Month: January 2020
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Breaking norms
Breaking norms to create shock is a well-trodden path. Look at the way the Conservative Party used transgressions to dominate news cycles during the last election. For a cynical marketer like myself it has all become rather jaded. This news footage of audience reactions from screenings of The Exorcist reminded me of the power in…
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Building wide for brands + more
IPA | The Wide and the Narrow of it – Building Wide, I propose, is driving a brand’s meaning and equity through the power of shared and collective cultural moments. Building ‘Narrow’ is defined as creating meaning and equity through the power of individual and personal customer experience. Both of these definitions can impact how…
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Sega MegaDrive Akira game + more
A gorgeous unreleased adaption of Akira for the Sega MegaDrive. I presume that these visuals are designed to move the game play from level to level. At the time the Sega MegaDrive was innovative. Both in terms of the Sega MegaDrive technology and the marketing that went to support the games console. Sega brought a…
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Debt defaults + more things
China’s richest tycoons hit by debt defaults, arrests and suicides in 2019 amid tightening regulation | South China Morning Post – billionaire’s problems, but an interesting read. A lot of Chinese corporates haven’t adapted well to the slow down in growth. Secondly, many of them have been caught in Xi’s prosecution of corrupt government officials…
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Truth decay
Truth decay was a concept that I came across when reading Monocle’s Forecast issue. Michael D Rich is the head of the The RAND Corporation – a not-for-profit think tank. When he was interviewed and described as being preoccupied with ‘truth decay’. Truth decay occurs when society and the body politic can’t even agree on…
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Muslim minorities + more things
Inside China’s Push to Turn Muslim Minorities Into an Army of Workers – The New York Times – wants to remake them into loyal blue collar workers. Where this gets interesting is with China’s belt and road neighbours like Kazakhstan who have families that span the borders. China’s muslim minorities push has a wider impact…
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Volkswagen Beatle fairwell & other things this week
Volkswagen Beatle Volkswagen Beatle – after seven decades Volkswagen is finally saying goodbye to its most iconic vehicle. It seems the Beatle won’t make it into the electric future of Volkswagen. Visual Futurist – Syd Mead We lost visual futurist Syd Mead at the end of 2019. Mead was best known now as the stylist…
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Treasure hunt
Treasure hunt Treasure hunt as defined by NPD is the process of consumers bargain hunting. It might be discounted pricing on items or looking for substitute pre-owned products. Discounted items used to be seen in the retail trade as the preserve of older consumers alongside couponing. But as empirical experience going along to discount outlets…