At the risk of negating the message of this entire newsletter, here’s a comment (copied directly from a WhatsApp conversation I was having with a friend this morning): Something I keep hearing in brand spiels is ‘we want to show up where our customers/ community are’ which is basically spin for what is relentless opportunism and flooding into any potentially lucrative market gap. It feels like a game of Pac-Man - we’re being chased around by brands, nowhere is safe. That’s another reason why the trend cycle is going so fast, bc brands and commerce keep following us down every new rabbit hole, so then we have to uproot and find a new one to escape them.
DING DING DING this...is it. this is exactly it!! i think that's why it's so aggravating, because it "dehumanizes" (a la, uses a person so directly for gain) which then pushes people further toward escapism, to become "brand unlovable," as to create ideas and spaces that are truly one's own. i think this is also maybe why, say, in ways you have such irreverent humor blooming (a la, 9/11 memes) because such items are brand untouchable. now THAT is a story!!!!!!!!!
So I'm the person who does this for a very popular beauty retailer's social, but we're very choosy on when we comment on people's post because we don't want to feel 'thirsty' or too random. It has to make sense, but also I can see why this 'commercialization' can feel done and unwelcome. It's a delicate balance sometimes. Luckily in our case it's usually met with surprised delight, but yes sometimes even I think with some brands it's kind of random and I wonder what their strategy was or if it's just to be seen.
this is great! and i've definitely been involved in similar items (some of the brands are even mentioned in this story eee) but i think it's all about what you're saying: you have to find content that fits, yes, but you also have to a team (social managers, community managers, copywriters, etc.) who understand that 1.) an opportunity is with someone who is game and who won't roast you and 2.) that you're speaking their language, meeting them where they are without isolating them or sticking out. so many brands are doing it poorly — and are clogging the space. if it wasn't so crowded (or obvious), it really wouldn't be so bad. hopefully there are more people like you who are bringing more care to the work!!!! or who, say, can get paid big bucks to engineer an approach for a brand 🤭
Yes I like to think we at the stripes generally make good decisions when external commenting in the wild. And then you have slim Jim’s which truly show up wild and random.
At the risk of negating the message of this entire newsletter, here’s a comment (copied directly from a WhatsApp conversation I was having with a friend this morning): Something I keep hearing in brand spiels is ‘we want to show up where our customers/ community are’ which is basically spin for what is relentless opportunism and flooding into any potentially lucrative market gap. It feels like a game of Pac-Man - we’re being chased around by brands, nowhere is safe. That’s another reason why the trend cycle is going so fast, bc brands and commerce keep following us down every new rabbit hole, so then we have to uproot and find a new one to escape them.
DING DING DING this...is it. this is exactly it!! i think that's why it's so aggravating, because it "dehumanizes" (a la, uses a person so directly for gain) which then pushes people further toward escapism, to become "brand unlovable," as to create ideas and spaces that are truly one's own. i think this is also maybe why, say, in ways you have such irreverent humor blooming (a la, 9/11 memes) because such items are brand untouchable. now THAT is a story!!!!!!!!!
So I'm the person who does this for a very popular beauty retailer's social, but we're very choosy on when we comment on people's post because we don't want to feel 'thirsty' or too random. It has to make sense, but also I can see why this 'commercialization' can feel done and unwelcome. It's a delicate balance sometimes. Luckily in our case it's usually met with surprised delight, but yes sometimes even I think with some brands it's kind of random and I wonder what their strategy was or if it's just to be seen.
this is great! and i've definitely been involved in similar items (some of the brands are even mentioned in this story eee) but i think it's all about what you're saying: you have to find content that fits, yes, but you also have to a team (social managers, community managers, copywriters, etc.) who understand that 1.) an opportunity is with someone who is game and who won't roast you and 2.) that you're speaking their language, meeting them where they are without isolating them or sticking out. so many brands are doing it poorly — and are clogging the space. if it wasn't so crowded (or obvious), it really wouldn't be so bad. hopefully there are more people like you who are bringing more care to the work!!!! or who, say, can get paid big bucks to engineer an approach for a brand 🤭
Yes I like to think we at the stripes generally make good decisions when external commenting in the wild. And then you have slim Jim’s which truly show up wild and random.