“I love it” at very first glance of a new brand means it’s t...

“I love it” at very first glance of a new brand means it’s too familiar (and explains why cohorts of new DTC brands all look the same). The better sign is when, at first glance, you’re a little uncomfortable - need to brew on it - and then gradually like it more and more…

by scott belsky

x.com

added by gabriel and · updated 1y ago

The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything
by Derek Thompson
theatlantic.com
2 highlights
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observed: don’t expect customers to celebrate a major innovation before they get use to it. at first blush most customers prefer familiarity, even if a step-function improvement awaits.
by scott belsky
x.com
phoebe added
People gravitate toward products that are bold, but instantly comprehensible: Most Advanced Yet Acceptable--MAYA.
from Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson
sari added
That then requires some curiosity and inquisitiveness on the part of the consumer, which leads them to explore. And that’s when the brand becomes really endearing to them.
from Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits by Debbie Millman
Most consumers are simultaneously neophilic, curious to discover new things, and deeply neophobic, afraid of anything that is too new. The best hit makers are gifted at creating moments of meaning by marrying new and old, anxiety and understanding. They are architects of familiar surprises
from Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson
sari added
Developing taste is an exercise in vulnerability: it requires you to trust your instincts and preferences, even when they don’t align with current trends or the tastes of your peers. Because while having taste is cool, taste itself reflects a certain type of uncool earnestness – a commitment to one’s own obsessions and quirks.
from Elizabeth Goodspeed on the Importance of Taste – And How to Acquire It
sari and added
Finally, we must mention a dangerous yet common idea. The idea is that in order to stand out and attract attention, brands should be constantly striving to look different, to employ whacky eye-catching colours, shapes and gimmicks. Some people think this is what it means to be distinctive. This idea leads to dangerous behaviours of regularly changi
... See more
from How Brands Grow: Part 2 Revised eBook by Bryon Sharp
All startups seek to disrupt and disintermediate a smug status quo, or originate and dominate an entirely new niche. But what makes a brand a bland is duality: claiming simultaneously to be unique in product, groundbreaking in purpose, and singular in delivery, while slavishly obeying an identikit formula of business model, look and feel, and tone ... See more
from Bloomberg - Are you a robot? by Ben Schott
sari added

The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything

from Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson

from Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits by Debbie Millman

from Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson

from Elizabeth Goodspeed on the Importance of Taste – And How to Acquire It

from How Brands Grow: Part 2 Revised eBook by Bryon Sharp

from Bloomberg - Are you a robot? by Ben Schott