Marketing

Markiplier just broke Hollywood's playbook, and most studios still don't understand what happened. His horror film Iron Lung opened this weekend to $21M worldwide. On a $3M budget. Self-financed. Self-distributed. Virtually zero marketing spend. Let that sink in for a second. No studio backing. No bank financing. No distribution deal. He wrote it, directed it, starred in it, and released it under his own Markiplier Studios. When it came time for theatrical distribution, he didn't go hat-in-hand to distributors. His fans called theaters directly and demanded they screen it. The result? All three major US theater chains. 3,000+ venues in the US and Canada. 1,200+ screens internationally. Opening weekend? He rivaled Disney's Send Help for first place, a film with a $40M budget. He beat Melania's theatrical release as well. 7x return on budget in three days. Here's what the entertainment industry needs to reckon with: The traditional model assumes you need studios for financing, agencies for packaging, distributors for access, and massive marketing budgets for awareness. Markiplier needed none of it. He had something more valuable, a direct, loyal audience built over a decade on YouTube. This isn't a one-off anomaly. It's a preview of where entertainment is heading. MrBeast is building a content empire. Ryan Trahan just launched a feature. KSI, Logan Paul, and others are expanding into media businesses. The creator-to-studio pipeline is real, and it's accelerating. The question for traditional entertainment companies isn't whether creators can compete at the box office. Markiplier just answered that. The question is: what's your strategy when the talent doesn't need you anymore?

Cleartrip won Contextual Marketing game! Other brands fighting for "End of Year" sales. #Cleartrip is selling us 2026. I saw this ad in The Economic Times today, It’s a masterclass in understanding customer psychology, at least how I see it. Here's why: - The Simplicity: Stripped away 320+ days of the year. By showing only the days that matter - the long weekends, they’ve reduced the cognitive load for a busy professional. - The Anticipation: Marketing isn’t always about immediate conversion. By helping people visualize their 2026, Cleartrip occupies mental real estate before the holiday planning even begins. - The Utility: Instead of a generic Book Now CTA, they provide a QR code to sync a Long Weekend Tracker on their calendars. It moves from being an "ad" to being a "tool" - The Timing: Published on a Saturday morning. This is exactly when their target audience is sipping coffee and dreaming of their next getaway. Cleartrip isn't selling tickets here; they’re selling ideas to take a break Don't just sell a product. Sell the solution to a problem your customer hasn't even started stressing about yet. What do you think? Does it attract you and make you think? #Marketing #Advertising #2026

I used to think charging less would get me more clients. After my trip to the US I realised it just made them trust me less. when i was cheap, clients questioned everything. "why this approach?" "can we try something else?" "i'm not sure about this." so when i raised my rates, they trusted my decisions completely. same work. different psychology. so here's what i've basically realized about pricing: when someone sees a low price, their brain doesn't think "great deal." it thinks "what's the catch?" they start looking for problems. inexperience. desperation. corners being cut. low prices trigger fear of loss, not excitement about savings. but when they see premium pricing, something else happens. "if they can charge this much, they must deliver results." "other people are paying this, so the value must be there." "the risk of not solving this problem costs way more than the investment." premium pricing signals confidence in your work. think about it. rolex doesn't make better watches from a functionality standpoint. but the price tells you everything about what owning one means. same thing with services. a premium project isn't necessarily 10x better in execution. but the price signals experience, systems, proven results. and here's the shift that changed everything for me: i stopped anchoring clients to the price and started anchoring them to the outcome. not "this costs X" but "this will generate Y for your business, and the investment is X." when they're thinking about ROI, the price becomes secondary. your pricing isn't just a number. it's a signal to the market about who you are and what you deliver.

TSMC posted a $440 million loss at its Arizona factory. American engineers called it "rigid, brutal, prison-like." Taiwanese managers complained about "lack of dedication and obedience." TSMC’s CEO Morris Chang saw this coming. "A very expensive exercise in futility," he called America's chip push. Taiwan doesn't just make chips. It breathes them. Three decades of alignment created something money can't buy. In Arizona, Americans clock out after shifts. In Taiwan, engineers sleep in the fab. In Arizona, decisions need consensus. In Taiwan, orders flow down. In Arizona, it's a job. In Taiwan, it's national service. Chang knew this at 55 when he started TSMC. The playbook worked because a nation aligned behind it: 1. Bet everything on survival Apple wanted impossible chips. Chang bet $9 billion in 2010 - half TSMC's cash. 6,000 people. 11 months. Round the clock. Because missing Apple meant Taiwan missing its future. 2. Never compete with customers Intel Corporation controlled everything. TSMC said: "We will never compete with our customers." When Nvidia shares five-year roadmaps, thousands protect them like state secrets. 3. Make enemies share factories Nvidia and AMD share production lines at TSMC. Works only when factory workers see both companies' success as Taiwan's success. 4. Turn precision into DNA TSMC's latest machines hit tin droplets 50,000 times per second. In Taiwan, this precision extends everywhere - emails, meetings, weekends. Not policy. Culture. 5. Compound for decades Every supplier grew with TSMC. Every university shaped curricula around them. Chang: "You cannot replicate this with subsidies. You cannot legislate dedication." 6. See the future through customers When Qualcomm fled IBM for TSMC in the late '90s, Chang knew IBM was doomed. Intel built walls. TSMC built bridges. TAKEAWAY: 2007: Intel rejected iPhone chip. Too low margin. Cost them mobile. Then AI. Then everything. Intel's real problem wasn't saying no to Apple. It was believing one company could do it all. Meanwhile, a 55-year-old built something stronger: a nation aligned around making everyone else successful. Today: Every ChatGPT query. Every iPhone. Every Nvidia chip. All TSMC. Not because Taiwan has the best engineers. Because Taiwan made engineering excellence a cultural value. And culture, unlike factories, can't be copy-pasted. — Want the full story of how TSMC became Nvidia's $1 trillion secret weapon? I went deep on the untold details: https://lnkd.in/epuWHu8B P.S. All research links, the audio clip, and the full archive are in the first comment below 👇

Netflix Is Going Physical — And It Might Just Rewrite the Experiential Playbook At Cannes Lions, Netflix unveiled more details about its boldest move yet in fan engagement: Netflix House — permanent, immersive venues launching this fall in Philadelphia and Dallas. Think “Stranger Things” escape games, “Squid Game” obstacle courses, “Wednesday” carnivals, mini-golf through your favorite titles, themed cocktails, exclusive merch, and yes — a TUDUM Theater to host fan events and screenings. But this isn’t just a cool activation. It’s a strategic pivot that’s worth unpacking: ✅ Strategic Intent: Netflix isn’t trying to build a theme park empire. This is about deepening emotional ties with fans, amplifying buzz, and future-proofing its brand beyond the streaming wars. These venues aren’t just fun — they’re fan conversion engines. ✅ A New Content Loop: Every attraction is designed to be shared — built for UGC, influencer walkthroughs, cosplay, TikToks, and viral moments. Fans become marketers. Data becomes feedback for future IP development. The venue becomes a living R&D lab. ✅ Not Just Eyeballs — Wallets: With exclusive merch, themed dining, and potential collabs (think Netflix x Funko or Netflix Bites F&B), the monetization flywheel is in motion. Even modest visitor volume could generate $25–30M/year per location — and that’s before you count the uplift in brand love or viewership. ✅ Global Signals: This could be the first step toward regional pop-ups, international localization (imagine a “Lupin” heist experience in Paris or “Money Heist” in Madrid), and even a Netflix-con-branded event model. It’s fandom scaled offline. 💡 Big Picture? Netflix is building something Disney mastered decades ago — real-world storytelling at scale. And if this works, it unlocks a new dimension: streaming IP that lives, breathes, and sells in the physical world. 📊 Our modeled impact: ⌙ ~1M visitors in Year 1 ⌙ 100M+ earned impressions ⌙ 10–15% churn reduction among local superfans ⌙ $5–10 lift in ARPU among engaged segments ⌙ Payback in ~3–5 years — with marketing ROI baked in 🎯 This isn’t about “content” anymore. It’s about building culture. Kudos to Marian, Greg, Josh, Mitzi, Emily, Nidia, Lauren, Jessica, Nikki and team. #Netflix #Cannes #Media #Licensing #ConsumerProduct

The most expensive mistake in business is assuming your customers will never change. Last year, something shifted in Indian retail. Gen Z (377 million) overtook millennials (356 million) to become our largest consumer group, influencing $40-45 billion worth of apparel and footwear purchases. But they're not shopping at the stores we built for them. [Et Retail] Brands watched their growth collapse in just 12 months. → ZARA fell from 40% to 8% growth, [Et Retail] → Levi Strauss & Co. crashed from 54% to 4% growth [Et Retail] → H&M dropped from 40% to 11% growth [Et Retail] Here's why the growth has slowed down: 📌 Gen Z discovered new brands like Freakins and Bonkers Corner, offering trendy clothes at ₹500-800 📌 They chose self-expression over brand loyalty 📌 70% of their shopping moved online, heavily influenced by Instagram 📌 They demanded inclusive sizing (XS to XXL) and unisex options that legacy brands ignored Take FREAKINS, which clocked ₹25 crore in FY2023, or Bonkers.corner, clocked ₹100 crore. [The Economic Times] [Et Retail] These brands understood what Gen Z wanted: crop tops, baggy clothes, Korean pants, and oversized tees at prices that let them experiment with three different outfits daily. Body positivity isn't a marketing campaign for this generation. It's how they think. When they couldn't find the sizes or styles they wanted at premium stores priced at ₹1,200-1,500, they simply went elsewhere. Myntra saw the shift and launched FWD with ₹500 price points. The result was explosive: 100% year-on-year growth and 16 million Gen Z users, who now represent one in three e-lifestyle shoppers. [Et Retail] Legacy brands bet that Gen Z would "grow up" and pay premium prices. Instead, 377 million young Indians chose values over logos. The most expensive mistake in business? Assuming your customers will never change. What changes in your customer base have surprised you recently?

While running Amazon ads and the Amazon business in general, the north star business metric for me has always been TACOS which is the Total Advertising Cost of Sales. Not ROAS or ACOS TACOS is basically all your ad spends as a percentage of revenue. The revenue includes both ads revenue and organic revenue. But more often than not, most Amazon teams focus only on ad revenue and ad spends, forgetting the most important part-organic revenue Very few brands would even be measuring what their organic revenue is on the platform at a keyword level. It is extremely important to take all steps that will increase organic visibility and organic sales in the platform. In fact, Amazon Pi Search Performance report gives you the SOV that you have at a keyword level for SP ads, SB ads as well as organic The lead indicator of profitability in the platform are mainly 2 things a) Increase in organic SOV in all generic keywords b) Increase in branded searches Increase in branded searches is more often than not decided by what you do outside the platform. Executing good campaigns on ATL and really good clutter breaking Meta performance campaigns often does the trick here But increasing organic SOV in generic keywords is often a result of what happens on the platform. In Amazon, whatever you do on ads also directly influences organic results. Eg. If you bid and rank top of Search on SP ads for certain keywords and your conversion rates are better than the category on those keywords, Amazon will also start ranking you on top organically for those keywords That is why I have often told that Amazon is a compounding channel and can be run profitably at scale because it rewards good performance with better organic visibility. Because of this, if you could have organic sales and directionally estimate TACOS ( not ACOS) at a keyword level, you could make a lot of optimizations on your ads as well as overall content which would benefit the business Eg: Lets say “mixer grinder 750 watt” is a keyword that I am spending money on ads. I know the ad spends, ACOS and ad driven sales on this keyword. But not how many organic sales I am getting from that keyword and is that improving with time. And since I don’t know the organic sales, I also would not know TACOS for the keyword Ideally I would want both organic SOV as well as organic sales increase for this keyword. Without it, profitability would be very difficult. Amazon doesn’t expose true organic-sales revenue at the keyword level, so any TACoS by keyword metric has to be derived The rest of the post is there in the link in the first comment. Do read and share how you do keyword level tracking of organic sales and keyword level TACOS and how you use the results

We talk a lot about how brands can connect to women. But here’s where I think the conversation goes wrong: Women are not one group of like-minded consumers. The category of “women” comprises 4 billion people with different preferences, professions, purchasing habits, and personal lives. So how can brands connect with women? Authenticity. I'm talking about the kind of authenticity that comes from truly understanding, representing, and serving the people your brand reaches. Why does this matter? Let's look at the numbers first:  • Women are overseeing $32 trillion in spending globally.  • By 2028, 75% of discretionary spending will be controlled by women. These aren't just statistics—they're a wake-up call for brands trying to connect with women. Brands historically miss the mark when they focus on women as "consumers," rather than as people. Take Dove's work with the CROWN Act, a movement and legislation aimed at prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. By bringing attention to how women of color—particularly Black women—have historically been told how to wear their hair at work, Dove drove meaningful change that extended far beyond marketing. The result for Dove (and its parent company Unilever) hasn't just been products sold, but actual legislative change—all because they stood for something that impacts the day-to-day life of their consumers. The key to the consumer paradigm: You cannot effectively serve women if you don't represent them at every level of your organization. Women continue to hold relatively few leadership positions in industries primarily serving women. The fashion and beauty industries, for example, are dominated by male leadership. When brands get it right, it shows. A few examples? FERRAGAMO appointed a female CEO back in 1960—long before it was trending—and that commitment to women in leadership has been woven into their DNA ever since. It’s not a campaign. It’s who they are. Or formula company Bobbie, which doesn’t just have consumers, they have devoted brand ambassadors, families, and loyal subscribers. True representation isn't about optics—it's about women making decisions at all levels—from product development to marketing to the C-suite. Maybe we need to retire the word "consumer" altogether. Because if we're talking about real, authentic connections, shouldn't we instead be focusing on people as human beings. It's no longer about thinking what you “should” create to get them to buy—it's about genuinely making that woman’s life better because you know exactly who she is. And your company’s leadership reflects that. 

Imagine a world where technology doesn’t just support us—it redefines how we work, connect, and grow. That’s the future we’re preparing for at Kotak Mahindra Bank. Over the past month, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to lead three intensive training sessions focused on Generative AI and its game-changing potential. These weren’t just sessions—they were a bold step toward equipping our teams for the careers of tomorrow. As the pace of change accelerates, we’re not just keeping up; we’re setting the stage for what’s next. Why This Matters: The Context of Change The workplace is evolving faster than ever. A fascinating article published by The Times Of India on May 15, 2025, titled "The Hottest Jobs, 5 Yrs From Now? The Answers Will Surprise You," spotlighted industries poised for explosive growth by 2030—think Banking, AgriTech, Space Tech, and beyond. The piece predicts a surge in demand for roles like AI specialists, data scientists, and sustainability officers. This echoes the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, which forecasts 170 million new jobs worldwide by 2030, fueled by technology and a renewed focus on human skills like creativity and adaptability. These trends aren’t distant possibilities—they’re unfolding now. And at Kotak Mahindra Bank, we’re determined to lead the charge. Voices from the Top: What Industry Leaders Are Saying Global visionaries are sounding the alarm—and the opportunity: Elon Musk envisions a world with billions of humanoid robots and 50% of miles driven autonomously within five years. Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai shared that AI already generates 20-30% of code at Microsoft and Google, with full automation on the horizon. Bill Gates is betting big on robotic surgery, signaling AI’s expanding role in healthcare. Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder who predicted social media’s rise in 1997, now forecasts that traditional 9-to-5 jobs will vanish by 2034, replaced by a thriving gig economy. These statements aren’t just headlines—they’re a roadmap. The message is clear: adapt, upskill, and innovate—or risk being left behind. Looking Ahead: Your Role in the Future The next five years will be a defining chapter for careers everywhere. Whether you’re in banking, tech, or any field, the opportunity is yours to seize. Let’s make the next five years a launchpad for growth—for our careers, our communities, and our world. At Kotak, we’re proud to be pioneers in this journey, blending innovation with purpose to create a brighter tomorrow. Join us in embracing the future—it’s ours to shape. Together, let’s turn possibilities into realities. #FutureOfWork #AI #CareerDevelopment #OneKotak #BankingForTomorrow #Banker

Brad Pitt’s new F1 film is a masterclass in how brands can show up in culture. A $300 million budget. Real F1 tracks. And luxury brands fighting to sponsor a team that doesn’t even exist. It’s entertainment, sport and marketing all blending together... and it’s re-writing the playbook for how brands embed themselves into culture. Here’s what makes it stand out: • A fictional F1 team, APXGP, filmed during real Grand Prix weekends. • Brad Pitt, trained in a modified F2 car, driving alongside actual F1 drivers. • Lewis Hamilton co-producing to capture the authentic essence of the racing world. • Real brands like Mercedes-Benz AG, SharkNinja, IWC Schaffhausen and Tommy Hilfiger actively sponsoring a fictional team. • Actual drivers, including Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, making cameo appearances. • All set for release in cinemas June 2025, followed by streaming on Apple TV+. This isn’t just clever product placement, it’s narrative integration at its best. Real brands woven into a fictional story, filmed in real-time at actual events. And it’s a glimpse of where brand marketing is heading. The film isn’t even out yet, and here we are talking about the brands already. That’s how you build long-term equity. This is the new standard in marketing: • Culture first, commerce second. • Stories over traditional advertising. • Integration, not interruption. If your brand isn’t part of the stories people care about, good luck buying their attention. Learn from this. Build worlds people want to be part of. Create stories they’d miss if they disappeared. And find ways to turn up in that culture and be part of the narrative. Rather than looking for ways to interrupt them.