Is Your Brand Cool?
and other news you should know about
GM everyone hope you all had a lovely weekend. I had a great weekend going to some new restaurants so let’s do a quick recap before jumping into the news—
Sauce was one of the loudest restaurants I’ve ever been to in my entire life. They were playing the new Yeat album (which I listened to on the way there) but like I do not want to listen to that while I’m eating. Jon and Vinny’s is another Italian restaurant playing rap music to seem different. The cacio y pepe was mid. (3/10)
I went to Gertie, a jewish diner in Williamsburg and got these delicious latkes. They were seriously mind-blowing. The sour cream and apple sauce combo was hitting. Also had a cheeky mimosa before watching Love is Blind all day LOL. (7/10)
For dinner we went to Recette, a cute French restaurant in Williamsburg. I got steak tartare, escargot, and steak frites. The peppercorn sauce on the steak was a bit much but overall a great meal. Cocktails were HITTING!!! (7/10)
We slid to Carousel, a beautifully designed bar in Bushwick. They have recessed conversation couches, a huge pool table area, and a smoking area in the middle of the bar with glass walls creating a cool panorama effect. It was packed af though. (7/10)
I’ve started a new technique of just making reservations weeks in advance on Fridays and Saturdays. I can go with whoever, the res is booked, I can eat at the places I like, and its something to look forward to. I’m booked until Mid-March.
On Sunday, I went to check out Happier Grocery on Canal. This place has been described as the Erewhon of NYC for its smoothie and hot bar, and vast array of premium CPG brands. Its a beautiful space where you can pick up all the cool brands and a fancy ‘third drink’ (not water, not coffee) like a Ghia or Recess.
Okay let’s jump into the news—
Trump went to Philadelphia SneakerCon to unveil his new line of shoes. The shoes, priced at $399, are hideous beyond comprehension. However, my ear to the ground said the crowd went absolutely insane when we pulled up.
I always find these little Trump grifts to be so funny (remember the Trump trading cards, or Trump NFTs?) One week after a NY judge ordered him to pay nearly $400M for questionable real estate practices, he’s going to have to sell a LOT of Trump shoes. I was talking with a friend yesterday and I was musing that conservatives need to take control of their aesthetic and become a political movement defined by beauty, art, and refined cultural products. They always have horrible design and bad artistic instincts. Someone needs to help them rebrand.
Younger consumers want to purchase products that are cool. Shocking development from Axios LOL. Being considered cool has always been the “halo” effect driving consumerism for young people. I was a bit startled by the ‘coolest’ brands as rated by survey respondents. Allow me to give my take—
Nike: Cool for working out, less so for lifestyle these days.
YouTube: Very cool, the longform video platform that will never fade.
Fenty Beauty: Don’t really have a take on this one but I like Rihanna.
iPhone: Not just cool, a requirement to be a functioning member of society.
TikTok: Aesthetically challenged but quite cool.
Savage X Fenty: Wow, two Rihanna brands? What is the difference again?
NBA: Cool, but no one watches it.
Jordan: Not cool. Dusty af.
Doritos: Junk food is not sexy, health is.
Amazon: Not cool, but utilitarian.
Diesel is running a 3-day livestream in the lead up to their new show. The stream shows the brand prepare for their show with last minute alterations, seating arrangements, casting, and interns scrambling for coffees. I like experiential marketing tactics like this but not sure if this really builds any buzz for the brand.
The NYT interviewed Alex Cooper on the success of her new media venture. Best known for the immensely popular podcast, Call Her Daddy, Cooper has expanded her scope to create a fledgling media empire with podcasts, video, and live events under its wings. She strategically signed Alix Earle to a podcast deal last year, where it stands at No. 7 on the Spotify charts. Now that Spotify has released Cooper from her exclusive deal, Call Her Daddy has become the No. 1 podcast on Apple’s network. Cooper has largely been able to build a strong connection with her audience due to her authenticity and revealing interviews with celebs. Authenticity is an important commodity for brand building, without it you’re just another brand.
Okay that’s all for today. Have a great week and see you tomorrow!
About the Writer
Jake Bell is a content marketing and creative strategist based in NYC. He specializes in content creation, branding, art direction, creative strategy, and making things cool.
To learn more about Jake visit www.jb.studio
Have a tip email me jake@jb.studio
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