I posted about this to LinkedIn yesterday and it got a fair amount if attention (*see the post embedded below). Sometimes the best critique of marketing doesn’t come from analysts or consultants, but from parody. Case in point… the meme floating around showing Cracker Barrel “changing its name back to HBO Max.”
It’s hilarious because it’s absurd, and it lands because so much of modern marketing feels just like that… endless rebrands, gimmicks, and noise that add little value for customers but plenty of theater for the culture wars.
The Politics of Marketing
Let’s be honest, a lot of today’s marketing has little to do with customers and everything to do with politics. Brands aren’t just trying to sell you products anymore, they’re trying to signal where they stand in the broader sociocultural divide. Every logo change, campaign, or brand statement becomes a litmus test for “the public”… which side are you on? It’s less about connection and more about posturing… about playing to the loudest corners of the internet rather than building trust with the people who actually buy from you.
WE LIVE IN AN ‘ATTENTION ECONOMY’… THAT’S THE CURRENT MANTRA.
Maybe It’s Age… But Also Reality
Now, I’ll admit, some of this could be me aging, seeing the world with a bit more cynicism than before. But even with that caveat, it’s hard to ignore how much of what passes for marketing now is nonsense. Sure, there’s still good, even great, marketing out there. Campaigns that inspire, connect, and even spark real change. But compared to the tidal wave of noise? It’s a drop in the bucket.
Instead, most of what we’re served looks like this:
Unhealthy products labeled as “natural” or “healthy.”
Gambling dressed up as entertainment and “winning.”
Rebrands that strip away meaning and invite ridicule, not loyalty.
That’s not creativity. That’s manipulation. And people feel it.
Why the Parody Hits
The Cracker Barrel/HBO Max mashup works because it exposes the absurdity. When marketing decisions become so performative they’re indistinguishable from satire, trust erodes. Once trust goes, so does loyalty. And without loyalty, all you’re left with is churn. That absurdity is also the opportunity, because the brands that resist the noise and double down on trust will stand apart.
Back to Basics: Marketing That Matters
Marketing shouldn’t be about political signaling, quick hits, or meaningless pivots. It should be about creating value, building trust, and enhancing the customer experience instead of cluttering it.
That’s where Return on Relationship comes in. When you shift from gimmicks to genuine connection, from politics to purpose, from noise to meaning, you create something lasting. You build a brand people don’t just buy from, but believe in
Parody lands because it’s funny. But it also lands because it’s true. Marketing has become too much about noise and posturing, and not enough about people. Let’s change that. Let’s get back to relationships, value, and trust. That’s where the real magic, and real return, lives.
Start thinking less about the noise you can create, and more about the trust you can earn. That’s the RETURN ON RELATIONSHIP we owe the public.