Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music Watch on YouTube Welcome back to the Brandmakers podcast, where Hannah is joined by Ruth Henriquez who is head of licensing and partnerships at Mattel overseeing the IP for brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Uno and Masters of the Universe. In Mattel’s post-Barbie movie era, the company is shifting from a product-led business model to an IP-led one. At a time when advertisers are all finding ways to be ‘entertaining’ Mattel’s strategy is worth paying
Hannah Bowler
Everyone’s chasing social “trends”, but the word has become shorthand for fads when it was meant for something deeper and more strategic. Industry insiders say it’s time to retire the term altogether, rethink the language we use and refocus on the underlying shifts that actually shape audiences.
Hannah Bowler
A cozy island game where nothing much happens has quietly become a masterclass in building worlds people actually want to spend their time in. Here’s what brands can learn from games like Animal Crossing about designing calmer, more communal experiences offline.
Dean Rodgers
The signals beneath the noise. We track slow culture, emerging scenes, and values shifts shaping how people live, work, play – and what that means for the products, media, and experiences they choose next.
A cozy island game where nothing much happens has quietly become a masterclass in building worlds people actually want to spend their time in. Here’s what brands can learn from games like Animal Crossing about designing calmer, more communal experiences offline.
Dean Rodgers
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From Polaroids to perfume stores with no websites, a cultural shift is pushing back against relentless convenience. As consumers add friction back into their lives, strategists and brands are exploring whether effort, not ease, could become the next marketing advantage.
Hannah Bowler
KSI’s minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge is the latest sign that celebrity ownership is changing how lower-league clubs grow. In this week’s issue: the rise of creator-backed football clubs, New Balance’s chess-inspired Eberechi Eze campaign, Kith and On’s cinematic running film.
Rich Hewes
