If You're A Marketer Right Now, You're Probably Gripped By Your Death Grip

???? Hey, I’m Kaeya. I successfully built 7 viral products with zero budget. Then I raised a sh*t ton of venture capital for my next idea to pay my way to unicorn status.

?? And listen closely when I say this: using money to force your product on the world is like playing Russian roulette with your company's future. One wrong move, and SPLAT, you’ve alienated your entire audience. No second chances. No do-overs.

READ THAT AGAIN.

?? Here’s the cold, hard truth: If you’re cramming your message down people’s throats, you’re setting yourself up for a spectacular failure. We’re talking about marketing in the real world, where consumers are too smart and too damn tired of being manipulated.

???? The Ocean Spray moment wasn’t some mastermind marketing ploy. It was pure, unfiltered genuine customer love—a dude on a skateboard, sipping his favorite drink, vibing to Fleetwood Mac. He wasn’t thinking about brand metrics or engagement rates. He was just living his life. And what happened? The video exploded. Millions of views. A song from the ‘70s back on the charts. Ocean Spray flying off the shelves. All because it was real.

?? Now, let’s talk about what happens when you try to force that kind of magic. Remember the Pepsi ad with Kendall Jenner? Yeah, you do. It was a PR disaster of epic proportions. Pepsi tried to script virality, to control the narrative, and it backfired in the worst possible way. They didn’t just miss the mark; they obliterated their credibility. That’s what happens when you try to force-feed your message. It’s cringy, it’s desperate, and it’s exactly what NOT to do.

?? The problem is, too many marketers are making the same mistake (myself included). They think they can manufacture virality, but here’s the ugly truth: The more you try to control it, the faster it slips through your fingers.

?? Engineering your marketing? Here’s what you’re really doing:

?? You’re bleeding customer trust.

?? You’re wasting precious time and resources.

?? You’re alienating the very people you’re trying to win over.

?? STOP. You don’t need to force anything. Your consumers don’t want to be bombarded with your meticulously crafted, hyper-controlled narrative. They want real. They want to discover your brand in their own way, in their own time.

?? So, what’s the solution? Let your brand find its place naturally. Just like Ocean Spray did. Position your brand to naturally spread via customers wherever your audience already is—on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, blogs, and podcasts. Give them a reason to engage with you on their terms, not yours.

? This is how you win:

?? Be present, but not pushy

?? Be authentic, not artificial

?? Let go of control, and watch your brand organically grow

?? It’s time to get real. Stop forcing it. Let your consumers take the lead, and your brand will not only survive—it’ll thrive. My company, SwayID, can help.

Incisively,

Kaeya

Co-Founder and CEO @ SwayID.com