BIG QUESTIONS
Why do some messages spread while others flatline?
In 1979, writer Aaron Lynch had a theory. In his undergraduate senior thesis Abstract Evolution, he argued that ideas don’t win because they’re truthful, helpful, or noble. Ideas win because they spread easily. Period. Like airborne viruses, the most virulent memes today are simple, emotionally charged, and identity-aligned. They hijack algorithms, provoke tribal instincts, and demand to be shared. Outrage, fear, dog whistles, and humor beat truth, nuance, wisdom, and substance most of the time. In this memetic petri dish – made 100x more powerful by the internet and AI – reality gets distorted. (Side note: We like to think that we believe things because they’re true. But often, we believe things simply because they spread.)
Why do we bring this up? Marketing is the act of spreading ideas in a highly competitive information environment. If Lynch is to be believed, then marketers need to think like evolutionary biologists. Ask, “What traits make this message fit to survive?” Simplicity, emotional resonance, identity alignment, and share triggers are winsome traits. If your campaign doesn’t incite a reaction, it likely won’t spread.
TOOL JOY
Meet Vibewriter: Your AI creative partner
Creative collaboration is a magical thing. Ideas from different minds collide like fireworks in a dark sky, sparks flying, shaping worlds from chaos, and weaving dreams into reality. But if you’re on your own, just use Vibewriter – a playful AI muse with a timer. Like Pilates for the writer’s brain, you and the AI take turns riffing on a text, spurred on by a countdown clock that keeps your fingers moving faster than your inner critic. When your time’s up, Vibewriter fills in the next line, matches your tone, and nudges you onward to keep the creative momentum flowing. Perfect for newsletter intros, morning page prompts, or leveling up your prose.
DESIGN WE ❤️
Ard Su illustration
The human condition is a topic that has preoccupied the minds of makers, doers, and artists since time immemorial. But never before as a species have we faced the prospect of an intelligence greater than our own. AI is holding up a mirror and compelling us to ask what it means to be a vulnerable, fallible, creative, and intelligent being. We’re in the midst of a fundamental inflection point, and the consequential existential angst dominates the current zeitgeist. As we struggle to feel our way toward a new definition of how we relate to technology and each other, opportunities for deep self-reflection and creativity abound. To that end, we’re fascinated by the illustration work of New York-based illustrator Ard Su. Her work vibrates with tension between organic and nonorganic form, texture, and color. It’s a familiar tension that many of us are feeling now, as we seek meaningful connection with each other, and with a formidable technology that is difficult to predict.
BEEP BOOP
Love bites: Coldplay’s kiss cam caught more than forbidden love – it ignited a viral buzz (and many spoofs) that catapulted their latest tour into the global spotlight while exploding their ticket sales. Someone owes Andy and Kristin a nice, romantic thank you dinner.
Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity: The theory goes that stupidity is a far greater threat than evil. More harm is done by powerful idiots and it’s much harder to weed out. When stupidity reigns, run.
Join the marketing crowd: Started on July 7, Crowdsourced is a first-of-its-kind audio series where marketers drop in to share one win and one challenge. Then the group jumps in with fresh thinking and problem solving. A great way to sharpen your game outside the day-to-day. (Look out for our founder Todd Anthony on the program next week).
The new backlinks: In the new era of LLM search, brand mentions are the new backlinks.
What’s my purpose in life? For years, bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks wrote a column in The Atlantic called, How to Build A Life. Now someone has created a NotebookLM with his material. Ask your most existential life question and see how Arthur would respond.
WORD TO THE WISE
Physicist Freeman Dyson believed that the appearance of wrongness was proof of true creativity. “When a great innovation appears,” he said, “it will almost certainly be in a muddled, incomplete, and confusing form. For any speculation which does not at first glance look crazy, there is no hope.”
WHAT CLIENTS WANT
Three ways brands broke through on YouTube
(based on Google’s recent AI-backed analysis of 4,700 top ads)
- Multiformat storytelling: Brands went beyond one-size-fits-all formats. Think short-form, long-form, live streams, podcasts – all tailored to each audience touchpoint. Volvo used everything from four-minute films to 15-second spots for its EX90 launch, driving 250% search lift and $80 million in earned media. Starbucks, Apple, Activision all played the length-remix game to deepen connections.
- Harness trusted creators: Creators aren’t just ad partners – they’re the new Hollywood. Brands that let creators bring their authentic style saw big wins. TurboTax’s collab with Adam Waheed pulled in 18 million views. Marques Brownlee’s Sonos review doubled as a subtle mattress plug. The lesson? Don’t dictate. Collaborate, and tap into audience trust.
- Seize the cultural moment: Marketing gold happens when brands meet people where they are. Calm ran its “Silent” ad during the U.S. election cycle to soothe collective stress. Vodafone Egypt and Coke Studio Bharat delivered culturally tuned regional content. Or go global: Brands like Prada use YouTube to turn exclusive events like the Met Gala into accessible, immersive experiences.
ICEBREAKER
What’s your all-time favorite song to belt out loud?
Laura: Radiohead’s Creep, but only when I’m in the car. By myself.
Sarah: Violent Femmes’s Blister in the Sun when happy and Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You when in the feels.
Melissa: Much to my musically gifted children’s chagrin … All of them. I love to belt out all the songs!
Irene: You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissete (Editors note: Irene could actually belt this out and sound amazing!)
Todd: Don McLean’s American Pie. I’m pretty bad, but I still go loud and proud with that song regardless of who’s around. My family cringes.
Jason: Not a singer at all, but just about any Queen song gets my foot moving. Plus, who can sing as fast as Freddie Mercury?
John: I’m far more likely to drum with my hands to songs than sing, but when I’m sure no one can hear me, I might attempt Man In Black by Johnny Cash.
FALLACIES, PARADOXES & THEORIES…OH MY
The hedgehog vs. the fox mindset
The “Hedgehog” concept, popularized by Jim Collins, is all about finding one big, central idea – something you’re deeply passionate about and can be the best at – and using it to steer every decision. Hedgehog marketers channel this singular vision into everything: They build products that reinforce their core differentiator, craft branding with laser focus, acquire customers who align with their niche, and produce content that hammers the same message home in different ways. Very consistent. Very methodical. Fox marketers, by contrast, thrive in complexity, ambiguity, and experimentation. They test many acquisition channels, publish a kaleidoscope of content styles, and outmaneuver competitors by staying nimble. So which one are you? Did your last campaign riff on one powerful insight across every touchpoint? Hedgehog. Did you run five different A/B tests, shift tone per audience, and keep three backup plans? Fox. Both mindsets can win. The trick is aligning your style with your goals – and knowing when to shapeshift into the other animal.
