The Hidden Risk of “Playing It Safe” in Marketing

^{This 3-minute read brought to you by the team at Rogue Pine}

Most marketing teams think they’re reducing risk by playing it safe.

Neutral language. Broad appeal. Consensus-driven messaging.

But as Dave VanderJagt points out, conservative marketing is often riskier than bold clarity. 

Forgettable brands don’t earn attention, trust, or time.

Why safe messaging feels smart (but isn’t)

Safe marketing avoids conflict:

• No sharp opinions

• No strong exclusions

• No clear tradeoffs

It protects optionality but at a cost.

When everything is phrased to avoid friction, nothing stands out. 

Buyers skim, scroll, and move on. 

And in an AI-saturated content environment, sameness is invisible.

Relevance beats reach

Dave’s discussion around AI and changing buyer behavior reinforces a key point: as content volume explodes, attention becomes more selective, not more available.

This is where Rory Sutherland and Mark Ritson land: brands win by being meaningfully different, not broadly acceptable.

Specificity signals confidence. Confidence builds trust.

Consensus creates delay

In B2B teams, safe marketing is often the result of internal alignment, not external relevance.

Having more stakeholders leads to:

• Softer language

• Slower decisions

• Campaigns designed to offend no one

But buyers aren’t in those meetings. They’re deciding in seconds whether something is worth their time.

The real tradeoff leaders avoid naming

Every brand makes a choice:

• Be broadly acceptable and easily ignored

• Or be specific, memorable, and relevant

Dave’s perspective is clear: playing it safe doesn’t preserve growth.

It postpones it.

A better question for marketing leaders

Instead of asking, “Will this alienate anyone?” ask:

• “Will this matter to the right people?”

• “Is this clear enough to be remembered?”

• “Would anyone miss this if it disappeared?”

Because in modern marketing, the biggest risk isn’t being wrong. It’s being forgettable.

Check out the complete episode of the Grow Rogue podcast with Dave VanderJagt, and give him a follow on LinkedIn. You can also schedule a call with Rogue Pine to explore how to clarify your stance and grow with intention.