1
00:00:05.066 --> 00:00:11.851
Hey everyone, welcome back to the Meme Team Podcast, where we discuss viral pop culture moments in movies, TV, sports, music, tech, and politics.
2
00:00:12.191 --> 00:00:18.616
I'm your host, Sonia Bechez, and this week we're discussing brands moving into Hollywood as the studio system contracts.
3
00:00:19.016 --> 00:00:29.063
We're talking Scorsese doing TikToks for an espresso company, Mamdani, and what happens when a politician figures out that governance is content that people actually want to watch.
4
00:00:29.343 --> 00:00:33.145
The WSJ declared that American tourists are unstoppable.
5
00:00:34.445 --> 00:00:40.427
And I have thoughts on what that means for the world and getting Americans to travel to your country.
6
00:00:40.447 --> 00:00:48.991
And then we're finishing out with Hilary Dove's Lucky Me Tour, which is not a nostalgia play per se, even though it is very easy to read it that way.
7
00:00:49.611 --> 00:00:59.860
Today I'm joined by my very good friend, Gia Jaising, brand strategist, behavior change marketing specialist with over 10 years doing marketing in impact spaces, and she runs her own consultancy practice.
8
00:00:59.940 --> 00:01:00.481
Welcome, Gia.
9
00:01:00.501 --> 00:01:02.282
Hi, so happy to be here.
10
00:01:02.823 --> 00:01:03.183
Awesome.
11
00:01:03.203 --> 00:01:04.584
So let's dive right into it.
12
00:01:04.744 --> 00:01:05.004
So...
13
00:01:05.865 --> 00:01:08.848
All of a sudden, brands are devouring Hollywood.
14
00:01:09.128 --> 00:01:09.828
What does that mean?
15
00:01:09.889 --> 00:01:14.472
So most of us that are paying attention to Hollywood have noticed that it's just shrinking and shrinking.
16
00:01:15.073 --> 00:01:22.900
The industry has shed about 49,000 jobs over the past decade and is producing nearly 50% fewer TV shows than before the strikes.
17
00:01:23.860 --> 00:01:46.239
into that vacuum, we're seeing brands step in, not just as sponsors or as brand placements, but as studios to create their own content to bring in fans by using big names in directing and executives and talent in order for people to be paying attention to good content.
18
00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:47.060
And
19
00:01:47.780 --> 00:01:54.924
So a few of the brands that we're seeing, Gap hired Pam Kaufman, who's a former Paramount exec as a chief entertainment officer.
20
00:01:55.425 --> 00:01:57.686
Kraft has Heinz The Kitchen.
21
00:01:58.326 --> 00:02:04.430
There's PG&G Studios, Starbucks Studios, Dick's Sporting Goods, Cookie Jar, and Dream Studios.
22
00:02:04.550 --> 00:02:07.972
Elf Cosmetics also have formal entertainment divisions.
23
00:02:08.733 --> 00:02:11.575
This means that brand content budgets keep growing.
24
00:02:12.115 --> 00:02:16.998
And into this, we're having stars jump into the effort.
25
00:02:17.998 --> 00:02:30.781
So some of the commercials or TikToks or social content you may have seen are Martin Scorsese starring in Lavaz's Family Blend series on YouTube and TikTok with his daughter Francesca directing.
26
00:02:31.461 --> 00:02:36.562
Barry Jenkins directed the Prada Fall Winter 2026 short film.
27
00:02:37.102 --> 00:02:43.503
We've seen Timothy Chalamet, Frantine Kaushy, Ben Affleck is working with Duncan and Stella Artois.
28
00:02:44.284 --> 00:02:45.304
Matt Damon has a
29
00:02:46.844 --> 00:02:54.447
that came out this week called The Nomad, which is Damon Backards to promote his water.org charity.
30
00:02:56.028 --> 00:02:59.249
There was everything that happened with the Nike and the World Campaign.
31
00:03:00.089 --> 00:03:07.492
And then obviously, many of us have seen and some of us know people that work at Maximum Effort with Ryan Reynolds and George Dewey.
32
00:03:08.293 --> 00:03:14.115
They have very famous examples of responding to viral content trends, like
33
00:03:14.435 --> 00:03:18.558
very famously last year, the astronomer situation that happened with the kiss cam.
34
00:03:20.220 --> 00:03:25.564
And before that, the Peloton commercial that was responding to a viral Peloton commercial.
35
00:03:26.604 --> 00:03:35.531
So I think what I find like really important here is that we talk a lot about how important good content is, narrative, storytelling, messaging.
36
00:03:36.192 --> 00:03:42.477
And at a time when people in Hollywood are getting less and less jobs working on TV shows and movies...
37
00:03:43.057 --> 00:03:46.219
they need to find somewhere to go work.
38
00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:57.888
And so that's where brands are kind of stepping in and filling in that space in order to get audiences to be paying attention to content and story netters that are out there.
39
00:03:58.108 --> 00:04:01.550
And so we've seen a variety of like new types of content that come out.
40
00:04:01.771 --> 00:04:04.493
Some of the ones we've talked about before, the InStyle, um,
41
00:04:05.213 --> 00:04:07.814
YouTube series.
42
00:04:07.874 --> 00:04:13.715
It's like a web series that really doesn't have anything to do with the magazine itself, but is its own standalone thing.
43
00:04:14.315 --> 00:04:18.537
We've seen a variety of TikToks and podcasts and all that.
44
00:04:18.937 --> 00:04:31.320
And one of the ones we talked about recently as well is how Netflix is having in-show sponsorships for some of their shows, including Running Point, the Kate Hudson-led vehicle.
45
00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.303
that had six brands that are featured inside the show.
46
00:04:35.643 --> 00:04:52.857
So it shows that a lot of both brands themselves, but also the streaming platforms are starting to think about how they can work with brands in a new, unique way in order to kind of help pay for how expensive making TV shows and movies are.
47
00:04:53.958 --> 00:04:56.080
Gia, I know you used to be in LA.
48
00:04:56.140 --> 00:05:00.744
So this is also very close to, you know, what you used to know when you were, you know, here.
49
00:05:01.544 --> 00:05:02.785
Have you seen any of these shows?
50
00:05:02.805 --> 00:05:03.726
We'd love to know your thoughts.
51
00:05:05.067 --> 00:05:08.890
Yeah, I think, you know, it's all about grabbing attention, right?
52
00:05:08.930 --> 00:05:13.393
There's so many different mediums that people are watching and there's so much content overload.
53
00:05:13.473 --> 00:05:16.696
Everyone, the creator, how do they differentiate, right?
54
00:05:16.716 --> 00:05:24.001
So everyone's like, well, we're going to create our own studios and do our own content to get people in, whether they work with creators or celebrities.
55
00:05:24.061 --> 00:05:25.322
I think that's like their choice.
56
00:05:25.443 --> 00:05:28.004
But I think it shows that
57
00:05:29.223 --> 00:05:55.385
there you have to find a way to differentiate and i think that's what i mean who would have thought dick's foreign goods would have like a an achievement content division i mean i haven't seen anything that's come out of it yet but you're not the target i'd imagine i'm not no no so i'm glad that you know i mean i guess they're like we have to do something to make sure people care about us now um i mean it's really interesting to me that like martin scorsese and like
58
00:05:56.045 --> 00:06:18.912
other people are like signing on that's it's really a high bar for talent right like that's that they're trying to get um those kind of people i think it's cool um i don't know if it's um resulting in brand recall i think that i would love to see like a case study because there's so many brands out there yeah i mean are you really that different that i'm gonna remember
59
00:06:19.892 --> 00:06:23.734
Like, I'll remember Martin Scorsese, and that's the entire Super Bowl problem, right?
60
00:06:23.774 --> 00:06:29.558
It's like, I remember all of the big celebrities, but do I remember exactly which brand you did that thing for?
61
00:06:29.578 --> 00:06:30.519
Oh, no.
62
00:06:30.799 --> 00:06:35.342
I think that's going to be the true test of this method that everyone's been doing.
63
00:06:36.082 --> 00:06:36.943
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
64
00:06:37.063 --> 00:06:51.937
I think one of the things that's like stands out to me is how we have moved beyond starring in ads or commercials as a cringy thing that, you know, stars would never do.
65
00:06:51.997 --> 00:06:52.177
Right.
66
00:06:52.197 --> 00:06:52.958
Like I remember...
67
00:06:53.378 --> 00:07:02.006
in like the 90s or the early aughts that the main thing that we would hear about, you know, celebrities doing commercials were always in Asia, right?
68
00:07:02.026 --> 00:07:09.672
Like where it would never be seen by Americans and it would never like devalue what they were doing because it was- Like they're selling out.
69
00:07:09.732 --> 00:07:10.173
Exactly.
70
00:07:10.213 --> 00:07:11.434
This whole idea of like selling out.
71
00:07:11.514 --> 00:07:18.140
And then now when Ben Affleck partners with Duncan, it's like, oh yeah, that makes sense because he's a Boston guy.
72
00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:18.460
He's-
73
00:07:19.200 --> 00:07:46.030
obviously loves Duncan Duncan as a brand so it's like that brand partnership or the brand alignment really makes sense yeah so that's where it's like you know are we going to continue seeing these right like the one that's standing out right now I guess is you know whenever I watch Starter's games it comes up is Dua Lipa and George Clooney doing the Nestle you know coffee I don't even know what it is.
74
00:07:46.290 --> 00:07:49.253
but I just know it's some coffee brands.
75
00:07:51.095 --> 00:07:51.516
But it is.
76
00:07:51.916 --> 00:07:55.540
I feel like that's a typical commercial where it's just a commercial.
77
00:07:55.880 --> 00:08:01.807
There's a difference between Ben Affleck directing and coming up with the ideas and everything.
78
00:08:01.827 --> 00:08:01.927
Yeah.
79
00:08:02.727 --> 00:08:11.450
And then what I, you know, had mentioned earlier with, you know, brands working directly with like the brands.
80
00:08:11.690 --> 00:08:13.691
So that was like Netflix, right?
81
00:08:13.751 --> 00:08:17.653
The other example that we've talked about is F1, the movie where...
82
00:08:18.953 --> 00:08:24.674
they went out and got actual companies to sponsor the car itself.
83
00:08:24.734 --> 00:08:31.935
So it would look like, you know, real F1 cars, but those are real brands paying to be featured on the car.
84
00:08:31.955 --> 00:08:33.255
Right.
85
00:08:33.435 --> 00:08:41.997
And like, you know, paying Apple or, sorry, paying for that directly to the movie, which was a different model than has been done before.
86
00:08:42.037 --> 00:08:47.918
It's usually just been like, you know, you get your car, you know, the Aston Martin is the James Bond card because there's a deal there.
87
00:08:47.938 --> 00:08:48.078
Right.
88
00:08:48.258 --> 00:08:48.438
Or, or,
89
00:08:48.698 --> 00:08:52.560
in Marvel, like the Fords and all that, or Cadillacs or whatever, get featured, right?
90
00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:55.442
So that product placement is slightly different.
91
00:08:57.042 --> 00:08:58.203
The other thing too is like,
92
00:09:00.033 --> 00:09:06.075
The flip side of it, right, where it's like Barry Jenkins working with Prada or Martin Scorsese working with Lavazza.
93
00:09:06.255 --> 00:09:24.562
It elevates that brand a little bit more where it's like it adds gravitas because it's like, oh, wow, you know, Barry Jenkins, like the Oscar winning director, you know, is working with, you know, a brand to showcase their products in a way that makes it more cinematic.
94
00:09:25.242 --> 00:09:26.563
And it's like they're good.
95
00:09:26.663 --> 00:09:27.863
So this must be good.
96
00:09:28.224 --> 00:09:28.524
Right.
97
00:09:28.544 --> 00:09:28.704
Yeah.
98
00:09:29.684 --> 00:09:33.948
You know, that's the thought that I think that people have.
99
00:09:33.968 --> 00:09:35.310
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
100
00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:38.332
So for me, it's like, you know, it makes sense.
101
00:09:38.613 --> 00:09:48.041
And at a time when we're talking about brands and brand awareness and trying to maintain a certain level of like, you know, say with Prada, luxury, right?
102
00:09:48.342 --> 00:09:49.483
The fact that Barry Jenkins...
103
00:09:50.163 --> 00:10:02.166
is willing to partner with Prada makes sense that Prada would do that because it fits with what we suppose their brand narrative is of being luxury, high class, all this.
104
00:10:03.486 --> 00:10:09.228
But on the flip side, the Kalshi and Timothee Chalamet one, that was like, oh.
105
00:10:09.548 --> 00:10:14.309
We saw Kylie Jenner and Meta Glasses.
106
00:10:14.329 --> 00:10:15.129
Oh, that was bad.
107
00:10:15.189 --> 00:10:16.029
We talked about that.
108
00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:16.610
Yeah.
109
00:10:16.630 --> 00:10:16.890
We did.
110
00:10:16.910 --> 00:10:17.250
We did.
111
00:10:17.370 --> 00:10:17.690
We did.
112
00:10:18.742 --> 00:10:29.953
Yeah, we talked about how that, like, it makes sense for both, where it's like, you know, people aren't necessarily looking to Kylie to be the moral arbiter of any brand, right?
113
00:10:29.973 --> 00:10:42.745
So, you know, the fact that Meta went for her, like, makes sense, because, like, Meta is trying to target her audience, who, like, doesn't expect her to, like, be, you know, to have that
114
00:10:43.065 --> 00:11:11.213
that moral like or ethical like clause or whatever um right so it was like easy for them plus it's also a way for meta to hide behind kylie jenner's like brand and persona right where it's like right of course right instead of um you know people asking questions about privacy and security and like their meta glasses and like you know what's going on with um with that they're they're talking about how kylie jenner is like the face of meta right it's also access it's also access
115
00:11:12.333 --> 00:11:15.756
The Kardashians are known for allowing people access into their lives.
116
00:11:15.776 --> 00:11:17.637
So this is like another extension of that.
117
00:11:17.757 --> 00:11:19.598
Just like from a little more up close.
118
00:11:19.979 --> 00:11:20.779
Yeah.
119
00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:32.608
I think one of the things that I was thinking about on the flip side a little bit is how what happens when branded content and entertainment like get enmeshed.
120
00:11:32.768 --> 00:11:37.232
And, you know, I think it's going to be really interesting to see if the audiences like catch on because it's like.
121
00:11:37.872 --> 00:11:40.914
They come to ads for ads and they come to entertainment for entertainment.
122
00:11:41.054 --> 00:11:41.695
You know what I mean?
123
00:11:41.715 --> 00:11:50.021
And I think when the two of them get so close together, I think it'll be interesting to see if audiences get turned off from the brand.
124
00:11:50.061 --> 00:11:56.506
I'm going to be curious to see that because it's like, am I being sold to all the time in these subtle ways?
125
00:11:56.666 --> 00:12:01.029
Or is it clearly like, is this an ad?
126
00:12:01.049 --> 00:12:02.991
I think the brands that are able to...
127
00:12:03.851 --> 00:12:10.835
Not look too eager, I think, to try and sell you something will be the ones that kind of win this transition.
128
00:12:11.655 --> 00:12:18.738
Because the more obvious it is, the more, I don't know, cringe it is in a way, you know, like they're trying too hard.
129
00:12:19.179 --> 00:12:20.059
That's what I feel.
130
00:12:20.719 --> 00:12:21.780
Yeah.
131
00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:23.121
Is it really authentic?
132
00:12:23.161 --> 00:12:25.522
You know, like that word gets thrown around a lot.
133
00:12:26.162 --> 00:12:29.604
And it's like, how do you define authentic brand content?
134
00:12:29.684 --> 00:12:31.965
You know, like it's like almost a misnomer.
135
00:12:32.445 --> 00:12:33.406
Yeah, totally.
136
00:12:33.567 --> 00:12:43.318
But also that brings up the interesting, you know, question of at a time where we are seeing AI usage go up and brands use it.
137
00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:50.187
Is this not a way to go around that by saying, no, we're still using real humans and real artists?
138
00:12:50.347 --> 00:13:01.109
people that you know, people that you know by name that are willing to like work with us to elevate our, you know, our standard and our brand, as opposed to those other brands that are using AI.
139
00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:15.772
Like today, it came out that, you know, the big four accounting firms, you know, PwC and EY are using AI to put out thought leadership content on like their blogs and stuff.
140
00:13:15.812 --> 00:13:17.272
And it's just like, hmm.
141
00:13:17.952 --> 00:13:30.358
Maybe I would prefer for you to work with, you know, a celebrity or, you know, an influencer or something to try to get to your audience as opposed to, you know, using AI because it's easy.
142
00:13:30.618 --> 00:13:30.898
Right.
143
00:13:30.938 --> 00:13:33.740
Because you think we're not looking because you think we don't care.
144
00:13:33.760 --> 00:13:34.360
Right.
145
00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:44.145
At least this to me, partnering with Hollywood and like big stars to me at this point still seems as if they care to like elevate their brand.
146
00:13:44.185 --> 00:13:44.465
Yes.
147
00:13:44.725 --> 00:13:46.806
Point that they're willing to pay real artists.
148
00:13:47.086 --> 00:13:48.307
to come up with a storyline.
149
00:13:48.407 --> 00:13:50.088
And sure, it may be weird.
150
00:13:50.368 --> 00:13:57.253
I think we're still kind of figuring out if any of these YouTube series or TikTok series are actually going to convert to anything.
151
00:13:57.914 --> 00:14:06.380
But one other point to bring up here is how much easier it is to track numbers by using YouTube and using TikTok and Instagram.
152
00:14:06.400 --> 00:14:06.580
Yeah.
153
00:14:06.880 --> 00:14:09.681
Versus putting ads on TV, right?
154
00:14:09.721 --> 00:14:17.165
Where it's like really hard to determine what the conversion rate is for any art that, you know, gets put out there.
155
00:14:19.026 --> 00:14:26.790
So that's also like interesting to think about here where it's like going to where you're going to get that data far more easily makes a lot more sense.
156
00:14:27.711 --> 00:14:47.912
Even though, obviously, a lot of the streamers, Netflix, refuses to share numbers of how their shows are doing or how their ads are doing, by seeing the actions that they're taking shows to me the direction of where they're headed, right?
157
00:14:48.532 --> 00:14:48.673
Yeah.
158
00:14:48.693 --> 00:14:53.437
So Running Point was pretty much the first show to do like the six brands in the show.
159
00:14:53.797 --> 00:14:57.781
But I think, you know, some of their other shows are going to start doing that going forward.
160
00:14:58.362 --> 00:15:01.625
So I'm going to keep an eye out to see what it is that they start doing.
161
00:15:01.725 --> 00:15:01.945
Yeah.
162
00:15:02.085 --> 00:15:05.268
I mean, we've seen the ad behind the ad, right?
163
00:15:05.308 --> 00:15:08.431
Like when Apple did their new logo, they had like a whole video about it.
164
00:15:08.511 --> 00:15:09.112
Right, right, right.
165
00:15:09.532 --> 00:15:12.193
about how they did it and the craft behind it.
166
00:15:12.253 --> 00:15:15.415
And I think they did that with the MacBook Neo marketing as well.
167
00:15:15.475 --> 00:15:19.957
So I think a lot of them are like, look, real people, real craft, not AI.
168
00:15:20.177 --> 00:15:23.759
I mean, I prefer this over AI swap, so I'm good with that.
169
00:15:23.779 --> 00:15:28.261
I'm good with Martin Scorsese directing a TikTok, like in doing a TikTok.
170
00:15:29.161 --> 00:15:29.661
I love that.
171
00:15:29.942 --> 00:15:39.410
Bring up another interesting point where another marketing angle that I'm seeing now of like content being created are all those behind the scenes.
172
00:15:39.590 --> 00:15:43.594
The Apple, how like the glass logo was made, right?
173
00:15:43.634 --> 00:15:43.854
Yeah.
174
00:15:44.054 --> 00:15:46.356
But I'm seeing a lot of that coming out in movies, right?
175
00:15:46.376 --> 00:15:47.617
So Project Hail Mary, right?
176
00:15:47.797 --> 00:15:49.299
They had a parallel...
177
00:15:50.219 --> 00:16:06.811
marketing campaign happening where all the like direct the director the director of photography the behind the scenes the the the creators of um the the sets were all posting content of how they created um not just uh
178
00:16:07.351 --> 00:16:12.075
the rocket in the world, but Rocky, like how the puppet was, you know, work.
179
00:16:12.195 --> 00:16:24.665
I just saw that for Spider-Man brand new day, they were doing the behind the scenes of how like the stunts were actually filmed and how they came together to basically show you how real they look as opposed to,
180
00:16:25.005 --> 00:16:28.649
the CGI mess that we're thinking Avengers Doomsday is going to be.
181
00:16:29.049 --> 00:16:29.330
Right.
182
00:16:29.750 --> 00:16:30.111
I know.
183
00:16:30.191 --> 00:16:34.896
So like, that's a really interesting thing that we're seeing happen.
184
00:16:34.976 --> 00:16:35.696
Right.
185
00:16:35.997 --> 00:16:37.819
For a lot of the shows.
186
00:16:37.859 --> 00:16:38.019
Right.
187
00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:45.026
Like when we, I like, I'll always watch like at the end of HBO shows, they do like the behind the scenes.
188
00:16:45.467 --> 00:16:45.707
Yep.
189
00:16:46.067 --> 00:16:47.327
like conversation stuff.
190
00:16:47.667 --> 00:16:54.309
I think we're going to continue seeing a rise in that of just showing how things kind of can come together and have those discussions, right?
191
00:16:54.369 --> 00:17:05.472
I'm seeing on Netflix, like they're doing actual podcasts that, you know, go along with a show so that you're talking to the stars and seeing how everything kind of came together.
192
00:17:05.572 --> 00:17:10.133
So I really think like that, that's an avenue of content that people are more and more interested in.
193
00:17:10.213 --> 00:17:10.453
Yeah.
194
00:17:10.633 --> 00:17:14.334
And I think it's going to, the more that AI, I mean, look, they're all using AI.
195
00:17:14.395 --> 00:17:18.396
I'm sure they're using it in some way or the other, but they don't want to lose the audience, right?
196
00:17:18.416 --> 00:17:23.738
They don't want to lose people's trust that they're hiring real people and doing real things.
197
00:17:23.818 --> 00:17:32.662
And so I think this is a way to show people that, look, we're still doing real stunts and actors and people get more excited that, OK, look at everything that we can achieve.
198
00:17:33.042 --> 00:17:36.963
Even though there is probably some element of AI and some part of the filming process that they're using.
199
00:17:37.023 --> 00:17:38.284
But I think this is really smart.
200
00:17:39.570 --> 00:17:42.452
to show the authenticity of it all, right?
201
00:17:42.972 --> 00:17:45.234
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
202
00:17:45.314 --> 00:17:55.880
Okay, a couple of lessons from me are basically what Gia and I were just talking about, where it's like, how do you show how you're making this content?
203
00:17:55.940 --> 00:17:57.461
I think people want to see
204
00:17:57.901 --> 00:18:10.103
that realness, that authenticity of how the idea came together, how everything, you know, came together to show the human aspects to it, as opposed to, you know, the AI.
205
00:18:10.163 --> 00:18:13.904
Those are very easy wins, you know, for anybody.
206
00:18:13.924 --> 00:18:17.945
I mean, if you're creating any type of content, just showing the process behind it.
207
00:18:18.805 --> 00:18:22.365
I think as we'll talk about in the next topic as well, people want that sort
208
00:18:26.786 --> 00:18:35.429
That we're seeing, I don't want to say necessarily strange bedfellows partner, because obviously brands in Hollywood have been working together.
209
00:18:35.709 --> 00:18:44.011
But I think because of the way that the economy is functioning right now, more brands and more industries are open to working together.
210
00:18:46.272 --> 00:18:55.360
So I think like now's the time to be pitching those crazy ideas that like might get attention just because it's different because it's new, it's unique.
211
00:18:55.881 --> 00:19:03.147
And just like reaching out to people and trying to create those sorts of partnerships instead of trying to do things in-house all the time.
212
00:19:03.807 --> 00:19:06.690
You know, most of us have marketing budget that we're able to spend.
213
00:19:07.010 --> 00:19:08.712
What's a new way that like you can...
214
00:19:09.392 --> 00:19:10.252
you know, put that together.
215
00:19:10.332 --> 00:19:16.675
Maybe you can't hire Martin Scorsese for your brand, but there are other, you know, stars that you can do, right?
216
00:19:16.715 --> 00:19:21.538
Like we saw last year with Ramp with Kevin from The Office, right?
217
00:19:21.898 --> 00:19:27.500
Like that was a new novel thing that like went viral because nobody had seen it before.
218
00:19:28.341 --> 00:19:37.785
So think about those types of ideas of like how you can kind of tap into, you know, Hollywood and like filmmakers and the creatives that like, you know, have the bona fides.
219
00:19:37.805 --> 00:19:37.965
Yeah.
220
00:19:38.505 --> 00:19:40.086
And that are out there looking for jobs right now.
221
00:19:40.206 --> 00:19:43.408
I think it's going to change the way Hollywood works.
222
00:19:44.409 --> 00:19:48.531
And I think it's going to be interesting to see how that model shifts moving forward.
223
00:19:48.611 --> 00:19:57.276
But I think, yeah, the lessons are, I mean, this is your shot to be the pioneer of some new ideas that can cross over between worlds.
224
00:19:58.136 --> 00:20:00.258
I think this is a time where people are very receptive to it.
225
00:20:00.418 --> 00:20:00.718
Awesome.
226
00:20:01.158 --> 00:20:03.360
We can move on to your topic.
227
00:20:03.380 --> 00:20:08.946
So I have been on X and seeing so much of Mambani's content.
228
00:20:09.526 --> 00:20:16.573
And I think it's been really interesting that he has figured out something that I'm going to call governance as content.
229
00:20:17.354 --> 00:20:23.459
So New Yorkers have been posting videos of their city problems, you know, like potholes, the water leakage, whatever.
230
00:20:23.479 --> 00:20:27.242
And Mandani is responding to them directly on social media.
231
00:20:27.282 --> 00:20:28.202
He's filming them.
232
00:20:28.383 --> 00:20:30.304
And then, you know, he's like getting them fixed and whatever.
233
00:20:30.324 --> 00:20:31.525
And he is there personally.
234
00:20:31.545 --> 00:20:39.591
And I think it's really smart because he ran his whole campaign on social media, like a big chunk of it.
235
00:20:39.711 --> 00:20:43.254
And now he's showing that he's governing on social media, too.
236
00:20:43.274 --> 00:20:44.495
Yeah.
237
00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:50.522
I think every politician uses social media the same way, right?
238
00:20:50.662 --> 00:20:56.867
It's like you're posting outward, you're providing information, and then followers are receiving it, and they're engaging with it if they want to.
239
00:20:57.588 --> 00:20:59.229
But he is doing it differently.
240
00:20:59.369 --> 00:21:06.475
He is actively creating a two-way dialogue where he's saying, you post about this, I'll show up and actually try and fix it.
241
00:21:07.075 --> 00:21:24.219
Look, we all know he's not fixing every pothole in New York himself, but I think it's really smart that he is choosing to publicize things that he's doing and things that he's actively governing for the world to see because it feels like he's on top of everything, even if he may not be.
242
00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:29.941
He probably is, but even if he's not super on top of everything right now, it makes it look like he is.
243
00:21:29.961 --> 00:21:31.501
And isn't that the whole point, right?
244
00:21:32.803 --> 00:21:37.429
Um, he also has this like talk show called talk with the people.
245
00:21:37.489 --> 00:21:38.970
So he's like inviting people in.
246
00:21:39.971 --> 00:21:52.806
And I think people are so starved for basic competency that him just being like a regular person and talking to people and showing up, which should be the baseline for any politician is like blowing people's minds.
247
00:21:52.826 --> 00:21:53.146
Right.
248
00:21:53.206 --> 00:21:53.426
Right.
249
00:21:54.267 --> 00:21:58.489
Did you see the tickets for teens lottery thing that he launched?
250
00:21:58.509 --> 00:21:59.289
I did, yeah.
251
00:21:59.609 --> 00:22:01.930
Like a few days ago or yesterday or something?
252
00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:03.551
I think it was today.
253
00:22:03.951 --> 00:22:04.411
It was today?
254
00:22:04.511 --> 00:22:05.512
Yeah, it was really good.
255
00:22:05.592 --> 00:22:11.474
So he's basically giving 2,000 free tickets via lottery for high school students.
256
00:22:12.295 --> 00:22:14.596
And the productions themselves donated it.
257
00:22:14.616 --> 00:22:16.436
So it's not like he spent public money on it.
258
00:22:16.496 --> 00:22:19.738
But it's such a feel-good, immediate win, right?
259
00:22:19.758 --> 00:22:22.239
Because it's like, look, I'm making the arts accessible.
260
00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:22.359
Yeah.
261
00:22:23.327 --> 00:22:35.510
And if you look at some of the news about Mamdani right now, there's a lot of positives, but also there is a lot of policy stuff, which sucks for every politician, right?
262
00:22:36.070 --> 00:22:42.511
Like the New York property tax thing, it's getting into some trouble with some judges.
263
00:22:43.452 --> 00:22:45.412
He's getting flack on social media for it.
264
00:22:45.572 --> 00:22:47.653
The free buses thing, the free groceries thing.
265
00:22:47.693 --> 00:22:49.173
People don't love those ideas.
266
00:22:49.193 --> 00:22:51.394
So there is like some pushback on the policy side.
267
00:22:51.434 --> 00:22:53.134
He is in a magical fairy that's like,
268
00:22:53.875 --> 00:23:14.256
doing every single thing right but i think that makes his social media strategy even smarter because he's like yeah okay like this stuff is like maybe getting a hiccup here and this stuff has a hiccup there but i'm actually fixing things that new yorkers want and how do you argue with that because you can't be like no you're not he's like yes i am so it's very very smart for him to do that
269
00:23:15.983 --> 00:23:41.048
Yeah, I think one thing that like really sticks out is kind of what you're talking about, where it's like doing so many of the things that make things run, like the potholes and, you know, fixing the road and doing those small things to show consistency so that when he does put out a policy thing that people might not agree with, like the grocery stores with, you know, the right.
270
00:23:41.108 --> 00:23:41.348
Right.
271
00:23:41.768 --> 00:23:47.091
products, he can just be like, can you just trust me because you trust that I can do these other things?
272
00:23:47.131 --> 00:23:49.492
So he's willing to stake his reputation on these things.
273
00:23:49.813 --> 00:23:51.874
And the crazy thing is it's working, right?
274
00:23:52.494 --> 00:23:52.834
It is.
275
00:23:53.295 --> 00:24:00.819
One video that I wanted to point out that went viral on TikTok and then Twitter this week was this guy...
276
00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:09.784
essentially doing, you know, a skit about how when you're talking to New Yorkers, you know, Mom Donnie pops up like, you know, a superhero.
277
00:24:09.804 --> 00:24:10.504
Like, he's always there.
278
00:24:10.705 --> 00:24:11.305
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
279
00:24:11.545 --> 00:24:15.067
Funny because it wasn't just that he's saying that Mom Donnie is there.
280
00:24:15.387 --> 00:24:17.729
He very explicitly said, what?
281
00:24:17.789 --> 00:24:22.471
So, like, Mom Donnie's just, like, showing up and, like, fixing the electrical problem?
282
00:24:22.551 --> 00:24:29.095
And he's like, no, it was one of our highly intelligent, like, city employees that, like, knows their job, knows what they're doing, right?
283
00:24:29.556 --> 00:24:30.156
So, it's...
284
00:24:30.676 --> 00:24:31.517
It's both, right?
285
00:24:31.537 --> 00:24:43.730
Where it's like not only is Mamdani showing up and being the face of all the stuff that's working in government, but he's also elevating the city employees that make the actual city run, right?
286
00:24:43.951 --> 00:24:48.616
And I think that's so smart because it's not him just being like, me, me, me, me, me, I'm doing this.
287
00:24:49.076 --> 00:24:52.400
No, he's elevating the actual public city employees that...
288
00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:54.260
that are doing the work, right?
289
00:24:54.320 --> 00:25:05.883
So when the potholes get fixed, it's like, yeah, I came and like fixed maybe like one or two of them, but the 100,000 that were filled were like our city employees and aren't we so thankful for them, right?
290
00:25:07.263 --> 00:25:09.284
Even when the Knicks celebration was happening, right?
291
00:25:09.324 --> 00:25:14.205
He was involving like one of the ones that stood out to me was the garbage cans, right?
292
00:25:14.225 --> 00:25:15.545
So it's like you were involving...
293
00:25:16.505 --> 00:25:24.548
the, you know, Department of, like, Parks and Recreation won, but you were also involving, like, the garbage men who, like, you know...
294
00:25:24.568 --> 00:25:25.369
The sanitation department.
295
00:25:25.789 --> 00:25:26.729
Right, sanitation, right.
296
00:25:26.749 --> 00:25:27.649
Department of Sanitation.
297
00:25:27.969 --> 00:25:31.271
We're getting, like, props for doing their job.
298
00:25:31.351 --> 00:25:33.431
And, like, when does that ever happen, right?
299
00:25:33.712 --> 00:25:37.153
And I think that's so great because it's, like, it's showing that, like...
300
00:25:37.673 --> 00:25:44.221
how important it is for city employees, you know, to do their jobs and make the city function.
301
00:25:45.343 --> 00:25:50.589
And then giving them like a sunshine to share that spotlight, right?
302
00:25:51.610 --> 00:25:53.613
It's very like, you look good, we look good.
303
00:25:53.633 --> 00:25:53.733
Okay.
304
00:25:54.073 --> 00:25:54.313
Right.
305
00:26:13.624 --> 00:26:23.226
Even though he's not doing all the work, but because he's so involved, it's giving like a shine to all the other people that are doing all the work and it's uplifting them.
306
00:26:23.446 --> 00:26:28.347
And I think the result will be that people will be less frustrated with city workers, right?
307
00:26:28.507 --> 00:26:29.087
Government workers.
308
00:26:29.107 --> 00:26:32.828
And they usually are because it's like, no, no, no, look, we're actually doing it.
309
00:26:33.048 --> 00:26:35.389
And I promise we'll get to you because we got to that guy.
310
00:26:35.689 --> 00:26:36.009
Right.
311
00:26:36.089 --> 00:26:37.729
We got we got to his problem.
312
00:26:37.769 --> 00:26:38.850
We got to her problem.
313
00:26:38.890 --> 00:26:39.710
We'll get to you.
314
00:26:39.730 --> 00:26:39.850
Right.
315
00:26:40.630 --> 00:26:40.990
as well.
316
00:26:41.211 --> 00:26:54.440
And I think that that's really, really smart because like you said, he is going to have policies and moments as mayor that are not like this honeymoon phase that are not perfect and not popular and not some people are going to be unhappy with him.
317
00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:55.441
I'm sure they already are.
318
00:26:55.521 --> 00:26:55.681
But
319
00:26:56.837 --> 00:27:03.580
It's because of this strategy that I think he might still win public opinion, even if there's backlash.
320
00:27:03.620 --> 00:27:07.763
He's at 75% satisfaction rate in New York right now, right?
321
00:27:08.263 --> 00:27:11.284
And on top of that, so he's fixed the 170,000 potholes.
322
00:27:11.544 --> 00:27:15.066
They have the lowest murder rate on record.
323
00:27:15.446 --> 00:27:21.109
He balanced the $12 billion deficit for the government.
324
00:27:22.770 --> 00:27:25.311
And it's, oh, sorry, his favorability is at 69%.
325
00:27:26.972 --> 00:27:32.794
So that's all very high for being the mayor of the largest city in our country.
326
00:27:32.814 --> 00:27:39.636
And I think that, you know, he's learned a lot from his campaigning.
327
00:27:39.936 --> 00:27:45.038
But then also in getting that, like, you know, loop of feedback, right?
328
00:27:45.338 --> 00:27:50.959
There's a huge reason why it continues being on YouTube and on TikTok where you get those numbers, right?
329
00:27:51.219 --> 00:27:56.421
And the more that you get people to participate with you and be in on, you know, the joke and the content.
330
00:27:57.262 --> 00:28:22.240
and Twitch, the more that people are interested, particularly the young people who have been disillusioned by government because they feel as if they're not getting heard, A, or B, they don't feel as if they're being supported in a way that makes them feel a part of the city, which is like a huge thing that obviously happens in New York because you have so many transplants, right?
331
00:28:23.762 --> 00:28:38.580
I do want to bring up how AOC has been on her own content journey this week, talking about her going through the egg freezing process now that she wants to have that option, right?
332
00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:48.332
And she's also another politician who is super great on camera and being able to bring people in on the journey with her.
333
00:28:48.652 --> 00:28:56.322
And I think that there's a lot to learn here from both politicians because each of them is doing it in their own way while being able to do it.
334
00:28:56.522 --> 00:29:02.685
Being authentic in their own way, but then also in how they engage with people and bring them on the journey.
335
00:29:03.285 --> 00:29:09.288
And that's, I think, a lesson for all marketers of, like, how you can speak to your constituents.
336
00:29:09.628 --> 00:29:17.092
And then, like, beyond that, get them interested in your journey and follow you along as you're doing what you're doing, right?
337
00:29:17.692 --> 00:29:17.852
Yeah.
338
00:29:18.272 --> 00:29:38.420
And by showing that competency, I mean, we've talked about competency porn here a couple times, and Mamdani has always been one of my favorite examples of that because he's so great at being able to not only choose the things that will highlight the most competency, but then is able to get on camera and do it.
339
00:29:38.620 --> 00:29:47.265
talk about it and describe it in a way that really, um, seems as if like, why hasn't this been happening the whole time with politicians before, you know?
340
00:29:47.745 --> 00:29:56.730
Um, and then you realize that part of it is because he's able to talk about what he's doing in a way that's accessible to, uh, to the audience.
341
00:29:57.171 --> 00:30:00.713
Um, and not very many, not very many politicians, um,
342
00:30:01.513 --> 00:30:05.374
A, can do that, but B, are actually interested in doing that.
343
00:30:05.474 --> 00:30:15.918
I think the Broadway thing is going to be successful is because it's a partnership of the theaters coming to him and being like, oh, we want to give you these free tickets for teenagers.
344
00:30:15.938 --> 00:30:16.998
You look good.
345
00:30:17.078 --> 00:30:17.698
We look good.
346
00:30:17.798 --> 00:30:18.238
Exactly.
347
00:30:18.258 --> 00:30:18.378
Right?
348
00:30:18.458 --> 00:30:18.779
Yeah.
349
00:30:18.919 --> 00:30:19.179
Yeah.
350
00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:19.739
Yeah.
351
00:30:22.141 --> 00:30:42.477
the other point that I want to highlight is that now I really feel like companies and industries are going to be going to him and approaching him after seeing that it is successful that you get more virality and more attention when you partner with him willingly.
352
00:30:42.538 --> 00:30:48.943
This happened during the World Cup they got free screenings
353
00:30:49.243 --> 00:30:49.543
Right.
354
00:30:49.784 --> 00:30:56.769
Well, not just the free screenings, but you got tickets to go to the cheaper tickets to go to an actual game.
355
00:30:57.090 --> 00:31:05.616
And then like New Jersey, which is the state where the actual stadium is, we're like, wait, why do the New Yorkers get it and not us?
356
00:31:05.637 --> 00:31:05.737
Why?
357
00:31:06.237 --> 00:31:07.737
But it's like your dude.
358
00:31:07.937 --> 00:31:08.437
Exactly.
359
00:31:08.477 --> 00:31:08.637
Right.
360
00:31:08.838 --> 00:31:13.118
But it's because, you know, Mom Donnie is out there and he can get attention for this.
361
00:31:13.178 --> 00:31:20.200
So, of course, he was like, yeah, we'll give you, you know, tickets so that we get attention and people are on our side.
362
00:31:20.320 --> 00:31:24.621
So these are things that like brands and, you know, companies should be thinking about.
363
00:31:24.661 --> 00:31:30.242
Like, how do you work in partnership with I mean, is it Mom Donnie?
364
00:31:30.282 --> 00:31:30.802
Is it New York?
365
00:31:36.303 --> 00:31:44.713
Are there other ways that you can partner with other people in your industry to lift both boats up instead of just trying to do things by yourself?
366
00:31:44.933 --> 00:31:45.193
Yeah.
367
00:31:45.394 --> 00:31:52.341
And I think one point I wanted to make is I think we're going to see people try to replicate governance as content, right?
368
00:31:52.462 --> 00:31:54.804
Like other politicians or other...
369
00:31:55.805 --> 00:32:18.327
um you know city council people whatever and i think it's not a bad idea but i think that people need to be careful because it's everyone's not mandani so you cannot take his exact playbook and try to apply it to yourself you know i think the the key points to remember is you have to be and i i'm you know scarred by this word but you have to be authentic in that way right but it has to be
370
00:32:19.308 --> 00:32:43.500
like true to who you are and if you haven't done anything for your people before and you're suddenly like i'm a man of the people or i'm a woman of the people whatever you know i'm with i'm one of you and it's gonna come off so badly because you need to have actual things that you're doing to back it up right and you have to actually care about the people you're with so if you just use it as a content strategy it's not gonna work it's probably gonna make it worse
371
00:32:44.445 --> 00:32:47.346
So I think that's going to be really interesting to see how people follow that up.
372
00:32:47.886 --> 00:32:48.446
Oh, really?
373
00:32:48.726 --> 00:32:50.447
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
374
00:32:50.467 --> 00:33:02.531
So L.A. mayor Karen Bass posted on social media recently all these things that she had won in Hollywood for, like, the industry.
375
00:33:03.291 --> 00:33:07.013
And then people started calling out and saying, like, this actually wasn't you.
376
00:33:07.053 --> 00:33:08.213
This was, like, developers.
377
00:33:08.273 --> 00:33:10.774
This was, you know, the movie studios.
378
00:33:10.914 --> 00:33:16.796
This was, you know, other groups that she's taking the credit for.
379
00:33:18.377 --> 00:33:21.438
And it's just like, you don't want to be that person, right?
380
00:33:21.478 --> 00:33:27.540
Because she's in a very, you know, contentious race for mayor that's being voted on in November.
381
00:33:28.060 --> 00:33:34.182
And instead of her being able to talk about things that she's done, people are like, you know, coming after her and being like, well, actually...
382
00:33:34.622 --> 00:33:35.762
You didn't do that, right?
383
00:33:36.343 --> 00:33:41.004
So these are things that like, you know, not any politician can come out and do, right?
384
00:33:41.044 --> 00:33:42.424
It's like you have to put in the work.
385
00:33:42.684 --> 00:33:50.007
And I think that that's what he's done really well in is like doing the work of like constantly, you know, Yeah.
386
00:33:51.047 --> 00:33:55.832
Doing those simple things that like make the city run and look as if it's running efficiently.
387
00:33:55.852 --> 00:34:05.382
But then also then using that to grow his reputation and not vice versa.
388
00:34:06.465 --> 00:34:08.107
Yeah, I think that's going to be really important.
389
00:34:08.147 --> 00:34:10.890
And I think sometimes people take the wrong lesson from what he's doing.
390
00:34:10.910 --> 00:34:11.551
Oh, yeah.
391
00:34:11.851 --> 00:34:18.698
And, you know, the lesson is you do the work, but use the medium to amplify what you're actually doing.
392
00:34:18.718 --> 00:34:22.583
You can't just talk about what you're doing when you're not doing it.
393
00:34:23.143 --> 00:34:26.084
So I am really enjoying watching him.
394
00:34:27.265 --> 00:34:29.145
He's, you know, closing the loop on things.
395
00:34:29.185 --> 00:34:30.146
He's buying goodwill.
396
00:34:30.166 --> 00:34:34.247
And I think it'll really insulate him when something goes sideways.
397
00:34:34.527 --> 00:34:35.888
And things will go sideways.
398
00:34:35.928 --> 00:34:37.268
That's just how politics works.
399
00:34:37.308 --> 00:34:39.149
He's not going to have a win every single day.
400
00:34:39.649 --> 00:34:42.990
But I think he's building the foundation for when something doesn't go his way.
401
00:34:43.010 --> 00:34:44.251
And I think that's really smart.
402
00:34:45.078 --> 00:34:46.759
We can move on to the next topic.
403
00:34:47.380 --> 00:35:01.211
So the Wall Street Journal put out an article this week about the rise of the unstoppable American tourists, basically going into how Americans took a record 24 million trips to Europe in 2025.
404
00:35:02.272 --> 00:35:10.819
That compared to Germans, the Spanish, and French, Americans spend 2x what they do in countries.
405
00:35:11.040 --> 00:35:12.761
And basically talking about how...
406
00:35:14.102 --> 00:35:21.550
Americans went from, in 1990, fewer than 5% holding passports to now being more than 50% of Americans.
407
00:35:22.911 --> 00:35:30.919
And there was... What I found interesting about this was just this whole idea of so many things that are, like, you know, coming out around the same time.
408
00:35:30.979 --> 00:35:32.361
So I think it was last week...
409
00:35:33.782 --> 00:35:41.555
New York Magazine posted an article about influencers not being welcome in Nantucket, in a Nantucket store and having that go viral.
410
00:35:42.176 --> 00:35:46.002
The whole idea, I saw, you know, somebody posting today about how...
411
00:35:47.122 --> 00:35:57.511
There was a one-hour line to go take an Instagram photo in Santorino with the blue buildings and backgrounds.
412
00:35:57.791 --> 00:36:07.140
And just how travel has changed, obviously because of influencers, but then how that has then led to this rise of American tourists.
413
00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:09.141
But then also in...
414
00:36:11.283 --> 00:36:33.148
recognizing that this is just the beginning right if americans are spending that much more money in countries those countries are obviously gonna have to start catering to those american tourists because that's what you do right um one of the things that like stood out to me about like what the article was saying is that um not only are um
415
00:36:34.768 --> 00:36:37.551
countries actively seeking out American tourists.
416
00:36:37.571 --> 00:36:44.596
So Portugal took over Times Square to put ads out there to get people to go out to Portugal.
417
00:36:44.916 --> 00:36:46.177
Greece has done similarly.
418
00:36:46.438 --> 00:36:51.041
So it's like they're actively searching for American tourists to go to...
419
00:36:52.302 --> 00:36:53.023
to their countries.
420
00:36:53.163 --> 00:36:57.186
So what we're seeing is the rise in two different groups of Americans.
421
00:36:57.867 --> 00:37:01.810
And those audiences require different marketing methods, right?
422
00:37:02.051 --> 00:37:15.422
So you have wealthy boomers who do more cruises and all-inclusive resorts that like going to countries and getting custom tours and are willing to drop a lot of money to do the things that they want to do.
423
00:37:15.762 --> 00:37:16.403
And then you have
424
00:37:16.783 --> 00:37:41.619
restless Gen Zers who are doing more of that like FOMO type travel where they aren't they don't want to spend the most amount of money but they look to influencers and what's going viral on TikTok and Instagram to plan their vacations and then go there and experience those things by themselves but don't necessarily care about um
425
00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:45.422
like the city, if that makes sense, right?
426
00:37:45.442 --> 00:37:50.427
Like it's more about, um, posting on, on, right.
427
00:37:50.628 --> 00:38:03.461
It's like checking off on lists, um, posting on social media and, you know, showing other people that you're just traveling, but not necessarily, you know, doing deeper dives into like the countries or cities that you're in to explore, you know, beyond that.
428
00:38:03.941 --> 00:38:04.121
Um,
429
00:38:04.922 --> 00:38:18.888
So it does kind of like raise the, you know, raise the question of like, how can you get people to expand beyond those, you know, top, what, like 10, 10, 20 cities that like people always go to?
430
00:38:19.449 --> 00:38:25.531
Because that's obviously a huge thing that like people that, you know, these countries want.
431
00:38:26.232 --> 00:38:28.593
So, Jia, did you see this?
432
00:38:29.613 --> 00:38:30.654
Would love to know what you think.
433
00:38:30.754 --> 00:38:31.634
Just kind of, you know.
434
00:38:31.894 --> 00:38:35.417
Now that you're in India, is that a thing that, you know, you see more and more?
435
00:38:35.437 --> 00:38:36.939
Are Americans going there?
436
00:38:36.959 --> 00:38:38.720
Oh, yeah.
437
00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:43.805
I mean, I'm not really sure about Americans in India, but I have seen I've seen a lot.
438
00:38:43.825 --> 00:38:50.150
There is a good amount of tourism, but I think Europe is taking like the biggest chunk of people.
439
00:38:50.170 --> 00:38:52.673
It's closer, cheaper, probably.
440
00:38:53.794 --> 00:38:54.855
But yeah, I think.
441
00:38:54.875 --> 00:38:55.535
Yeah.
442
00:38:56.736 --> 00:39:00.898
There's a lot of FOMO, I think, that has been manufactured with social media, right?
443
00:39:01.058 --> 00:39:02.459
Everyone's like, I got to go there.
444
00:39:02.479 --> 00:39:11.203
Travel used to be the thing that you got to do if you made enough money or you had time, luxury, wealth, whatever.
445
00:39:11.223 --> 00:39:14.244
And now it's almost like everyone loves to travel, right?
446
00:39:14.284 --> 00:39:15.605
If you just look at the dating apps...
447
00:39:16.185 --> 00:39:18.827
It's always like everyone loves to travel.
448
00:39:19.007 --> 00:39:24.691
And I think it's become a thing that you do as part of your personality and as part of your existence now.
449
00:39:25.191 --> 00:39:28.473
That maybe wasn't the case 10, 15, 20 years ago.
450
00:39:29.694 --> 00:39:37.299
I think you will see, I'm sure with social media, the kind of access that you have to get a window into other people's worlds that...
451
00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:39.761
push you into that FOMO, right?
452
00:39:39.781 --> 00:39:41.041
You're like, I have to do it.
453
00:39:42.142 --> 00:39:44.863
Even if you're not super into it, kind of you have to do it.
454
00:39:45.603 --> 00:39:48.644
I think that's great, though, for some of these lesser known places.
455
00:39:48.704 --> 00:39:50.345
But I'm wondering at what point is it?
456
00:39:50.805 --> 00:39:52.906
Is like Greece going to be like too many people?
457
00:39:52.926 --> 00:39:55.707
We, like our economy is collapsing.
458
00:39:56.247 --> 00:39:57.648
Like the locals are not happy.
459
00:39:57.988 --> 00:40:07.738
Yeah, I mean, I mentioned that Nantucket story, but there's been backlash in Barcelona, right, with like Airbnb and how many tourists go to the city.
460
00:40:10.260 --> 00:40:15.765
And I think there is, you know, a bit of that sentiment of, you know, the locals not liking the tourists.
461
00:40:16.105 --> 00:40:16.246
Yeah.
462
00:40:16.846 --> 00:40:31.136
both because they feel as if they're not being respectful, but then also I'm sure that, you know, they feel as if their needs are no longer the ones that are being catered to because Americans have more money.
463
00:40:31.956 --> 00:40:39.361
And that's certainly kind of what came across in that article and what I was thinking about, like as we're talking about how Americans are spending, you know, $300 virtually,
464
00:40:41.282 --> 00:40:49.568
I think it was $350 to the Germans spending like $200 and the Spanish spending $150 and the French spending $100, right?
465
00:40:49.788 --> 00:40:58.414
Like that's a substantial amount of money that makes localities make decisions to cater to Americans.
466
00:40:59.434 --> 00:41:00.115
That's one thing.
467
00:41:00.375 --> 00:41:18.999
The other thing, too, is like what I was thinking a lot more of is that this does provide like a lot of opportunity for those enterprising, you know, tourist companies that do want to cater to Americans and provide unique and custom travel ideas or locations.
468
00:41:19.059 --> 00:41:19.619
Right.
469
00:41:19.719 --> 00:41:20.840
One of the things that I've seen.
470
00:41:20.860 --> 00:41:21.220
Yeah.
471
00:41:22.360 --> 00:41:25.742
um, popularize a lot more is going back to travel agents, right?
472
00:41:25.762 --> 00:41:32.306
Where it's like, you want to pay for somebody to create a unique experience for you and your family, um, so that you don't have to do it.
473
00:41:32.366 --> 00:41:32.627
Right.
474
00:41:33.147 --> 00:41:37.029
Um, so that, that's, I, I've seen that kind of, you know, come on the rise.
475
00:41:37.470 --> 00:41:44.034
Um, one of the things actually that I was talking to, um, or journalists to recently about was, um, they were talking about, um,
476
00:41:44.814 --> 00:41:48.117
sustainability travel and like, you know, is that still a trend?
477
00:41:48.157 --> 00:41:49.138
Do we see that growing?
478
00:41:49.439 --> 00:41:51.020
And I was like, honestly, no.
479
00:41:51.140 --> 00:42:04.292
Like, I think that was a thing that people cared about in like 2020 and like 2022 maybe as like when the, like a Zerp era thing of like when the good times are happening and the money was like flowing.
480
00:42:04.552 --> 00:42:08.056
But now what I think people are looking more for is value.
481
00:42:08.116 --> 00:42:10.438
Like, I want to know that if I'm spending my money on,
482
00:42:10.718 --> 00:42:14.419
I'm actually going to be able to say that I had a unique experience.
483
00:42:14.479 --> 00:42:16.120
I was able to post on social media about it.
484
00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:18.400
And it was worth it for me to like do this.
485
00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:19.221
Right.
486
00:42:19.261 --> 00:42:22.401
So I'm seeing more of the rise in experiences overall.
487
00:42:22.982 --> 00:42:26.983
So we're seeing that in terms of going to like sports events.
488
00:42:27.043 --> 00:42:27.243
Right.
489
00:42:27.263 --> 00:42:34.045
Like that Super Bowl final, the Knicks, you know, Spurs, like, yeah.
490
00:42:35.306 --> 00:42:36.847
events, the World Cup events, right?
491
00:42:37.167 --> 00:42:42.893
And then people want to go to these things because it's like you can't, it's really hard to do.
492
00:42:43.714 --> 00:42:46.257
And so that's kind of how I see these like countries.
493
00:42:46.297 --> 00:42:53.905
I feel like we're gonna, there's gonna be a tipping point, I think, I'm predicting anyway, of like the countries being, you know, the top 10.
494
00:42:53.965 --> 00:42:55.226
Okay, we're done with those.
495
00:42:55.266 --> 00:42:58.029
Like, what's that next level of like unique...
496
00:42:59.170 --> 00:43:21.412
and like different that we can do that's not what everybody else is doing and I think that this this is where the opportunity lies for for marketers and for you know countries to like think about like how do we create curated experiences for Americans that are enticing to them but then also do it in a way that um
497
00:43:22.113 --> 00:43:28.583
still upholds our authentic values, um, like how we see ourselves and want to put ourselves out into the world.
498
00:43:28.823 --> 00:43:34.191
And I think the world cup, um, was a great way of seeing naturally how countries can do that.
499
00:43:34.231 --> 00:43:34.372
Right.
500
00:43:34.392 --> 00:43:37.296
Like, I think one of my, my favorite examples was of, um,
501
00:43:38.097 --> 00:43:39.317
the Norwegian team, right?
502
00:43:39.337 --> 00:43:48.459
Like, um, they became so popular with Americans because they came up with a way to, um, involve people in their own cultural things, right?
503
00:43:48.479 --> 00:43:52.620
Like coming up with like the road chant and like, um, the Viking outfits, right?
504
00:43:52.660 --> 00:43:57.221
Like it was all these things that like naturally fit with them and their history.
505
00:43:57.681 --> 00:44:00.862
And they found a way to like invite Americans into that.
506
00:44:00.922 --> 00:44:01.082
Right.
507
00:44:01.342 --> 00:44:05.383
Similarly with the Scottish, I think, right in Boston where it's like, you know, um, the,
508
00:44:06.644 --> 00:44:08.886
I think they even became like sister cities, right?
509
00:44:09.126 --> 00:44:18.537
And we saw like this convergence of multiple cultures coming together in Mexico, the Koreans, like that was like a really cool way of seeing, you know, everybody come together.
510
00:44:18.777 --> 00:44:27.066
So I think there's a lot of ways that we can try to, you know, do that while still maintaining our own authenticity for people.
511
00:44:27.286 --> 00:44:35.308
you know, our countries and the pride that we have while still being welcoming to Americans who do want to spend that money.
512
00:44:35.428 --> 00:44:39.349
And if they have that money and want to spend it, why wouldn't you want that?
513
00:44:41.450 --> 00:44:43.050
I think we're going to see a rise.
514
00:44:43.390 --> 00:44:48.892
I'm not sure I love it or hate it, but I think we're going to see a rise of content experiences.
515
00:44:49.863 --> 00:44:52.206
Like opportunities to create content.
516
00:44:52.326 --> 00:44:52.586
Right.
517
00:44:53.167 --> 00:44:58.073
Because I think there's a lot of people that travel to create content and not to like experience.
518
00:44:58.353 --> 00:44:59.094
Yeah.
519
00:44:59.154 --> 00:45:01.457
Not to be part of the culture.
520
00:45:01.557 --> 00:45:02.659
I think that's like secondary.
521
00:45:02.719 --> 00:45:03.700
Not that they don't want that.
522
00:45:04.361 --> 00:45:08.986
But I think that we will see the rise of like content packages where you can like.
523
00:45:09.947 --> 00:45:18.713
have someone follow you around or, you know, take, um, take you to the spots and film something for you and help you film and do all these things.
524
00:45:18.733 --> 00:45:22.295
And I think we're going to see a rise of that in Europe for sure.
525
00:45:22.315 --> 00:45:35.303
I, I think that's going to be, um, reaching that kind of that influencer, um, chronically online person that is interested in that aspect of travel.
526
00:45:36.759 --> 00:45:38.760
Yeah, no, for sure.
527
00:45:38.820 --> 00:45:45.962
I mean, it's funny because we're talking about Europe a lot, but one of the countries that I see people go to all the time is Japan, right?
528
00:45:46.002 --> 00:45:49.403
Like that seems to be like the top of so many, you know, people's lists.
529
00:45:49.423 --> 00:45:52.144
And maybe that's just me and my tech bubble that I'm in.
530
00:45:53.204 --> 00:45:56.305
But it also, you know, brings up that...
531
00:45:57.365 --> 00:46:09.855
That, like, even if the, like, median or, like, average American tourist is only going to these top cities, there are a lot of, like, early adopters that want to try that new thing.
532
00:46:10.775 --> 00:46:12.937
And, you know, especially with, like, influencers, right?
533
00:46:12.957 --> 00:46:15.399
Like, who need to create that sort of content, right?
534
00:46:15.859 --> 00:46:16.040
Right.
535
00:46:16.800 --> 00:46:28.448
What are these ways that we can, you know, try to bring up other countries and elevate those countries to also be getting more interest and attention from, you know, the American tourists?
536
00:46:29.128 --> 00:46:29.369
Yeah.
537
00:46:29.749 --> 00:46:30.609
Tourism marketing.
538
00:46:30.830 --> 00:46:33.271
I mean, a different kind of brand trip.
539
00:46:34.092 --> 00:46:34.432
Yeah.
540
00:46:34.472 --> 00:46:44.239
If you don't really want to do it, bring content creators over to your country to highlight the beautiful things there.
541
00:46:44.599 --> 00:46:44.999
Never know.
542
00:46:45.059 --> 00:46:45.880
It's going to be a thing.
543
00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:49.963
Yeah, I mean, that's what works for Portugal and Greece, right?
544
00:46:49.983 --> 00:46:59.372
Like, right now, they're still, like, two of the top most visited countries right now because Americans, like, have been enticed to go there, right?
545
00:47:00.112 --> 00:47:00.293
Yep.
546
00:47:00.533 --> 00:47:02.174
And I really think that, like...
547
00:47:03.095 --> 00:47:29.655
that's something that like you know countries should and cities um should figure out right it's like how to you know um market their country in a way that is enticing to americans in order to um get them to come over and spend their money with you i know i i see the fact they're gonna have content trips like the smaller kind of countries that you know don't get as much attention there's it's gonna be a thing now this is this is one of my predictions yeah
548
00:47:29.961 --> 00:47:30.682
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
549
00:47:30.782 --> 00:47:31.862
No, I agree.
550
00:47:32.203 --> 00:47:42.690
That's a good one, too, because it's like, yeah, like, how do you show the best of your country in a way that Americans, that will entice Americans?
551
00:47:42.890 --> 00:47:49.635
And since influencers are basically already creating that content, it would be easy to kind of create those, like, partnerships.
552
00:47:50.516 --> 00:47:52.717
And I think there is a way of doing it that's not...
553
00:47:55.662 --> 00:48:08.507
to like influencer, you know, like I think there is a backlash coming for, you know, for influencers and the amount of like, you know, we saw it during the World Cup, right?
554
00:48:08.527 --> 00:48:11.087
Where it's like, oh, why are these influencers?
555
00:48:11.107 --> 00:48:11.628
Why are you here?
556
00:48:11.688 --> 00:48:12.348
Why are you here?
557
00:48:12.688 --> 00:48:18.473
Yeah, coming to the World Cup when it's like, clearly, they don't like soccer, they don't care, you know.
558
00:48:19.014 --> 00:48:24.198
But it's a way of getting attention for the sport that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten.
559
00:48:24.759 --> 00:48:31.345
So I think that is, you know, a bargain that has to be made in order to get that attention.
560
00:48:31.365 --> 00:48:33.446
Okay, so a couple lessons.
561
00:48:33.827 --> 00:48:35.088
Oh, no, go for it.
562
00:48:35.108 --> 00:48:37.050
Oh, yeah, I was gonna say, I think that there's like...
563
00:48:37.866 --> 00:48:42.990
something to be said about content that's just or like just consumption that can turn people off.
564
00:48:43.170 --> 00:48:44.872
It's like you're everywhere or doing everything.
565
00:48:44.912 --> 00:48:48.755
It's just pure capitalism for pure consumption.
566
00:48:48.775 --> 00:48:50.396
And I think that turns some people off.
567
00:48:50.436 --> 00:48:54.979
But I think you have to be smart about who you choose to do the marketing for you, you know.
568
00:48:55.800 --> 00:48:57.301
And how that's going to land with people.
569
00:48:57.641 --> 00:48:58.862
And that's all in the strategy.
570
00:48:59.082 --> 00:49:03.164
But something to think about because it can seem like overconsumption.
571
00:49:03.464 --> 00:49:05.205
And I think some people are very averse to that.
572
00:49:05.265 --> 00:49:07.606
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
573
00:49:07.686 --> 00:49:08.867
That is the thing, too, right?
574
00:49:08.907 --> 00:49:17.852
I mean, you have horror stories of, right, like the one that stands out to me is the Great Barrier Reef, right, which is slowly dying because, you know, people are touching it.
575
00:49:17.872 --> 00:49:18.152
Right.
576
00:49:18.812 --> 00:49:28.258
And it's just like, come on, like, is that where you see like, you know, people touching animals that they shouldn't be touching or, you know, doing things that they shouldn't be doing.
577
00:49:29.539 --> 00:49:31.360
So, I mean, that's always going to be...
578
00:49:34.593 --> 00:49:38.694
Or like the number of people trying to climb Mount Everest right now is like wild.
579
00:49:38.794 --> 00:49:40.895
There's like a line on a mountain.
580
00:49:41.075 --> 00:49:45.877
Like who would have thought that you would be stuck in a line.
581
00:49:45.937 --> 00:49:48.778
It's not a bagel shop or like the new ice cream spot.
582
00:49:48.798 --> 00:49:50.498
You're up the side of a mountain.
583
00:49:50.738 --> 00:49:54.419
But that is like classic overconsumption of tourism, right?
584
00:49:54.439 --> 00:50:01.982
Because there's so many people that are exploiting an industry that was created to, yes, get more tourism, get more people to the area.
585
00:50:02.002 --> 00:50:02.102
Yeah.
586
00:50:03.002 --> 00:50:07.884
But it was meant for climbers, you know, like serious mountaineers who wanted to do the thing.
587
00:50:08.885 --> 00:50:16.548
And now it's just a bunch of people who are like, oh, my God, I can hire a guy to like shove me up a mountain and carry my stuff for me.
588
00:50:16.709 --> 00:50:19.350
And they're actually the experience like climbers, not me.
589
00:50:19.430 --> 00:50:20.190
I don't know anything.
590
00:50:21.751 --> 00:50:25.313
There's this really interesting article that talks about how there's like movie screenings on Mount Everest.
591
00:50:25.333 --> 00:50:26.613
And I was like, what is going on?
592
00:50:26.753 --> 00:50:30.315
Like this is the type of travel and tourism I am not here for.
593
00:50:30.735 --> 00:50:32.257
Because this is just overconsumption.
594
00:50:32.277 --> 00:50:33.378
You're ruining the mountain.
595
00:50:33.478 --> 00:50:35.460
Like, there's trash everywhere.
596
00:50:35.900 --> 00:50:38.843
And, like, I don't know.
597
00:50:39.204 --> 00:50:40.405
The marketing got too far.
598
00:50:40.745 --> 00:50:42.767
It went too far.
599
00:50:42.927 --> 00:50:44.008
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
600
00:50:44.048 --> 00:50:44.249
Yeah.
601
00:50:44.509 --> 00:50:44.949
Yeah, yeah.
602
00:50:45.009 --> 00:50:46.091
No, that's crazy.
603
00:50:46.171 --> 00:50:49.494
Definitely, I guess, for that, you know...
604
00:50:51.240 --> 00:51:00.207
To those Americans, like, please try to, you know, at least, you know, do things as they do them within, you know, that culture, that city.
605
00:51:00.327 --> 00:51:05.791
And don't just try to impose what you would normally want to do back home in America.
606
00:51:06.411 --> 00:51:10.715
Yeah, I think that was it's also just like I think the government allowed so many people.
607
00:51:12.216 --> 00:51:14.077
But it's it's crazy.
608
00:51:14.517 --> 00:51:18.260
I mean, that mountainside has a trash problem now, which who would have thought?
609
00:51:18.280 --> 00:51:19.241
A couple of lessons for me.
610
00:51:21.751 --> 00:51:23.392
two things that really stood out from this article.
611
00:51:23.712 --> 00:51:27.634
One is that bifurcation of who your audience is.
612
00:51:27.654 --> 00:51:34.997
You have the wealthy boomers and you have the Gen Zers that want to experience, you know, life or something different, something unique, right?
613
00:51:35.817 --> 00:51:38.918
Those are two completely different audiences.
614
00:51:39.198 --> 00:51:45.081
So you have to know who you're targeting when you're trying to get them to come to your country, right?
615
00:51:45.101 --> 00:51:46.881
Like it's not the same audience.
616
00:51:46.902 --> 00:51:47.382
They're not...
617
00:51:48.242 --> 00:51:49.923
they're not looking for the same experiences.
618
00:51:49.944 --> 00:51:53.827
They're not looking for the same thing from you.
619
00:51:54.207 --> 00:51:55.668
So you have to know who you're talking about.
620
00:51:55.688 --> 00:52:02.814
So creating that message or narrative that's going to work for the audience that you're trying to get to come to you is going to work in your favor.
621
00:52:02.894 --> 00:52:09.980
Because if you're not creating experiences for wealthy boomers, then they're not going to be satisfied with
622
00:52:10.220 --> 00:52:11.921
your product or your service, right?
623
00:52:12.601 --> 00:52:20.443
If you know that what you're doing is creating more of a FOMO experience for Gen Zers, then like that's who you should be targeting your product for.
624
00:52:20.523 --> 00:52:22.944
So that's something to, you know, keep an eye out for.
625
00:52:22.984 --> 00:52:27.505
It's like, who are you targeting and are you speaking their language in order to get them to come?
626
00:52:27.925 --> 00:52:28.926
The other thing is...
627
00:52:31.074 --> 00:52:42.142
For me, you know, this article was a – I saw more opportunity than I saw, you know, the ragging on, you know, the American tourists.
628
00:52:42.242 --> 00:52:47.866
Which, yes, at times we can be loud and boisterous and –
629
00:52:48.406 --> 00:52:52.169
You know, things are way and not like fit into the culture.
630
00:52:53.209 --> 00:53:07.639
But I think there is a way for countries and cities to do do how do things the way that they want to do them in a culturally appropriate way that is welcoming and inviting to American tourists.
631
00:53:07.659 --> 00:53:07.779
Yeah.
632
00:53:08.519 --> 00:53:11.160
and that are positive instead of being negative.
633
00:53:11.880 --> 00:53:26.823
And so figure out those ways that you can do that because there's a lot more opportunity here for countries to grow and to get Americans to spend their money there if they want that and if they are actively seeking it out.
634
00:53:26.883 --> 00:53:28.163
It reminds me of Widow's Bay.
635
00:53:28.183 --> 00:53:28.743
Have you seen that?
636
00:53:28.923 --> 00:53:30.143
Oh, yeah.
637
00:53:30.163 --> 00:53:30.603
So good.
638
00:53:31.064 --> 00:53:31.244
Right.
639
00:53:31.264 --> 00:53:32.304
The whole goal of...
640
00:53:34.265 --> 00:53:41.309
the mayor there is he's trying to become the next Martha's Vineyard by attracting, you know, tourists.
641
00:53:42.009 --> 00:53:44.691
And so he's like working really hard to like, you know, do that.
642
00:53:44.791 --> 00:53:49.274
So maybe it's just the marketer in me, but I see a lot more opportunity here.
643
00:53:49.354 --> 00:53:59.540
And I hope that these countries and cities, you know, come up with creative ways to create unique experiences that will attract the American tourists and their money.
644
00:53:59.560 --> 00:53:59.660
Yeah.
645
00:53:59.680 --> 00:54:12.785
I mean, you know, speaking of just in overall worldwide, not just American tourists, but every four years, we see how the World Cup really brings people together, you know, over shared experiences, shared goals, shared, you know, enjoyment.
646
00:54:13.265 --> 00:54:13.585
And I think
647
00:54:14.505 --> 00:54:29.410
countries and other will do, they will do good if they try to recreate that kind of energy around their countries or cities because it shows that how much people love actually being around other people, you know, different cultures.
648
00:54:29.910 --> 00:54:35.252
So I think that's something I love every four years is kind of seeing that amalgamation happen.
649
00:54:35.912 --> 00:54:36.772
Yeah, definitely.
650
00:54:37.052 --> 00:54:37.913
And I think that that's,
651
00:54:39.235 --> 00:54:40.696
you know, the possibility here.
652
00:54:40.776 --> 00:54:48.561
It's like, how do you get people to participate also with your country and not just go there to take an Instagram photo?
653
00:54:49.481 --> 00:54:53.724
You know, you can do both.
654
00:54:54.004 --> 00:54:54.204
Right.
655
00:54:54.304 --> 00:54:55.045
Exactly.
656
00:54:55.405 --> 00:54:55.765
Exactly.
657
00:54:55.785 --> 00:54:56.446
Yeah.
658
00:54:56.566 --> 00:54:56.786
Okay.
659
00:54:56.886 --> 00:54:57.846
We can move on to your topic.
660
00:54:58.027 --> 00:54:58.307
Okay.
661
00:54:59.027 --> 00:55:07.614
I really wanted to talk about Hilary Duff because I have so much FOMO from not actually being able to go to one of our concerts because she's not coming to India yet.
662
00:55:08.195 --> 00:55:09.095
I'm hoping that she does.
663
00:55:09.696 --> 00:55:14.039
But she's been on like a generational run, right?
664
00:55:14.079 --> 00:55:14.440
Yeah.
665
00:55:15.300 --> 00:55:20.243
Not just doing a comeback, but she's kind of changing the entire way that the world thought about her.
666
00:55:20.483 --> 00:55:27.747
And, you know, she was a teenage star and she grew up publicly and, you know, she was in the limelight a lot.
667
00:55:27.767 --> 00:55:33.710
She was in that kind of gossipy, tabloid-y area that, you know, age where everything about her was nitpicked by people.
668
00:55:34.350 --> 00:55:58.078
by all the media and she's come back as the 38 year old woman who's had kids and she's had a whole life and she's you know she's not just the teenage girl that we knew but she's kind of us who grew up and i love that framing right because her tour is not just about i'm coming i'm playing my hits and i'm going you know she's been trying really hard to
669
00:55:59.768 --> 00:56:05.327
do the Lizzie McGuire thing of like, I was this and I'm also this and hold both her identities
670
00:56:06.434 --> 00:56:11.497
you know, give them equal amount of space and show that she's like a mixture of all these things.
671
00:56:11.537 --> 00:56:13.838
You know, here's why I'm now.
672
00:56:13.918 --> 00:56:15.379
Here's everything you took to get there.
673
00:56:15.399 --> 00:56:26.885
And she's doing that with her music, her tour, the guests that she's been getting on her shows, the merch that she's been selling, the PR boxes.
674
00:56:26.925 --> 00:56:29.407
You know, I remember one of her launch videos was
675
00:56:30.306 --> 00:56:54.248
her going to her closet and um she was like looking at all her iconic outfits but then she put on a new one and i think that was really symbolic and lovely of her to say i'm i'm all these things but now i'm also this so i think that marketing strategy was really deliberate because i think after the era's tour everyone was like nostalgia nostalgia like hits hits hits and she
676
00:56:54.677 --> 00:57:03.203
I think she was trying to be more than that, but also acknowledge where she came from and what gave her that fame and popularity and stardom.
677
00:57:03.263 --> 00:57:04.664
Right.
678
00:57:05.225 --> 00:57:08.167
Anyway, she's been selling out all of her shows worldwide.
679
00:57:10.028 --> 00:57:16.052
She's been reclaiming all the talk about her body image as well with, you know, her campaign with Ladder.
680
00:57:17.053 --> 00:57:21.057
And she's been talking about her strength training and all these things.
681
00:57:21.137 --> 00:57:23.259
And I think that it's a really wholesome moment for her.
682
00:57:23.739 --> 00:57:29.645
And as someone who grew up with Hilary Duff, it's really nice to see this very positive, nostalgic experience.
683
00:57:31.005 --> 00:57:52.504
teenage pups yeah i think what i have loved about it is that it very smartly mixed all the nostalgia with where she is now where um yeah it was a admission of like yes i have been this person through these different stages of my life and instead of um
684
00:57:54.960 --> 00:57:57.762
feeling bad about it or embarrassed about it.
685
00:57:58.282 --> 00:58:00.124
Um, it was like, yeah, this is me.
686
00:58:00.544 --> 00:58:01.845
I was Liz McGuire.
687
00:58:02.285 --> 00:58:04.947
Like I, you know, was a teen pop star.
688
00:58:05.588 --> 00:58:08.590
Um, I went ahead and got married and I had four kids.
689
00:58:09.230 --> 00:58:15.034
Um, I've had some drama in my life and you know, the, the other thing was, um,
690
00:58:16.243 --> 00:58:19.165
having good Charlotte come out on stage with her.
691
00:58:19.185 --> 00:58:20.046
Yes, so good.
692
00:58:20.326 --> 00:58:23.969
And then having, you know, the next night, I think, was like a tribute to Erin Carter.
693
00:58:24.370 --> 00:58:32.196
So it just shows how positive and optimistic she is and how well she's seen, like, her whole history.
694
00:58:32.496 --> 00:58:36.059
And I think at a time when women in particular are...
695
00:58:38.628 --> 00:58:41.811
denigrated for like their history and their stories.
696
00:58:42.091 --> 00:58:52.961
The fact that she was so willingly able to claim it and say like, yes, this is me, all of it, the good and the bad, um, it shows how much, um,
697
00:58:53.882 --> 00:58:54.802
she has grown.
698
00:58:55.062 --> 00:59:08.366
And I think it also gives an example to the rest of us, you know, who have, you know, similar stories of like, yeah, we're almost 40 years old, you know, like, we are essentially almost middle aged, right?
699
00:59:09.446 --> 00:59:14.428
And instead of it having to be like, oh, trying to be like a 25 year old pop star.
700
00:59:14.708 --> 00:59:15.168
It's like, no,
701
00:59:15.528 --> 00:59:18.370
I'm a 40-year-old pop star and this is my life.
702
00:59:18.430 --> 00:59:19.371
This is who I am.
703
00:59:19.391 --> 00:59:29.519
And having her audience engage with her in that way is great because it shows that you don't always have to play for like that, you know, a younger audience.
704
00:59:29.759 --> 00:59:41.368
You can bring your current audience along and, you know, the younger demographics will come and pay attention to you and learn a bit of history, you know, of like the pop stars of old.
705
00:59:41.388 --> 00:59:42.069
It's not a comeback.
706
00:59:42.969 --> 01:00:08.239
it's not a comeback it's like a self-reckoning she's like she's like this is me this is my you know and i think i think she's done a really good job of staying true to herself and of staying true to who she is throughout all the marketing the tours you know and i think she said something really nice that she said i don't know if i'll ever have another moment quite like this or another summer quite like this so i think she's also acknowledging that she knows that it's
707
01:00:10.660 --> 01:00:13.521
But this is like a moment in time that she's really grateful for.
708
01:00:13.661 --> 01:00:16.523
And I think that that's really sweet.
709
01:00:16.763 --> 01:00:19.064
And I think it acknowledges how our audience feels.
710
01:00:19.104 --> 01:00:25.587
And I think it acknowledges where we've all landed, you know, as adults who grew up with her.
711
01:00:25.607 --> 01:00:26.967
I really like that.
712
01:00:27.307 --> 01:00:28.088
Really smart.
713
01:00:28.748 --> 01:00:35.272
I know it's like part marketing, but I think it's also really smart, but it feels true to who she is, you know, genuinely meaningful.
714
01:00:35.692 --> 01:00:39.855
I mean, I think that's why it works, because it is coming from her, right?
715
01:00:39.895 --> 01:00:49.701
Like the best marketing comes from the person or from like the founders or like the individuals at the company that make the company what it is, right?
716
01:00:50.121 --> 01:00:54.083
The other thing I want to like call out here is that she has...
717
01:00:56.044 --> 01:01:00.706
So her latest album has gotten rave reviews, right?
718
01:01:01.327 --> 01:01:14.553
And part of the reason I think that is is because she's talking about or singing about where her life is now and not trying to cater to a demographic that isn't like her audience, right?
719
01:01:14.753 --> 01:01:21.777
And I think that that's something that, you know, people should remember is like who your target market is, like who your target audience is, right?
720
01:01:21.797 --> 01:01:23.097
Like she knows...
721
01:01:24.698 --> 01:01:27.461
who her audience is and she's talking to them.
722
01:01:27.781 --> 01:01:41.215
And I think that that's like a really valuable insight for artists and for marketers, to know who you're talking to and how to talk to them and engage in that conversation so that they,
723
01:01:42.296 --> 01:01:44.418
your fans know that you're acknowledging them, right?
724
01:01:44.799 --> 01:01:59.094
And the fact that, like, all these, like, tour moments of, like, bringing in, you know, what dreams are made of from, like, the, you know, Lizzie McGuire movie and doing these, like, concerts and bringing in, like, these, like, special guests.
725
01:01:59.114 --> 01:01:59.715
Good Charlotte, yeah.
726
01:02:00.115 --> 01:02:03.198
right, good Charlotte and like doing, you know, bringing RuPaul.
727
01:02:04.058 --> 01:02:16.908
It's like acknowledging all these different facets of her life, but then also doing the little Easter eggs so that like her audience is like, oh yes, I remember this, like this point in her life and I was there, you know?
728
01:02:17.728 --> 01:02:21.731
So it's a really cool way to like bring the past up with like the new.
729
01:02:22.592 --> 01:02:28.837
And it's very interesting that she's been able to also mix in her current music, right?
730
01:02:28.857 --> 01:02:29.217
Because she's,
731
01:02:29.337 --> 01:02:46.605
So many of the concerts that you're seeing from bands that are coming out, I don't want to say that they rely too much on their old hits or the nostalgia, but that seems to be what their audience is demanding of them, which kind of sucks, right?
732
01:02:46.625 --> 01:02:47.826
Because it's like, you know...
733
01:02:48.406 --> 01:02:49.608
They also want to grow.
734
01:02:49.628 --> 01:02:55.454
They also want to come out with like new music and new songs.
735
01:02:55.875 --> 01:03:05.786
So I think that has to be like a thing that artists have to push back on their own audience about where it's like, yes, that is who I am.
736
01:03:05.986 --> 01:03:07.348
And I have brought this, you know.
737
01:03:07.768 --> 01:03:13.471
as fan service for you, but then also please use this as a time to also support me in my new endeavor.
738
01:03:13.491 --> 01:03:16.412
Um, and like, come with me.
739
01:03:16.432 --> 01:03:23.616
And I think that that's, you know, something that, you know, marketers can learn from this where it's like, um, yes, acknowledge like where, where you're at.
740
01:03:23.676 --> 01:03:26.077
I mean, let's talk about the Instagram change, right.
741
01:03:26.157 --> 01:03:28.358
Or it's like, was that really necessary?
742
01:03:28.538 --> 01:03:29.198
Is that a thing?
743
01:03:29.298 --> 01:03:33.420
Like, are you just changing to change for change to say, or is there a reason
744
01:03:38.026 --> 01:03:48.358
taking people along in the journey and getting them to understand why you're doing something or why you're at where you're at now is part of, you know, the process.
745
01:03:48.739 --> 01:03:50.301
And like what we were talking about earlier, right?
746
01:03:50.321 --> 01:03:54.486
It's like showing those behind the scenes and like your thought process and like why you are there.
747
01:03:54.506 --> 01:03:55.146
Yeah.
748
01:03:55.687 --> 01:03:58.790
is what people want if you want them to follow you along in the journey.
749
01:03:59.191 --> 01:04:07.339
And I think that's why the Instagram thing feels so random because it's like, oh, you're just changing that part of it, but you're not changing anything else.
750
01:04:07.739 --> 01:04:10.502
Why out of nowhere are you doing this?
751
01:04:10.542 --> 01:04:13.625
There was just no explanation to it that made sense.
752
01:04:13.965 --> 01:04:22.187
And even pairing that up against like the Coca-Cola change, which was like, we're still doing the classic Coca-Cola font, but we're adding this like new font to it.
753
01:04:22.487 --> 01:04:23.888
That made sense, right?
754
01:04:24.428 --> 01:04:32.610
And so that's the thing I think a lesson for me from this where marketers can learn for sure.
755
01:04:33.913 --> 01:04:34.133
Yeah.
756
01:04:34.734 --> 01:04:40.601
I mean, I think the lesson for me is just really a masterclass on how to talk to your audience, right?
757
01:04:40.661 --> 01:04:44.705
Especially when you're coming back after a long time, launching something new.
758
01:04:45.266 --> 01:04:49.851
She's been really good about, like you said, taking audiences with her, but also being...
759
01:04:50.892 --> 01:05:13.957
kind of holding space for both parts of her right she's like not dressing up as lizzie mcguire but she will sing this is what dreams are made of and i think that that is the perfect combination of the two things where she's like okay i'm doing all this but i'm also this person now and i and i love that for her i love this new um era and i love that she's chosen to share it very honestly and authentically um very you know
760
01:05:15.497 --> 01:05:36.688
publicly and I'm really happy for her and like she's doing really good for herself yeah I know like don't you just like I feel like it's like a millennial thing where like I love to see them succeed you know after so long too so I'm here for it yeah I was devastated when they canceled the Lizzie McGuire reboot so yeah yeah yeah it's funny because it's like
761
01:05:38.150 --> 01:05:40.813
She's had all these hits against her, right?
762
01:05:40.853 --> 01:05:51.282
Where it's like she had the Lizzie McGuire show not move forward because she wanted it to be where she's at now, right?
763
01:05:51.302 --> 01:05:55.666
It's to show a more grown-up Lizzie McGuire and the studio was just like, no, we can't.
764
01:05:55.806 --> 01:06:18.887
do that like who wants to see that it's not disney enough exactly right and here she is okay i'll just do it right and here she is proving that her audience wants to follow her i do wonder if this is a way maybe of like trying to you know get that back up and going you know maybe it's not a disney show it's a hulu show right like um that is a more grown-up thing you know and
765
01:06:18.987 --> 01:06:24.237
And then, you know, there was also the drama with, was it Ashley Tisdale that happened?
766
01:06:24.257 --> 01:06:25.019
Was that last year?
767
01:06:25.039 --> 01:06:25.279
Oh, yeah.
768
01:06:25.299 --> 01:06:25.880
The moms.
769
01:06:26.301 --> 01:06:26.581
Yeah.
770
01:06:26.602 --> 01:06:27.583
The mom group thing.
771
01:06:27.603 --> 01:06:29.006
Isn't that becoming a TV show?
772
01:06:29.891 --> 01:06:30.111
Is it?
773
01:06:30.171 --> 01:06:30.532
I don't know.
774
01:06:31.992 --> 01:06:33.814
I feel like I heard about something like that.
775
01:06:33.834 --> 01:06:34.274
Oh, really?
776
01:06:34.294 --> 01:06:44.640
And I think what I learned from that was just that she's one of the most well-liked celebrities that's out there, which is really interesting.
777
01:06:45.821 --> 01:06:49.903
Because, you know, I think that's also a reason why her fans want to follow her is because she's...
778
01:06:50.023 --> 01:07:15.194
she is well liked and you know she is um taking people along on the journey with her um and then obviously there was like the divorce before that and just all like the drama i feel like she has kind of led us into her life um but then also kept like that um that distance of like you know let me take also my time to like do you know me um and talk about like these things as well yeah exactly
779
01:07:15.654 --> 01:07:22.020
Oh, no, she actually, too, still is executive producing a half hour dark comedy for Netflix called Toxic Moms.
780
01:07:22.380 --> 01:07:23.641
So, yes, there is.
781
01:07:24.883 --> 01:07:27.925
We're going to we're going to see that sometime next year.
782
01:07:27.945 --> 01:07:28.826
Wow.
783
01:07:31.068 --> 01:07:32.089
She's cashing in on it.
784
01:07:32.550 --> 01:07:33.070
She's.
785
01:07:34.251 --> 01:07:35.012
She figured it out.
786
01:07:35.646 --> 01:07:36.187
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
787
01:07:36.267 --> 01:07:36.667
Oh my God.
788
01:07:36.687 --> 01:07:38.229
That's super interesting.
789
01:07:38.750 --> 01:07:41.713
I hope that- We'll come back next year and see if it's anything.
790
01:07:41.733 --> 01:07:45.517
Yeah, a counter program.
791
01:07:46.418 --> 01:07:47.339
Positive modes.
792
01:07:47.619 --> 01:07:48.260
Yeah.
793
01:07:50.455 --> 01:07:50.975
Exactly.
794
01:07:50.995 --> 01:07:52.195
Okay.
795
01:07:52.896 --> 01:07:53.236
Awesome.
796
01:07:53.256 --> 01:07:56.757
So let's move on to takeaways for the whole episode.
797
01:07:56.897 --> 01:08:01.518
And I think there's a couple of through lines from all of these, which I always love.
798
01:08:02.958 --> 01:08:06.899
So the main one for me is that everything is content now, right?
799
01:08:07.359 --> 01:08:17.541
Especially that authentic and behind the scenes type content, because people really want to know that you're being real and how things are coming
800
01:08:20.842 --> 01:08:38.026
um, Hollywood, um, what are the types of content that you could be, you know, putting together that's more elevated, um, you know, video content or, you know, written content that isn't AI, um, that you're having partnerships with and that you're showing some of that, you know, behind the scenes, right?
801
01:08:38.046 --> 01:08:40.226
Like people want to see how things are coming together.
802
01:08:40.246 --> 01:08:47.508
I think that's another thing that we saw with the Momdani thing where, um, showing that competency porn, showing how things come together.
803
01:08:47.528 --> 01:08:47.588
Um,
804
01:08:47.888 --> 01:08:59.953
that then creates a level of trust just from the content that you're creating that allows people to believe in you and take a chance on you for the things that you're trying to bring them, you know, guide them to.
805
01:08:59.973 --> 01:09:06.335
And not just the baseline things that you are already doing.
806
01:09:06.835 --> 01:09:28.902
um for the um american tourists that's you know content creation there like how are you getting americans to pay attention to your country and welcome them um so that they do start spending you know their money with you and then you know the whole hillary duff concert is a huge content creation you know platform for her um where she's at and her audience um
807
01:09:29.882 --> 01:09:39.926
Another thing is how important it is for each of these modes of content and the creators to have authenticity.
808
01:09:40.206 --> 01:09:51.891
Like, how are you showing your company and yourself, you as like marketers, your founders, the stars, showing them in a way that like...
809
01:09:52.948 --> 01:10:04.451
you know, puts your brand in or highlights your brand in a nice way and not just, um, um, you know, creating content for content's sake.
810
01:10:04.532 --> 01:10:06.892
Like, yeah, just putting a celebrity in it.
811
01:10:07.312 --> 01:10:08.013
Yeah, exactly.
812
01:10:08.053 --> 01:10:09.873
Like, it's not about the celebrity being in there.
813
01:10:09.913 --> 01:10:11.694
It's like, well, why this celebrity?
814
01:10:11.814 --> 01:10:13.034
Why this idea?
815
01:10:13.294 --> 01:10:15.895
You know, like, that's what people are looking for.
816
01:10:16.115 --> 01:10:16.915
Any takeaways from you?
817
01:10:17.075 --> 01:10:22.637
Yeah, I think one of my takeaways is that nostalgia cannot be your only play.
818
01:10:23.158 --> 01:10:26.899
You know, I think the nostalgia thing is like a one trick wonder.
819
01:10:26.959 --> 01:10:27.459
It'll work.
820
01:10:28.099 --> 01:10:28.720
It'll be great.
821
01:10:28.840 --> 01:10:29.340
And then what?
822
01:10:29.620 --> 01:10:32.341
You can't like that cannot be her only thing.
823
01:10:32.561 --> 01:10:37.343
You know, even Hilary Duff, whoever is trying to make a comeback or whatever, you have to actually build.
824
01:10:38.607 --> 01:10:45.152
look to the future in some way or the other, or it's just going to be like, Oh, one summer of sold out shows and like, then what, you know?
825
01:10:45.572 --> 01:10:48.034
So that has to be planning for the future.
826
01:10:48.054 --> 01:10:51.637
And I think she's done a really good job of balancing both of those.
827
01:10:51.657 --> 01:10:54.559
So I think that's one thing that I'll say.
828
01:10:54.579 --> 01:11:02.285
I think the other thing that's shining for me throughout everything you've talked about is craft.
829
01:11:02.665 --> 01:11:06.208
Like I think craft is going to be so important to showcase that.
830
01:11:06.728 --> 01:11:16.381
especially with the rise of AI and AI slop and brand slop and all that is going to be, how are you an expert or a craftsman at what you are doing?
831
01:11:17.342 --> 01:11:20.506
It's not enough to just put something out anymore.
832
01:11:20.566 --> 01:11:22.909
You have to show like excellence and talent.
833
01:11:23.069 --> 01:11:24.591
And I think that's going to shine through
834
01:11:25.832 --> 01:11:30.173
everything that you're seeing on social media that is bombarding you at all times, right?
835
01:11:30.233 --> 01:11:33.414
Like all the ads, all the discourse.
836
01:11:33.654 --> 01:11:36.455
That's, I think that's what's going to shine for a lot of people.
837
01:11:36.475 --> 01:11:47.138
And I think that's why you see everyone went to see the Odyssey because we're so, it's not like it's a new story, but it's about the craft and the way that it was handled that it got everyone's attention, you know?
838
01:11:47.158 --> 01:11:47.258
Yeah.
839
01:11:48.167 --> 01:11:52.849
So I think that's going to be really important, both for Hollywood and the brands, like that story that we talked about.
840
01:11:52.869 --> 01:11:56.950
Hilary Duff has been showing great craft, you know, in like a different way.
841
01:11:58.190 --> 01:11:59.891
I think it's going to boil down to that.
842
01:12:00.011 --> 01:12:06.813
That's going to be like the key differentiator with all of these different kind of things we're seeing coming up.
843
01:12:06.833 --> 01:12:07.713
Yeah, I love that.
844
01:12:07.913 --> 01:12:16.136
I think, yeah, from what we talked about today is there's so many ideas there of how you can create unique content or experiences based on...
845
01:12:17.477 --> 01:12:24.441
what already exists for you and your brand and your country and your city, your people, um, who you are.
846
01:12:25.022 --> 01:12:39.831
Um, and each of these four examples have really found that, um, and are doing it in a unique way in an, in a unique enough way that people are interested solely based on, you know, the who Mamdani is, who Hillary Duff is.
847
01:12:39.891 --> 01:12:40.151
Right.
848
01:12:40.812 --> 01:12:44.454
Um, and that's definitely like, how, how do you get to that point?
849
01:12:45.114 --> 01:12:46.656
Oh, it's a good, good thing to think about.
850
01:12:46.776 --> 01:12:47.076
Sure.
851
01:12:47.196 --> 01:12:47.536
Awesome.
852
01:12:47.596 --> 01:12:49.258
Well, thank you, Gia, for being here.
853
01:12:49.738 --> 01:12:50.599
How can people find you?
854
01:12:50.679 --> 01:12:53.061
Okay, so you can follow me on X.
855
01:12:53.321 --> 01:12:54.823
It's JessingGia.
856
01:12:54.903 --> 01:12:56.144
It's the same thing on LinkedIn.
857
01:12:56.244 --> 01:12:58.646
Or you can go to my website, giajessing.com.
858
01:12:59.327 --> 01:13:01.429
And, you know, email me, chat me, whatever.
859
01:13:01.729 --> 01:13:02.490
That's where you can find me.
860
01:13:03.390 --> 01:13:03.751
Awesome.
861
01:13:03.891 --> 01:13:05.752
And then I'm at Sonia Bachez everywhere.
862
01:13:05.853 --> 01:13:10.376
And then you can follow the podcast at Mean Team Pod on Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok.
863
01:13:10.397 --> 01:13:10.737
Bye.