Don’t Let Marketing Blindness Cost You Customers: How to Dodge this Common Pitfall.
- Vivien
- May 9, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 20
Every year, 30,000 new products hit the market.95% of them fail.
(Harvard Business School’s Clayton Christensen)
Yep—even the big brands flop sometimes think Colgate trying to sell Beef Lasagne. and Amazon Fire Phone
More recently, Bumble missed the mark with their messaging because it forgot what its audience actually wanted.
"People, particularly women, were quick to point out that the tone of the ads was anything but empowering, using shame to coerce women into getting back on the app." (USA Today)
That’s what happens when brands stop listening. They get trapped in their own echo chambers.
Marketing Myopia, also called marketing blindness, occurs when companies focus so much on what they sell that they forget why customers actually want it
Harvard professor Theodore Levitt coined the term back in 1960.
He wrote, “The railroad industry failed because they assumed themselves to be in the railroad business rather than in the transportation business.
"If they had thought that they were in the business of helping customers get from one place to another, then they would have transformed their service offerings.”
They were product-oriented rather than customer-focused.
They prioritised their product, not the purpose.
They obsess over features.
They write content for themselves.
And they forget… they are not their ideal customer.
They assume people care about what they think is clever or useful.
But customers care about what makes their lives better.
So how do you escape Marketing Blindness?
Luckily, for us, there is a cure for Marketing Myopia.
A mindset shift.
Harvard’s Theodore Levitt recommended asking yourself: "What business are we really in?"
Asking this question moves your sales from company-led to customer-focused.
And you start to see what matters the most to your customers.
Because you're not in the cybersecurity business.
You're in the keeping-your-customers-data-safe business.
You're not selling time-saving operational tools.
You're helping someone avoid burnout… or legal fees… or embarrassment in front of their boss.
From Feature-Led to Customer-Focused
So here's something you can try when you write a headline, a post, a product description.
Don’t lead with what your product does.
Ask:
What’s really keeping them up at night?
What are they scared to admit out loud?
What moment pushes them to take action?
And Lead with what your customer feels.
This can be done by understanding your customer's buying journey and trigger points and addressing your customer's Pain Points.
Show them that you understand their needs -Does your clients really worry about saving time and money, or do they want to protect their business from Legal Fees?
Turn Features into Benefits
It’s tempting to list all the shiny features your product has.
But here’s the truth:
Features tell. Benefits sell.
People don’t buy a product because it has specs.
They buy it because of what those specs do for them.
Feature-Centric: "Our Smartphone Has a 12-Megapixel Camera with a resolution of approximately 4000 x 3000 pixels"
Customer Value-Centric: "Make those once-in-a-lifetime memories last. Capture Stunning Sunsets and professional selfies with our Precision 12-Megapixel Camera"
See the difference? One lists a fact. The other creates a feeling.
So next time you’re writing, ask:How does this feature make my customer’s life easier, happier, safer, or better?
Share Customer Stories and Testimonials
One of the best ways to escape Marketing Myopia is to let your customers do the talking.
Stories and testimonials show how your offer fits into real lives—and solves real problems. They humanise your brand, and help potential buyers see themselves in the story.
Customers trust what others say more than what a company says.
Don’t make your testimonials sound like a press release.
Make them sound like a friend telling a friend.
Make a personal connection with potential customers who share similar goals.
Business-Centric: "Our Web Design Includes Weekly Progress Tracking"
Customer-Centric: "Sarah booked 5 sales calls, 53 new leads, and her Grandmother said her website looked lovely – Weekly Progress Tracking Made It Easy!"
Good Copywriting Isn’t Just Promotion—It’s Connection.
It’s about showing your audience:
You understand what they’re really struggling with
You know what they want (not just what they need)
You’ve helped people just like them
You’re here to make their life better—not just sell a thing
When your message reflects their world, not just your features, you build trust and inspire action.
If your messaging is getting stuck, I can help you build one that creates movement.
🎯 Hi, I'm Vivien,
I work with Heads of Communications, CMOs, and B2B internal and external comms teams who desperately need messaging that:
Sticks
Travels accurately
Gets repeated and remembered
Ticks internal alignment
Creates momentum in buying committees
And moves decisions forward
