Episodios

  • From Rage Bait to Real Feelings: Grok, Polymarket, Chevrolet & Stranger Things

    From Rage Bait to Real Feelings: Grok, Polymarket, Chevrolet & Stranger Things
    Jan 8 2026
    Sonia and Christina Garnett break down why 2026 might finally be the year marketing moves past rage bait and back toward empathy, craft, and emotional intelligence. They cover Grok's non-consensual AI image scandal, Polymarket's refusal to pay out on Venezuela invasion bets, Chevrolet's tear-jerking holiday ad that went viral, the Stranger Things finale conspiracy theories, and why Cadillac F1 is putting their drivers on Hot Ones instead of traditional press tours.The big thesis: attention-at-any-cost marketing is dying. Rage bait burns goodwill (see: Cluely, Friend AI). Empathy wins. Nostalgia works. Craft beats AI slop. And brands that give audiences a voice—not just content to scroll past—are the ones building lasting equity.We're talking about:Grok's AI image scandal: non-consensual deepfakes of women and children, Elon's tone-deaf response, and why the UK government had to step inPolymarket refusing to pay users who bet on Venezuela invasion—and what it reveals about who gets to decide "truth"Chevrolet's "Memory Lane" holiday ad: 778K YouTube views, organic TikTok reactions, and why nostalgia + empathy = sustainable brand loveStranger Things finale backlash: Duffer Brothers leaving plot holes, fans writing their own endings, and the Game of Thrones-level risk of letting down your communityCadillac F1's Hot Ones strategy: using YouTube influencers over traditional press to reach younger American audiences (5-10M views per episode)Why gambling proliferation is a societal red flag: athletes getting harassed, people betting on recessions, and dopamine addiction replacing empathyThe pendulum swing coming in 2026: analog, craft, experiential, and emotional marketing replacing AI slop and Machiavellian tacticsMonsters Inc as a marketing metaphor: laughter (positive emotion) generates more sustainable energy than screams (rage bait)Plus: Why Netflix theatrical windows matter, how Timothée Chalamet's Marty Supreme campaign proved experiential beats traditional ads, and Christina's plea for Budweiser Clydesdales at the Super Bowl.guest: Christina Garnett – Author of Transforming Customer Brand Relationships, community strategist, fandom marketing expert (@ThatChristinaG on Twitter/LinkedIn/Threads)guest perspective: Christina brings deep fandom + community lens—talks Stranger Things conspiracy theories, why rage bait conditions audiences for the worst behavior, gambling as dopamine farming, and the sociological shift from treating humans as NPCs to rebuilding empathy. She's bullish on analog, nostalgic, and emotionally intelligent marketing and wants brands to stop rewarding bad actors.marketing takeaways:Empathy beats rage bait for long-term brand equity (Chevy's nostalgia ad vs. Clueless burning goodwill)Positive emotions are more sustainable than negative ones (Monsters Inc laughter is better than screams)Create annual traditions people look forward to (Chevy holiday ads, Budweiser Clydesdales, Stripe activations)Go where your audience is—not where you want them to be (Hot Ones, podcasts, YouTube over the traditional press)Personality beats credentials (Cadillac letting Bottas wear American Speedos, F1 drivers on Hot Ones)Fandom is co-creation—give your audience a voice or risk losing them (Stranger Things fan theories, AO3 rewrites)Craft, analog, and experiential marketing cut through AI slop (theatrical experiences, merch drops, breadcrumb campaigns)Don't let the loudest voices pivot your whole product—but listen enough to build buy-inMonth-long campaigns beat one-day launches (movie promo playbook applies to tech: teasers, influencers, premieres, method dressing)00:00-06:38 — Yellow Card x Good Charlotte collab, millennial nostalgia, 21 Pilots TikTok lore, analog comeback06:38-23:35 — Grok AI scandal: non-consensual deepfakes, child exploitation, Elon's bikini response, UK government intervention23:35-32:26 — Polymarket refusing Venezuela invasion payouts, who decides truth, gambling as recession indicator32:26-44:10 — Chevrolet \"Memory Lane\" ad: 778K views, nostalgia + empathy, annual traditions, McDonald's vs. Chevy44:10-55:25 — Stranger Things finale backlash: Duffer Brothers leaving plot holes, Vecna Lives conspiracy, fandom co-creation risks55:25-end — Cadillac F1 Hot Ones strategy, Leonardo DiCaprio on New Heights, month-long campaigns, takeaways + where to find Christina
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    53 m
  • My Top 5: Marty Supreme, Mini Cities, Morse Code, and More

    My Top 5: Marty Supreme, Mini Cities, Morse Code, and More
    Jan 1 2026

    Every week on The Meme Team Podcast, we break down what worked, what didn't, and why people cared. This year had too many good campaigns to just list—so we're doing an awards show.

    In this episode, Sonia and the team cover:

    • Marty Supreme / Timothée Chalamet (w/ Mark Stenberg) – The lookalike contest, the Statue of Liberty stunt, and meta-marketing done right.

    • Stripe's Black Friday Mini City (w/ Kushaan Shah & Amanda Natividad) – A handmade, 8-foot miniature city with 15 buildings, live-streamed over 24 hours. Why craft beats AI.

    • Morgan Wallen's Tour Announcement (w/ Cristin Culver) – Morse code Easter eggs, coordinated stadium social posts, and a masterclass in knowing your fans.

    • Zohran Mamdani's NYC Scavenger Hunt (w/ Amanda Natividad & Martin O'Leary) – How a political campaign got 2,000+ people to show up for chai and a selfie.

    • Astronomer + Gwyneth Paltrow (w/ Amanda Natividad) – How Maximum Effort turned a kiss cam disaster into a viral comeback.

    Plus: Why Ramp and Stripe are making fintech exciting, what Coca-Cola got wrong with their AI Christmas ad, and the through-line across every great campaign this year—getting people to participate, not just watch.

    0:00 – Intro: Why we're doing an awards show

    1:35 – Marty Supreme / Timothée Chalamet

    17:12 – Stripe's Black Friday Mini City

    32:26 – Morgan Wallen's Stadium Tour Rollout

    41:18 – Zohran Mamdani's Scavenger Hunt

    44:10 – Astronomer + Gwyneth Paltrow
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    49 m
  • Amazon vs. Sephora: $99 Advent Calendars

    Amazon vs. Sephora: $99 Advent Calendars
    Dec 23 2025

    Sonia sits down with Julie Fredrickson (managing partner at Chaotic Capital) to dissect the Advent calendar wars—and what Amazon's massive, perfectly-packaged K-beauty box says about the future of retail, beauty merchandising, and who's winning the tastemaker race.

    We're talking about:

    • Why Amazon shipped a $99 Advent calendar in custom foam inserts (and what that signals about their beauty ambitions)

    • The end of de minimis tax and how it's reshaping K-beauty imports, counterfeits, and brand trust

    • Sephora's loyalty program collapse: why 500-point rewards vanished and millennials are jumping ship

    • Costco's rotating J-beauty drops, Trader Joe's SKU ruthlessness, and the rise of "box season"

    • Amazon vs. Sephora vs. Saks Fifth Avenue: who's nailing the unboxing experience (and who's phoning it in)

    • How Amazon's using logistics mastery to court American beauty brands—and whether they'll share customer data

    • The millennial beauty gap: why there's no one merchandising to women in their 30s and 40s

    • Gen Z's plastic surgery trend, buccal fat removal regrets, and whether "aggressively natural" is the next aesthetic shift

    Plus: Why full-size beats samples, how TikTok unboxings are the new product review, and what gourmand fragrances have to do with Ozempic.

    guest: Julie Fredrickson – Managing Partner at Chaotic Capital, retail expert, beauty substack writer (@almost_media on Twitter/X, nicepackaging.substack.com)

    guest perspective: Julie brings deep retail and merchandising expertise—breaks down SKU strategy, 3PL logistics, counterfeit challenges, and why Amazon hiring Christine Beauchamp (former Ann Taylor) signals they're serious about taste. She's skeptical of Sephora's down-market shift and bullish on craft packaging as brand positioning.

    marketing takeaways:

    1. Packaging = brand promise (Amazon's custom inserts telegraphed \"we're luxury-ready\")

    2. Curation beats assortment (12 full-size K-beauty products is better than 24 Sephora samples)

    3. Loyalty programs die when you pull rewards from top spenders (Sephora's 500-point disaster)

    4. Use operations as marketing (Amazon's 3PL pitch to beauty brands = trust signal)

    5. Sampling tiers matter: trial vs mini vs full-size creates different conversion paths

    6. TikTok unboxings are your real product reviews—design for that moment

    7. Tastemaker positioning requires constant curation (Sephora lost it, Amazon's claiming it)
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    35 m
  • Substack ads, Storytelling Over Slop, & Kim K. In Fortnite

    Substack ads, Storytelling Over Slop, & Kim K. In Fortnite
    Dec 18 2025

    Sonia Baschez sits down with Hailey Allen (creative strategist at neuemotion) to dissect the marketing wins and fails making waves right now—from AI slop ruining brand perception to why companies are suddenly hiring "chief storytellers."

    We're talking about:

    • Why McDonald's pulled their AI ad in 24 hours (and why Disney chose the worst week to announce their OpenAI deal)

    • "Slop" being named word of the year and what that says about 2025

    • Substack launching sponsorships after years of being ad-free—is the dream over?

    • Pinterest Predicts 2026 vs. Pantone's boring white color choice

    • The viral WSJ article about chief storytellers and why AI can't replace human narrative

    • A24's fake engagement announcement and Spielberg's cryptic Times Square billboard

    • Kim Kardashian x Fortnite: actually genius or completely unhinged?

    Plus: actionable takeaways for marketers trying to cut through the noise.

    1. 00:40 – McDonald's AI Ad Disaster & Disney-OpenAI Partnership

    2. 03:46 – 2025 Words of the Year (Slop, Rage Bait, Parasocial)

    3. 05:12 – J.Crew Pop-Up & the Rise of Experiential Marketing

    4. 07:38 – Substack Launches Ads: The End of Ad-Free Newsletters?

    5. 19:22 – 2026 Trend Reports: Pinterest Predicts vs. Pantone's Flop

    6. 24:30 – Chief Storytellers: Why Companies Are Hiring for "Vibes"

    7. 36:30 – Movie Marketing Masterclass: A24's Fake Engagement & Spielberg's Mystery Billboard

    8. 41:51 – Kim Kardashian x Fortnite: Genius or Chaos?

    9. 49:55 – Marketing Takeaways Recap
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    58 m
  • “Opt-In” Marketing: How Granola, Nvidia & Percy Jackson Won

    “Opt-In” Marketing: How Granola, Nvidia & Percy Jackson Won
    Dec 11 2025

    This episode hits on five major marketing trends playing out rn. starts with F1's american takeover—Cadillac's super bowl livery reveal is perfectly timed with Apple's new broadcast deal to capture US audiences who've been waiting for a team that actually leans into being american. they also break down the wholesome carlos sainz unicorn helmet story that shows how user-generated content and ongoing storylines can build real fan engagement when you're not just extracting value from your audience.

    The spotify wrapped vs granola crunched comparison is the meat of it—spotify's getting 500M shares but losing trust bc people think the data's cooked and taylor swift's juicing the numbers. granola launched a privacy-first year-end review that actually felt accurate and personal, proving that substance beats viral metrics for long-term brand equity. they tie this into nvidia hiring a merch director and palantir's cult following, arguing that founder personality + quality merch = walking billboards that signal community membership (the "if you know you know" factor).

    Closes on rage bait marketing being a dead-end strategy despite easy engagement. paul graham called it scammer shit, and they show how companies like clueless and friend ai burned goodwill chasing attention instead of building product. the counterpoint: wholesome marketing, craft, and participatory events (percy jackson's fountain billboard, stripe's mini-city) are winning bc people are exhausted from doom scrolling. big thesis: attention economy thinking misses that not all attention is equal—optimize for trust and positive emotion, not just impressions.

    • F1 Marketing Moves (00:01 - 09:14): Cadillac F1's Super Bowl livery reveal strategy, Apple TV's F1 deal, and Carlos Sainz's wholesome unicorn helmet story

    • Spotify Wrapped vs Granola Crunch (14:04 - 26:37): Why Spotify's losing trust while Granola nails year-end reviews

    • Merch as Marketing Strategy (29:24 - 43:00): Nvidia hiring a merch director, Palantir's cult following, and why founder personality matters

    • Out of Home Evolution (44:16 - 52:30): Percy Jackson's fountain billboard and creating participatory marketing events

    • The Rage Bait Problem (55:25 - 1:22:48): Paul Graham weighs in, why companies like Clueless are burning goodwill for engagement
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    1 h y 5 m
  • Stripe and Shopify Crushed Black Friday & Cyber Monday

    Stripe and Shopify Crushed Black Friday & Cyber Monday
    Dec 4 2025
    Sonia, Amanda, and guest Kushaan Shah break down how Shopify and Stripe owned Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2025—not through traditional ads, but by spotlighting merchants, building miniature cities by hand, and proving B2B doesn't have to be boring. They unpack record-breaking consumer spending ($1 trillion+ for the first time), the dark side of buy-now-pay-later debt, mobile shopping's takeover of desktop, and why craft beats AI when you're trying to stand out.The episode dives deep into Shopify's multi-channel BFCM strategy: Harvey Finkelstein's Twitter thread crowdsourcing merchant recs, a TBPN-sponsored broadcast featuring brand founders live, and projecting their real-time sales dashboard onto the Las Vegas Sphere. Then they dissect Stripe's hand-built miniature city live stream—15 buildings, motorized trains, 100+ customer Easter eggs, zero AI—and why unscalable activations create more buzz than Super Bowl ads.They also tackle Target's flat Stranger Things partnership (retro Doritos vs. Aldo's exclusive heels), the shift from desktop to mobile shopping enabling impulse buys, why 67% of BNPL users don't plan to pay on time, U.S. credit scores dropping for the first time in a decade, and what all of this means for marketers trying to win attention in 2024.key topics:Shopify's Black Friday strategy: Harvey Finkelstein Twitter thread, TBPN broadcast with founders, Las Vegas Sphere activationStripe's hand-built miniature city live stream (craft vs. AI, customer Easter eggs, model makers)Black Friday 2024 breaks records: $14.2B spending (up 6%), first-ever $1 trillion holiday seasonBuy-now-pay-later explosion: $1B+ in BNPL volume, 67% don't plan to pay within terms, worst kind of debtU.S. credit scores dropping: largest decline since Great Recession, high interest rates + inflation + student loansMobile overtakes desktop for shopping: impulse buys, Instagram ads, always-on commerceTarget's Stranger Things partnership falls flat: retro Doritos, generic merch, missed experiential opportunityAldo's Stranger Things heels as a better brand collab example (exclusivity, task-oriented shopping)Why unscalable = memorable: Stripe, Ramp, Anthropic pop-ups vs. traditional B2B adsCraft as brand positioning: Stripe Press, Apple's glass logo, Barbour's Wallace & Gromit vs. Coca-Cola AIMaking customers your marketers: organic reach, spotlight merchants, extend activation shelf lifeguest: Kushaan Shah - Lifestyle Marketing at Superhuman (formerly Grammarly), writer on Substack (@kushaanshah on Twitter/X)guest perspective: Kushaan brings a B2B SaaS lens—talks about TBPN as the new TechCrunch, brand halo effects, task-oriented behavior vs. high-traffic browsing, and why happy customers extend marketing ROI. He's bullish on experiential unscalable activations and skeptical of partnerships that don't create unique value (Target/Stranger Things). Also shares insights on Superhuman's rebrand from Grammarly and building an end-to-end productivity suite.marketing takeaways:Spotlight your customers—they'll extend your reach organically (Shopify merchants, Stripe's customer Easter eggs)Unscalable beats scalable when everything looks like AI slop (hand-built city vs digital renders)Craft = brand positioning in the AI era (Stripe Press, Apple glass, live-streamed model making)Brand partnerships need unique value, not just co-branding (Aldo exclusive heels vs Target retro Doritos)B2B can be experiential and cultural (Ramp's Kevin stunt, Stripe City, TBBPN as status symbol)Mobile-first = impulse-first; design for task vs. browse behaviorYOLO/FOMO marketing: create experiences people can't miss, not just products they can buy later(00:00:00) Welcome and Introducing Kushan Shah from Superhuman (00:02:19) Shopify's Black Friday Takeover on TBPN (00:07:03) Shopify's Las Vegas Sphere Activation (00:11:22) Black Friday Shopping Records and Economic Trends (00:12:27) The Rise of Buy Now Pay Later and Consumer Debt (00:17:00) Mobile Shopping Revolution (00:21:45) Amazon vs Shopify: The Battle for E-commerce (00:25:39) Stripe's Miniature City Campaign (00:34:55) The Value of Craft in Marketing (00:39:29) B2B Marketing Doesn't Have to Be Boring (00:41:06) Stranger Things x Target Partnership Analysis (00:48:08) What Makes Effective Brand Partnerships (00:59:05) Key Takeaways for Marketers00:00-02:51 — Intro + Kushan on Superhuman rebrand (Grammarly → productivity suite)02:51-14:25 — Shopify's BFCM blitz: TBBPN broadcast, Harvey's Twitter thread, Las Vegas Sphere14:25-23:38 — Black Friday spending records, buy-now-pay-later explosion, credit score collapse23:38-42:01 — Stripe's hand-built miniature city: craft vs. AI, live stream, customer Easter eggs, B2B experiential marketing42:01-end — Target's Stranger Things partnership critique, Aldo heels as better example, key takeaways + where to find Kushan
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    1 h y 4 m
  • Give Your Audience A Voice: Hulu, Hunger Games, Shopify, & Miu Miu

    Give Your Audience A Voice: Hulu, Hunger Games, Shopify, & Miu Miu
    Nov 26 2025

    episode description: sonia and kaleigh break down why traditional marketing is dying and what's replacing it. they cover timothée chalamet's $250 jacket sellout, apple tv's continued failure to market good shows, hulu's genius grocery store hack, lionsgate listening to fans for hunger games casting, shopify's president crowdsourcing black friday recs, and why a luxury brand just said "fuck ai" with their new website.

    main thesis: communities beat celebrities, craft beats slop, and giving your audience a voice beats shouting at them with ads.

    key topics:

    • timothée's marty supreme marketing turning movie promo into cultural participation

    • apple tv fumbling pluribus marketing despite vince gilligan attachment

    • hulu's qr code apples for abbott elementary (physical media comeback)

    • elle fanning hunger games casting as fan service done right

    • shopify president's black friday thread strategy (crowdsourced recommendations)

    • miu miu's handcrafted anti-ai website aesthetic

    • lionsgate hiring tiktok creators for in-house fan cams

    • the shift from brand awareness to community buy-in

    • why netflix/hulu finally stopped dmca-ing fan content

    • advent calendar quality wars (sephora losing, amazon winning with korean skincare)

    guest: kaleigh moore - freelance seo/aeo content writer for saas companies, retail contributor at forbes (@kaleighf on twitter/x, kaleighmoore.com)

    guest perspective: kaleigh brings software/saas marketing lens throughout—talks surprise-and-delight moments, secret handshake marketing, first-mover advantage, crowdsourcing content strategy. she's obsessed with pluribus, advocates hard for fandom-first approaches, and makes the case that production houses need to treat audiences like content partners not consumers.

    marketing takeaways:

    1. novel placement beats ad spend (apples in grocery stores beat billboards)

    2. listen to your audience but don't let the loudest voices pivot your whole product

    3. executives as community builders not just figureheads

    4. unscalable = memorable when everything else looks like ai slop

    5. fan involvement creates buy-in (casting, merchandise, experiences)

    6. physical/tactile marketing cuts through digital fatigue

    • timothée chalamet's marty supreme marketing (merch pop-up, $250 jackets) - 0:00-3:33

    • apple tv's pluribus marketing struggles - 3:33-6:33

    • hulu's abbott elementary apple sticker campaign - 7:16-15:44

    • lionsgates's elle fanning hunger games casting (fan involvement) - 15:47-24:17

    • shopify president's black friday thread strategy - 34:36-42:01

    • miu miu's anti-ai website design - 43:12-53:05

    • marketing takeaways roundup - 53:51-1:03:13
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    59 m
  • Memeable Marketing is Winning: Timothée's Zoom Call, Steph Curry & Under Armour, Disney AI & YouTube

    Memeable Marketing is Winning: Timothée's Zoom Call, Steph Curry & Under Armour, Disney AI & YouTube
    Nov 19 2025

    This episode covers five major marketing and media topics: ChatGPT's new group chat feature launching in Asian markets as a potential WhatsApp competitor; Timothée Chalamet's innovative meta-marketing campaign for A24's Marty Supreme that blurs satire and reality while creating memeable experiential moments; the breakdown of Steph Curry's 12-year Under Armour partnership and what it reveals about brands failing to read cultural shifts in athletic wear; Disney+'s controversial decision to allow AI-generated content using Disney IP and the brand safety concerns it raises; and YouTube's emergence as the premier platform for launching new media companies, with creators leaving legacy outlets for better monetization and distribution.

    Key themes throughout: the shift from performance-based to culture-based marketing, the importance of experiential and memeable marketing for audience engagement, timing as brand positioning, and how video-first platforms (especially YouTube) are reshaping media consumption and creation.

    • [00:02-05:49] ChatGPT's Group Chat Feature - Discussion of ChatGPT's new group chat feature launched in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, allowing up to 20 users to chat together with AI assistance for planning trips, splitting checks, and keeping tabs on decisions.

    • [08:01-23:35] Timothée Chalamet's Meta Marketing for Marty Supreme - Deep dive into Chalamet's 18-minute satirical Zoom call with A24's marketing team, the blurring of reality/satire, experiential marketing tactics (blimp, Wheaties box, Regal Cinemas event), and how he's creating memeable moments to build cultural relevance.

    • [23:35-36:16] Steph Curry & Under Armour Split - Analysis of the 12-year partnership ending, Under Armour's failures in reading cultural shifts, product missteps, the CEO's Trump endorsement controversy, and what this means for athlete endorsement deals going forward.

    • [36:16-47:51] Disney's AI-Generated Content Strategy - Discussion of Disney+ letting subscribers create AI content using Disney IP, concerns about brand safety for parents, comparisons to other brands' AI strategies (Coca-Cola vs. Barbour), and whether this aligns with Disney's legacy brand identity.

    • [48:01-1:05:50] YouTube as the Next Media Incubator - Mark's reporting on YouTube becoming the premier platform for new media companies, creators leaving legacy outlets for YouTube, monetization advantages, dynamic ad insertion, and the platform eating podcasting/audio content.
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    1 h y 6 m
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