Studying marketing today is nothing like I expected — and that’s a good thing
I learned this lesson in my last semester of Digital Marketing, while working with clients, internships, and personal projects.
I was struggling a lot trying to learn everything, but surprise — marketing is always changing.
My journey started with a simple goal: graduate from college and get a job in marketing.
At the beginning, like many students, I believed it would be enough to go to school, learn what was taught, and apply it in real life. The reality is that no one really tells you how fast the industry changes. Marketing evolves so quickly that even traditional education struggles to keep up. That’s where everything starts to collapse.
Very soon, another truth was revealed. Marketing isn’t evolving because spending millions of dollars doesn’t work anymore; it’s evolving because the market (people) is changing. And especially heading into 2026, everything revolves around attention.
Attention is the most important asset in this new era.
Why attention?
Every brand wants to be “creative,” appear everywhere, and make billions in revenue. But are they willing to invest the same effort into listening to their customers and actually serving them?
Consumers are not the same as they were a couple of years ago. Social media has changed everything. People now have endless options, different ways to buy, compare prices, find discounts, and choose brands that align with them.
Marketing has evolved into something more customer-centric. But even more importantly, it’s about creating real connections with customers.
Here’s what’s actually happening, in my opinion:
💀 Trying to sell agressively is outdated
Nobody likes to be sold to. Today, the best way to sell is by being the brand — or the person — that helps. Giving advice, sharing tips, offering real value. Organic growth is king.
⏱️ Invest time in understanding your audience
Instead of pushing sales content, teams should spend more energy creating content that solves real, everyday problems. Free value builds trust. People should feel that being connected to a brand genuinely helps them, not that they’re just part of a transaction.
📉 Customer Lifetime Value is harder to build than ever
Buying from a friend is always easier than buying from a stranger. When someone has helped you before, you’re far more likely to buy from them again than from a competitor.
As I read on: 6 Future Marketing Trends That Will Define 2026
Final Thoughts
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