Hi all,
Later send today because I’m on the East Coast for a month.
We’re back with another episode of GOOD SIGNS—a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.
Again, we’re not calling these trends. That’s way too heavy for a month’s worth of content. These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply, what we’re finding interesting in the last month.
Enjoy! And let us know what you think.
Skip to the bits you fancy.
1.
02:23 — ACCESSIBLE HERITAGE // Heritage and collectibles are getting experiential. And more accessible. The story still matters, but the circle that wants a piece is widening. And how we buy these coveted products in changing too. Auctions streaming, car shows that rival Coachella, and fractional tokens that let anyone buy a piece of whatever pie they want are changing the game. If the trove is sealed, today’s buyer will look for a brand willing to unseal one. But better make it entertaining.
Places it’s showing up:
Christie’s $87.7MM jewels sale pulls in younger bidders chasing Mughal lore.
Pebble Beach’s “Cannes of cars” lets visitors check out the best. And post about it.
Robinhood tokens offer slices of SpaceX and OpenAI pre-IPO. Access and bragging right.
Gap vintage drops and J.Crew’s ’90s revivals give you a piece of history.
Whatnot live card breaks deal luck and wins in real-time.
Pendulum swing → Private WhatsApp founder circles and private CMO-only dinners are rising. As some doors open, some are closing harder.
2.
11:41 — IP PLAY // Fan fiction has moved to into brands in a big way. Consumers are remixing logos, menus, and jingles. And the results are fun. And shareable. Time to join the party or let the party start without you.
Places it’s showing up:
Starbucks' ‘Secret Menu’ and Taco Bell ‘Fan Style’ let your ideas take over.
KFC × Uniqlo × Luckin name-mash goes viral as “Can you marry me?”
Jet2Holidays’ jingle turns into an airport catch-phrase and viral meme.
Skøda co-creation with grafitti for the Tour De Femmes.
Pendulum swing → Curated lens are loved. Ibiza’s Jondal or Grand Cayman’s Palm Heights invite you in but on their terms. You live inside their edit. And you love it.
3.
21:43 — LIVE BUT OFF // When every phone, watch or wearable can listen, silence feels like service. No-camera zones, traceless payments, and ‘closed rooms’ all point to a future of no-go-zones. While the appetite for live events has never been bigger, the good ones to be fully offline.
Places it’s showing up:
Tyler asks for “no cameras, please” so his fans won’t become memes.
Cannes CMOs’ camera-free rooms keep talk between peers.
Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat moves payments over Bluetooth. No internet, no trail.
Bee bracelet records chats for you, and lets you search them. The convenience will likely outweigh the fears.
Pendulum swing → Wimbledon fires off 373 posts in a week, and it worked. And they snooped on people’s convos and everyone loved it.
4.
27:04 — SUBSTACK’S THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS // The sharpest B2B (and many B2C) moves are happening in newsletters. Writers are running paid surveys, bundling SaaS trials, and launching job boards. These ‘influencers’ are giving the people what they want and the brands what they can’t find anywhere else. Newsletters are now platforms. This isn’t just new media, it’s a new way to do business.
Places it’s showing up:
- GLP-1 survey sells insights we crave and the ad slot.
- , , and surface signals Ipsos never could.
Lenny’s $10K AI-tool bundle makes his newsletter better than any paid Google ad.
Substack job boards are making LinkedIn look inefficient.
Pendulum swing → Face-to-face will matter more than ever. As AI influencers, and AI twins take off (this is the influencer I mention on the pod. Don’t miss the comment section), the world becomes somewhere you don’t fully trust. And, human handshakes will matter more than ever.
5.
39:27 — BUILT BY ME // One-size-fits-all is hitting rock bottom. People are DIYing apps in an afternoon, and text-to-video is getting so easy your kid can make a top tier production in a day. But it’s not just tech that’s getting this ‘build my own’ mindset. Health care is too. The common thread: “I’m the expert on me. I know what’s best. And I can do it myself.” But please note: this is not the same as ‘hyer-personalization.'
Places it’s showing up:
MenstruAI puts lab-grade tests into your bathroom.
Mira Fertility’s ad hits on what everyone is frustrated with: DIY is fun but not for a diagnosis.
Healthcare desires are changing. What we want to bundle is shifting.
Showrunner lets subscribers script and star in their own series.
Pendulum swing → Expertise still matters. Hotels are offering classes with Venus Williams and Olympic cyclists. We still love experts. We just want to pick them.
The four letters referenced in this episode:
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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