The 'paradox of choice' - why relevance is the new growth strategy

"We're living in state of what Marc Allsop, head of EMEA at Rokt, calls a "paradox of choice" - a marketplace where consumers are overwhelmed and brands struggle to know where to meet them. The noise creates friction, disengagement and wasted spend. At the same time, though, it creates an opportunity for those who can cut through with relevance. For marketers, this raises a fundamental question: how do you know where to meet consumers - and how do you make that moment count?"

"Create precision and relevance in the moments that matter, Allsop says: "Nearly 80% of consumers feel excited about a well-timed and relevant offer. That's really the key to that moment of a transaction." For direct-to-consumer tailored dog food brand Tails.com, that means building long-term strategies rather than chasing quick wins. Elaine Wan, head of performance marketing, says sustainable growth comes from focusing on value, not just volume:"

"As Tails.com's performance marketing manager Lucy Whitear puts it: "Just because one thing doesn't work the first time around doesn't mean you have to stick to it. Fail fast [so] you know how to grow from there." As proof, she shares how her team drove a 153% uplift in customer conversion by refining messaging instead of scrapping an underperforming offer."

Consumers face a paradox of choice where overwhelming options generate noise, friction, disengagement and wasted spend, while relevance offers a competitive opening. Well-timed, relevant offers excite nearly 80% of consumers and create pivotal transactional moments. Sustainable growth requires long-term strategies that prioritize customer lifetime value over short-term acquisition volume. Data-driven channel investment underpinned by econometric insights identifies the most profitable channels. Continuous experimentation and a fail-fast mindset enable messaging refinements that can drive large conversion uplifts, as shown by a 153% increase from refining messaging. The linear path to conversion has dissolved, requiring bravery to test and invest in new channels.

Read at The Drum