To break through extreme noise like the Super Bowl, DoorDash's marketing team operates under the assumption that audiences are actively trying to ignore them. This mindset forces them to overcorrect with bold, unconventional ideas that are impossible to overlook, even if they carry significant execution risk.

Attention is the prerequisite for everything else in business. Instead of viewing it as a dirty word, marketers should embrace creative, unconventional strategies to make more people aware they exist. This builds the audience you can later convert.

In today's fast-moving environment, a fixed 'long-term playbook' is unrealistic. The effective strategy is to set durable goals and objectives but build in the expectation—and budget—to constantly pivot tactics based on testing and learning.

To be memorable, marketers should pivot from purely digital tactics to quirky, offline activities like pop-up stands or unusual collaborations. These offline events generate buzz that can be amplified online. If an idea doesn't seem slightly risky or unconventional, it's likely not bold enough to capture attention.

Don't dismiss past marketing tactics as outdated. Seemingly "old" ideas, like a Lego giveaway from a decade ago, can be refreshed and find new success. Conversely, once-popular tactics like webinars are losing traction, demonstrating that engagement strategies are cyclical and require constant re-evaluation.

For years, marketers could succeed with mediocre creative by optimizing media buys. As platforms automate targeting, creative excellence is now the primary lever for success. An organization that doesn't respect and elevate creativity across the entire marketing function is destined to underperform.

In a crowded digital space, products and marketing with a unique, even polarizing, visual style are more likely to capture attention and be memorable than those following standard design trends. Daring to be different visually can be a powerful competitive advantage.

Conventional, consensus-driven marketing seems safe but ensures your brand never cuts through the noise. To stand out and create something differentiated, marketers must be courageous and fight against mediocrity, even if it feels riskier in the short term.

Don't censor ideas early. The path to innovative marketing is generating a high volume of unconventional, even "bad," ideas. Most will fail, but the one or two that succeed can become massive multipliers for your brand, often requiring you to ask for forgiveness, not permission.