Think back to the last thing that truly stuck with you: a story, an ad, a moment. What made it stand out? Odds are, it wasn’t because it followed a perfectly logical formula or adhered strictly to the data. It was something unexpected, something that sparked curiosity or something that struck an emotional chord.

Memorability rarely comes from the predictable. The human mind isn’t wired to prioritize what’s logical or rational, it clings to what feels different, surprising, or personal. When building a demand generation system for an early-stage business, embracing the illogical isn’t just a creative flourish - it’s how you create moments that resonate deeply with your audience. Sometimes, it’s the things that don’t make sense on paper that stand out the most in someone’s mind.

Why Logic Isn’t Enough

Traditional demand generation focuses on predictable, scalable, and measurable tactics. And while those are essential, they’re only half the story. Logic-based systems assume humans follow linear decision-making processes:

• Recognize a need.
• Research solutions.
• Choose the best option based on features, benefits, and value.

The reality? People don’t work like that.

• They act on curiosity, surprise, and delight.
• They trust things that feel authentic, even if they don’t always make sense.

Purely logical systems can fall flat because they don’t account for the unexpected moments that spark genuine engagement.

The Power of the Illogical

Doing something illogical breaks patterns, disrupts expectations, and makes people pause. It creates moments of emotional resonance that logical strategies alone often miss.

• Example 1: Send a hand-written thank-you note to a prospect who hasn’t even signed up yet. It doesn’t scale, and it doesn’t fit into a standard funnel, but it’s memorable.
• Example 2: Run an ad that doesn’t focus on your product at all but instead tells a surprising, emotional story about your industry or mission. People connect with emotion first, logic second.
• Example 3: Include an Easter egg in your content, something fun and unexpected that sparks curiosity (See if you can find the ones on our website). A SaaS company embedding a joke in their demo reel might seem unnecessary, but it leaves an impression.

These actions don’t follow traditional frameworks, but that’s their strength. They feel authentic, spark curiosity, and remind your audience they’re engaging with humans, not just another brand.

Building the Illogical Into Your System

Building the illogical into your demand generation isn’t just about being random, it’s about deliberately stepping outside the box to create opportunities for deeper engagement. These moments break through the monotony of traditional strategies and give your audience a reason to pause and connect.

1. Add Playfulness to Outreach

Cold outreach doesn’t have to be stiff and formal. Include a playful or unexpected line in your emails, like:

“P.S. I bet this is the best email you’ve read today. If it’s not, let me know, and I’ll try again.”

This unexpected touch makes your message feel more personal and less transactional.

2. Surprise Your Audience

Create a piece of content or run a campaign that doesn’t directly sell but instead surprises and delights. Example: A SaaS company creating a short video series parodying common frustrations in their industry. It’s not logical, but it’s relatable.

3. Act on Instinct

Encourage your team to occasionally follow a gut feeling, even if the data doesn’t fully support it. A product feature or campaign idea born from instinct might resonate more deeply than anything derived from a focus group.

4. Test the "Unscalable"

Do something personal and unscalable, like sending personalized videos to a few high-value leads. It’s illogical when measured by time spent, but the ROI in trust and connection can be massive.

Illogical actions work because they disrupt the status quo

They force people to take notice, feel something, and remember you. And in a world of endless content and relentless competition for attention, being remembered is half the battle.

Embracing the illogical doesn’t mean abandoning strategy, it means complementing your strategy with the human element that makes people want to engage with you in the first place.

Demand generation isn’t just a science

It’s also an art. It’s about knowing when to follow the rules and when to break them. So, for every 10 things you do that make perfect sense, do one that doesn’t. It might not scale, it might not fit the funnel, but it might just be the thing that sparks a connection, a conversation, or a conversion.

Sometimes, the most logical thing you can do is embrace the illogical.

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