Paul Parton

Articles by Paul All articles by Paul

• What Roman Politics Teaches Us About Modern Marketing in Marketing Politics Weekly on 04/28/2026
  

  Cicero wrote the "Little Handbook on Electioneering" as a strategy memo for his brother's campaign for Roman consul in 64 BC. The parallels to modern marketing are uncanny.

• The Super Bowl And The Economics Of Creativity in MediaPost Weekend on 02/07/2026
  

  It may seem paradoxical that something we proactively avoid most of the time is something we actively love once a year, but the real paradox is why marketers don't encourage that kind of cultural embrace of their advertising year-round.

• Media Amnesia And Brand Reinvention in Planning & Buying Insider on 01/30/2026
  

  I spotted a Tesla with a peace sign covering its T logo. The symbolism was clear - virtue signaling that "I like Tesla, but I don't like Elon's politics." It felt dated, out of place, an old story.

• Modern Politics: The Din And Tinsel Of Marketing's Third Wave in Planning & Buying Insider on 11/12/2025
  

  TL;DR Mamdani won a landslide victory in the New York Mayoral race because his campaign focused on progressive marketing theory not just progressive policy. Humbug, I say.

• Precision In Performance in Planning & Buying Insider on 10/23/2025
  

  Some jaw-dropping stats: we spend 80% of our waking hours consuming media, including 5.3 trillion-plus ads each year. That's trillion with a T.

• Do We Even Need Brands? in Planning & Buying Insider on 09/29/2025
  

  Brands are irrelevant. And they've never been more important. Just ask my boyish self.

• Everything Is Content, Everything Is Commerce in Planning & Buying Insider on 08/26/2025
  

  Jake Paul is not a good boxer. That's right, I said it. Jake Paul is rubbish at boxing. But he managed to get 108 million of us to watch a boxing match that we pretty much knew would be bad. And he got paid $40 million for it.

• The Modern Funnel: The Bottom Won't Work If The Top Ain't Full in Planning & Buying Insider on 07/21/2025
  

  Legacy marketers still anchor their brand-marketing in traditional paid advertising. In the current performance-marketing era, the reality is they can't afford to do that anymore.

• Is It Time For A New Channel-Planning Discipline? in Planning & Buying Insider on 06/16/2025
  

  Two recent stories suggest an approach to channel-thinking or channel-planning that goes beyond classic campaign-thinking -- one that understands and can impact the social diffusion of ideas.

Comments by Paul All comments by Paul

• What Roman Politics Teaches Us About Modern Marketing by Paul Parton (Marketing Politics Weekly on 04/28/2026)
  

  Thanks for the comment Leo. I was going to reference Aristotle (I often do when talking about human insight and persuasion - "one who attempts to move people to thought or action must concern himself with their emotions...") but it started to make this piece a little complicated. What interested me about about Cicero's handbook was how timeless some of the tactical approaches were - hence the timeless/timely construct.

• Why We Can't Quit Marketing Attribution by Maarten Albarda (Media Insider on 01/23/2026)
  

  Great article. Thanks for sharing!

• Precision In Performance by Paul Parton (Planning & Buying Insider on 10/23/2025)
  

  Thanks for the comment Ed. I hadn't seen your research. It sounds like it deserves a wider audience. Your eyes-on-screen stat is quite an eyebrow raiser itself. I'm sure you have more accurate data but my admittedly fuzzy math suggests that on that basis, we might be wasting $40 Billion a year on TV ad spend too. (That's the GDP of Cyprus...)

• Do We Even Need Brands? by Paul Parton (Planning & Buying Insider on 09/29/2025)
  

  Yes, good points Ted and I agree with all of them. Although #3 will be one to watch. If they can manage their cash flow and the efficiency of their supply chain, then these 'non-brands' may be able to continue to steal at scale. Thanks for reading.

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