Ross Crooks

New Rules for Gen Z Branding: Intertwining Visual Identity with Community Collaboration. What our leading edge Zrs told us in our last webinar; 📣 Brands should treat design as an extension of community outreach. "There really is no separation... There really has to be an interplay between the visual and cultural codes that are being represented and the community experience and integration."  🎨 Collaborate, don't imitate. "There's a million Gen Z artists that have really cool, fresh designs... if a brand was going to collab with them, it's like, we do care about your community." Next Gen Z School webinar is today. Gen Z & Finance. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e-Zvctye or dm us for the class notes.

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"Content first, okay, what does first mean? What do we do first?" In this clip, Sarah Johnson's discussion with Kevin Nichols goes into the concept of "content first." It emphasizes the importance of doing the necessary groundwork and preparation before engaging with designers and stakeholders.  In this episode, Sarah also shares her insights on the evolution of content design. Watch the full episode below: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/esJ8sSX4   Other platforms: https://lnkd.in/gxVnEc4X Sarah has also recently started a new company. Find out more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gRnugjAz #ContentDesign #ContentFirst #ContentStrategy #DigitalContent #UserExperience #ContentCreation #ContentMarketing #ContentDevelopment #DesignThinking

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You get what you measure. And now it's (finally!) time to bring that numbers game to community management. 🤓📈 The newest whitepaper by SAMY Alliance shares the ABCs of CM strategy in the form of CAOS. Community. Advocacy. Outreach. Score. The whitepaper written by Joe Moring, our amazing colleague from London, walks you through the why, what and how. Download it from our website. Let's. 🚀

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"If your company uses one of the world’s largest advertising agencies to tout its emissions reductions or promote breakthroughs in climate tech and clean energy, it’s time to ask questions about their client lists." It's great to see this message breaking out of the ad-industry only space, and come to light in other publications around climate action. The outsized-role that the advertising industry has played in facilitating the climate crisis by enabling the fossil fuel industry to kick-the-can down the road is unquestionable, and why I've become as passionate as I have been about the Clean Creatives movement (and why I'm an ambassador for them). If you control the ad or marketing budgets for your company and are concerned about the climate crisis (and especially if you're touting any sort of action on sustainability), it's really time to evaluate who's getting that message out for you; what they're doing with the insights that they gather from your work, and if they're actively working with others that are going against your mission. Thanks Heather Clancy for including me in this, and as always to Duncan Meisel and Kate Ogden for their continued leadership around this. #cleancreatives #bthechange #climateaction #protectourwinters https://lnkd.in/ewZEmXUt

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If your health tech startup is cutting-edge, why isn’t your Content System? ============= Hi! I'm Karl. 😊 I work with growth stage health/med tech companies and nonprofits to tell difficult stories with compassion using imaginative animations that enable growth. If you have a difficult story to tell, let's talk. What is a difficult story? Check out my profile to learn more. #storytelling #marketing #motiondesign #contentsystems #healthtech #medtech #nonprofits #branding

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SXSW chose "Hoodwinked" for a book talk. This is such a bucket list moment for me! Here's the talk: Is Everything a Cult? Date: March 8 (tentatively) Cults used to be defined by charismatic leaders and remote compounds. Not anymore. Today we think of cults as brands like Apple or Fenty, influencers like MrBeast or Jessie Lee Ward, conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones, or MLMs like LulaRoe and doTerra. In her new book, "Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults," Dr. Mara Einstein explains how social media and digital technologies have made us vulnerable to cult tactics, and why marketers are driven to implement these approaches in order to grab our attention and “create community.” If you don't want to wait until March, you can pre-order Hoodwinked now wherever you buy books, and come check me out on TikTok.

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Let’s bring some nutrition into cards. That’s something OPC (Organic Playing Cards) probably thought of themselves when they started to create playing cards with various fruit and vegetable themes. Together their team and I refined OPC’s positioning allowing the brand to double down on the things it is already known for. In a collaborative effort, we discussed ways to redefine OPC during multiple strategy sessions. The goal was to clarify OPC’s voice and approach to ideate, produce, and sell products as a community-first brand. Eager to grow and expand awareness the following are some learnings we discovered. Complete Case Study: https://lnkd.in/ewCPvx3T —- Client: Organic Playing Cards Strategy: Max Jung

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This should be the headline for all us ad folks: "The integration of advanced AI into brand interactions will require marketers to work closely with AI teams to ensure that these systems accurately represent brand voice and values." I'd add "brand story" to that list as well. No matter how much things change and tech evolves, the fundamental truth remains, we are the keepers of the brand story, voice and values.

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This week on the Behavioral Science For Brands Podcast MichaelAaron and Richard sit down with Phil Barden, seasoned practitioner of behavioral science and author of “Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy.” Highlights from the episode include: 📦 Experience Design vs. Packaging: How Apple’s meticulous focus on customer experience—like the intentional resistance when opening a box—not only enhances packaging but creates a premium brand experience that deeply resonates with consumers. 🍰 Marks & Spencer’s Sensory Advertising: How Marks & Spencer re-imagined their food marketing to engage multiple senses through their iconic “food porn” advertisements, leading to unprecedented sales increases. 📈 Actionable Insights for Brands: Practical strategies to supercharge your marketing efforts. Learn how techniques like minimizing price pain and embracing multi-sensory marketing can drive consumer engagement and boost sales. If you’re curious about how human insights can translate to tangible marketing successes, don’t miss this episode! Whether you’re a marketer, brand strategist, or just curious about behavioral science, you’re sure to find real, valuable insights to apply in your own work. 🎧 Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/e-9wdE7S #MarketingScience #PhilBarden #BehavioralScience #ConsumerBehavior

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Just released: My in-depth conversation with Simmy Kustanowitz, the exec producer behind Impractical Jokers 👉 https://lnkd.in/giZtDQ56 In this episode, we unpack: ✅ The journey from TRL to modern social media engagement ✅ How tiny interactions create massive fan loyalty ✅ Simmy's "reverse thinking" technique for unlocking creativity As Simmy puts it, "TV shows ignore fan feedback at their own peril." The same goes for any business looking to build a devoted following. After my chat with Simmy, I'm convinced we're all in show business now. Whether you're selling software or sandwiches, you're putting on a show for your audience. #ImpracticalJokers #FanEngagement #CreativityUnleashed #DevotedFollowing #ShowBusiness #AudienceConnection #ReverseThinking #SocialMediaStrategy #FanFeedbackMatters #BusinessSuccess

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There is one overlooked detail in April Dunford’s positioning framework. We know it, we love it, but 97% of us don’t ever fill out this one field: The date 📆 Your positioning describes what you uniquely solve and for whom right now(ish). But it can (and should) change. Maybe because ▶ the market will change ▶ your offering will change ▶ your ICP will change ▶ you’ll start losing deals you’re winning now So if you feel like your positioning doesn’t hit the way it did when you rolled it out, it doesn’t mean you did a bad job. It means things have changed. Your choice—do you adjust or ignore it?

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Strap in and buckle up, creatives - the AI ride is preparing for turbulence. In today's issue of Godspeed I write about Pentagram, #AI, legendary design icons and more. #creative #design #socialimpact

As we approach 2025, it’s clear that innovation in the creative industries isn’t slowing down. This article from Creative Boom brings together predictions from industry leaders, who highlight trends that will redefine creativity—ranging from AI advancements and sustainable design practices to the growing focus on community-driven experiences.   Embracing these eco-friendly solutions aligns perfectly with our ethos at 3hree 2wo, as we always prioritize sustainability and forward-thinking design on our projects. #CreativeTrends #Innovation #Sustainability #AI #FutureofDesign #CreativeIndustries

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Enjoyed making a quick video for Idea Circus - Check it out. I’m going to build more of these video content pieces and call ‘em “Idea Circus Shorts”. They’re fun to make, and I get to utilize my video gear, which makes for a fun nerd-out day. -Enjoy — Are your product screenshots a little lonely? Are they not as vibrant as they used to be? Does Product Marketing need to boost that energy? Did you know healthy screenshots promote longer-lasting engagement? Your product marketing materials shouldn’t be embarrassing. Stand up for your content. Need help with your new product marketing content, communications, and customer-facing materials? Work with us. Check us out, and let’s discuss your next project. https://lnkd.in/g9-VDfFJ Creative can be a circus. Let us help. #videoContent #videoProduction #ideaCircus

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One of the biggest benefits of generative AI is helping folks get past the blank page problem through the rapid creation of a first draft. That draft won’t be perfect. It won’t write great content for you. But it will get you started, and keep you moving, faster than you can alone. Spencer explored this in a new article on the Mostly Serious site. Link: https://lnkd.in/gwk_4UDT — #generativeAI #content #AI

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Hard to believe that this continues to be hotly debated and protested by both client and agency slide leaders. The answer seems obvious. I would argue against testing a Brand's positioning strategy with consumers. If the right leaders have the right inputs / data (especially consumer and competitive understanding), I recommend not testing a strategy per se. Rather, I encourage clients to move briskly into creative development and then test the creative. This serves as a disaster check on the strategy and also paves way to getting business building creative in market.

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Read this piece on our own James Brownstein of Poster Child and Brownstein Group.

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