Strands of Genius: What if the Answer is the Most Obvious, What do the Unintended Consequences Look Like, Where Has All the Real-Life Whimsy Gone

Guest curated by Rob Engelsman, Cofounder & Strategy Partner at Quick Study

Apr 04, 2024

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, ROB ENGELSMAN::

LOCATION: Long Island City, NY

Hey. Hi. Hello. Rob Engelsman here. Curiosity is a core personality trait of mine, which is great for a strategist but exhausting for people seated near me at conversational functions. I studied journalism in school but ended up in advertising around the same time social media did. After doing the agency thing for 10 years I wondered what a leaner, more strategy-led organization might look like and cofounded Quick Study, a project-based shop that makes brands smarter, faster. Every career decision I’ve made has been about the chance to ask new questions in new ways, which is why I so appreciate people like Rosie, Faris, and others who share the way they think about the questions they ask on a regular basis. In honor of that curiosity, today’s links will be a few questions for us to think about.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): We are so thrilled to have Rob here with us today! His journey from journalism to advertising mirrors the ever-evolving landscape of media and communication. His insatiable curiosity serves as a driving force, sparking innovative strategies and thought-provoking questions. We hope to meet you some day in person Rob!

:: THE LINKS ::

WHAT IF THE ANSWER IS THE MOST OBVIOUS?

Strategists are sometimes pushed beyond the obvious answer toward deeper, more nuanced ones. This often leads to better work, but I also worry that sometimes looking for a deeper answer creates convoluted arguments that overcomplicate the situation at hand. There’s been a lot of talk lately about why things have become so blah, and a lot of research pointing fingers in various directions. But this piece from Magdalene Taylor reminds us to look at the clear culprit and not overthink things too much. It’s the phones, stupid. (Dirt)

WHAT DO THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES LOOK LIKE?

The world is too connected now for simple black/white decision-making. Everything we do can create ripples that go far beyond the bounds of what we thought we were impacting. No, I’m not talking about the plot of the movie Crash, but about the changes that brands create when they encourage the world to change. Case in point: the rise of gig economy workers doing delivery has meant more people spending more time out and about on the streets of major cities coming face-to-smog with some of the most polluted environments that exist today. What other decisions are we making for the good of the brand today that will create bigger problems later? (Rest of World)

WHERE HAS THE REAL-LIFE WHIMSY GONE?

I worked on a pitch a few years ago for a company that creates playful environments for adults (it rhymes with Pave & Musters) and ever since have been keenly aware of how little fun there is in daily life for the average adult. Recently, we’ve been seeing lots of AI and visual effects used to create playful moments like oversized fashion statements on wheels or interesting animated worlds, but seeing faked fun is not the same as people physically experiencing play. This article about the aptly titled Fashion Brand Company is a great example of playing with purpose in the real world, something more brands should think about doing. (NY Times)

Looking for more from Rob? Coming Friday, look for an interview from him in your inbox!

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: There’s nothing like a round of Chronology to have you questioning your understanding of history.

:: City :: Philadelphia (Go Birds)

:: Book :: The Acceleration of Cultural Change: From Ancestors to Algorithms completely changed how I view trends and cultural formation.

:: Podcast :: How Did This Get Made asks a fundamental question about terrible movies

:: Song :: I used to be a college radio DJ so this is especially difficult. For the last few months I’ve had last year’s Black Earth, WI by Ratboys on heavy rotation.

:: QUICK STUDY ::

Earlier this year, my company published new research in a series of Study Guides focused on how time & technology have isolated people more than ever before. We’re calling these individual bubbles we live in Solocultures. In a world where no one consumes the same things at the same time in the same contexts, it’s no wonder we feel more disconnected than ever. Check out our series to learn more about the research behind Solocultures and what they mean for brands.

Thanks for being curious with me today.

I hope you enjoyed it!

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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 :)

Strands of Genius