Now we can all be Mr. Beast

YouTube is finally rolling out the ability for creators to test and compare how multiple video thumbnails perform

With the new tool, which YouTube calls “Thumbnail Test & Compare,” creators can test up to three thumbnails for a video.

via The Verge


On Brand: Authenticity & Personality

Blake Droesch on the type of brand that won’t be disrupted by AI And other technologies (~25:21):

The authentic brand is the one that is going to stand out. That was true yesterday, it’s true today, and it will be true in the years to come.

& Bill Fisher (~25:40):

Every brand’s going to have a core audience. And you need to speak to that audience in a relatable way. That’s what your brand personality is—or should be.

& Carina Perkins (~26:40):

Brands can’t really get away with false personalities anymore. Is that personality really reflecting their business and values? And everything they do, rather than just what they say?

Plus some solid branding advice from Dropout (formerly CollegeHumor):

It’s like I always say, if you’re going to use two brand names, just use one.


Costco has entered the chat.

Costco is building out an ad network built on its trove of loyalty membership data, using its 74.5 million household members’ shopping habits and past purchases to power targeted advertising on and off its website.

The slogan of the cookiepocalypse: let a million ad platforms bloom.

via Marketing Brew


Following up on my post about how to make a video according to Meta, from Meta:

we won’t recommend Reels that are over 90 seconds long

If you’re hoping for organic discovery of your Reel, keep it shorter.

via Social Media Today


From a Meta rep, creative differentiation isn’t just about designing assets that look different. It’s about creating assets and messaging that speak to every potential customer segment.

It’s not just about the stage of their journey, it’s about them plus their stage.


Anything created before you’re 15 is just the way the world has always been.

Anything created between the ages of 15 and, maybe, 35 or 40 is amazing and cool and exciting and you can have a career in it.

Anything created after you’re 40 is a threat to civilization.

This maps pretty well with how I think about societal power centers.

Cultural power is with the young, molding and accruing in that first bucket.

Spending and professional power in the second.

Political power in the last.

Also why the youth are always seen as counter-cultural. The change is their norm.

via Another Podcast



I think the future, as seen for the last 20 or 30 years, is task-specific UIs that reduce complexity and data overload and focus on what you need to see. And obviously, I think the future is AI systems that show you less and tell you more.

-Ben Evans

Tech progress is usually the process of simplifying the complex until a new paradigm creates a complexity explosion, starting the cycle anew.

Platforms are multi-purpose.
Apps (in the West, at least) are single- or few-purpose.

In general, how can you simplify for your customer’s benefit?


36% of respondents had the highest attention quality with the version of the ad containing the highest voiceover volume. Keeping an ad creative engaging, but scaling back complexity and layered audio elements boosts efficacy.

Everyone hates when commercials are way louder than the content they’re delivered around (looking at you, FX).

And don’t yell, you’re not a car salesperson (and if you are, dear god stop yelling in every ad spot).

Just like every other medium, the message needs to be clear and rememberable.

via Sounds Profitable


The resale industry (formerly known as second-hand shops) is growing fast. The segment could double to $82 billion by 2026, according to an industry-funded report—fueled by a generation of young shoppers interested in buying unique pieces in an affordable, environmentally friendly way.

In an age of fast fashion, even faster copying, and rapidly diverging price-to-quality ratios, people are seeking the unique, one-of-a-kind, not off an infinite rack at a good value.

Be different.
Be valuable.

via 2PM