BIG QUESTIONS
Are you genuinely excited to announce that new feature? Really?
Mmm, probably not. Oftentimes “we’re excited” is the wrong sentiment for a brand to use in that feature launch scenario. Even if it’s true, it comes off fake, perfunctory, and cliché – and it reeks of half-assery. Even if your company IS excited about something it created, your customers (and the public at large) don’t care how you feel about it and assume that your self-professed excitement is for show. But they might listen to a story… if you tell it just right. The real story. Maybe your new feature or product or solution or platform or thinga-majig-y was inspired by a Slack conversation that went off the rails. Maybe it started as a bug fix that transformed into a breakthrough. Maybe there were weird little missteps along the way. Or maybe customers said things that startled you into creation mode. These are the kinds of details that make your brand and product messages feel less like wallpaper made from press releases and ad banners and more like something… real. With real faces, real humanity. A real team of humans that built something messy and meaningful. Perfection is boring. Disembodied excitement is boring. Polish is boring. If you want people to notice and care, lead with the human, the real, the chaos, the grit, the true. Hey listen, maybe you ARE genuinely excited. But instead of saying that, maybe demonstrate it instead. (And hey, we’ll gladly help you.)
TOOL JOY
Cargo: Where your work gets to dress up
Ever created something, but you didn’t know quite how or where to share it with the world? Art needs a space where it’s elevated – and Cargo could be it. Made for the creative mind, Cargo is a website builder for photographers, designers, and other visual artists looking for a place to showcase their work (and find clients, and sell stuff). Like most website builders, you can use one of Cargo’s templates as-is or customize the design using special coding, scripts, fonts, and a selection of quirky features. (Who knew your website would need a rock meandering across the screen?) Thanks to the clean space, modern feel, and niche user base, it’s also got that “cool factor” you don’t always find in other website builders.
DESIGN WE ❤️
The Oatmeal’s take on AI art
Let’s explore a simple thought experiment by proposing this question: What’s the difference between how you feel when you first see a piece of art, not knowing how or by whom it was generated, and when you find out it was generated by AI? Do you feel differently? This question is explored at length in a comic by Matthew Inman, creator of the popular online comic The Oatmeal. Inman does not mince words in this scathing and hilarious comic. Inman’s contention is that viewing a piece of art generated by AI most definitely elicits a different feeling, e.g., “deflated, grossed out, and maybe a little bored.” But why? In short, AI-generated art for the sake of art (an important distinction) is a farce, because it strips out all the pain and joy that goes into actual creation. AI art has a legitimate place in the act of creation (think admin role), provided the human creator remains firmly in the driver’s seat.
We are essentially creative beings – the ability to create art is a privilege and birthright unique to our species that we should think twice before surrendering over to nonsentient algorithms and the profit-driven corporations that push them on us. We salute Inman for having the gumption to publicly take a clear stance.
BEEP BOOP
Data rich/insight poor: Even with data pouring from every channel, most brands are still flying blind. Over half of marketing leaders say their audience insights aren’t strong enough to spark standout creative. Toss in tangled ad tech, splintered media, and ROI pressure from the CEO and boardroom, and it’s no surprise that CMOs are flaming out faster than fireflies. Marketing has turned into an unsolvable calculus problem.
What a difference a penny makes: A human perceives something priced $9.99 to be significantly cheaper than $10. Funny, that.
Can we stop inventing for just… a sec? You’ve been with the same productivity app for three weeks – a golden anniversary in tech years. At this rate, you’ll be renewing your vows just before the next redesign renders it unusable. Or they shutter. Read: The Exhaustion of Permanent Disruption, from the venerable Joan Westenberg.
Robo-burnout: AI’s not just taking jobs – it’s taking naps. Some users are finding that large models “fatigue” during long tasks, producing worse results over time. Turns out, even the bots need coffee breaks.
Employees are the new influencers: Employee-generated content (EGC), like this Ikea post, is trending and offering inside peeks at real employee experiences.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Another way to juice your webinars
Posting a (grainy?) webinar clip out of context is like saying “here’s a thing; we hope you figure out why it matters to you.” Instead, take a great line from the session and expand on it. Hit record, face the camera, and unpack the idea in your own words (or the words of a subject matter expert at your company) – clearly, casually, like you’re talking to someone smart who didn’t watch the webinar (many didn’t). Or do the same thing with a series of titles and direct the audience to your companion content. Use it as an excuse to go deeper and make something even better than the original.
WORD TO THE WISE
“There is an ever-increasing noise level — a hubbub generated by the din of competition for our attention. Thousands of initiatives, generating messages and content. Most of it never gets focused or clear enough to rise above the din. Instead, it only adds to the problem of competitive noise, making it increasingly difficult to be heard.”
— Bruce Mau, designer and author
WHAT CLIENTS WANT
What to do when your CFO wants to cut your brand budget
Your CFO is whipping out their red pen with your marketing budget in their crosshairs. They want efficiency, predictability, and proof. You want permission to keep building something people actually remember. Keep these pointers in mind for your next round of budget talks.
- The Buffett defense: CEOs love Warren Buffett, so start there. He once said “Brand is the most important moat.” Translation? Brand is a financial asset – disguised as storytelling – that provides a unique advantage and keeps competitors at bay.
- The Airbnb plot twist: Airbnb’s CFO once tried to trim brand spend – until shifting toward brand led to record profits. Turns out, the market remembers feelings longer than keywords. So when the CFO wants to gut your budget, remind them your brand is what keeps people coming back to you.
- For the “data and evidence” types: Send them this digest of five studies. They’ll be like “WHERE’D YOU GET THIS?!” and you’ll say, “REAL LIFE.”
ICEBREAKER
If there were 25 hours in a day, how would you spend your extra time?
Melissa: I would take a Spanish conversation class. My Spanish is getting rusty and I am tired of my bilingual kid laughing at me.
Kim: Nothing productive allowed! Instead, I’d do something fun with my family.
Sarah: My senior pitbull just informed me that this hour must only be filled by beach dog romps.
Todd: Can we have the extra hour, but the rest of the world stands still? Like in the movie, The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything (1980) with Pam Dawber and Robert Hays?
John: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
Jason: In this hour I would just chill, work on my breathing, and try to relax all the muscles.
FALLACIES, PARADOXES & THEORIES…OH MY
Scarcity and FOMO for the win
As humans, our fear of missing out – or FOMO – is often triggered by scarcity. Or at least the perception of scarcity. We’re wired to want what’s rare, borderline unavailable, or behind closed doors. And when the entire planet seems to have the latest “it product” except us, we feel left behind. The lower the supply, the higher the demand. Remember when parents were trampling each other to get a Cabbage Patch Kid or Tickle Me Elmo? Marketers have been tapping into this particular consumer psychology since forever. Why? Because hitting our FOMO button works. Hurry, only 10 tickets left! Act now, before it’s too late! Exclusive access for members! While instilling a sense of urgency or rarity can boost sales, it can also backfire. Marketers must use FOMO tactics wisely, sparingly, and authentically – or risk customers getting the ick.
