Can taking a break help your brand?

My family and I went on a trip last month. It was a big adventure after these past couple of years of being stuck at home (which was an adventure I don’t think any of us care to repeat). And besides a few check-ins, I actually took a break from work. It can feel scary to take a pause from the rat race, to turn over responsibilities to others and—in our always-on culture—to simply not be seen or heard from for a while.

Although we hear that people should take social media breaks for their mental health, brands keep churning out content for those who stick around. But what if brands took breaks, too? Would your content be missed??

We dive into mental breaks, social media detoxes, and more in this issue.

Wellbeing from around the web

#DetoxYourFeed with the Dove Self-Esteem Project

As part of the Dove Self Esteem Project, Dove encourages tween and teen girls to carefully think about and curate what they see on their social media feeds. Living up to Dove’s strong track record of emotionally-charged, on-the-nose campaigns, this one includes a video showing teens and their moms discussing the negative messages around beauty standards that are oh-so-common on social media—and it takes a turn that surprises everyone.?Discover the twist that makes this video so impactful and why brands need to consider the messages they’re sending, no matter their audience.

Image:?Dove

A week off social media reduces depression and anxiety

Research shows that taking a week away from social media improves people’s moods and lessens their anxiety. As wellbeing brands, this may give pause. Does always-on, omnichannel marketing promoting wellbeing actually undermine it??Find out which brands are quitting social and our take on the trend.

Image: Vecteezy

BeReal social media app features real friends taking real photos on really short notice

I recently witnessed something hilarious and literally eye-opening. A waiter at a restaurant known for its Instagram-friendly fare whipped out a pocket ring light to ensure the photos his patrons took shone the most positive light on their food. So I found it refreshing to read?this article in the New York Times?about new social media platform?BeReal?that is built on taking unvarnished snapshots of real life, without enough notice to touch up the lighting. It sounds like a mini-documentary made as a group, with a cliffhanger ending: how will BeReal monetize this experience without altering its ethos?

Felicity news!

I’m honoured to have been nominated for the?30th annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards?presented by Women of Influence.

Finally, fitting with this issue’s theme, we’ll be taking a break from MarketWell for the summer. We hope you’ll create the space to take a real break or to?go on vacation, too. Wishing you a safe, healthy and memorable season in the sun.

To your wellbeing,?

Amy Laski

Founder and President

Felicity [Inspiring Communications]