scott fogel

Strategy lesson from Nintendo: don't aim for better. Instead, aim to shock people (in a good way).

Brands that use an exclusivity strategy are often thought of as playing into artificial scarcity or elitism. But it doesn't have to be that way. Rather, exclusivity can represent something else: being uniquely capable of doing something valuable.

The original positioning and one-page summary for Disneyland, written by Walt in 1953 to sell his vision to investors. – at Jersey City, NJ

Joe Krauss on building a team, 2012. – at North Carolina, USA

Warren Buffet on his 1966 investment in Disney: “they ignored it because it was so familiar.” – at North Carolina, USA

It’s easy to forget now that chunky shoes are trendy, but when Hoka was founded in 2009, it was extremely contrarian and off-putting. The rage at that time was for barefoot, minimalist runners. Said the founder: “People thought they looked like clown shoes, but I didn't care.” – at North Carolina, USA

The importance of narrowing focus, by Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman – at North Carolina, USA

How to write a brand manifesto, from Hiut denim:

There's always a market to take something everyone loves and make it more premium. npr.org/2020/02/22/799585906…

The strategy behind novelty Oreo flavors is not to sell novelty Oreo flavors. Rather, it works to drive attention and demand back to the original flavored Oreos. (This is also the same strategy deployed by fashion houses like Balenciaga). – at Brooklyn, NY

A short interview with Martin Margiela, 1998.

Biologique Recherche’s P50 toner flies in the face of the popular narrative that brands have to be transparent and accessible to succeed. Despite having no marketing, no trendy ingredients, and an extremely inconvenient purchase process, the brand is up 25% year-over-year. – at Brooklyn, NY

When you compare that 1995 Prada campaign with the current SS20 one, it’s jarring how much less emotion, storytelling, and intrigue there is. – at Brooklyn, NY

"We perceive cold objects as fancier than warm [objects], and we consider perfume or luggage depicted in advertising with a frozen winter backdrop as more luxurious than if shown in front of a leafy spring setting." fastcompany.com/90415992/con… – at Brooklyn, NY

Apple’s marketing philosophy, 1977. – at Brooklyn, NY

Brands that remain distinct over time do so not because of elements that are easily copyable--colors, branding, or design aesthetic--but rather because of the thousands of seemingly-small decisions that combine to create a unique experience.

"The brands that will be created from now on will be very specific opinions and must mean something to fewer people than ever before if they hope to achieve success." Prescient words from 2016: leanluxe.com/prediction-ther…

Brands that attempt to revitalize themselves simply by adopting the aesthetics, lingo, and propositions of hipper, younger brands are doomed to fail. Covergirl's relaunch is what happens when a brand lacks conviction and instead looks to consumers to tell it what it should be.

Not sure the key to becoming a hyped streetwear label is as straightforward as simply adding a fashion/sports lens to your functional activewear brand.

In the early days of Wal-Mart, nearly everything was a mess except for one part: low prices.