“Most people aren’t communicating but merely exchanging facts” said Damon Dominique in one of his recent YouTube videos and it stuck with me, because it’s true. Just because you’re talking, or should we say spewing words, doesn’t mean you’re connecting. 

But with the average person having over 6,000 thoughts per day, it can feel like many are itching to escape. And even when they’re not, it feels like they need out regardless because keeping them to ourselves isn’t good enough. At least that’s how I feel as an introvert navigating this world in which quietness, especially in the context of business, is often equated with insignificance. 

Perhaps it's the internalised pressure, fuelled by the constant urging from marketing gurus and influential media powerhouses alike to establish thought-leadership, that drives the proliferation of "hot takes" on the internet—though, in reality, they often merely amount to lukewarm takes.

It’s no wonder that most reflections we see are more surface-level and performative than truly critical.

Between feeling behind in life and grappling with information overload, life in 2023 is tiring. So “we consume at a higher volume and question at a lower rate.” (Wilda Casado's words)

It got me thinking… what does this all mean for our marketing?

I wrote a whole essay.

 

And then hit select all and delete. 

 

I think that tells you a lot about what I think the current consensus is.

 

The majority of us want to be presented with (thought-)provoking but concise ideas. Blogs and newsletters seem to be some of the few places left where we can find reminiscence of more in-depth, perhaps even philosophical business discourse.  

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. We need more dialogue than monologue anyway. So what if someone doesn’t shine light on every nook and cranny of a topic? It invites those that enjoy some thinking to join the conversation.

And that’s the most interesting place to be for business and for societal change: conversation.

So I think what it boils down to is: 

 

It’s important to know your core stance (your message, your position(ing)) and to make it known but sometimes it’s okay not to have a well-formed and perfectly-phrased opinion on a topic.

To see how touching narratives, strong storytelling, and captivating imagery go hand-in-hand, I recommend immersing yourself in the following.

Put simply, here are 3 shows I've watched recently and loved…

If there's something in particular you want me to share my thoughts on in the upcoming editions—branding related or not—hit reply & let me know!


As always, thanks for reading!

 

& bye for now! 🪲