It has been a long time coming, but the power dynamic has finally shifted in streaming’s favor. Linear TV is no longer the most popular way for consumers to access content, and the forecasted ad spend in CTV is reflecting that power shift. The generation who grew up with internet access, mobile streaming and social…
Serena Williams–tennis superstar, entrepreneur and mother–broke the news that she would be evolving away from tennis. The upcoming U.S. Open tournament will be her last game on the world stage. As the news broke on social media, there was something that stood out: She owned her own narrative. She didn’t delegate her news or allow…
In the case of client-agency relationships, grievance is not a substitute for good ideas, nor does it lead to particularly creative solutions. Rather, it facilitates an environment rife with negative emotions and blame-wielding. As long as you are the one pointing the finger, the finger can’t be pointed back at you. But what will you…
Creativity has been called up. From creative directors to apprentice designers: All are needed. Storytellers, magic-makers, crafters and grafters, ideators and copywriters. Moments like these come rarely. For many generations, they may not come at all. But this time, it will be different, we will be different. Because we have been called. The world’s greatest…
There are times that I am thankful to work in an industry that, more than others, is comfortable talking about emotions. We have to be. Emotion is our currency. But even as advertisers, we’re not always comfortable facing our own personal emotions. Especially the tough ones, like depression. And right now, our industry is going…
Raise your hand if you’ve noticed an astounding grocery bill in the past few months. Me too. Some experts predict that a recession will follow this period of inflation. An economic downturn likely sets our marketing strategy on a different course while consumers react to the market. We will make decisions to weather a temporary…
After more than two years of a global pandemic, saying monkeypox is an unwelcome guest is a gross understatement. Maybe it seems like something outside your immediate reality. But as a queer person, let me tell you: It’s here, it’s real and much of America doesn’t know what to do or how to talk about…
Economists and consumers agree: We’re in a recession, and brands are, understandably, nervous. Nervous about what’s next, sure, but also what it means for their bottom line. To better recession-proof their businesses, some are increasing prices. Others are cutting spending, pouring over their books with a fine-tooth comb. And while avoiding tight margins is crucial,…
The term “dark funnel” has become increasingly accepted in marketing circles. It reflects the realization that marketing attribution is an imperfect science. Yet, the dark funnel feels like d?j? vu, a glitch in the matrix, because we’ve been here before. The internet created an obsession with measuring clicks. It was a timely remedy to marketing’s…
Fans went wild this summer when two superstars dropped their highly anticipated albums. Lizzo released Special while Beyonc? released her seventh studio album Renaissance. We were all excited to binge each and every song. So it came as a shock when both artists used the word “spaz” in their songs. Lizzo used the word in…
In Moneyball, Brad Pitt’s baseball general manager Billy Beane uses a new way of assembling a winning team, telling his staff, “Adapt or die.” As marketers, we subscribe to that ethos, but evolving is now more challenging than ever. A Gen Z tsunami is coming, and most brands aren’t ready. Currently ages 10 to 25,…
It’s been well documented that TikTok is the go-to social app for Gen Z. However, a surprising statistic came out recently, showing that 40% of Gen Z users prefer using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. For nearly two decades, Google has dominated consumer search behavior. Google has even become a verb. So this…
Our planet, and the people living on it, can’t afford to wait. To build a better world, we urgently need unity, clarity and momentum. That’s where the United Nations comes in. I know what you’re thinking: The U.N. is a complex, bureaucratic organization, plagued with allegations of power and corruption abuses. But for all its…
Five years ago, I wrote a column asking if brand purpose had “jumped the shark.” I was reacting at the time to a Saturday Night Live skit that featured brand managers of Cheetos being pitched by rival agencies. One of the agencies just wants to show kids having fun and snacking. The other agency pitches…
At 17, I made a vow to “never work a desk job a day in my life,” and clearly, I’ve walked down a completely different path as a digital executive for a global retail company. However, the monetary realities of being a struggling artist were beyond daunting. When your heart is driving 100% of your…
As leaders in the advertising and marketing space, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redefine work. While this is true of all workplace leaders, there is an urgency and salience for those of us who are influencers of cultural trends. Many of us quickly and successfully pivoted to working from home in March 2020 at…
This past spring, Sony Pictures announced that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny would soon become a superhero, dawning the mask of the relatively obscure luchador El Muerto. We also saw the fan favorite character, America Chavez, (portrayed by Xochitl Gomez) introduced within the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the latest Doctor Strange film, along with Oscar…
Wars are now waged in the comments of a LinkedIn post. We’ve all seen them. We may have even participated in them. It all starts with a bold proclamation that we must all join the work-from-home revolution, that not doing so is an assault on our freedoms and rights as modern-day employees. Or, it begins…
The pathway into the advertising industry has been set for decades: Pay many thousands of dollars to attend college or a portfolio school, then secure an entry-level agency job. Yet, a new movement is gathering pace, with agencies increasingly creating in-house educational programs. Training is nothing new. The scale of these new initiatives is, though….
When your passion becomes your profession, it’s easy to feel like you’ve won the proverbial lottery. But what happens when you aren’t afforded the luxury of signing off at the end of the day? It’s the perfect digital storm: For consumers, the immersive nature of gaming makes it the ultimate form of escapism. For game…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
