Most products fail because they tell instead of show. A client came to us a few years ago with a barbecue product and a polished, high-production video already produced. When we pushed that video out in ads, it looked great, but the damn thing didn’t convert. People just weren’t compelled to buy after seeing it. There was no budget to reshoot, so we worked with what we had: some simple but good-quality recipe clips. Real grill, actual food, stimulating sound. We took the best one (marinated...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Longer daylight hours increase optimism, activity … and willingness to spend. The responses to my garage door email a couple days ago flagged another seasonal shift going on that many brands overlook. The light changes us. More daylight does something real and measurable to your mood and energy. Even before temperatures fully cooperate, this extended evening light increases perceived time, possibility, and momentum. Consumers linger around longer. We squeeze in one more errand, and take the...
2 days ago • 1 min read
The best product mashups multiply what people already love. A soda trend shows up online: People start mixing Sprite with iced tea. Not as a stunt, but because they love the combo. Then eventually, Sprite + Tea becomes an actual product on shelves in the U.S. and Canada. What started as a hack becomes a SKU. We’ve seen this pattern more and more. Trader Joe’s turns lasagna soup into a product after the idea circulates in recipe pages. Fast food chains package pop culture moments into menu...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Seasonal reactivation can begin triggering purchase intent way before a consumer shops. My garage door hasn’t opened much in several months. We park on the pad in winter. The patio furniture is stacked inside, amidst garden tools and sports gear. And man, it’s been a long, incredibly snowy winter where I live. And we just got some more! But the days are getting longer. I feel it in the mornings and evenings. (Meanwhile, our fearless director of strategy Lori in New Zealand is heading into...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Whether a question improves performance depends less on creativity and more on the audience’s emotional state. A study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology by Henrik Hagtvedt tested a small but powerful shift: framing a promotional phrase as a question versus a statement. In calm conditions, questions won big-time. Participants evaluated a pen 22.5% more favorably when it was introduced as “The pen for you?” instead of “The pen for you.” The question invited elaboration, and that added...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Crocs found new success by flipping a mocked product into a signal of confident self-awareness. Most status products work really hard to impress you. They signal refinement, craftsmanship, or heritage. The goal is super obvious: demonstrate taste and elegance to justify a higher price. Crocs trotted down the opposite path. From the beginning, the popular foam clog carried a reputation for being clunky, casual, even a little ridiculous. I’d say a lot ridiculous. People joked about them as the...
6 days ago • 1 min read
In crowded categories, story is a bigger deal than substance. Mac and cheese hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. Pasta + cheese powder = comfort. Then Goodles shows up. Flavors like Twist My Parm and Shella Good make me smile. The playful packaging is a color explosion that looks more like a lifestyle brand than a quickie lunch. And a feel-good repositioning underneath it all: protein, fiber, nutrients. Still salty, squishy comfort food. But it’s a KD alternative framed as something you...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Overlooked niches often hide among collectors, enthusiasts, and underserved buyers. One of the most interesting parts of marketing physical products is discovering who actually buys. Often not who you predicted. Or at least not ONLY. Through experimentation, odd patterns emerge. Like the customer with a closet full of premium pillows who still wants to try one more. The barbecue collector who buys every new smoker and grill just to experience it once. Or the guitar player who owns a wall of...
8 days ago • 1 min read
The latest spicy food trend is all about heightened experience + fire. Walk through the snack aisle or fast-food menu lately and you’ll notice something happening. Everything is getting hotter: Hot honey is slathered on pizza, fried chicken, and even roasted veggies. Snack brands are launching ramen-inspired spicy flavors and cayenne-kicked chips. Fast-food chains are partnering up with viral spice brands and shows like Hot Ones to create menu items that challenge customers’ tolerance for...
9 days ago • 1 min read
