Marketing myths that lead brands astray

Marketing is one of those words that’s been stretched, twisted, and often stripped of its actual meaning. You hear it in team meetings, in the media, in trending posts—and lately, in some places where it just doesn’t belong.

A recent example? A Romanian presidential candidate admitted that his campaign promise of homes for €35,000 was simply “a marketing move.” Translation: a strategic dressing-up of reality to generate buzz. This is how “marketing” becomes a catch-all for tactics—rather than a thoughtful strategy rooted in clarity, authenticity, and brand building.

Time to clean up the narrative. Let’s unpack some marketing myths that still hold brands back:

1. “Marketing is just social media.”

Reality: Social media is just one of many tools. A real marketing strategy includes positioning, content planning, campaign architecture, KPIs, performance tracking, and long-term brand direction.

Without a strategy, social media becomes noise, not impact.

2. “Marketing is something you start when you launch.”

Reality: Starting marketing at launch is already late.
Brand awareness and trust take time. Smart communication planning starts way before you hit “Go live” — from defining your brand voice to mapping out your content marketing funnel.

3. “You need to be everywhere.”

Reality: Visibility without relevance doesn’t convert.
Your brand doesn’t need to be present on every platform. It needs to be visible where your target audience is and consistent in the way it shows up. Focus beats omnipresence.

4. “Marketing is just attracting attention.”

Reality: You don’t just need likes—you need action.
Brand engagement without a clear conversion path is a vanity metric. Marketing should guide your audience through a clear funnel—from curiosity to connection to conversion.

5. “You can market anything if it sounds good.”

Reality: Modern consumers are smart. Authentic messaging, backed by real values and consistency, wins. Anything else is spin—and spin doesn’t build brand trust.

If you want your brand to communicate with intention—not confusion—let’s draw your map together.

Mapped is here. Where are you?