The Make-or-Break Power Of A Purpose-Driven Marketing Strategy

In 1985, Coca-Cola made what many still consider the biggest marketing blunder in corporate history.

And on paper?
It made perfect sense.

Taste tests showed people preferred Pepsi’s sweeter formula over Coke. Coke’s market share was slipping. The exec team was under pressure to respond.

So they did what any smart brand might do:

They reformulated their flagship product.
They called it “New Coke.”
They launched a massive campaign.
And they thought they nailed it.

In blind taste tests, New Coke outperformed both Pepsi and original Coke. Logically, it was the better product.

So what went wrong?

Coca-Cola’s Biggest Mistake

Almost immediately, consumers revolted.
Phone lines jammed.
Complaints poured in.
People hoarded cases of the original formula.
One man in Texas literally bought 400 bottles and buried them in his backyard.

What Coke didn’t expect—and didn’t test for—was the emotional connection people had to the original brand.

They didn’t just drink Coke because it tasted good.
They drank it because it reminded them of home.
Because it felt familiar.
Because it was the real thing.

Coke had focused so much on improving the product that they forgot the reason people loved it in the first place.

They forgot the brand’s purpose—and paid the price.

Returning to “Why”

Less than 80 days after launching New Coke, Coca-Cola brought the original formula back.

They called it “Coca-Cola Classic.”

And ironically, the whole fiasco led to a massive surge in brand loyalty—because it reminded people what Coke stood for.

Not sweetness. Not innovation.
But comfort, tradition, and authenticity.

In trying to chase a competitor and follow the data, Coke disconnected from its why—and learned, in a very public way, just how costly that can be.

Missing The Purpose

You’re probably not reformulating a global beverage.

But maybe you’ve been feeling the pressure to “do more marketing.”

Start a podcast.
Refresh your website.
Post Reels.
Try TikTok.
Launch the email funnel everyone’s raving about.

And if you’re making those decisions based on what’s trendy—or what someone told you you should do—you might be doing the same thing Coke did:

Making smart decisions for the wrong reasons.

And forgetting why your clients loved you in the first place.

Why We Miss The Why

This isn’t just a marketing problem—it’s a thinking problem.
And it shows up for all of us at some point.

We all want to grow. We want our marketing to work. But when we don’t slow down long enough to ask why we’re doing something, our marketing becomes reactive instead of proactive.

The Underlying Factors

The Brain Loves Certainty—But Hates Complexity

It’s far easier to book a photo shoot than it is to map out a sales funnel. Action feels productive. But when it’s not anchored by strategy, it can create more confusion than clarity.

We Confuse Symptoms With Solutions

A website that “feels outdated” might actually be a messaging issue. Or a positioning issue. Or a strategy gap. When we jump into a tactic without identifying the root cause, we end up solving the wrong problem.

We Mirror What We See

It’s easy to look around and think, “Well, they’re doing it—maybe I should, too.” But unless you share the same audience, offer and goals, copying someone else’s marketing often pulls you further off course.

We Don’t Know How to Define Success

“More visibility” or “a better brand” might sound like goals—but they’re not measurable. Without a clear definition of success, you can’t build a plan to reach it or know if your marketing is working.

We’re Hearing Too Many “Shoulds”

“If you’re not on TikTok, you’re invisible.” “Email is dead.” “Email is everything.” The noise is constant—and it’s contradictory. The more voices you try to follow, the harder it becomes to trust your own.

We Have Too Many Ideas—And No Clear Filter

You’re not lacking creativity. You’re lacking a way to decide what matters right now. Without a filter rooted in your goals, every idea feels important—and the overwhelm leads to ineffective action.

Pausing For Purpose

You don’t have to jump into action the second you feel inspired—or panicked.

You’re allowed to slow down.
To ask hard questions.
To think strategically.

And when you do, your marketing becomes more than noise.
It becomes an extension of your leadership.

So next time you catch yourself saying:

“We should do [the thing]…”

Pause. And ask:

👉 Why?
👉 Why now?
👉 Why this?
👉 What do I want it to lead to?

If you don’t know the answers yet, that’s okay.
That’s exactly why we’re here.

Let’s reconnect to the purpose behind your marketing—so every action you take moves you closer to the business you actually want to build.

📅 Book a Clarity Call With Your Fractional Marketing Team »

About Our Business & Marketing Planning

What if your marketing plan started with your revenue goals—and worked backwards? At SchlickArt, our Business & Visual Marketing Planning service helps you create a clear, story-driven strategy designed to deliver real results. We begin by identifying your ideal income goal, then break it down into monthly targets and a detailed content plan that maps out exactly how to achieve them. Every step is intentional—crafted to support your bottom line while telling the authentic story of your brand. From brand messaging and campaign strategy to visual content that truly connects, we guide you through a marketing approach that feels as good as it performs.

Whether you’re a business owner, executive, or marketing professional, you’ll walk away with a focused plan and the confidence to put it into motion.

Let’s build a marketing plan that’s tailored to your goals—and designed to help you reach them.
Schedule your complimentary consultation today.

About SchlickArt 

SchlickArt, a luxury visual marketing company based in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy–rather than a product, service or person–SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting fractional CMO, business and strategy planning, professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt. 

Kirsten Quinn

A lover of strong coffee and yellowed pages, Kirsten Quinn-Smith is a professional content writer and owner of WordSmith Content Marketing here in Santa Clarita. She believes great content can forge a loyal, authentic and beneficial relationship between you and your audience – and grow your business. With each piece of writing, Kirsten's goal is to position you in the content spotlight through audience-centered, strategy-based writing that actually sounds like you. Why? Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

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