You’ve probably seen posts like this one floating around on social media:

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"Just make it go viral!"

My client's CEO actually said this in a meeting last week.

Some advice is helpful.
Some is outdated.
Some comes directly from your CEO’s 13-year-old daughter!

Here are 9 of the worst pieces of marketing advice that brands like Apple know to ignore:

1. "If the product is good, it will sell itself"
   ↳ Reality: Even Apple spends billions on marketing.
2. "You need to be on every platform"
   ↳ Better to dominate one channel than be average on ten.
3. "Marketing is just common sense"
   ↳ That's why 90% of startups fail within 5 years.
4. "We don't need a budget—just be creative"
   ↳ Creativity without investment is like a car without fuel.
5. "Good marketing works instantly"
   ↳ The best campaigns can take 6 months to peak.
6. "Email marketing is dead"
   ↳ Tell that to my client who gets 42% of revenue from email.
7. "More content = more sales"
   ↳ Strategy beats volume every time.
8. "Let's just do what our competitors are doing"
   ↳ Following others means you'll always be second.
9. "Marketing is about selling, not storytelling"
   ↳ The best marketing does both.

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It’s a great post, right? It feels insightful, sharp, and full of wisdom. But here’s the catch: While it calls out bad marketing advice, it ironically uses Apple’s name as an appeal to authority—even though Apple itself follows many of these so-called "bad" practices.

The Hypocrisy of Marketing Advice vs. Marketing Reality

It’s easy to throw shade at outdated marketing advice, but many companies—including Apple—don't follow these rules as cleanly as this post suggests. Let's break down how Apple actually operates in relation to each point:

1. "If the product is good, it will sell itself"
   → Apple doesn’t rely on this. They spend billions on marketing because even the best products need visibility and hype. However, Apple has crafted the illusion that their products sell themselves through their branding.
2. "You need to be on every platform"
   → Apple is selective. They focus on high-impact channels like YouTube, TV, and their own website, while staying present but not dominant on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
3. "Marketing is just common sense"
   → Marketing isn’t common sense—it’s strategic, psychological, and deeply analytical. If it were easy, every company would have Apple’s brand loyalty.
4. "We don't need a budget—just be creative"
   → Apple spends billions. They don’t just "get creative." Their iconic campaigns, from "Think Different" to "Shot on iPhone," are backed by enormous investments in production and ad placements.
5. "Good marketing works instantly"
   → The best marketing takes time. Apple builds anticipation for months before a product launch, creating a long-term hype machine rather than relying on quick hits.
6. "Email marketing is dead"
   → Apple uses email marketing effectively, despite their own privacy restrictions. They send high-converting product launch emails and customer retention campaigns.
7. "More content = more sales"
   → Apple’s content strategy is minimalist but high-impact. They don’t flood the internet with ads and social posts, but when they do post, it’s polished, premium, and intentional.
8. "Let's just do what our competitors are doing"
   → Apple positions itself as an innovator, but they still "borrow" ideas. Many features (larger screens, styluses, widgets, etc.) were adopted from competitors like Samsung and Android after seeing their success.
9. "Marketing is about selling, not storytelling"
   → Apple’s marketing is built entirely on storytelling. They don’t just tell you about the specs; they tell you how their products will make your life better. But at the end of the day, their marketing is still designed to sell.

What’s the Takeaway?

Marketing is not about following rigid rules or ignoring common wisdom. It’s about strategy, execution, and adapting to what works. Posts like the one above make marketing seem black-and-white, but the reality is far more nuanced. Even companies like Apple, who are often held up as the gold standard, bend and break these so-called "bad" rules when it benefits them.

So, the next time someone tells you to "just be creative without a budget" or "let the product sell itself," remember: Even the most successful brands don’t follow these myths—they manipulate them to their advantage.