Marketing in the (Great, Big, Messy) Real World

Transform Complexity into Opportunity

Marketing leaders face an uphill battle: their teams are expected to deliver predictable, measurable results in a world characterized by uncertainty, human behavior, and complexity. Traditional approaches attempt to treat marketing as a vending machine where input guarantees output. But this outdated approach sets CMOs up for frustration in today’s dynamic business environment.

Kathleen Schaub—marketing innovator, former CMO, and research analyst—reveals a radically needed shift in thinking that will not only bring clarity to the whole organization but help CMOs thrive in the chaos. Drawing on decades of experience combined with relevant science, Schaub explains why industrial-era practices fall short today and outlines a more flexible approach that embraces marketing as a complex system. Schaub’s method begins with four essential mindset shifts—think like an investor, navigator, statistician, and ecologist—and builds on them with actionable operational changes in intelligence, teams, work methods, and change management.

Marketing in the (Great, Big, Messy) Real World empowers marketing leaders to create adaptable, resilient marketing systems that thrive in uncertainty. Unlock your team’s full potential and turn complexity into opportunity.