Morning,
This week’s pod is a double-header.
We dive into the Starbucks x AG-1 collab.
Who’s the biggest winner?
And what both brands need to consider.
Primer from the letter in case you missed it on Sunday:
“STARBUCKS IS OPTIMIZING -> Snaxshot // Starbucks has partnered with AG-1. You can now add a scoop of greens to a refresher or just get a shot in a glass of ice water. The latter is shocking. The last time Starbucks partnered so heavily with a brand may have been their ill-fated pastry partnership with La Boulange. While I think the ‘healthification’ of everything is losing steam, this is a big general audience AG-1 to gain.“
And we also couldn’t help but touch on the re-rise of specialty retail.
Why is it making a comeback
Where is it going?
The other primer:
“THE RETURN OF SPECIALITY RETAIL -> Retail Diary // Steven Alan has returned to retail. Since closing his boutiques, Alan has been busy helping other brands, like Clare V grow, but now he’s back. Alan is an outstanding curator. A curated lens is very much back. Taylor Lorenz as one example. ShopRat another. Big Night—the list goes on. Steven couldn’t be better for this moment. Having taste is the future.”
As always, this pod is casual. A chat between friends. Fun listening. Diving into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands of today.
Still under 20mins.
Listen here, Apple or Spotify, and new this week due to popular demand YouTube Podcast. Enjoy!
But before I go, I have a question.
Recently several people have asked if I could do a 10-minute ‘read’ of the letter, for those who don’t have time to read it every week. Should we keep the podcast as is and add the week in review or switch to that? What’s the temperature?
Let me know.
00:00 — Starbucks and AG1 collab intro
03:14 — Health going mainstream
03:45 — AG-1's rebrand and the power of perception
05:06 — Tastemakers versus Culture Shifters
06:17 — Why AG-1 is right for Starbucks
06: 51 — The danger of a ‘mass’ play by AG-1
07:18 — Expansion routes Starbucks could take
07:38 — Did Starbucks lose itself? Why proprietary matters
09:41 — Steven Alan and the return of taste & specialty retail
12:38 — The death of subcultures
13:58 — People are looking for you to ‘put in the effort’
15:44 — Part nostalgia, part today
That’s all, folx.
-Chris
If you listened and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.
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