In an industry hyper-focused on data, content and metrics, marketers often focus solely on things like formulas, funnels and finely tuned algorithms. While those tools have their place in marketing, and they should be a part of your strategy, there is an underrated, often overlooked trait that separates great campaigns from the rest: curiosity.
Curiosity is a marketer’s secret weapon. While it’s easy to simply push your product or service, that’s not what people are going to remember. The best campaigns leave people hungry to know more. However, from a young age, we’re taught curiosity isn’t necessarily a good thing. After all, “curiosity killed the cat,” right? Well, that definitely doesn’t stick because anyone who has spent any extended amount of time around a toddler knows they have to answer “why” to literally everything.
And yet, curiosity isn’t just for scientists, doctors, or kids asking “why” a hundred times a day. In marketing, it’s the driving force behind innovation, customer understanding and long-term brand growth.
Curiosity Sparks Better Questions
Effective marketing starts with asking the right questions about your audience, product, service and even your own assumptions. A curious marketer doesn’t just accept surface-level answers. They dig deeper, asking questions like:
- What should this piece achieve?
- Is it immediately obvious what this is about?
- Does this piece address customer pain points and educate on the solution?
- Are next steps to learn more / contact me clear?
- Is the brand clearly recognizable?
These kinds of questions lead to insights that data alone can’t provide. Curiosity takes you past the obvious and helps you uncover untapped opportunities. When planning your next ad, email or campaign, consider asking these five questions. You may be surprised at what improvements the answers lead to.
Curiosity Inspires Action
Typically, the #1 thing you’re trying to get someone to do in marketing is take action, things like reaching out to the sales team, downloading a piece of content or signing up for an app. What’s a better way to inspire action than to leave your audience wanting to know more (and giving them a path to make it happen)? There isn’t one.Think back to Coinbase’s 2022 Super Bowl commercial, where they used their 60-second ad spot to showcase a bouncing QR code reminiscent of the bouncing DVD logo we all watched growing up. For 55 seconds, that’s all it was. There was no copy, no photography and no people; just a color-changing QR code moving around the screen. In the final seconds of the ad, “coinbase” was faintly shown.
This approach was so successful that in the first minute the ad ran 20 million people scanned the code, causing the app to crash for an hour. While the crash wasn’t expected, the conversation around the reason it did caused Coinbase to skyrocket from 186th on the App Store to 2nd.
This ad capitalized on the trends of the times: bitcoin, a Covid-era affinity for QR codes and, most importantly, the curiosity of the 110M+ people watching. Admittedly, I scanned the code. Did you?
As a sidenote, that $15 in Bitcoin is now worth roughly $38 (as of June 2025). Pretty nice return for pulling out your phone I’d say.
Curiosity Fuels Creativity
While many focus on the latest trend in marketing, foundational elements like originality and creativity should be prioritized as well. Curious minds don’t settle for how it’s always been done. Take it from someone who worked in state government, how it’s always been done is not a reason to continue doing something. It’s actually quite the opposite.If you’re ever hit with that answer after asking “why?”, then take that as a sign to instill change. Especially in marketing. Things change quickly in this industry, so those five words have no place in any brainstorm, war room or planning meeting.
After all, curiosity pushes creative boundaries. Some of the most iconic campaigns were born from someone asking, “what if we tried this instead?”
Curious When This Post Will End? Almost There.
While things like HubSpot workflows, A/B testing and various automation tactics all have their place in marketing, they’re only as good as the mind and method behind them. Curiosity is what makes that mind sharp, agile and original. It helps marketers see what others miss, feel what customers feel and build campaigns that truly resonate. Curiosity is why you clicked to read this blog post in the first place, isn’t it?
So, next time you’re mapping out a campaign, explore your curiosity. Ask more questions and follow your hunches. Be genuinely interested in what motivates your prospects. Because in an industry full of outside influence and noise, curiosity might just be your loudest advantage.
Curious About What Ocozzio Can do for Your Business?
We’re a B2B marketing agency ready to encourage your prospects to ask this same question about your business. Connect with us for a discovery call today.