Squishy & Swipe
The unboxing economy turned cheap squishy toys into a TikTok-native collectible category. And it has almost nothing to do with the toys themselves. I am a mom, but at two and a half, my daughter hasn’t figured out how to chase TikTok trends yet. I knew squishy toys were popular in the vague way you […]
The Hidden System Behind What “Works” in Social
Why performance keeps getting copied and failing anyway Most marketing strategy today is built on observation. A brand sees something perform. High engagement, strong sentiment, cultural traction. Then it gets translated into a playbook. Move faster. Be more human. Participate in culture. Show personality. The issue is not that these observations are wrong. The issue […]
Emotional Risk Economies: Escape
This article is Part 4 of 4 in our Emotional Risk Economies series, a framework that explores how different categories operate under distinct emotional contracts on social media. Each installment examines the structural pressures, audience psychology, and platform incentives shaping brand risk in real time. Emotional Risk Economies Universe: Part 1: Trust Economy || Part […]
Emotional Risk Economies: Prestige
This article is Part 3 of 4 in our Emotional Risk Economies series, a framework that explores how different categories operate under distinct emotional contracts on social media. Each installment examines the structural pressures, audience psychology, and platform incentives shaping brand risk in real time. Emotional Risk Economies Universe: Part 1: Trust Economy || Part […]
Emotional Risk Economies: Alignment
This article is Part 2 of 4 in our Emotional Risk Economies series, a framework that explores how different categories operate under distinct emotional contracts on social media. Each installment examines the structural pressures, audience psychology, and platform incentives shaping brand risk in real time. Emotional Risk Economies Universe: Part 1: Trust Economy || Part 2: Alignment || Part 3: […]
Emotional Risk Economy: Trust
Emotional Risk Economies Universe: Part 1: Trust Economy || Part 2: Alignment || Part 3: Prestige Over the next four weeks, we are digging into the four Emotional Risk Economies that actually determine how far a brand can go on social media: Trust, Alignment, Prestige, and Escape. Platforms may flatten everyone into the same feed, but they do not flatten […]