OK, picture a small tropical island in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It’s the end of World War II, and the local Melanesian inhabitants have just witnessed something truly extraordinary. Giant metal birds — planes*, to you and me — descended from the heavens, bringing with them an abundance of goods: food, clothing, tools.

The American military had arrived. And they didn’t just casually turn up — they brought planes and ships, crates and cargo, medicine and chocolate. To the local islanders, this was mind-boggling stuff. Here were these soldiers building airstrips, putting on strange headwear, waving mysterious signals, and out of nowhere came these massive metal birds loaded with endless supplies.

Before these miraculous deliveries the islanders watched in awe as soldiers performed curious rituals. They see the soldiers raising flags, marching precise formations in perfect lockstep, signalling to some unknown divine being in the sky.

Surely, they thought, these rituals must be the key to the cargo.

Then, abruptly, (spoilers) the war ended. The soldiers packed up and left, and with them went all that magical cargo. But the islanders, understandably, wanted the cargo back. So they began mimicking the rituals. “Rifles” are created from bamboo. USA is daubed across bare chests in red paint. A “landing strip” is constructed in the jungle with a bamboo control tower. A full-size wooden facsimile of a plane takes shape near a straw-and-mud satellite dish.

They marched and waved signals hopefully towards empty skies, convinced that if they copied these rituals closely enough, the cargo would return. But of course, it never did.

Now here’s where it gets interesting, because — bear with me — I think marketers do exactly the same thing. Without the bamboo, usually.

When marketing becomes a cargo cult

You’ve probably experienced it yourself. A competitor launches a podcast, gets amazing results, and suddenly every company in your sector is scrambling to start one. Or Instagram Stories became trendy, and overnight it seemed mandatory for every brand to post daily updates, whether their audience is interested or not.

The problem is that many businesses are copying marketing tactics without understanding the strategy behind them. They’re performing the rituals — the podcasts, the videos, the blogs — but without grasping the context, goals, and audience that made them successful for someone else. It’s Cargo Cult marketing — hoping that by imitating surface-level actions, the same success will magically appear.

Understanding the real rituals of effective marketing

Let’s break this down a bit more. Effective marketing is rarely about the specific channel or format. Instead, it’s about:

• Knowing your audience deeply.
• Understanding exactly what problems you’re solving.
• Crafting a unique message that resonates specifically with your ideal customers.

If your target market spends their day buried in Excel spreadsheets and financial forecasts, quirky TikTok videos aren’t likely to drive meaningful engagement or sales — no matter how popular they are elsewhere.

How to avoid the bamboo towers

Before you adopt a new marketing tactic just because it’s in vogue, pause and ask yourself:

1. Does this tactic align with our audience’s preferences and behaviours?
   If your audience doesn’t listen to podcasts, starting one probably won’t deliver results.
2. Do we have the resources to sustain this effectively?
   Creating content half-heartedly or sporadically can damage credibility rather than build it.
3. What specific goal are we aiming to achieve?
   Are you trying to build brand awareness, generate leads, or nurture customer loyalty? Knowing your goal makes choosing tactics much clearer.

Bamboo Bingo

To help you avoid accidentally building a metaphorical bamboo tower**, we’ve created Bamboo Bingo. It’s a checklist of sorts — a quick test to see if your marketing campaigns are veering towards cargo cult territory.

Download it here to make sure you’re not waving signals at empty skies.

Building something real

Ultimately, marketing isn’t about rituals or imitation. It’s about authenticity, clarity of purpose, and genuine connection with your audience. Next time you feel tempted to follow the herd, stop and think critically. Because marketing without strategy is just another Cargo Cult — and sadly, those planes aren’t coming back anytime soon.

*…and once in a while, Superman
**We cant stop you building a real one