When I first started in marketing, I thought success was all about clever ads and strong pitches. But over time, I realized something crucial: even the best strategies fail if you don’t consider your environment.

The marketing environment isn’t just the economy or your competitors—it’s everything around your business that affects how people respond to what you offer. Trends, laws, tech changes, even cultural shifts. I’ve seen businesses thrive not just because they had great products, but because they adapted faster to what was happening outside their walls.

One experience that stuck with me was during the pandemic. A lot of brands froze. But the ones that paid attention—those that shifted to online, who spoke to what people were feeling—stood out. That taught me that marketing has to be responsive. You can’t just build a plan and expect it to work forever.

Your marketing strategy should breathe with your environment. From customer behavior to government regulations, you’ve got to stay alert. That awareness gives you a competitive edge, because while others are stuck reacting, you’ll be out front leading.