Dispatches * Assorted thoughts and insights *
Dispatches * Assorted thoughts and insights *
All buzz, no brand: Why we love new shit and why it’s not a good idea
All over the world, we’re seeing people tear things up – or down, almost for the sake of it. And brand and marketing is not immune, quite happily chasing hype over meaning, always doing, not always thinking.
Everything changed in 2024 – will 2025 see even more disruption?
What’s next for 2025? In a world filled with myriad challenges and only just getting to grips with the impact of AI, the creative industries face a paradox: more tools, more content, less clarity, less certainty.
Woolworths’ warehouse strike is not good for brand reputation
Woolworths faces a growing crisis as strikes, pay disputes, and reputational damage highlight deeper issues of profit-over-people priorities – raising fresh questions about Australia’s supermarket duopoly.
Australia’s social media ban – the fix we need or social media band-aid?
Australia’s social media ban for under-16s may be a necessary step — but it’s also a symptom of deeper failure. Now is the time for real conversations about digital safety, accountability, and wellbeing for our kids.
The fight for attention is over – why I’m farewelling advertising
Advertising has become a source of underwhelming outcomes thanks to attention-poor audiences. Solution? Brand doesn’t chase relevance — it builds it. And in the long run, it’s branding that truly endures.
What the class action against Coles and Woolies actually means
The ACCC’s case against Coles and Woolworths has sparked a class action, raising bigger questions about trust, transparency, and the true cost of “everyday low prices” in Australian retail.
Brand is the long game people should play – but rarely do
The benefits of brand building over time are being overlooked due to a bias toward the now — a common trap where marketers and business leaders prioritise short-term gains over long-term success.
My oversized coffee tells a story about experience, or rather, the lack of it.
Losing experienced workers might be efficient – but it erodes brand experience, business resilience, and depth. It’s time for honest conversations about what’s really lost when knowledge walks out the door.
Finding what matters amongst a mess of opinions and buzzwords
Across brand and marketing, so-called experts have spun a process that’s meant to deliver clarity into a web of complexity. What needed is a plain-speaking, no nonsense, glossary of terms. Voila!
We need to look at the whole brand puzzle, not play with the pieces
All too often, creating a meaningful brand becomes a disparate, reactive process — where one objective is prioritised at the expense of others. So, what are the key pieces of the brand puzzle?