June 10th, 2022

Happy Friday, and greetings from Sydney. I am blown away by the response to the Friday Afternoon Dispatch and wish to extend a welcome to the +1,200 people who've subscribed in the first seven days. For those who don't know me, I've spent twenty-plus years working in the business of creativity and with some of the world’s most extraordinary creators – musicians, film and television writers and producers, chefs – to develop their ideas and intellectual property into brands, and their brands into sustainable businesses.?

I started the Dispatch to share the "best" of what I've been reading, listening to, and watching from here and around the world, with a focus on the business of media and entertainment, marketing, tech, hospitality, gaming and sports.

Essentially, what I found interesting, and with the thought (and hope) that if you followed me, then you may find it interesting too. This is only the second edition, so I'm missing anything, or there are things you think are worth sharing, do drop me a line.

Keep me posted and let me know what you think.

Ben

What I've Been Reading

Less than twelve hours old, but already worthy of including here. Jae Goodman?has been one of the media and marketing world's pioneers in moving brands to a content-centric world that attracts and engages audiences rather than interrupting and annoying them - yes, we're looking at you traditional advertising. So it is now wonder that he is behind one of the biggest announcements from the intersection of brands and entertainment. Instead of waiting for the industry to embrace the long-promised holy grail, Jae and team are going there, and are going to drag the market with them. Congratulations buddy. This is going to be big.

The demise of Honest Tea will live on as a case study: How an apparently successful mission-driven brand can beat the odds, transcend its niche, find a backer who believes in it, make the transition to the mainstream—and still end up dying.

Justin Hemmes may not be as well known internationally as the likes of Danny Meyer, or Chris?Corbin?and Jeremy King, but he is Sydney's undisputed hospitality king, and arguably one of the largest and most successful operators in the world, with a restaurant, bar, club, and hotel empire worth more than $1.12 billion. Anne Hyland talks to Hemmes about lifestyle, ambition, and scaling up to disrupt himself.

It seems the only thing bigger than Hemmes’ hospitality group and his lifestyle is his ambition, as he scales up to disrupt himself.

“You might call this a marketer’s unicorn. But despite its singularly serendipitous appearance, success like this is a result of significant groundwork—the kind that can make unique opportunities and cultural breakthroughs for brands and marketers happen more often.” If you think this confluence between celebrity and brand can’t be copied, you’re right. But Jeff Beer explores how we can learn from it, with some great insights from some of the brightest minds in branded entertainment.

David Gura explores the consequences of government agencies being ill-equipped to police a world where corporations are worth trillions of dollars, where the world's richest people are worth hundreds of billions and where tweets drive stock market moves.

It’s at least possible that Web3 could bring about a better, more fulfilling version of the internet. It’s just as likely, though, to prove to be what its harshest critics fear: a “hyper-capitalistic” reframing of the web that “contains the seeds of a dystopian nightmare.” Maxwell Strachan?looks at a world pivoting into Web3, and asks the question, "why?".

“There’s fresh turmoil in the media industry. Advertising spending is softening, pressured by a toxic brew of high inflation, rising interest rates, and worries about an economic slowdown. While consumers are starting to head back to movie theatres, the streaming-video business is showing signs of maturing, with slowing growth and increasing competition. Netflix is going to sell ads. Elon Musk is (maybe) buying Twitter. Apple is airing baseball games.” Eric Savitz?talks to?Rich Greenfield?about the media industry changed during the pandemic, and where it’s heading next.

And lastly, a wonderful profile from?Max Brearley?on my two friends and former colleagues, Kirsty Marchant and Ben Ing, on pursuing a dream on their own terms. Pack your bags and get down to Busselton, the little coastal town between Perth and Margaret River, and check out what they've been working on.

What I've Been Listening To

And finally, a special shout-out to my friend Howie Kahn, amongst other things best-selling author and journalist, who earlier this year launched No Off-Season, a weekly podcast about mental health launched in partnership with the team at Nike, and featuring conversations with athletes including NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns, Olympic silver medal-winning track-and-field star Raven Saunders, decorated Paralympic athlete Tatyana McFadden, Olympic medal-winning gymnast Laurie Hernandez, double amputee marathon Boston marathon winner Marko Cheseto, and others. It is an important topic with universal impact and is definitely worth checking out.

What I've Been Watching

• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO Max)
• Foreign Correspondent (ABC Australia)
• Ms Marvel (Disney+)
• Obi Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

Who I've Been Following

Andrew Condon is no stranger to my LinkedIn feed. As Managing Director at the global sports and entertainment marketing agency Gemba, his thoughts and work are always insightful. If you're interested in the business of sport, whether as a fan, rights holder, media owner, or brand and advertiser, add him to your follow list. You won't be disappointed.

That's it for this week. See you in seven days.

Ben