The Even Newer Rule: Why Relevance Beats Reach in 2025

In July 2006, Fortune published a piece titled “The New Rules” that captured a moment when corporate America was wrestling with a digital, decentralised future. The article observed a world shifting from hierarchy to networks, from command-and-control to collaboration, and from mass production to agile customisation. Google, Apple, and Starbucks were the poster children of this new ethos. “The game has changed,” the article declared—and it had.

Fast forward to 2025, and it’s clear: the game has changed again. The business maxims that replaced the old industrial rulebook are now themselves showing signs of age. If 2006 marked the rise of connectivity and speed, 2025 demands something deeper: context, consequence, and care.

A new generation of consumers has arrived, and with them, a recalibration of value. Attention is scarce, expectations are sky-high, and trust is on life support. Algorithms know us better than we know ourselves—but that doesn’t mean we feel understood. In boardrooms and brainstorms alike, one rule now rises above the rest:

The Even Newer Rule: Relevance beats reach.

Let’s look at how we got here—through the lens of a few of those 2006 “New Rules”—and why this new principle matters now more than ever.

Rule 1

Old Rule: Big dogs own the street 2006 New Rule: Agile is best 2025 Even Newer Rule: Meaningful > Massive

In 2006, the Davids were toppling the Goliaths. Companies like Netflix and Salesforce were using speed and innovation to outmanoeuvre incumbents. Today, however, speed alone is no longer a differentiator—everyone is fast. The real winners are those who have meaning.

The rise of purpose-led brands, movements like B Corp certification, and the cultural resonance of Patagonia or Glossier show that scale matters less than sincerity. In marketing, "share of voice" has given way to "share of understanding."

Rule 2

Old Rule: Be No. 1 or No. 2 in your market 2006 New Rule: Find a niche, create a category 2025 Even Newer Rule: Earn your moment, every time

Positioning used to be static. Find your place, guard it. In 2006, you were told to create your own category (hello, “iPod” or “frappuccino”). But in 2025, brand power is more episodic and earned. You don’t own attention—you rent it, moment by moment.

With customers bouncing between platforms, moods, and micro-intentions, every interaction is a chance to be relevant—or ignored. It's no longer about being top-of-mind. It’s about being right-for-the-moment.

Rule 3

Old Rule: Reward the shareholders 2006 New Rule: Serve all stakeholders 2025 Even Newer Rule: Build reciprocal value

ESG, DEI, stakeholder capitalism—they’ve all shaped the decade post-2006. But in 2025, lip service isn’t enough. The brands thriving today are those that create reciprocal value: customer data for personalised experiences, employee insight for ethical AI design, local trust for global scale.

Value isn’t just something you extract. It’s something you exchange—transparently and respectfully.

Rule 4

Old Rule: Marketing = Message 2006 New Rule: Marketing = Conversation 2025 Even Newer Rule: Marketing = Ecosystem

In 2006, the great shift was from messaging to engagement. “Conversation” was the buzzword—social media was exploding and blogs were booming. Fast forward, and we’re now beyond conversation. In a world of recommendation engines, private groups, creator collaborations, and dark social, marketing is less a campaign and more a context engine.

You don’t control the message—you influence an ecosystem. Every customer journey is a web of nudges, signals, and shared meaning. CRM, content, product, and culture must be choreographed like never before.

Rule 5

Old Rule: Hire the résumé 2006 New Rule: Hire the brain 2025 Even Newer Rule: Hire the hybrid

The war for talent is now the war for perspective. In 2006, intelligence and adaptability were prized. In 2025, it’s about polymaths and translators: people who can bridge marketing and data science, psychology and technology, creativity and operations.

The best marketers aren’t just creatives—they’re systems thinkers. And the best strategists know how to think like anthropologists and engineers, often in the same meeting.

So What Now?

What does this new rule—Relevance beats reach—demand of leaders?

1. Customer understanding over customer ownership You don’t “own” customers. You earn relevance with them, moment by moment, informed by real-time data and genuine empathy.
2. Strategic intimacy over spray-and-pray Mass campaigns still exist, but their value is now amplified or diminished by how well you understand intent. This means building CRM, personalisation, and loyalty strategies around nuance—not noise.
3. Purpose in action, not just in slide decks Your mission statement doesn’t matter unless it shows up in product, price, and people. The market doesn’t just buy what you sell—they buy how you behave.
4. Measurement that reflects meaning Don’t just measure impressions—measure impact. Don’t just track clicks—track contributions. Relevance means redefining success, often beyond the quarterly report.

The Relevance Mandate

We live in an age of saturation. Content is infinite. Attention is fragmented. Technology gives us the ability to say anything to anyone, at any time—but that doesn’t mean it will matter. In this landscape, relevance is the only true differentiator.

It isn’t just about showing up. It’s about showing up in a way that matters to someone, in that moment, with something meaningful.

That’s not a campaign. That’s a responsibility.

And it’s the even newer rule.

The Original Article

What I'm reading this week

1. McKinsey – The “Value Now” Consumer

Value is the New Loyalty McKinsey’s latest read on the US consumer shows a decisive tilt toward value-seeking. Shoppers still spend—but only when price meets purpose. For brands, that means rebalancing premium positioning with practical relevance. Loyalty now hinges less on brand love, more on perceived fairness. Value isn’t just economic—it’s emotional.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-value-now-consumer-making-sense-of-us-consumer-sentiment-and-spending?

2. Eglobalis – Designing Intelligent CX with Agentic AI

CX Gets a Brain (and a Backbone) Eglobalis outlines a roadmap for “agentic AI” — autonomous systems that do more than answer, they act. Intelligent CX isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about systems that learn, adapt, and anticipate. The key? Design with ethics, data transparency, and human oversight. Smart CX is strategic, not just technical.

https://www.eglobalis.com/designing-intelligent-cx-a-practical-roadmap-for-agentic-ai-deployment/

3. Savannah Group – Is Your Board Ready for AI?

AI Literacy Starts in the Boardroom Most boards are woefully underprepared for AI’s strategic implications. Savannah Group warns: without digital fluency at the top, AI risks become business risks. It’s not about coding—it’s about curiosity, governance, and ethical foresight. Boards don’t need to build AI, but they must know how it builds (or breaks) value.

https://savannah-group.com/is-your-board-ready-for-the-age-of-ai-the-skills-deficit-at-the-top/

What I'm watching this week

My caffeine intake

My quote of the week

Thoughts from the week

"Real personalisation isn’t about knowing your customer’s name; it’s about understanding their story."

"In an age drowning in data, relevance isn’t merely important—it’s everything."

"The best brands don’t just listen to customers—they also listen to people."

gianfranco