Strands of Genius: The Marketing Funnel Doesn't Apply to Gen Z, Doing Nothing With Your Friends is Good For You, Pete Wells Doesn't Like How Restaurants Have Changed
Guest curated by Cristina Pansolini, Brand Strategy & Marketing Director
This edition of Strands of Genius is guest curated by Cristina Pansolini, Brand Strategy & Marketing Director. (Faris and Rosie will be back next week!)
:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, CRISTINA PANSOLINI ::
LOCATION: Austin, TX
Hello geniuses, Cristina here - a long-time brand strategist and marketing director. I've worked at ad agencies and brand & innovation consultancies for the past 13 years... but got my start as Rosie's intern at Saatchi & Saatchi NY. Ever since, we've been galavanting all over the world together mostly for leisure, from New York to Italy to Isla Mujeres and more.
This month, I've made the big move from Brooklyn to Austin. Rosie suggested I take over the newsletter to connect with you all in my time of change. So far, I've been obsessively digesting all the new culture, food, architecture and music Austin has to offer. And been on the job hunt, due to the move!
So, if you have any Austin-based Italian food, cold martini or job lead suggestions for this out-of-place, ride-or-die New Yorker, please send along :)
:: WE ASKE CRISTINA FOR HER HOT TAKES ON BRAND LOVE::
How do you build brand love when competing in a commoditized category?
Transcend the transaction. This can and should be done both from (1) an emotional standpoint as part of the brand identity to (2) relevant and useful content pre, during and post point of purchase.
For the former, the crux of the brand identity is rooted in a deep understanding of the consumer’s mindset, lifestyle, barriers and motivations. Some might be product-focused, but foundationally it should be brand-focused. What makes this person tick? Why are they really buying this product? Let's say a parent needs a battery for their kid’s toy -- and a ’20% longer-lasting’ product differentiation is a selling point. But the real reason they’re buying it is to see their kid smile with the toy after having missed the last 4 bedtimes due to working late - and having the battery last longer means they don’t waste time in those precious 15 minutes replacing the batteries yet again.
For the latter, this is much more about the tactical marketing journey. Being smart about where you target from a comms planning perspective - right moment, right message -, but also with what content. The content surrounding the transaction should add value to the consumer and make them feel seen. They should think, “Ah, this brand gets me.” That could be a nod to some cultural zeitgeist moment in a relevant way, or it could be a more utilitarian piece of communication like a how-to guide or an aggregation of tips and tricks. Each positive interaction makes the brand slightly more appreciated by their consumers.
What’s one example of a brand that has authentically built emotional loyalty with its audience?
Billie, the razor & bodycare company for ‘womankind’, does a phenomenal job of emotional loyalty. Their identity, content, tone of voice and innovation pipeline is a lesson in cultural relevance, targeted product innovation and consistent audience connection.
You might expect that, given razors are their main product, their communications and visual identity would feature a hair-free aesthetic. However, they take the opposite approach. They show body hair constantly, partly for a refreshingly realistic take on the category, and partly because they know their audience stands against the societal pressure for women to be perfectly smooth anywhere and everywhere.
:: THE LINKS ::
THE MARKETING FUNNEL DOESN'T APPLY TO GEN Z (OR ALPHA, OR BETA)
Gen Z breaking the traditional marketing funnel is not necessarily surprising to those of us in the industry. But what I found exciting about this Vogue Business piece is in the details. An example is in identifying specific tactics used by Gen Z-led brands like Hailey Bieber's Rhode, who teases 'micro-trends' right before a new product release that conveniently supports said trend. Another is busting the myth that Gen Z doesn't want to be "sold" to. They do, but through their own type of consumer behavior. For example, searching for every detail about a brand or product through TikTok videos. All in all, worth the read for the inspiring and interactive design of the article alone. (Vogue Business)
DOING NOTHING WITH YOUR FRIENDS IS GOOD FOR YOU
As someone who just left almost everyone she loves in one city (New York) in exchange for a new adventure in another (Austin), I'm realizing how activity-oriented making new friends is. You don't just sit in your house, phones down, watching a movie or aimlessly chatting over wine with a brand new friend. That takes a level of comfort that, especially in our adult years, takes ages to earn. This Self article sings the praises of 'unstructured hangs' and the health benefits they have on us. So from this type-A, hyper google-calendar stan, maybe less planning = better? (Self)
PETE WELLS DOESN'T LIKE HOW RESTAURANTS HAVE CHANGED
Restaurants are my 'third place'. Finding a great spot that feels warm, with a dish you've been wanting to try or that you know you'll love, with a great waiter and the perfect coffee or glass of wine... there's nothing better. But a huge part of that experience is the human touch. Pete Wells, long-time restaurant critic, shares his 'qualitative analysis' of sorts after 12 years on the job. And his analysis isn't good: restaurants are losing their humanity in favor of speed, efficiency and less friction. (NY Times)
Looking for more from Cristina? Coming Friday, look for an interview from her in your inbox!
:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::
Game :: Fishbowl / Celebrity / Salad Bowl / Name Game. It goes by many names but it's a great party game.
City :: New York City forever, and ever, and ever.
Book :: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I read it once a year.
Podcast :: You're Wrong About. It's a fascinating look back at past events or people, reconsidering how they were treated or cast.
Song :: Favourite by Fontaines D.C.
:: THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE ::
One of my recent sources of pride is a white paper we published and printed in my latest role as brand and marketing leader for ERA-co, a placemaking consultancy. Titled, “The Future of Architecture”, digs deeper into the question of “who” will lead the future of cities and city design. AI and machine learning has become as disruptive as the invention of the internet. With that, we give our perspective on the impact it will have on the future of one of the largest city-defining professions: architecture (and global placemaking). Download the full paper here.
:: ‘TIL NEXT TIME ::
This edition was guest curated by Cristina Pansolini, who you can connect with via LinkedIn and if you’d like to check out her Sweathead Podcast Interview you can do so here! Your regularly scheduled hosts, Rosie & Faris Yakob, will be back next week!
Hit reply if you’ve got a guest curator that we should highlight - There’s no fancy application process, we just want a few sentences as to why they (or you!) would be a good fit. (Because yes, self-nominations are always accepted!)
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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.
Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.
Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)