Most businesses are built around a transaction. A customer has a requirement, the company fulfils it, payment is made, and the relationship continues for as long as the work remains satisfactory. This model can build a successful company. Yet it also creates a hidden vulnerability: even an excellent supplier can remain easy to compare, easy to negotiate with and, eventually, easy to replace.

Marketing has entered an age of extraordinary capability. Businesses can research markets, produce campaigns, personalise communication, analyse performance, create professional media, and reach audiences across borders with greater speed and lower production costs than at any previous point. Yet this abundance has created an uncomfortable paradox: companies can now execute marketing faster than they can decide what is worth executing.