Hi all,
I went into this pod thinking ‘chill’ and it turned into ‘hot takes.’ Let me know if you agree or disagree with any or all of it.
I also start out my sharing how much I’m in love with Fascia Flossing. And the kind folx at The Floss shared a code with me for GOOD THINKING readers! Get 50% off your first month’s subscription with GOODFLOSS—time to get flossy!
As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. Diving deeper and unpacking our favorite bits of the Sunday letter. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy!
THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE:
Duolingo’s mascot is “dead”—but is it really?
Severance is world-building—naturally.
Poppi’s real miss? Not understanding today’s consumer.
Non-alcoholic beers are coming out of their ‘less than’ mindset
Is On onto something, or are they lost?
Why brands need to understand traditional demographics are dead
Is B Corp in a credibility crisis? Yep. But it’s bigger than that.
Travel is all about last-minute inspiration. And Klook’s winning because of it.
Salomon and Mercedes are making movie magic.
Enjoy!
What we get into:
CULTURE
03:16 — DUO’S DEATH DRAMA // Duolingo “killed” their mascot and drowned out every inch of discussion about Super Bowl ads. But is it really over? Probably doesn’t matter because they’ve proved they have the cultural currency to steal our attention. We get into what other brands can learn, as killing their mascot won’t work.
10:30 — WORLD-BUILDING VS COLLABS // Severance is worldbuilding—naturally. It’s a great example of doing what is right for your brand and why collabs aren’t the answer to everything.
F&B
15:11 — MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF POPPI // We know Poppi’s vending machine stunt didn’t go well, but why? Consumers are smart and tired of brands thinking they aren’t. It takes us back to the Tarte “Hermès bracelet vs. Cheetos” debacle.
DRUGS & BOOZE
19:20 — BERO’S POSITIONING // Light beer has a lot of challenger brands thirsting after a piece of the legacy brands’ market share. But the most interesting brand of the bunch is Bero. While most N/A beer position themselves as ‘not-beer’, Bero feels like it’s not going for ‘lack’ of anything—and it’s refreshing and something to watch.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
21:00 — ASPIRATIONAL > AGE // Lululemon’s latest campaign with 78-year-old fitness influencer @trainwithjoan proves once again that traditional demographics are dead. Your audience cares about whether it's aspirational and relevant, not if it’s for their age bracket.
RETAIL
21:57 — SOFT OR WEAK? // While Nike is going aggressive, everyone else is going soft. There’s no doubt that a good section of society is interested in ‘less competition’. Adidas is picking up on it, too. But is On onto something? Or do they feel lost?
SPORT
23:09 — CREATORS CREATING TOURNAMENTS // Creators are disrupting sports. And now they are coming for tournaments. And it’s a good thing for brands. If you’re very into this, give this full article a read:
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
24:10 — IS B CORP A BUST? // Dr Bronner is leaving its B-Corp status behind and going its own way. We get into the big difference between a certification and a movement. And why it’s interesting to watch Bryan Johnson build things the other way round.
TRAVEL
25:06 — KLOOK’S APPROACH // TikTok has turned us all into last-minute bookers. Unlike days of old, people just land and look. Travel is all about last-minute inspiration. And Klook’s winning because of it. We get into how this behavior is changing hospitality. And how most legacy operators seem to be missing it.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
26:00 — MASTERING CINEMA // Brands are still going hard for cinematic and, frankly, it’s a lovely time to be alive. Salamon x the Gohar sisters made an entire mini-movie. And Mercedes demonstrates that Auto hasn’t lost its will to live.
Missing the letter this all ties back to? This way:
That’s all folx.
-Chris
If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.
PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.
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