audience & community.
Why I'm moving out of the feed and into the neighbourhood
The personal brand era is starting to crack. When everyone is a brand, nobody is a person, and the AI-generated noise of the feed is pushing creators toward something smaller and more intentional. The new move is the digital commune, a gated space where context beats reach and the bots are not invited.
Read the full thing →Your personalisation strat is creeping people out (and you probably don’t even know it)
Personalisation crosses into surveillance when customers feel watched instead of helped. Brands optimise for metrics that don't capture creepiness like when retargeting ads follow you for months or emails reference offline conversations. Helpful personalisation is transparent about data use, respects boundaries, and gives control back to users. The gap between what brands think is valuable and what feels invasive is where trust dies.
audience & communityHow Heated Rivalry became the show everyone can't shut up about (with basically zero marketing)
Heated Rivalry exploded from 30M to 324M views with minimal marketing. They leveraged existing fans and organic word-of-mouth instead of ads.
audience & communityOn the snake year and digital tenderness
The Chinese zodiac created a framework for collective vulnerability on social media, transforming individual struggles into shared experiences and fostering genuine community support online.
most read in this topic.
Why I'm moving out of the feed and into the neighbourhood
The personal brand era is starting to crack. When everyone is a brand, nobody is a person, and the AI-generated noise of the feed is pushing creators toward something smaller and more intentional. The new move is the digital commune, a gated space where context beats reach and the bots are not invited.
Your personalisation strat is creeping people out (and you probably don’t even know it)
Personalisation crosses into surveillance when customers feel watched instead of helped. Brands optimise for metrics that don't capture creepiness like when retargeting ads follow you for months or emails reference offline conversations. Helpful personalisation is transparent about data use, respects boundaries, and gives control back to users. The gap between what brands think is valuable and what feels invasive is where trust dies.
How Heated Rivalry became the show everyone can't shut up about (with basically zero marketing)
Heated Rivalry exploded from 30M to 324M views with minimal marketing. They leveraged existing fans and organic word-of-mouth instead of ads.
On the snake year and digital tenderness
The Chinese zodiac created a framework for collective vulnerability on social media, transforming individual struggles into shared experiences and fostering genuine community support online.
Why running has turned into a full-on aesthetic
Running has become a full aesthetic movement, with athletic gear crossing into street fashion. Run clubs create micro-communities with distinct style identities.
The digital detox economy is coming (and it has nothing to do with nostalgia)
Examines the growing digital detox movement as response to smartphone addiction and overstimulation. Not nostalgia-driven but necessity for mental health.
Why brands are suddenly obsessed with running
Running has become a major brand opportunity as companies shift from spectator marketing to participation marketing, creating community-driven experiences.
How to market when the market says "no"
Provides marketing strategies for economic downturns, advocating for deeper connections over growth tactics when audiences lose confidence and trust.
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