Marketing aimed at the wrong buyer. Campaigns are attracting attention from low-fit or irrelevant audiences.
Attracting the wrong buyers creates a downstream problem that no amount of optimization can fix — it inflates metrics while distorting what's actually working.
Ogilvy on Dove: "I could have positioned Dove as a detergent bar for men with dirty hands, but chose instead to position it as a toilet bar for women with dry skin. This is still working 25 years later." Picking the right customer was the campaign. Hopkins: "The purpose of the headline is to pick out people you can interest."
• High traffic, low intent
• Leads that never convert
Owned — Case studies feature customers you no longer want.
Earned — Reviews and mentions come from non-buyers.
Paid — High CTR, low-quality leads.
Analytics — Lead scoring shows mismatch between marketing and sales.
AI — AI trained on legacy or incorrect customer data.
• Validate ICP using real customer data
• Adjust targeting and messaging
