During the siege of Troy, the invading Greeks hid a small number of troops inside a huge wooden horse and placed it at the city’s gate. Thinking it a symbol of surrender, the unwitting Trojans pulled the horse inside. That night the secreted Greeks crept out and opened the gate for the rest of their army, destroying the city and ending the war.

Every marketer needs to be able to tell the difference between promise and threat.

To make smart decisions, we should always listen to the wisdom of colleagues—but let’s not forget to also pay attention to critics. Just as the voice of caution could have saved the Trojans, so too could a dose of objective, collaborative third-party thinking (from, oh we don’t know, these guys?) ensure you’re headed for victory.

Looking to mount a new marketing effort? Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com. We’ll make sure you ride off with the spoils.

Pisa’s famous tower started leaning only five years after construction began in 1173. Erected on unstable soil with a foundation too shallow to support the structure’s weight, the building quickly started to shift. After 800 years of renovation the problem has been fixed and the tower finally stopped listing any further.

Before setting out to make marketing history, it’s always a good idea to survey the decisions you are making about your business foundation. Take care to verify you are standing on solid ground, and you’ll avoid unexpected A-ha Moments.

Looking to build concrete confidence in your marketing efforts? Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com and we’ll angle you in the right direction.

In 1999, NASA lost a 125 million dollar Mars orbiter in outer space. Seems one engineering team used English units of measurement, while another used the metric system. The mismatch prevented the correct transfer of navigational coordinates, and the aircraft missed the red planet entirely.

Before launching any new endeavor (be it marketing, or a mission to Mars), success often depends upon team alignment. The measurement mistake killed NASA’s mission, as well as the engineers’ expected A-ha Moment: a celebration of the craft’s entry into Mars’ orbit.

If you’re planning on entering new space with your marketing, drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com and we’ll make sure the all-stars on your team aren’t light years apart.

In 1920, the 18^th amendment passed, banning the production and sale of alcohol. Prohibitionists painted ‘intoxicating liquors’ as sins that led to crime, poverty and death.

Ironically, the biggest winners turned out to be organized crime.

Bold Strategic Decisions may have the best intentions—the mistake is failing to anticipate unintentional consequences. In the case of Prohibition, Americans’ thirst for booze was stronger than their concern for violating the law.

The ultimate lesson of the “Noble Experiment”—and for marketers looking to avoid unwanted A-ha Moments—is to watch out for decisions that end up worse than the problems they are designed to solve.

Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com if you’re pouring over any bold choices of your own. We’ll show you a quick and easy way to make sure your choices produce the effect you need.