In a recent LinkedIn post, James Hurman announced the upcoming release of his new book, offering a select group from his online community an early look and a chance to provide feedback. This move positions the author as seeking collaborative input before the final publication.
Hurman detailed the book’s subject matter, noting its thematic connection to his previous work, ‘Future Demand’. However, this new volume is specifically tailored for a different audience.
“This book is for those marketers, and the agency folks who support them with their advertising.”
He explained that while his earlier book was aimed at startup founders, this new release delves deeper into concepts relevant to marketers in more established companies, particularly those in the US market who may be less familiar with extensive marketing science and effectiveness research. Hurman highlighted a significant challenge many of these marketers face: the ‘performance trap’.
Understanding the ‘Performance Trap’
Hurman pointed to recent industry data to illustrate the severity of this issue. He stated that a substantial majority of marketers are experiencing diminishing returns on their performance marketing investments. According to industry surveys he cited:
- A full 75% of marketers reported experiencing diminishing returns on their performance marketing spend.
- In another survey, 66% of marketers identified performance campaign metrics as “looking successful” on dashboards, despite failing to generate actual growth.
The consequences are stark, as Hurman elaborated on the rising costs and negative ROI associated with customer acquisition in the digital age.
“Since 2015, the customer acquisition costs of digital marketing have risen by 222%, and US brands now *lose* an average of $29 for every new customer acquired.”
Leveraging Marketing Science for Sustainable Growth
The core of Hurman’s new book, as described in his post, addresses this pervasive problem by drawing upon two decades of marketing science and effectiveness research. He emphasizes that this body of work offers solutions by revealing how advertising truly functions and how to optimize its impact.
As Hurman suggests, the research demonstrates that advertising operates differently than commonly perceived. The goal of his book is to bridge the gap between immediate performance metrics and long-term brand building.
“So much incredible work has been done by the marketing research community – work that proves that advertising doesn’t work the way we think it does, and that shows us how it really works, and how to make it work for us.”
Hurman’s forthcoming book aims to guide marketers in integrating brand and performance strategies to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. He advocates for a marketing approach that places both the brand and the marketer at the center of this growth engine.
An Invitation to Early Readers
To foster a collaborative environment for his new book, Hurman is extending an invitation to 200 members of his LinkedIn community. Participants will gain early access to the manuscript, allowing them to provide direct feedback that will inform the final version. Additionally, these early readers will be invited to a special live Zoom session with Hurman, where he plans to discuss his writing journey and answer questions.
Interested individuals are encouraged to express their interest by commenting on the post or by filling out a provided form. This initiative underscores Hurman’s commitment to engaging with his audience and refining his work based on reader insights.
Hurman also made a point to clarify his creative process, stating:
“*btw, none of my posts (or books!) are written by AI or use AI-generated images.”
This statement emphasizes his dedication to authentic, human-driven content creation in his professional output.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by James Hurman on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on February 16, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →