Why I Teach Marketing Using this Framework (And Why It Works)

If you've ever sat through a webinar, hired a freelancer, or read a “how-to” guide and walked away thinking, “Cool, but… now what?” — you're not alone.

That exact frustration is what inspired me to create the Insight to Action Framework. A framework that is backed by well-established learning and cognitive science principles that I now use across everything I do, from blog posts and strategy sessions to done-for-you marketing campaigns.

Because I don’t believe in throwing information at people and hoping it sticks.

I believe in teaching marketing in a way that empowers people to actually use it.

Why this matters to me — and where it started

Long before I was consulting on content strategies or writing campaigns for global brands, I was deep in the world of adult education.

I developed and authored two NQF-accredited modules (South Africa’s National Qualifications Framework), where I had to take complex learning outcomes and translate them into training material that real people could understand, engage with, and apply.

That experience shaped everything I now believe about teaching, marketing, and communication. It taught me that adults don’t just want knowledge — they want relevance, clarity, and autonomy. And that if you want someone to truly learn, you have to design the journey intentionally.

That’s the foundation of the Insight to Action Framework.

What is the Insight to Action Framework?

It’s a four-part structure that guides how I create content, deliver services, and even manage client communication:

1. Understand – Start with the why: the theoretical foundation, insight, context, or strategic thinking behind the topic

2. Apply – Break it down into how: a practical step-by-step, process, or framework

3. See – Offer examples: real-world case studies or hypothetical scenarios to make it relatable

4. Do – End with action: a tool, worksheet, or challenge to help you implement what you’ve learned

This isn’t a formula for just teaching. It’s a framework for empowering people to act confidently and with purpose.

Why this works (and what the research says)

This framework isn’t just something that “feels nice.” It’s grounded in real, well-documented learning and behavioural science, especially when it comes to how adults process and retain new information.

Here’s a breakdown of the research that supports this approach:

1. Cognitive Load Theory – Keep learning manageable

“Learning occurs best when information is presented in manageable chunks that avoid cognitive overload.” – Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga (2011)

People (especially adults with busy brains and full calendars) retain information better when it’s broken into digestible parts. By structuring content across four logical phases, I reduce mental overwhelm and help you focus on one meaningful layer at a time.

This is especially important in marketing, where jargon and complexity often get in the way of clear thinking.

2. Experiential Learning Theory – Knowledge needs action to stick

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.” – Kolb (1984)

Kolb’s framework outlines four stages: experience, reflection, theory, and experimentation. In short: we don’t learn by watching. We learn by doing.

That’s why I always include a final “Do” phase; something practical, something interactive. Whether it’s a downloadable worksheet or a hands-on challenge. I want you to test the theory in your business, not just admire it from a distance.

3. Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve – Use it, or lose it

“We forget about 50% of new information within an hour and up to 70% within 24 hours.” – Ebbinghaus (1885)

The science is sobering: if you don’t apply what you learn quickly, you’re almost guaranteed to forget it. That’s why it’s not enough to simply deliver insight. I always pair knowledge with an immediate opportunity to act on it — because that’s how we move ideas into memory, and memory into habits.

4. Self-Determination Theory – Autonomy builds trust (and results)

“Support for autonomy enhances learners’ intrinsic motivation, engagement, and performance.” – Deci & Ryan (2000)

One of the core tenets of adult learning is that people want to feel in control of what they’re learning and how they use it. When you understand the why and how behind a strategy, you’re more likely to trust it, support it, and see it through.

That’s why even my done-for-you clients get detailed walkthroughs, strategic rationales, and editable templates. Because I don’t want to just do something for you, I want you to feel confident doing it without me, if you ever choose to.

What this looks like in practice

This isn’t just a content format; it’s a promise I bring to every service I offer:

✔ In strategy sessions: We get into what’s working, what’s not, and why, then co-create a roadmap you actually understand. 

✔ In content audits or campaigns: I don’t just give you files. I show you the logic, the flow, and how to use the assets long-term. 

✔ In blog posts, courses, or guides: You’ll find the same 4-part pattern — Understand, Apply, See, Do — baked into every piece.

Why I teach like this — even when I’m doing the work for you

Because I don’t believe in gatekeeping knowledge.

Because you deserve more than “trust me, I’ve got this.”

Because marketing should be yours, not just something you outsource and hope for the best.

The Insight to Action Framework helps me deliver better results — but more importantly, it helps you own them.

Final thoughts: Good marketing teaches. Great marketing equips.

Whether you’re here to learn, to collaborate, or to hand over the reins, you should always walk away with more clarity than you came in with.

That’s what the Insight to Action Framework delivers: a clear understanding of the strategy, a real sense of how to use it, and the tools to move forward — with or without me.

Marketing that works for you is good. Marketing that works because of you? That’s great.

Let’s build that together.

References:

• Sweller, J., Ayres, P. & Kalyuga, S., 2011. Cognitive Load Theory. Dordrecht: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8126-4.

• Kolb, D.A., 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

• Ebbinghaus, H., 1885. Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. Translated by H.A. Ruger and C.E. Bussenius. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1913.

• Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M., 2000. The “What” and “Why” of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), pp.227–268. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01.