Raffi's Round Up - w/c 13th January 2024
The five best Marketing-related nuggets across my desk this week
Welcome to the latest edition of my weekly Round Up!
Greetings from a gloomy day in London! Here are the five best Marketing-related nuggets that came across my desk this week:
ONE (if you want a real example of a brand that’s doing hundreds of millions in revenue through growth on socials, read this one)
As the headline puts it, this Utah-born beverage chain is taking dirty soda nationwide, fuelled by TikTok hype and a breakout reality show. Swig is gaining fame week by week and “has sparked a fresh way of thinking about an everyday classic like soda, with many comparing the brand to Starbucks for the soft drink world.”
They’re going to be opening 1,000 new stores over the next seven years… As of May 2024, Starbucks had 38,137 stores worldwide: so there’s a way to go, but nonetheless Swig’s rise is noteworthy, with estimates of +$200m in annual revenue.
The full piece in QSR magazine is worth a read.
TWO (if you recognise that we’re in the side-hustle era, read this one)
This is a show that feels like it’s been a long time coming. Respect to the folks at Live Nation for pulling it together. In what feels like a TV-version of Guy Raz’s brilliant How I Built This, the plug is enticing:
“Journalist SuChin Pak, who is the voice of MTV Cribs, narrates the show that offers insight into how celebrity founders manage their businesses and personal lives.
The guests include Cameron Diaz and fellow Avaline co-founder Katherine Power; Tamera Mowry-Housley and husband Adam Housley from Housley Napa Valley; WWE Hall of Famers Brie and Nikki Garcia from Bonita Bonita; and rapper and Cookies founder Berner.”
THREE (if you’re a believer in Reddit, read this one)
As I’ve said elsewhere, for me, 2025 will belong to Reddit and YouTube. This piece explains the former’s success with one stunning detail: “In 2024, ‘Reddit’ was the sixth most Googled word in the U.S., underscoring that when people are looking for answers, advice, or community, they’re turning to Reddit.”
Its earnings and stock price certainly reflects the momentum…
FOUR (if you want to understand how culture is changing by staying the same, read this one)
Per Tom Goodwin, of the top 20 movies at the box office last year, 18 were sequels. Down from 18 original concepts / 2 sequels in 2000 and 9 original concepts / 11 sequels in 2010.
As he says, “a culture of data always reinforces the past.” Put differently, it’s harder and harder to be original… because originality is a leap into the unknown financially.
I’m sure there are a lot of knock-on effects as our imagination shrinks, in this way. Hopefully the pendulum will swing back soon.
FIVE (if you want a lesson in persistence, take a look at these numbers from Mr Beast)
