Nicole Ingra

The research revealed people who had found in fictional worlds something reality had stopped providing - stability, meaning, clarity, home. These weren't casual readers. These were people for whom the books had become emotional anchors in an increasingly unmoored world. The characters weren't entertainment - they were relationships. The fictional... See more

Marketers get bored with the very things that drive consumer success – usually at exactly the point they start having proper impact.

System1’s data is brutal on this point. Ads featuring brand characters averaged 3.8 Stars on their long term brand building scale. Celebrity spots averaged just 2.7.

Brand character ads registered significantly greater short term sales potential too: a 1.38 Spike Rating versus 0.86 for celebrity ads.

brand characters are among the most powerful DBAs that exist for driving branded attention and recall. On average, they significantly outperform most other distinctive assets including celebrity endorsements.

And brand characters don’t come with celebrity baggage. The gecko doesn’t have a podcast to promote. Brand characters lack the reputational... See more

Rapha: Transforms cycling through premium products, community building, and content that celebrates the sport's heritage and craftsmanship.

Indeed, 60% of Gen Zers and 62% of Yers believe that how you present yourself online is more important than how you present yourself IRL.

So the onus is on us as individuals to admit to ourselves how much we suck at something. And then do it anyway.

By taking off the pressure of having to excel at or master an activity, we allow ourselves to live in the moment.