BIG QUESTIONS
Does your brand have a point of view?
At Pinwheel, we believe that our humanity is what makes us great (as a culture, as individuals, and as an agency). That’s our point of view, and it dates back to our (pre-AI) founding in 2014. It informs how we work, the work we do, and even helps us choose topics for this newsletter. And the reason that’s our unique point of view is because humanity is the power behind persuasiveness – which is the business that we (and all marketers) are in. Plus, it feels good.
Having a unique point of view is critical for differentiation (at least 10,000 agencies in the US claim they “stand for growth” as their “unique” point of view). It should be an expression of your core beliefs, your values, and/or your perspective on your industry. Your brand’s unique point of view can do more than provide a springboard for your thought leadership efforts — it can help shape your identity, influence how you connect with your audience, and become something that your company becomes known for that allows you to elevate your brand above mere need fulfillment. It sparks conversation, helps you stand out, and makes your brand stick in people’s minds. So if your brand doesn’t appear to have a point of view beyond “buy our thing” or “our thing is better than their thing,” then it is definitely something you should consider.
TOOL JOY
Reintroducing the humble journal
There’s no end to the digital gadgets, services, and tools that promise to turn your life around — including, ironically, smartphone apps for breaking your smartphone addiction. Our reliance on electronic devices is even contributing to a “creativity crisis,” according to multiple studies.
Whatever happened to the simple power of going analog? We present the journal – a tool that (when used regularly) may help reduce your stress, reflect on events, boost self-awareness, and unlock your creative potential. Not sure what to write about? Suleika Jaouad, creator of The Isolation Journals Substack, offers a free weekly writing prompt to get started.
The writing prompt arrives via email – so while it’s one of those digital tools we referred to earlier, you still pair it with the good ’ol physical journal. It might be just what you need to get the creative juices flowing.
DESIGN WE ❤️
The world is going gray
Recent studies have shown that the usage of color in everything from cars to brands to consumer goods has been steadily diminishing. To understand why this is happening, we have to go all the way back to the ancient Western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle argued that the sensory world, including the subjective experience of color, was a distraction that interfered with rational understanding. Color was argued as unstable and chaotic; whereas form was rational, stable, and pure. This bias has persisted into modern times, and the pressure of a global market has driven brands to err on the conservative side in order to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. In other words, if you want to be taken seriously, black-and-white should be your default core palette. But must it be this way? An article by The Culturalist Substack argues that “when we mute our surroundings, we risk muting ourselves.”
BEEP BOOP
Crispy fried AI: KFC and Ogilvy launched South Africa’s first branded, adaptive large language model, KAIIA. KAIIA is a locally fluent, culturally attuned chatbot leaked online that happens to be obsessed with KFC’s Original Recipe chicken. Anything for the taste.
LinkedIn video for the win: LinkedIn video posts are shared 20 times more than any other form of content. Consider these five foundational principles that drive views: cultural coding, human touch, expert takes, attention hacking, and inspiring imagination. Report here.
The auto manual is reborn: Audi turned its car manual into an app that identifies the features by lighting them up in real time in the car compartment via the phone camera feature. The vehicle thus becomes its own digital manual. Neat.
Is this thing on? 78% of advertisers now actively advertise in podcasting.?️
Reddit enters juggernaut territory: Reddit’s global advertising revenue is projected to grow 50% year over year in 2025, according to WARC Media.
WORD TO THE WISE
“When you’re scared, you cannot play. And the two — creativity and play — are indelibly connected. As Carl Jung said, ‘The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.’ And being able to play and therefore create feels vitally important in moments like this.”
—Elise Loehnen, “Getting Over Creative Disappointment”
WHAT CLIENTS WANT
What a 24-inch–biceped wrestling icon can teach you about branding
Hulkmania may be a distant memory now, but Hulk Hogan did leave behind some shareworthy ideas about how to build and maintain an enduring, powerful brand.
- Commit 100% to the persona: The man was nothing if not consistent. His look, tone, and catchphrases built instant recognition.
- Tell one story, relentlessly: Hogan’s single, clear narrative: “Good triumphs over evil.” Your brand doesn’t need 10 messages. Quite the contrary: Just one strong story told a hundred different ways.
- Be bold and specific: HH’s exaggerated style made him impossible to ignore. In branding, specificity beats subtlety. Pick a lane and OWN IT.
- Repetition builds loyalty: The man constantly reinforced his identity. Same look, same language, same vibe. Familiarity breeds trust; don’t get bored of your own message before your audience has a chance to really internalize it.
- Evolve without losing the core: Hogan reinvented himself when he had to — hello, “Hollywood Hogan” — but never abandoned the essence of who he was. The lesson: Evolve strategically; change the packaging, not the promise.
- Small gestures can make a big splash: Hogan famously called fans on Christmas Day. That kind of personal touch transforms transactions into relationships. Find a version of that.
ICEBREAKER
What’s your all-time favorite movie quote (yes, just one) that could be a philosophy for life?
Todd: “We are the music-makers. We are the dreamers of dreams.” — Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original quote by Arthur O’Shaughnessy). It’s a reminder that, no matter what is happening in my life, I can imagine and create my own reality.
Melissa: “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains.” — Crash Davis, Bull Durham. Things will either go your way, or not, or maybe in an entirely different direction that helps.
Jeremy: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” — Gandalf, Fellowship of the Ring.
Laura: “The secret is you’ve just gotta find something you love to do and then do it for the rest of your life. For me, it’s going to Rushmore.” — Max Fischer, Rushmore
Doug: “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” — Doc Brown, Back to the Future.
John: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” — Rhett Butler, Gone With The Wind. It’s a great reminder that in this life, we have only a finite number of f**ks to give, so give them judiciously.
FALLACIES, PARADOXES & THEORIES…OH MY
Behold, the value of brand content in the era of AI
Yes, content is changing. But it’s just as important, or more important, than it’s ever been. Brands can continue to build trust, establish authority, and effectively engage with their target audience in this ever-evolving, AI-centric, trend-obsessed landscape.
- AI has shifted discovery from search to selection. LLMs don’t just list options — they choose the most relevant, trustworthy sources. Branded content builds the authority that makes AI choose you.
- Trust is the new currency of visibility. Generative platforms surface brands they deem credible. Consistent, authoritative content signals reliability in an environment where accuracy matters more than clicks.
- Your brand narrative is the training data. AI learns from what’s already published. Rich, well-structured branded content shapes how models “understand” your brand and decide when to include you.
- Entity recognition is replacing keyword ranking. Strong branded content strengthens your identity in AI systems, ensuring your brand is associated with the right topics, queries, and contexts.
- Branded content future-proofs relevance. As traditional search fragments into AI chatbots, answer engines, and emerging browsers, your brand’s content becomes the persistent asset that keeps you present across platforms. Visibility is everything.
- Visibility without clicks still drives value. Even if AI-generated answers reduce direct traffic, being cited or mentioned by AI reinforces your brand’s authority and influences buyer decisions upstream.
- Brands that show up in AI win trust before the click. Being featured in an AI answer positions you as the default expert — bypassing competitors and anchoring buyer perception early.
- AI amplifies the gap between leaders and laggards. Brands investing in authoritative content now will train AI to favor them, while others risk becoming invisible in generative results.
