New business name just dropped! 👀

Vogue vs. AI, Networking,

& My New Business Name 👀

Hey hey!!

Today we're talking about how Vogue trying to save a few $$$ might cost them over a century’s worth of branding, the recent toxic marketing trend that brands NEED to stop using, and a new book I'm reading that is changing my entire perspective on networking and growing a biz 👀

So, grab your drink of choice (recommending a double espresso, ofc) and get ready for some hot copy over ice ☺️

(The newsletter may also sometimes include affiliate links for products I personally use or believe in — because that's just smart business.)

The Hot Gossip

The gossip this week?

Vogue has started using AI models, and it's messy 👀

So a couple of weeks ago, a Guess ad in Vogue that looked suspiciously flawless was outed as being AI-generated.

And, as always when huge brands with huge budgets are outed for using AI to do a human's job, people hated it.

There's obviously the ethical issues behind this (replacing jobs, creating an even more unattainable beauty standard, the further dehumanization of women in media, etc).

But as a marketer - something I think is sooo interesting about this is how off-brand this is, and how many businesses are willing to ruin decades of branding for the sake of saving a few $$$.

Because the whole point of Vogue was that they are supposed to be elite. High level. High brow.

The ultimate mark of sophistication. Expensive.

And the problem with AI, at the end of the day, is that it feels cheap.

AI to business is what fast fashion is to the clothing industry.

Everyone has the same stuff. It's fast and easy to make. The quality is lower. It's cheap and low effort.

(Which, sometimes, is fine)

But for Vogue?

A brand that has spent over a century positioning itself as the premium, luxury, expensive option?

Using AI-generated content is pretty much brand death.

And the backlash? Honestly, justified - they should know better. ☕

This Week's Hot Take

‘All publicity is good publicity’ only works in specific circumstances, but every brand thinks they can do it.

Over the last few years, I've noticed a trend into what I would call ‘negative’ or ‘toxic’ marketing.

There's so much that goes under this umbrella, but the biggest thing I've noticed is campaigns based on shock value.

Brands, or celebrities, doing/saying things that are extremely offensive to get people talking.

And, yes, of course this has always been a thing, but it's definitely gotten way worse this decade.

And - not to keep going on about it - the American Eagle campaign is a really good example of that.

Because that campaign had to go through SO many people to get approved.

They knew what they were doing.

And they even did an interview saying that Sydney Sweeney was the one who said she wanted to be as controversial as possible.

Why?

For clicks. For views. For attention.

The issue with this is that this was a trend that really became a thing with influencers and internet personalities (think, the Kardashians)

But that's because the job of people in those industries is to be relevant, at all costs.

That's it. That's the whole job.

But for brands, or actors, (or CEOs at Coldplay concerts on cam?🙈)

They have different jobs - that require them to have a good reputation to get hired, make sales, or get bookings.

Brands are not influencers - because numbers are not what matters - actual sales, clicks, and customer loyalty is.

And you know what?

I will be very happy to watch all these toxic marketing campaigns and bad publicity damage these brands in the long run 💅

What I'm doing BTS

Girl Crush Of The Week

Your weekly intro to a women-owned business that's changing the world…

Current Obsessions

I'm always obsessed with something, but this week specifically, I can't get enough of:

✨ This Book By Molly Beck (This was recommended to me by my mentor, and it's a really interesting book about a networking strategy. I actually used my free Audible trial to get it (which, if you haven't used yours, you should try!) and so far I'm loving the fresh perspective on networking!)

✨ Google Workspace (Ok, so I caved and paid for Google Business Suite. And you know what? It's actually the best. For one not-that-expensive subscription, I can now basically replace Loom, Calendly, and potentially even Slack (plus my work email will actually be reliable - which, yes, is 100% shade at my old hosting provider 👀)

This Week's Email Tip

Talk about things that are timely and relevant.

Ok, so I'm not usually one to tell you to hop on trends - a great business needs to stay timeless.

But, with email, getting attention is one of the hardest parts. Which is why, sometimes, talking about something that everyone else is talking about works.

In my last email, I talked about the American Eagle campaign - because everyone else was talking about it.

A hot topic that people can't get enough of - but that will also keep people in the loop, get clicks, and get attention - can be used strategically in your emails to help keep them relevant.

Of course, you want your email to be valuable and persuasive, but sometimes?

What your emails really need is to be interesting. 👀

(Missed last week's email? You can read it right here!)

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