Rich Hewes - The Subthread

The Algorithm Has No Feelings. Social Media Still Does

As automation creeps across every corner of social, the posts that actually move people still come from a very human place.

Marketing

Rich Hewes

Dec 3, 2025 — 7 min read

The Productivity Playbook: CapCut

This week we’re looking at CapCut, which can turn messy clips into shareable social videos fast and is built for small teams and solo creators.

Productivity Productivity Playbook

Rich Hewes

Nov 27, 2025 — 5 min read

The Productivity Playbook: Descript

This week we focus on Descript; the all-in-one editing workspace that makes video creation feel easy for small teams.

Productivity Productivity Playbook

Rich Hewes

Nov 18, 2025 — 4 min read

Are We Living in a Creative Nightmare, or a Creative Knightmare?

We’re quick to call it “AI slop”, but the real question isn’t whether brands use AI – it’s who’s holding the story. From the TV show Knightmare to Daisy by O2, this piece looks at how better storytelling can turn AI chaos into work that actually resonates with people.

Creativity Tech

Rich Hewes

Nov 12, 2025 — 6 min read

Is Being Great at One Thing Still Enough in the Age of AI?

From agencies to global brands, a new kind of talent is emerging – people who are increasingly adaptable, curious, and fluent across disciplines.

Marketing

Rich Hewes

Nov 5, 2025 — 5 min read

Why Microsoft’s Clippy Comeback Says More About Brand Trust Than Nostalgia

Microsoft’s new Copilot avatar Mico hides a familiar face, and in doing so, reveals why familiarity still builds trust in a world obsessed with innovation.

Branding Culture

Rich Hewes

Oct 29, 2025 — 4 min read

The Productivity Playbook: Notebook LM

Google’s Notebook LM turns your trusted sources into a private thinking partner. It’s taking the stress away from a real deep dive by surfacing patterns and compressing a week’s reading into usable insight for marketing (or other) teams.

Productivity Playbook Productivity

Rich Hewes

Oct 22, 2025 — 3 min read

Testing Culture Before It Happens

Inside Artificial Societies, the startup using AI to model human behavior so brands can see how ideas spread, or backfire, before they launch.

Marketing Culture

Rich Hewes

Oct 15, 2025 — 5 min read