Greetings, happy midweek.

First, would love to know how we’re feeling about these podcast. Are they useful. Would you like them to be more specific? Give more advice? Please share.

Second, this podcast is revealing something I already knew but now is literally staring me in the face: I can’t help but make faces when I talk. Do people go to podcast school for this? Tips and tricks are welcomed and needed.

Ok, now let’s dive in to a few topics that really stop out from the latest letter.

* 2:11 - How Jellycat is getting it right.

* 4:24 - How the right retail experience has legs on social.

* 5:50 - Retailers need to think about the various personas and what the experience can offer each.

* 7:33 - How retail has lost it’s way with engagement.

“Make your retail experience an experience”

* 10:41 - Where Burberry has gone wrong and the first question they need to ask themselves.

* 12:08 - “Even if we're not personally interested, we should be able to identify” who your brand is for.

* 12:43 - Collabs are signals.

* 13:52 - The Vera Bradley rebrand.

* 15:26 - How so many rebrands are derailed by internal teams fearing that they’ll ‘lose their current audience. And why this is a mistake.

* 15:57 - The Vera campaign we’d have loved to see.

* 16:26 - The Lily Pulitzer rebrand comparison.

* 18:11 - A rebrand is more than a logo and a mark.

(a brief period of barking by the very cute and adorable Poppy)

* 24:42 - 1/8 of every suitcase is filled with supplements. What brands can do with this little nugget of insight.

That’s all, folx!

-Chris

Hi all,

Trying to send these podcasts out sparingly. Sharing this one because it’s a fun one.

This week we discuss 5 parts of the newsletter that deserved more attention. We get into what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly how brands can use these nuggets.

Enjoy!

Around the 2min mark:

* EVERYONE’S MAKING KIDS // This week Mark Bittman launched his famous ‘How To Cook Everything’ cookbook but made for kids. I’ve mentioned that in Milan there were a shocking number of freestanding kids stores (everyone from Stone Island to Versace). Kith has opened 2 kids stores in BK this year alone. Kim Kulka is having profound Play. Tiny, Même. Boden Kids, Bubble, Yawn and more brands focusing on this space coming soon—mark my words.

At about minute 9, we get into:

* EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE // I loved Rachel Karten’s breakdown of Tiffany’s Elsa Perreti Collection social rollout. They focused on 1 hero piece. Stuck to carousels—bold. And went for niche (‘stylist’). Endearing yourself to the ‘industry’ = smart. Examples: Karla Welch, Thomas Christos, Allison Bornstein, Elsa Hosk, Laura Harrier, Peter Lux, Sarah Slutsky.

11:47-ish:

* BRANDY MELVILLE IS DESTINATION SHOPPING -> AfterSchool // The ‘kids’ are traveling over oceans and putting ‘Brandy Melville’ at the top of their destination list. One draw seems to be store size. Also interesting: BM appears to be aware that their core demo is aging out and are launching a new brand called St George to capture them. It’s less chaotic in the merchandising and has sizes. 

18:47:

HEAVY WEIGHTS ARE GOING TO REPLACE REFORMERS // As the conversation around menopause has heated up, another one has followed: Gen-X/Boomer women lifting heavy weights. There’s now a consensus that to women’s long-term health they need to build muscle by lifting heavy weights. Such a GREAT place for brands to play. Franchises that make this less intimidating than a Crossfit Box. Product assortment ie. weighted vests that look good. Campaigns that target this older demo. Yes pls. 

25.47:

CHECK INTO THE COPPOLA -> Feed Me // Francis Ford Coppola renovated a former Days Inn Motel in Georgia’s Peachtree City (not his first hospitality endeavor), and turned it into a hotel with everything you need to shoot a movie. Editing facilities, screening rooms, fitting rooms, recording studios, the whole 9-yards. Niche hospitality for creators—clever. 

If you enjoy these, hit the little heart thingy. We appreciate it.

That’s all folx.

-Chris

This week, Kirsten and I get into the conversation around Abercrombie’s ‘unbranding’, Bandit’s no-logos Unsponsored Project at the Olympics trials, and Gucci (and many of the houses’) new art direction.

Enjoy!

This week’s episode we dive into all things Milanese retail. Ok, not ALL things but a couple of highlights. One of two low points and a lot of detailed takes on what was working and what wasn’t.

OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE BULY (at the top)

SEZANE (around 17:30)

LEVI’S (around 24:30)

LA DOUBLE J (around 30:00)

CORSO COMO 10 ( approx 33:40, briefly)

ZARA HOME (approx 36:05)

MASSIMO DUTTI (briefly towards the end)

This week, we decided to go deeper on aspect element of the letter: Booze Free Games.

BOOZE FREE GAMES -> As Seen On For the first Games ever, non-alc is going to sponsor the Olympics. Yes, I know the subject line last week said non-alc was over but, obviously, we know I was joking. This past World Cup was big sporting moment for booze-free and wasn’t the disaster everyone expected—it was a huge success. But booze-free or not, the question is: how to make sure the sponsorship work with the Games (and all sports, really) being consumed in a totally different way. “The difficulty for a sponsor is that, while there may indeed be millions watching the pole vaulting, and by extension the sponsor’s brand in the background, millions more…are watching the pole vaulter’s unbranded TikTok video of what they had for breakfast.”

We dive into what this means for the games, how non-alc needs to ensure it positions itself not as same-but-different but truly different. And more.

Enjoy!

This episode of GOOD THINKING WEEKLY we dive into our last letter, Episode 21. If you haven't read it and want to, dive in here.