Yanny or Laurel: The Only Thing Marketers Need to Hear

There’s no shortage of content being created around the latest, polarizing question: “What do you hear?! Yanny or Laurel?” From YouTube videos exploring the science behind hearing to brands co-opting the cultural conversation to podcasters claiming audio is the new be-all-end-all of marketing, there’s one key takeaway for brands: the best marketing is about the

This Social Media Influencer Asked for a Free Room. The Hotel Owner Sent Her a Bill for 5.3 Million Dollars

Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Every story also has characters, a plot, and conflict. This story certainly has all three and I have a feeling we’re only in the middle of it. Let me introduce you to our real life characters: Elle Darbe, a British beauty blogger who has 88.1k Instagram

What’s Next? The 3 Second Ad? Stop Interrupting and Start Thinking Consumer First.

Every summer has its own story. And what a summer it’s been for traditional media companies and platforms to come up with new ways to interrupt the consumer, even though everyone in the industry knows that interruptive advertising is dead. Here’s what Fox and YouTube executives cooked up over the summer barbecues: The Six Second Ad! Cue
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Why Brands Shouldn’t Forget the “Marketing” in “Content Marketing”

True story from my experience at the intersection of Hollywood Storytelling and Brand Marketing. “Are all of the billboards that he’ll see on the drive from his home to the office part of the media and marketing plan?” “Yes. He’ll see all of our new shows promoted on every billboard on his drive.” “Perfect.” Yes,

Why Brands Should Verify Influencer Marketing ROI and Reports

Ground Control to Major Tom. We have a problem. The wild wild west influencer marketing industry continues to be a sh*t show and self-reporting by the very people who have a horse in the race is just one of the biggest reasons why it’s getting a bad rap. Here’s Why All of the platforms that

4 Industries to Poach Brand Storytellers From for your Content Marketing Org

I recently wrote about how some brands are stuck in the past and can’t seem to shake old habits, like creating “ads” and “spots” that interrupt consumers and offer no value. It’s hard to transform a brand that’s stuck in its ways, with senior executives that don’t understand the changing media landscape, who still think consumers want

How the 3C’s Content Strategy can Transform Marketing from a Cost Center to a Revenue Center

One of the biggest mistakes marketers make when starting any content marketing initiative is not knowing the “why” behind it. What is the purpose of the content? How does it fit into the overall content mix? The second biggest mistake is not knowing what they are going to do with the content. Where does it

Why Marketers, Agencies, and YouTube are on the Wrong Side of History with the Six-Second Ad Format

Ground Control to Major Tom. We have a major problem. It seems that Marketers, Agencies, and Platforms are only thinking about themselves. They haven’t learned that consumers now control when, where, and how they interact with brands. Brands no longer control the medium, the message, or the consumer. Even the data that marketers love so
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How Content Marketing is like a First Date…

Imagine two dates. The first begins: “Hi! I’m stylish and worldly. I hang out with very cool friends. I’ve won a few trophies, but really I’m good at what I do because I’m passionate about it. Stick with me and you will have a fabulous adventure.” The second like this: “Nice to see you. I
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Why Customers Are Your Best Storytellers

Like it or not, we live in a world with so many screens, yet so little time. The amount of messages we receive from work, friends and family can feel overwhelming at times. On top of that, we’re bombarded with messages from brands every day. It’s estimated that we we see 300-700 marketing messages per
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