If you’re searching for what marketing is, chances are your business is already doing “marketing” – but it isn’t delivering the results you expect.
You may have:
A website
Active social media
Regular content going out
Yet something still feels off.
That’s because most businesses have been taught the wrong definition of marketing.
After more than 30 years working with global brands and growing businesses, here’s the bottom line:
Marketing is not what you do. Marketing is what people remember.
So, when business owners ask what marketing is, they’re usually asking why their efforts aren’t working.
What most business owners think marketing is:
Most business owners believe marketing is:
A website
Social media posts
Content schedules
Activity and visibility
In other words, output.
This is why so much marketing fails. Because output without a unifying idea doesn’t build memory. It creates noise.
What marketing actually is:
Marketing is the creation of a BIG IDEA that:
Owns a clear piece of mental real estate, makes people remember you and helps customers choose you over competitors and gives every channel a purpose.
A BIG IDEA is not a campaign.
It’s not a tactic.
And it’s definitely not “posting more”.
It’s the strategic thinking that everything else hangs off.
This is the difference between busy marketing and effective marketing.
You can see how I define and build BIG IDEAS here:
👉 https://mipphillips.com/creative-marketing-big-idea-creation/
Why this question still frustrates me after 30+ years
Despite all the tools, platforms and AI available today, marketing has been reduced to content production.
I still see businesses:
Spending money without direction
Producing endless content with no central idea
Confusing visibility with effectiveness
Treating marketing as execution instead of judgement
The businesses that succeed don’t do more marketing.
They do clearer marketing.
That clarity always starts with a BIG IDEA.
A real example: AJ Products:
AJ Products had very low brand awareness in the UK.
They didn’t need more activity.
They didn’t need louder ads.
They needed clarity and memorability.
So I created AJ the Ant – a simple, distinctive brand character that embodied the company’s values.
That BIG IDEA ran consistently through:
Website
Video
Digital marketing
Everything changed:
The brand became instantly recognisable
The messaging made sense
Results improved because people finally remembered them
You can view this work here:
👉 https://mipphillips.com/case-study-aj-products-awareness/
That’s what marketing is.
Not channels.
It’s the idea behind them.
Where AI fits into modern marketing (and where it goes wrong):
AI has become part of modern marketing – but it’s often misunderstood.
AI genuinely helps marketing when it amplifies existing thinking.
Used properly, AI can:
Accelerate idea development
Improve efficiency
Scale clarity across channels
But AI damages marketing when it’s used to:
Create vast amounts of content with no idea behind it
Replace thinking instead of supporting it
Fill platforms instead of building memory
The biggest mistake business owners make with AI is not understanding how to frame the information and questions correctly.
AI doesn’t give you judgement.
It accelerates the judgement you already have.
You can see how I work with AI properly here:
👉 https://mipphillips.com/artificial-intelligence/
So, what is marketing?
Marketing is not content.
Marketing is not channels.
Marketing is not tactics.
Marketing is the discipline of making your business memorable and chosen.
It starts with:
Clear thinking
Strong judgement
A BIG IDEA
Only then do websites, content, social media and AI actually work.
This thinking sits at the core of everything I do:
👉 https://mipphillips.com/
The real takeaway for business owners:
If your marketing feels busy but ineffective, the issue isn’t effort.
It’s clarity.
And clarity comes from the right idea.
That’s why I built Talk To MIP – not to replace thinking, but to sharpen it.
If you want to pressure-test your marketing decisions, understand what your BIG IDEA could be, or see where your marketing is losing impact, you can start here:
👉 https://mipphillips.com/talk-to-mip/
Introducing Talk to MIP – World-Class Creative Intelligence for BIG IDEAS, Branding, Marketing and AI
Introducing Talk to MIP – World-Class Creative Intelligence for BIG IDEAS, Branding, Marketing and AI
For the past few months, I’ve been working on something I’ve wanted to build for years – a way to scale my creative brain.
A tool that gives founders, CEOs and marketing teams instant access to the same level of strategic thinking I’ve used across 400+ brands.
Today, it’s finally here.
Talk to MIP – my own Custom GPT – is now live inside ChatGPT-5.
A creative intelligence designed to think like I do, answer like I do, and solve marketing problems with the same clarity, boldness and practicality I use with my clients every day.
And if you want stronger marketing, bigger ideas, or a clearer strategy… this will change everything.
Why I Built Talk to MIP:
Most businesses struggle with marketing not because they lack tools – but because they lack clarity.
Marketing becomes guesswork.
Budgets get spread too thin.
Ideas sound the same as everyone else’s.
Campaigns become forgettable.
I wanted to fix that.
Talk to MIP includes:
25 years of creative direction
400+ brands
Global campaigns
Behavioural insight
Branding, BIG IDEA strategy and modern AI thinking
…into a single, creative problem-solving engine you can access 24/7.
This isn’t generic AI marketing advice.
It’s trained through my frameworks, my process, my philosophy, and decades of real-world experience.
What Talk to MIP Can Do for You:
Whether you’re a Founder, CEO, Marketing Director or part of a growing team, this Custom GPT gives you a competitive edge by helping you:
1. Build clearer marketing
Get no-nonsense advice on strategy, positioning, messaging, buyer journeys and brand structure.
2. Create BIG IDEAS
Ask it to help you:
Develop creative campaigns.
Turn insights into ideas.
Create storylines.
Stand out in competitive markets.
It will push you beyond “safe” thinking – because safe never sells.
3. Improve your branding
Talk to MIP can refine your narrative, evolve your tone of voice, simplify your value proposition and help you build a brand that people actually remember.
4. Use AI properly
If you want to use AI to automate, scale, ideate or grow – but don’t know where to start – Talk to MIP walks you through it step-by-step.
5. Fix your marketing leaks:
It helps you see what’s broken.
Messaging that doesn’t convert.
Weak brand awareness.
Bland creative.
Over-complicated funnels.
Audience confusion.
And tells you exactly what to do next.
What Makes It Different:
Most marketing AIs are:
Overcomplicated.
Generic.
Surface level.
Avoid strong opinions.
Talk to MIP is the opposite.
It is direct, strategic and creative.
It gives you the clarity you need, tells you the truth, and gives you the thinking you can use immediately.
It’s not a chatbot.
It’s a creative partner.
Who It’s Built For:
This Custom GPT was created for:
Founders who want faster clarity.
CEOs who need sharper differentiation.
Marketing Directors who want stronger ideas.
Creative teams who need world-class thinking.
Startups trying to stand out.
Established brands needing to modernise.
Agencies wanting a competitive creative edge.
If standing out matters to you – this is for you.
Why It Matters Today:
We’re entering a new era.
AI is levelling the playing field.
Brands that adapt will dominate.
Brands that don’t will fade.
Consumer attention is harder to earn.
Marketing costs are rising.
Creativity is the only competitive advantage that lasts.
Talk to MIP gives you that advantage on demand.
How to Start Using Talk to MIP:
To use the GPT all you need to do is:
Open ChatGPT-5.
Click ‘Explore’.
Search ‘Talk to MIP’ in the GPT Store.
Start asking it questions about marketing, branding, BIG IDEAS or AI.
Use it to plan your next campaign, refine your brand or generate ideas
Review it in the Store so more people can discover it.
(Open the conversation → click the dropdown next to the GPT name → select “Review GPT”.)
This Is Only the Beginning
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be:
Adding new capabilities.
Integrating more of my frameworks.
Building out marketing actions.
Enhancing BIG IDEA generation.
Releasing Pro Guides directly through the GPT.
And expanding the strategic AI tools inside it.
This will become the world’s go-to GPT for creative marketing intelligence.
Final Thoughts
I’ve poured decades of knowledge into this.
If you’ve ever wished you could get fast, clear answers about your marketing – without fluff, jargon or confusion – Talk to MIP is built for you.
If you want marketing that stands out — start here.
👉 Launch Talk to MIP in ChatGPT now
And if you want help building your brand, creating a BIG IDEA or fixing your marketing, you can book a call with me directly.
BIG IDEA Marketing | Branding | AI
Why Most Marketing Fails (and How to Fix Yours) | Mip Phillips
Why Most Marketing Fails (and How to Fix Yours) | Mip Phillips
Every business owner knows the feeling.
You invest in marketing – the social posts, the ads, the campaigns – but the results don’t match the spend.
The truth is simple: most marketing fails not because of the budget, but because it lacks a BIG IDEA – the clear, consistent thread that connects your brand, message, and customer experience.
Marketing without a BIG IDEA is like shouting into a storm. You’re making noise, not impact.
1. The Real Reason Marketing Fails
Most marketing underperforms because it’s built on activity, not strategy.
Businesses mistake “doing more” for “achieving more.” They chase trends, copy competitors, and spread budgets across too many channels – hoping something will stick.
But the goal isn’t to be everywhere.
It’s to be remembered.
A strong marketing strategy starts with focus – understanding who your customer is, what they care about, and what your brand truly stands for. From that clarity comes the BIG IDEA – the unifying concept that makes your marketing distinctive and consistent.
Without it, every campaign becomes a one-off, disconnected from the bigger picture.
Learn more about how I help businesses create stronger strategies on my About me page.
2. The Myth: “Marketing Is About Being Everywhere”
It’s one of the most common misconceptions in business – the belief that more visibility automatically means more success.
But saturation isn’t strategy.
Attention doesn’t equal impact.
Marketing works when everything aligns around a single, emotionally powerful idea that your audience instantly connects with. That’s what creates memory, meaning, and momentum.
When a brand tells one story across every channel – and tells it well – people don’t just notice it. They remember it.
If you want your brand to stand out and be remembered, explore my Brand Creation and Rebranding services.
3. The Fix: Build From a BIG IDEA
A BIG IDEA is more than a creative concept.
It’s a strategic foundation – a simple, powerful thought that defines how your brand looks, sounds, and behaves across every touchpoint.
It’s what separates marketing that’s instantly recognisable from marketing that’s instantly forgotten.
When I work with clients, we start by identifying that central idea – the emotional and strategic core that everything else builds around.
You can see how this works in action on my BIG IDEA Creation page.
4. The Proof: AJ Products
When AJ Products came to me, their marketing was consistent in activity but inconsistent in message. They were promoting great products, but there was no unifying story connecting it all together.
We developed a BIG IDEA that made their brand memorable – aligning the emotional benefit of their products (comfort, wellbeing, productivity) with the tangible result – a better working environment.
The shift was immediate.
Campaign engagement grew. Awareness rose. And, most importantly, the brand became something people recognised and talked about – not just another name in the office furniture market.
That’s what a BIG IDEA does.
It transforms ordinary marketing into something that lives in the customer’s mind long after the campaign ends.
Read the full story in the AJ Products Case Study.
5. The Payoff: Marketing That Works
When your marketing starts with a BIG IDEA, everything changes:
Your brand becomes clearer.
Your budget works harder.
Your audience connects emotionally, not just rationally.
Your message feels consistent, credible, and compelling.
The best marketing isn’t about pushing products.
It’s about creating meaning.
When you give people something to believe in, they’ll give you their attention – and their loyalty.
If you want to see how I’ve helped brands like Guinness, Volvic, and Halifax create that emotional connection, explore my Work page.
6. How to Fix Your Marketing
If your marketing feels like it’s missing something, it probably is – a BIG IDEA that unites everything you do.
That’s where I come in.
With over 25 years of experience helping brands like Guinness, Volvic, Halifax, and AJ Products, I help businesses turn scattered marketing into memorable brands with clear, profitable direction.
Let’s find your BIG IDEA – and make your marketing work harder, smarter, and more effectively.
Ready to Fix Your Marketing?
Book your free 15-minute Discovery Call to identify what’s holding your marketing back – and what you can do about it.
👉 Book your call here.
Or contact me directly at Mip Phillips Creative Marketing to start building a strategy that gets remembered.
Why Marketing & Advertising Agencies Need Freelance Creatives
In today’s fast-paced marketing landscape, agencies face increasing pressure to deliver high-impact creative work on tight deadlines and shrinking budgets.
The challenge? Keeping up with client demands while ensuring campaigns remain fresh, engaging, and results-driven.
Read more… (Click the arrow.)
The solution? Freelance creatives.
Bringing in top-tier freelance talent gives agencies the flexibility to scale resources, introduce fresh ideas, and deliver standout creative work – without the overhead of full-time hires.
The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Creative
Whether you need big ideas for a campaign, AI-powered marketing strategies, or a fresh take on branding, a skilled freelance creative can provide:
1. BIG IDEAS, Not Just Ads
Great campaigns don’t just look good – they drive action, spark conversations, and boost revenue. A freelance creative brings bold, innovative ideas that help brands stand out in a crowded market.
2. Fast Turnarounds, No Fluff
Freelancers operate without the bureaucracy and red tape that can slow down internal agency teams. Expect high-impact creative solutions that meet the brief and the deadline – without unnecessary delays.
3. Plug & Play Expertise
Need a pitch-winning concept, a brand refresh, or AI-driven marketing strategies? A seasoned freelance creative integrates seamlessly into agency workflows, providing instant value without long onboarding times.
4. No Agency Overheads, Just Results
Freelancers give agencies access to senior-level creative firepower without the costs of a full-time hire. This means more budget can go directly into producing great work rather than covering salaries and overheads.
Who Benefits Most from Freelance Creatives?
Freelance creatives provide immediate impact for:
✔ Overloaded agencies that need fresh creative thinking to keep up with client demands.
✔ Brands looking for campaigns that actually convert, not just look good on paper.
✔ Marketing teams struggling to cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Why Now Is the Time to Harness Freelance Creativity
With brands demanding more innovation, agencies needing greater agility, and AI reshaping the creative industry, there’s never been a better time to bring in expert freelance creatives.
Whether it’s branding, AI-powered marketing, or the next BIG IDEA, a skilled freelancer can turn a standard campaign into an unforgettable one.
📩 Looking to scale, adapt, and deliver exceptional creative work? It’s time to harness freelance creativity.
Navigating the AI revolution: Read Mip Phillips’ article for Tunbridge Wells Business Magazine
Read Mip Phillips’ article online here: https://twbusinessmagazine.com