers don’t always know exactly what they want until they see it. Think of how disruptive products like smartphones or streaming services reshaped industries by addressing needs that users hadn’t fully recognized.
Similarly, mimicking competitors’ actions without critical analysis might lead a brand into a never-ending cycle of replication, not differentiation. Instead of simply reacting to customer feedback and competitor strategies, marketers should take a step back to ask deeper questions: Why do customers prefer certain products? What shifts are occurring in their behavior? Are there unmet needs that we’re not addressing?
By developing a more proactive and exploratory mindset, brands can position themselves as market leaders rather than followers. Innovation begins when you stop chasing and start anticipating.
2. Ignoring the Shift in the Middle Market
For years, the middle market was seen as the safest bet—a wide, stable segment with dependable buying power. However, in recent years, economic fluctuations and changing consumer values have transformed this once-reliable segment into a far more volatile one. Customers who once occupied the middle ground are now migrating in two opposing directions.
On one side, some are gravitating toward highly affordable options, driven by cost-consciousness and economic pressure. On the other, a growing group is opting for premium offerings that deliver exclusive experiences and emotional satisfaction. This polarization poses a challenge for brands that continue to rely on a “one-size-fits-all” middle-market strategy.
To stay relevant, marketers must ask themselves: Is our product positioning still valid? Should we pivot toward affordability and accessibility, or invest in premiumization and personalization?
There’s no universal answer—it depends on your brand, industry, and target audience. What’s crucial is that marketers no longer assume the middle market is safe territory. Instead, they should segment their audience more precisely and tailor their offerings to evolving consumer mindsets.
3. Underestimating the Influence of Gen Z
Many marketers view Generation Z as a mere extension of Millennials. This assumption could not be further from the truth. Gen Z has its own set of values, expectations, and communication preferences that diverge significantly from those of previous generations.
Authenticity, transparency, and individuality are not just buzzwords for Gen Z—they are non-negotiable values. This generation tends to reject overly polished branding or messaging that feels exaggerated or insincere. They gravitate toward brands that understand their struggles, reflect their identity, and speak their language—without trying too hard.
Marketers who underestimate Gen Z's power risk missing out on a massive consumer group that already forms a significant share of the market. More importantly, Gen Z influences family purchasing decisions and drives online conversations, making them a crucial demographic to engage.
To connect with Gen Z, marketers must adopt a strategy rooted in genuine storytelling, inclusive representation, and responsive communication. A brand voice that resonates with their values will have a far better chance of establishing long-term loyalty.
4. Evaluating Marketing Channels in Isolation
In today’s digital ecosystem, the customer journey is rarely linear. A consumer may discover your product on Instagram, read reviews on Google, visit your website to compare options, and finally make a purchase at a physical store. If you’re measuring each of these touchpoints separately, you’re missing the full picture.
Too often, marketers analyze performance by channel: click-through rates for email campaigns, engagement metrics for social media, or conversions from search ads. While these data points are helpful, they don't reflect how customers truly interact with your brand.
This fragmented view can lead to misleading conclusions. A low-performing email campaign might actually be the catalyst that drives a web visit or store visit days later. Without understanding the complete journey, marketers risk cutting channels that play a valuable but indirect role in conversion.
Embracing an omni-channel and data-driven approach means acknowledging that success comes from how well your platforms work together—not how they perform in isolation. Modern marketing requires seamless integration and continuous optimization across touchpoints to meet customers where they are, on their terms.
5. Focusing Solely on Customer Acquisition and Neglecting Loyalty
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game. Customer acquisition is a visible, measurable success metric that looks impressive on dashboards. But if those new customers don’t stick around—or worse, leave with a poor impression—then the effort and cost spent on acquiring them are essentially wasted.
Customer loyalty is a more sustainable growth driver, yet it often receives less attention. Loyal customers not only purchase more frequently, but they also refer others, defend your brand in online discussions, and are more forgiving during occasional service failures.
Relying too heavily on discounts and promotions to acquire new customers can also erode your margins and create a price-sensitive audience that disappears once the deal ends. Instead, marketers should focus on building a consistent and memorable customer experience that encourages repeat business.
This means refining every touchpoint—from product quality and customer service to packaging and post-purchase communication. Loyalty programs, personalized offers, and meaningful engagement campaigns are more effective than aggressive short-term promotions when it comes to building a strong brand community.
Addressing Blindspots with the 5A Marketing Framework
To help marketers address these common blindspots, Yunan Fadillah introduced the 5A Framework, developed by MarkPlus, Inc. The framework breaks down the customer journey into five distinct stages: Aware, Appeal, Ask, Act, and Advocate. This model provides a comprehensive way to understand how customers move from discovering a brand to becoming loyal advocates.
If performance drops at any one of these stages, it indicates the presence of a blindspot. For instance, if your brand awareness is high but few people are taking action, perhaps the messaging lacks emotional appeal or the value proposition isn’t compelling enough. If conversion rates are solid but advocacy is low, there may be a problem with post-purchase engagement or customer service quality.
Each stage of the 5A model invites different strategic questions:
Aware: How do customers first learn about our brand? Are we visible in the right channels?
Appeal: Does our messaging resonate emotionally? Are we offering something uniquely valuable?
Ask: Are we providing sufficient information for customers to explore and ask questions?
Act: Is the buying process simple and reassuring? Are there barriers we can eliminate?
Advocate: Do customers feel satisfied and valued enough to recommend our brand?
By mapping your marketing efforts against these five stages, you can more easily spot where the customer experience is falling short—and where deeper strategic adjustments are needed.
Tailoring Strategy Based on Industry Engagement
Another important consideration is the type of engagement your industry typically demands. Is your product or service one that requires deep research and consideration before purchasing (high engagement), or is it something that consumers can decide on quickly (low engagement)?
Understanding this distinction is crucial for choosing between push and pull marketing strategies. In high-engagement categories—like financial services, healthcare, or real estate—you’ll need to build trust over time with educational content, testimonials, and detailed comparisons. In low-engagement industries—like snacks or fast fashion—an eye-catching ad or influencer post might be all it takes to drive a sale.
Knowing where your brand sits along this spectrum will help determine the tone, depth, and delivery method of your marketing efforts. One-size-fits-all tactics rarely work across diverse industries.
Conclusion: Stay Ahead by Seeing What Others Don’t
Blindspots in marketing are not always obvious. They lurk in the areas we assume are covered, in the strategies we’ve relied on for too long, and in the trends we follow without question. To remain relevant and effective, marketers must challenge assumptions, stay curious, and remain adaptable to evolving consumer behavior.
By being mindful of these five common blindspots—overfocusing on customers and competitors, overlooking the shifting middle market, underestimating Gen Z, analyzing channels in isolation, and prioritizing acquisition over loyalty—brands can build stronger, more sustainable marketing strategies.
Use frameworks like the 5A model to guide your strategic thinking, evaluate performance at each customer journey stage, and take corrective action where needed. And remember, the best marketers aren’t just those who react to changes—but those who anticipate them.
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