The noise economy (and how to rise above it)
Frameworks for cultural escape velocity, murder mysteries and intellectual influence
Everything is overwhelming.
Have you listened to the _____ podcast about how ____ is falling apart?
Midjourney launched MRI’s this morning.
You’re not building an AI app?
Snapchat has $2200 glasses that are completely unwearable.
“The rich are preparing for collapse.” Thanks Prof G.
It’s a Nike commercial but it’s good because it’s from a Safdie.
Clav is hosting mogbattles in Miami.
There’s multiple captions on IG carousels now…
Just a handful of hundreds and hundreds of headlines stretching the human brain every morning till night.
But somehow…
This last week I’ve felt like I’m in a flow state.
The information superhighway of announcements, ads, inquiries, group chats and tasks just sort of melded into a beam of energy that I am riding without fear or consequence. An evolutionary shift where my brain has become used to the information, the pace, it is simply part of the world now, I exist as part of it, at one with the content ether.
It feels like all of this is normal now, and if it isn’t already for you, it will be soon. We are becoming innately skilled at separating chaff from signal, our minds identifying em-dashes to discard, picking out the promoted post and scrolling on. We as a modern society are becoming laser fast at discretion, I think using more of our brain power as humans than ever perhaps surprising ourselves by what technology is enabling for our cognitive abilities.
One focus I’ve had personally this year around content was to overindex on ideas. Every video needs a core concept, with a splinter of smaller thesis around it. The goal is purely for people to share as conversation pieces with their friends they’ve had tangential conversations with. To be a marketer is to gradually realize that you conversations and desires aren’t unique, you are part of a hive mind of similar demographics. Of course every millenial has thought about moving to europe, wondered if the tier 2 city is worth it, asked their spouse how those people you both folow have so much money.
To prompt conversation now, as a friend, a spouse, a creator, a brand, is to identity those topics and add to them. Present a hypothesis, defend it, evolve it. You send a Reel or a TikTok because it makes you feel seen or bring apart a shared moment, but isn’t it better when it sparks a bigger conversation? That human simulation we always want more of, that conversation that goes beyond regurgitating a podcast take or a cursed Atlantic ramble.
As we get good at deciphering these, the bar for creative work gets ever higher. I break it into a framework
Immediate signal: in a world where we consume so much everything needs to pass an immediate legitimacy test in its method of production and how it’s presented. If you dont understand the medium or use the wrong visual layout that mismatched the typical user experience, you’ve probably already lost
Sorting validation: everything then quickly gets assigned an identity. Pro or anti-AI, silicon valley or new york adjacent, momtok, gamer. If it applies to you, consumption is comfortable
Social index: from there, is it important enough to serve as a baseline for something else? a conversation between friends or peers, the inspiration to take action
The element of interest: is there something special here? better? somehow transcendent in a world of bars that spiral every higher?
Quick housekeeping
Film with us!
We are looking for more brands for the series I host with Hubspot where we spend a day workshopping your funnel! If you’re above 7 figures in revenue and running any degree of paid or organic acquisition in any category... submit here.
Join me at Cannes with Edelman
Wednesday I will be speaking at the Brands & Culture villa at Cannes with Edelman, come discuss a topic I am very passionate about... earned media being wildly undervalued. I’ll be speaking with the CMO of McDonalds LATAM and the Head of Marketing Transformation, Home Care for Unilever, so there will be some diverse perspectives on the topic.
Mystery in the Riviera
One thing that bothered me just slightly about Cannes Lions event promotions last year, was that for an industry celebrating marketing and creativity it was an absolute sea of beach themed flyers. Maybe if we’re lucky a title concept.
So this year, we unveiled our Creator House lineup as one should in the French Riviera, with a noir murder mystery carousel.
Full design here.
Everyone is serious about “experiences” this year, so if that’s the case, whats your standard to fit the index above in the first section? In a world where everyone can design an incredible brand easier than ever with collaboration tools and intention, shouldn’t the standard for everything be a good brand, especially if you participate even tangentially to the “taste economy”.
For our event experience, it started with the brand identity for the Darkroom house and its promotions, and it will go up a notch shortly with the content.
Intellectual Influence is Hitting It’s Stride
I made a joke about intellectual influence in a recent video, with a picture of Dua Lipa, got a number of comments asking what it meant. For the non-terminally online, Dua is a… rather accomplished book influencer. And changing the duality of what poster and influence means in a world that loves and is starving for intellect. Any take contrary to that does not have your best interest in mind, its fear mongering. The people want stimulating conversation.
I’ve embraced this, and my content (short and longform) has been on a bit of a tear.
Boy Internet vs Girl Internet, 1m on IG.
Luxury vs Larping, 1m on IG.
High society is… skipping dinner
What is the perfect house size, or city location, for modern life?
These videos have 100k+ SHARES between them. Conversation starters.
The internet has never been more interested in involved, conversational content as they are now.
They want mini-youtube videos that they can use to start conversations with their friends. We’ve shifted Cut30 quite a bit this year to hone in on this.
They don’t care about anyone’s cute life, their GRWM, its just more noise, maybe you follow a few for mindless thoughts, a relationship you already have, but if you want to tear through the ether with your ideas. This is your time. The internet’s hottest videos are 2-3 minutes long. They’re from urban planners, sociologists, engineers, teachers.
This is the best content moment we’ve ever had.
One of my favorite recent Cut30 success stories is from Var, she got it immediately. Talk about ideas, back them up visually, have a unique point of view, make conversations friends will share, that will intrigue them. She’s sharing carousels of Thoreau and Oscar Wilde.
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She started in April. The algorithms wants conversational inspiration from people who take their journey seriously whatever it is.
It is a unique moment in time, don’t miss it.
I’ll be checking in from the Riviera next week, the next Cut30 starts Wednesday, see you in the next edition.
Oren