Need a lesson in worldbuilding? Watch Severance

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE:

* Duolingo’s mascot is “dead”—but is it really?

* Severance is world-building—naturally.

* Poppi’s real miss? Not understanding today’s consumer.

* Non-alcoholic beers are coming out of their ‘less than’ mindset

* Is On onto something, or are they lost?

* Why brands need to understand traditional demographics are dead

* Is B Corp in a credibility crisis? Yep. But it’s bigger than that.

* Travel is all about last-minute inspiration. And Klook’s winning because of it.

* Salomon and Mercedes are making movie magic.

Enjoy!

What we get into:

CULTURE

03:16 — DUO’S DEATH DRAMA // Duolingo “killed” their mascot and drowned out every inch of discussion about Super Bowl ads. But is it really over? Probably doesn’t matter because they’ve proved they have the cultural currency to steal our attention. We get into what other brands can learn, as killing their mascot won’t work.

10:30 — WORLD-BUILDING VS COLLABS // Severance is worldbuilding—naturally. It’s a great example of doing what is right for your brand and why collabs aren’t the answer to everything.

F&B

15:11 — MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF POPPI // We know Poppi’s vending machine stunt didn’t go well, but why? Consumers are smart and tired of brands thinking they aren’t. It takes us back to the Tarte “Hermès bracelet vs. Cheetos” debacle.

DRUGS & BOOZE

19:20 — BERO’S POSITIONING // Light beer has a lot of challenger brands thirsting after a piece of the legacy brands’ market share. But the most interesting brand of the bunch is Bero. While most N/A beer position themselves as ‘not-beer’, Bero feels like it’s not going for ‘lack’ of anything—and it’s refreshing and something to watch.

SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS

21:00 — ASPIRATIONAL > AGE // Lululemon’s latest campaign with 78-year-old fitness influencer @trainwithjoan proves once again that traditional demographics are dead. Your audience cares about whether it's aspirational and relevant, not if it’s for their age bracket.

RETAIL

21:57 — SOFT OR WEAK? // While Nike is going aggressive, everyone else is going soft. There’s no doubt that a good section of society is interested in ‘less competition’. Adidas is picking up on it, too. But is On onto something? Or do they feel lost?

SPORT

23:09 — CREATORS CREATING TOURNAMENTS // Creators are disrupting sports. And now they are coming for tournaments. And it’s a good thing for brands. If you’re very into this, give this full article a read:

WELLNESS & BEAUTY

24:10 — IS B CORP A BUST? // Dr Bronner is leaving its B-Corp status behind and going its own way. We get into the big difference between a certification and a movement. And why it’s interesting to watch Bryan Johnson build things the other way round.

TRAVEL

25:06 — KLOOK’S APPROACH // TikTok has turned us all into last-minute bookers. Unlike days of old, people just land and look. Travel is all about last-minute inspiration. And Klook’s winning because of it. We get into how this behavior is changing hospitality. And how most legacy operators seem to be missing it.

FUN FOR THE WEEK

26:00 — MASTERING CINEMA // Brands are still going hard for cinematic and, frankly, it’s a lovely time to be alive. Salamon x the Gohar sisters made an entire mini-movie. And Mercedes demonstrates that Auto hasn’t lost its will to live.

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +14K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

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