MediaCat Monthly, August | Doing Things Differently

Which brands, media organisations and platforms out there are doing things differently right now? Is it better as a brand to remix things in slightly new ways, or is it better to try and really challenge and disrupt a market? What even defines a challenger brand these days? This month our writers examined the usefulness of brands, misleading marketing in film, newness, mischief-making, celebrities and digital platforms, and human-led online third spaces. We delve into postpartum brands supporting new parents, reality TV transmedia, and neuroscience-led storytelling. There are conversations around challenger brands and humour and entertainment, and pieces on the swipe economy, Olympic memes and video games — as well as our monthly thematic playlist.

Happy reading, and listening.

Mike Piggott, Editor

It Ends With Us: when misleading marketing backfires

Semiotician and cultural specialist Becks Collins analyses the misleading, tone-deaf marketing of the film and how we need to brand-ify everything. read

We need to fix our relationship with newness

'Look for the strange and consider what possibilities it might convey,' and interrogate nostalgia says cultural researcher, Gemma Jones. read

Useful brands: when tough times call for resilience

Harriet Kingaby argues that brands today need to be useful, ‘to consider the knotty problems facing people right now and put their needs first’. read

The antagonists — mischief-making for good

‘There is an energy around doing the unexpected, being chaotic-good, breaking the rules,’ writes Harry Kinnear. read

Pret: a brand that’s doing things differently

Richard Shotton takes a look at Pret’s subscription model, exploring how behavioural science factors into its success. read

How digital platforms have redefined celebrity

The digital revolution has democratised fame, making it accessible to everyone. Steph Hamill asks if this is good or not. read

The tech businesses remaking our digital world

Referencing Silicon Valley engineer Tracy Chou, Adele Walton examines entrepreneurs tackling one harm at a time. read

Putting the social back in media

‘The interesting stuff is happening on smaller networks’ Kim Townend looks at the rise of human-led online third spaces and the future of social. read

Who are we really making this stuff for?

‘There is a growing tendency to prioritise aesthetics over clarity and comprehension,’ argues Marketing Leader and Board Adviser, Visha Kudhail. read

Wisdom

This month… neuroscience-led storytelling, postpartum brands, inclusive design, reality TV transmedia, and more

Natalia Talkowska: The founder of Natalka Design reveals the power of neuroscience-led storytelling

Victoria Gerstman: Cultural insight specialist looks at how postpartum brands are working to better support new parents

Charlotte Armstrong: Valuable 500’s Communications Manager shares how inclusive design creates fun without limits

Natasha Randhawa: MediaCat’s Editor-at-Large dissects some of the key ingredients for trend and meme success

Samira Brophy, Yuliana Safari: ‘Remix or Disrupt?’ Samira and Yuliana argue that knowing yourself is key to the answer

Thibault la Droitte, Joe Weston: We Are Social share how the Olympic village became the ultimate creator house

Anita Wong: Indigo Pearl’s Head of PR explores how reality TV transmedia is transforming brand engagement

Nicolette Yim, Eunice Tan: The Secret Little Agency and PPURPOSE look at redefining PR, focusing on creating meaning and resonance

Conversations

This month we ask our network about challenger brands, revisit stunt marketing, and talk to Liquid Death about entertainment

Can big brands be challengers?

Can established brands still be challengers? Or is this easy to say but hard to do within big organisations with lots of red tape?

Can stunt marketing build long-lasting brands?

Is stunt marketing style over substance, or can it form part of a tapestry of long- and short-term tactics as part of an overall growth strategy?

Liquid Death’s Andy Pearson on humour and entertainment

For this podcast Faris Yakob spoke to VP of Creative at Liquid Death, Andy Pearson, discussing Liquid Death’s creative process

Interviews

Q&A: Elliott Starr on reviving Alan Watts with AI

Elliott talks us through ?‘Alan Watts – The Awakening’, a project to reviving the British philosopher Alan Watts

Q&A: What will AI mean for ASEAN marketing?

In this interview with our Editor-at-large, Shalu Wasu discusses, in-depth, ASEAN’s place in the global AI race

Q&A: brand infamy in the swipe economy

Harry Hugo, the founder of The Goat Agency, speaks to MediaCat about fame and attention in the creator economy

In case you missed it...

Ellie Farrer: ICONIC’s Founding Partner reveals what brands can learn from Olympic memes

Ben Kay: One of the keys to selling unusual ads is understanding they’re always going to exist in a context of the usual, says Ben

Josh Mcloughlin: How can cinema reclaim our attention? Journalist Josh digs into the best way forward for this type of media

Ben Essen: Global Chief Strategy Officer at Iris argues that fame is no longer just the realm of big brands

Caroline Miller: Indigo Pearl’s founder writes about celebrities and brands waking up to the powerful audience reach that video games can offer

David Power: Head of Quant at davies+mckerr shares two ways to get significant differences in your data