Stop Saying "Winsome"
I recently read this line: “If nobody hates your marketing, nobody loves it either.”
I have no idea who said it.
But I do know this—it made me uncomfortable.
Which is usually a good sign.
Because most marketing today isn’t designed to be loved.
It’s designed to be safe.
Inoffensive.
Approved by committee.
Polished until every sharp edge is sanded down and run through legal twice.
And the result?
Nobody notices it.
Nobody remembers it.
Nobody cares what campaign you ran five years ago—or even last week.
(You don’t remember it either. Be honest.)
Here’s the hard truth: If your marketing is liked by everyone, it’s probably not saying anything that matters.
Love requires conviction.
Conviction creates contrast.
And contrast will always offend someone.
That doesn’t mean being reckless or obnoxious just for funzys.
It means being clear enough to draw a line.
To stand for something specific.
To say, “This is who we are—and this is who we’re not.”
Real brands repel as much as they attract.
They choose a lane.
They accept misunderstanding.
They risk criticism in exchange for connection.
Because—say it with me—we can’t be for all people.
The goal isn’t to be hated. It’s to be honest.
When we try to please everyone, we don’t end up with a bigger audience—we end up with a thinner one. Shallow. Disengaged. Forgettable. As in: they will forget us. Quickly.
The brands we remember?
The messages that stick?
They didn’t whisper.
They didn’t hedge.
They didn’t wait for permission.
They spoke clearly—and trusted the right people would lean in while the wrong people leaned out.
So if your marketing never gets pushback, ask yourself why.
If it never makes anyone uncomfortable, ask where the edge is.
If it never costs you anything, ask whether it’s actually doing anything.
Because love without hate usually isn’t love at all.
It’s indifference.
And indifference is the real enemy.
Now I’ll say what probably should’ve been said a long time ago:
Stop saying “winsome.”
No one likes it. Not even the people pretending to.
#FromABeardedGuy