The Demand Capture Hierarchy
A prioritization framework for marketing investment. Start with capturing existing demand before attempting to create new demand.
- 1.Capture existing search demand first
- 2.Optimize conversion of captured demand second
- 3.Build follow-up infrastructure third
- 4.Only then invest in demand creation
Related readingThe Mental Availability Audit
Questions to assess whether your brand comes to mind in relevant buying situations.
- 1.What category entry points does your brand own?
- 2.What triggers activate memory of your brand?
- 3.How distinctive are your brand assets?
- 4.Where are the gaps in mental availability?
Related readingThe Follow-Up Reliability Matrix
A framework for evaluating follow-up system quality across speed, consistency, and persistence.
- 1.Speed: Time from inquiry to first response
- 2.Consistency: Variance in follow-up quality
- 3.Persistence: Number of meaningful touchpoints
- 4.Handoff integrity: Information loss between stages
Related readingThe Attribution Skepticism Filter
Questions to ask before trusting any attribution data.
- 1.What does this metric actually measure?
- 2.What assumptions does the model make?
- 3.What behavior would change if this metric moved?
- 4.What is not captured by this measurement?
Related readingThe System Leverage Test
Evaluating whether a proposed system creates genuine leverage or just adds complexity.
- 1.Does it handle predictable decisions automatically?
- 2.Does it free humans for exceptional situations?
- 3.Does it reduce cognitive load or add to it?
- 4.Can it be maintained without the original builder?
Related readingThe Optimization Trap Detector
Warning signs that optimization is degrading overall performance.
- 1.Is the optimization metric a proxy or the actual goal?
- 2.Are improvements in one area causing declines elsewhere?
- 3.Is the time horizon for evaluation appropriate?
- 4.Are you optimizing against a fixed competitive environment?
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