Back to the Future: What Marketing History Can Tell Us About the Future

At Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Andi Jarvis from Eximo Marketing delivered an energetic and highly memorable keynote about the future of marketing through the lens of the past.

The main message of the session was simple:

Marketing changes constantly, but people do not change as much as we think.

Instead of chasing every new algorithm, platform, or AI trend, marketers should return to the fundamentals: understanding customers, communicating clearly, building trust, and creating value that people actually care about.

The Future Often Looks Like the Past

Andi opened with the story of DeLorean, the iconic car company behind the vehicle made famous by Back to the Future.

The car had features that sound very modern today: unusual design, eco-conscious positioning, strong differentiation, and a controversial founder. Yet it was built decades ago.

The lesson was clear: when people claim they are “creating the future,” it is often worth looking back first. Many so-called future trends have already appeared in different forms throughout history.

The same applies to marketing.

Marketing Has Always Been About the Customer

One of the strongest points in the presentation was that marketing has always been about the customer.

Andi argued that marketers today often obsess over:

algorithms
AI tools
platform updates
ranking factors
hacks
automation
new tactics

while forgetting the most important thing: the customer.

He referenced the idea that Google, Meta, Amazon, and other major platforms are all ultimately focused on users. So if platforms are chasing customers, marketers should not only chase platforms.

They should talk to customers.

Talk to Your Customers

A key message throughout the keynote was:

Talk to your customers.

Andi shared that in a survey he conducted, fewer than 10% of marketers had spoken directly with a customer in the previous three months.

That means most marketers are making decisions based on:

dashboards
keyword research
algorithm updates
competitor content
assumptions

instead of real conversations.

For Andi, this represents one of the biggest opportunities in marketing. If most competitors are not speaking to customers, the brands that do will immediately gain an advantage.

Stop Asking Algorithms What Customers Want

The presentation challenged the way many marketers create content.

Andi showed that many B2B marketers rely primarily on keyword research to decide what to publish, while customer feedback and sales calls are often underused.

His point was direct: instead of asking a computer what customers might want, marketers should listen to actual customers and sales conversations.

This does not mean keyword research has no value. It means it should not replace customer understanding.

What Will Not Change?

Andi used Jeff Bezos’ well-known business principle: companies often ask what will change in the next 10 years, but the more powerful question is what will not change.

The reason is simple.

If you build your business only around what changes, you must constantly react. But if you build around what does not change, you create a stronger foundation.

In marketing, the thing that will not change is this:

Customers will still matter.

Marketing in 2032, just like marketing in the 1950s, will still be about understanding people.

People Do Not Change as Much as We Think

A major theme of the keynote was that every generation is often described as completely different from the one before it.

Marketers talk about:

Gen Z
Millennials
Gen Alpha
Baby Boomers
Gen X

as if each group requires entirely new rules.

Andi challenged this idea by showing how many complaints and assumptions about people repeat across history.

His conclusion was that technology changes, but many human motivations remain consistent.

People still want:

convenience
trust
clarity
recognition
good service
simple choices
relevant offers

That is why old marketing principles still matter.

Lessons from Elmer Wheeler

A large part of the presentation focused on Elmer Wheeler, a famous sales and advertising figure from the early 20th century.

Andi used Wheeler’s principles to show that many “modern” marketing lessons are not new at all.

“Watch Your Bark”

One of Wheeler’s ideas was to pay attention to how you present the offer.

The way something is framed can completely change how people respond.

This applies today to:

website copy
email subject lines
social media hooks
landing page headlines
product descriptions
pricing pages
sales scripts

Small changes in wording can have a major impact.

The First 10 Words Matter

Another Wheeler principle was that the first 10 words matter more than the next 10,000.

Andi connected this to modern marketing examples such as:

email subject lines
social media hooks
website headlines
ad copy
landing page intros

If the opening line does not capture attention, the rest of the message may never be seen.

This principle from 1947 remains highly relevant today.

Respect the Customer’s Time

Andi also discussed the importance of not wasting customers’ time.

He used recipe websites as an example. Many users do not want a long story before the recipe; they just want to know how to cook the dish.

That is why “Jump to recipe” works.

The broader marketing lesson is:

understand what the customer came for and help them get there quickly.

Stand Out Through Better Framing

The presentation also showed how brands in the same industry often communicate in almost identical ways.

In the UK betting industry, many brands use similar offers such as “Bet £10, get £20.”

One brand instead framed the offer as “Get six right, win £1 million.”

The mechanics may be similar, but the emotional framing is much stronger.

The lesson: differentiation is often not only about the product. It is about how the offer is framed and remembered.

Back Up Words With Actions

Another important principle was that brands should not only say things, but prove them through actions.

Andi gave the example of car dealerships giving customers flowers after buying a car. Customers may spend tens of thousands on the car, but often talk about the unexpected flowers because the gesture is surprising and memorable.

The point was that small actions can strengthen the brand promise more than big claims.

Marketing can say anything, but brand trust is built when the experience delivers.

“Don’t Ask If, Ask Which”

Andi shared the story of Elmer Wheeler helping a department store increase sales of egg-based soda drinks during the Depression era.

Instead of asking customers, “Would you like an egg?” salespeople were told to ask:

“Would you like one egg or two?”

That simple change dramatically increased sales.

The lesson is that choice architecture matters.

Modern examples include:

pricing pages
subscription plans
bundle offers
checkout upsells
SaaS packages
product options

Instead of only asking whether someone wants to buy, brands can guide customers toward the right choice.

Brand Still Matters

Andi also made a strong point about brand investment.

Digital marketers often focus heavily on measurable performance channels, but many are now realizing that brand is essential for long-term growth.

His message was that this is not new. Marketers have understood the importance of brand for decades.

The difference today is that digital teams now have more data to prove the value of brand, customer understanding, and long-term trust.

Key Takeaways from the Session

The presentation delivered several powerful lessons for marketers and eCommerce businesses:

marketing is still about the customer
AI and algorithms matter, but they do not replace customer understanding
most marketers do not speak directly to customers often enough
customer conversations are a major competitive advantage
old marketing principles are still relevant today
the first words of any message matter enormously
framing can change how customers perceive value
brand promises must be supported by real actions
choice architecture can increase conversion
the future of marketing will still depend on timeless human behavior

The strongest message from the session was that marketers do not need to abandon the past in order to prepare for the future.

They need to learn from it.