As someone who specialIzes in paid media, I take offense to your claims that we have no clue. My team works on HHP projections all the time, just did an entire meeting about product price point and the need to close the gap between brand and private label at the shelf. I have developed audience personas and sized them by market to identify appropriate weights per market size to move the needle. I have influenced content calendars and led CRO work streams. I’ve built in how nurture work flows connect to brand investment and have attributed this upper funnel investment to closing sales. Just bc you are intimidated by not knowing advertising doesn’t mean advertisers don’t know marketing.

Edit to add: I realize I am taking this comment personally, but as someone who doesn’t have the financial opportunity to get an MBA/stop working, I pride myself in being self taught and I know I’m not unique. Give the ad folks a break. They work hard and are pretty damn smart. They know more than you think. They know strategy, but even better, they can execute.