It’s a little paradoxical, but good ads simultaneously tell us two things: (1) you won’t be a total weirdo if you buy this product because others are using it too, and (2) this product will make you stand out from everybody else.

David Perell is right.

People want to be unique. “Authentic” to themselves.

But only in a way that is socially acceptable within their tribe.

Fitting in by standing out.

Ads usually boil down to selling a spot at the cool kids’ table.

Or, as Seth says, “people like us do things like this.”

Of course, you have to be right about the “people”, “things”, and “us”.

While I expect the tariff strong arm to be walked back to some degree, predicting anything right now is a fool’s errand. Which means Memorial Day could be 2025’s Black Friday.

Or, as Apollo’s Chief Economist says:

tariffs have been implemented in a way that has not been effective, and there is now a 90% chance of what can be called a Voluntary Trade Reset Recession (“VTRR”)

The bottom line: If the current level of tariffs continues, a sharp slowdown in the US economy is coming.

🎢

Benefits > Features

What’s the scrappy / DIY version of that big, expensive campaign idea?

If it can be easily scaled, it can be easily copied.

What’s something you’re willing to work harder and longer on than most?

Do more of that.

When I’m interviewing someone or talking to someone looking to break into marketing, I always ask if they have any go to sources for marketing news / insights / tips & tricks, etc.

Typically the answer is some form of feed.

“I scroll LinkedIn”
or
“TikTok shows me a lot”
or
“I follow a lot of marketing people on Instagram”

I’m never impressed by this.

My advice, find a few blogs / sites / newsletters related to your role and/or area of interest and subscribe in a way that there isn’t an algorithm between you and the most recent update.

Email is good. RSS* is my preferred method.

Keep feeds for discovery and entertainment.
Create a space you control for learning.
Cultivate your own curious corner.

*RSS Tools

• Newsblur gives you an email address to use so you can get newsletters and RSS feeds in one place
• feeeed gives you a more social feed feel
• Feedly is easy (I no longer use it)
• Tapestry goes beyond just RSS, like a custom, cross-platform feed

Do you need to do the whole thing? Or can you just do the part you’re particularly good at as part of a team?

Is growing your list of offerings the right move? Or would you be better served by subtracting—focusing on the most popular / what works the best?

People feel increased prices long before potential reshoring employment shifts from tariffs, these 3 headlines could sour sentiment for the executive branch:

Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

Kickstarter Introduces ‘Tariff Manager Tool’ to Add Charges to Already Fully Funded Projects

Temu adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% after Trump tariffs, more than doubling price of many items

Brands are buckling up for a rough year, especially those importing from China.

This could open the door for more messaging opportunities as major platforms make the impact of tariffs plain to shoppers.