John Lewis hails turnaround, 'performance branding' is dead and Taylor Swift's Trump-inspired T-shirts
John Lewis hails turnaround, 'performance branding' is dead and Taylor Swift's Trump-inspired T-shirts
Issue #23
I curate the can’t-miss headlines in marketing, brands, tech and startups every Friday before lunch. Every Friday before lunch. ☕️
Weekly Exhale | Issue #23
Our brains are built to hardwire patterns—to run algorithms. Once a pattern is encoded, we can execute it up to 100 times faster, as if it were second nature. Things that seem difficult at first become effortless, almost zen-like. Boom. We become superhumans, right?
But, if you’re a musician, you’ll know about "practising mistakes". In 1987, I was a young, promising pianist and collapsed in tears at a performance in front of two hundred people. Worse, it was in front of my Dad—one of the original drummers for Van Morrisson. It was devastating.
The key to breaking out of failing patterns is to hit reset. Don't practice mistakes. Many of the patterns we run limit us, and unlike me, sat at that black upright piano, we're often blissfully unaware.
Good news: And Rising’s experimental and successful Retreat & Rise Up announced its 2025 dates this week. If you're feeling the tingles of change, skip to the bottom and consider giving yourself a reset.
Let’s rise together with every issue. 🧡
Market Movements
Hard decisions warning ahead of next month's Budget | BBC
US inflation softens to lowest level as Fed prepares to cut rates | The Guardian
House prices rising for first time in two years | The Independent
Brand Beat
John Lewis hails turnaround as losses narrow | Financial Times
Greenpeace puts pressure on as Unilever admits work is 'far from over' | MarketingWeek
Ad spotlight: Killing Eve writers turn talents to new EE spot | The Drum
There's no such thing as 'performance branding' | Mark Ritson
It's time for marketers to speak the language of finance | MarketingWeek
Why are brands apologising so much right now? | Creative Review
How do fashion brands grow? | Jenny Romaniuk
How a DTC brand made sustainability part of their growth | Daphne Tideman
The new formula for deodorant sales: Move beyond the armpit | Wall Street Journal
How Bugaboo plans to corner the market | Fast Company
Net-a-Porter shifts beauty to affiliate model | Business of Fashion
UK TV production sector income falls by £400m | The Guardian
Three things I wish I'd known in my startup marketing career | Sifted
'A better approach to business' B Corps brands believe their time has come | The Times
Trending: Poppi World used a NYC pop-up as viral soda brand | AdWeek
And here's why we're living in a "Poppi' brand pop-up world | Zoya
Startup
Depop founder Simon Beckerman's food marketplace raises $6m | Sifted
Gen Z entrepreneurs—behind the desire for self-employment | AdAge
Form launches prenatal program as it grows to $21m and 60k subscribers | Forbes
Wackiest employee benefits from around the world | Startups
Tech Tidbits
OpenAI announces a new AI model, code-named Strawberry | Wired
There's a war for the top 1%: Inside French tech's battle for AI talent | Sifted
Could a copy of you exist in the multiverse? | Big Think
TikTok takes on Google's new AI search | NoGood
Venture Vibes
L'Oreal heiress and Chanel buy a stake in Olsens' fashion brand | Fortune
TikTok phenomenon Nicole Wischoff announces $50 million fund III | YouTube
After Shark Tank, Mark Cuban wants to break the prescription drug industry | Wired
How do VCs make decisions? | The VC Corner
Design Driven
iPhone 16's new button is about so much more than the camera | Fast Company
Taylor Swift angers Trump by stealing his T-Shirt design | Fast Company
The Met Office partners with Giphy to bring out weather characters | It's Nice That
Hello, Happiness
Be present with your future self | Per Håkansson
Deepak Chopra's AI twin advises on everything 'from sex to spirituality' | Fortune
Retreat & Rise Up 2025 dates are open: Be human in nature | Retreat & Rise Up
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