Retail Media Vibes
Retail Media Vibes is your marketing lens on the world of shopping, commerce, and culture. Each episode brings fresh conversations with industry insiders who break down the stories driving how brands reach shoppers and how shoppers connect with brands. From big retail moments to the latest shifts in digital media, it’s your front-row seat to the strategies shaping the future of commerce.
We keep it smart, energetic, and actionable, mixing sharp analysis with good vibes so you walk away informed and inspired. Whether you’re a retail pro, a marketer looking for an edge, or simply curious about where the industry is headed, this podcast is made for you.
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Retail Media Vibes
Ep. 8 - Secondhand Is the New Mainstream
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Attention is scarce, noise is cheap, and shoppers are rewriting the rules. We sit down with brand and growth strategist Erin Campbell to map the new terrain: how to reach people who spend 13 hours a day with media yet crave less clutter and more connection. The core idea that anchors our exchange is simple and hard: tactics are table stakes, meaning is the moat. Erin breaks down how to identify the heart of your audience, connect it to the soul of your brand, and build a brand world that travels across touchpoints with texture instead of repetition.
From there, we dive into the boom in secondhand shopping, and why it’s more than thrift. Resale blends value, sustainability, and identity, empowering buyers to access rare goods and express taste with provenance. We compare platforms like eBay and GOAT, talk authentication and trust, and explore why brands shouldn’t rush to “own” the resale moment so much as craft products and stories worthy of second lives. You’ll hear practical angles on scarcity with purpose, community lore, and making goods that age into artifacts.
We also explore the analog comeback: vinyl, paper books, film cameras, even corded phones for kids. After years of chasing frictionless everything, intentional friction feels like relief. Analog rituals offer presence, delayed gratification, and shared memory, things digital rarely sustains. We spotlight LEGO’s mindful build experiences and why designing for calm can be a competitive edge. Along the way we weigh quick hits, from Toys "R" Us 2.0 and experiential retail to Apple’s pricey phone sock and Doug McMillon’s Walmart legacy, and extract lessons any operator can use.
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What's up, party people? BV here, and welcome to another episode of Retail Media Vibes, a doing business in Bettonville podcast. This show is part of the Doing Business in Bettonville Media Network, where we work to demystify and advance omnichannel retail. We're recording live here in Rogers, Arkansas at Podcast Videos Studios, and we have a banger of a show for you today. So in studio with me today is going to be Erin Campbell, and we'll get to meet her in just a minute. And our rundown of our main topics today are the new shopper attention in an age of digital overload. We have the rise of secondhand shopping, and the analog experience is back. So we'll those will be our main topics for us today. So a lot to get into. I'm really excited to hear what Aaron has to say. So with that, let's get a chance to meet Aaron. All right, Aaron, before we jump into some really big topics, uh big meaty topics today, um, let's kick off with a little vibe check, get to know you a little bit uh for the listeners. Um, and so let's just start off with pretty easy, you know, a little bit about Aaron and you know, your background and what would you say you do?
SPEAKER_01:You think that's easy, but for an Enneagram six who's an introvert, that's the most terrifying question that Okay.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, lay it on this.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, because I've had the pleasure of working with you for very many years and then staying your friend and your professional peer, which has been um really uh fun to see us both explore and evolve and new and different things. And this feels congratulations. This feels so cool.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks, thanks.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So I've had a really I call the trifecta of experience in brand and CPG and business, where I've had the opportunity to service, service both big and small brands on the agency side, as well as build my own brand, my own CPG brand myself, and really learn the ins and outs of how you build something from a white piece of paper, bring value and meaning to it from the retailer side, from the business side, from the consumer side. And then also I dipped my toe on the retailer side as well. And so I've got to see across those three verticals and the continuum from startup to really, really mature, uh mature companies. But what I really say is I I like to think of myself as a brand and growth strategist. And right now I'm in the spot where I'm really advising really kind of startup brands, primarily female founders and really supporting them to find and scale on their own terms. And when I say scale, I mean their PL, their growth, but also their purpose and their impact that they're having on the community and the tribe and the audience that they serve, and also scaling their mental health because it's not great if you have a founder burning at both ends and then they don't get to leave their legacy that fueled them in the first place.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Wow, yeah, definitely a bingo card of you know experiences that you've had. And, you know, I you know, I recollect when we first started working together and your, you know, your insight into you know shopper behavior is how I got to got to know you and shopper strategy and all around that. And you know, it's been great to see you, you know, grow your career and grow your opportunities into all those things that you mentioned before. So uh excited again to have you on uh on the show. So let's do a few little icebreaker questions, a little vibe, vibe question, a few vibe questions.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna pass.
SPEAKER_02:Uh you will pass, definitely. Nobody has failed yet. And so first time. But you know, what was what's the last impulse buy you made online?
SPEAKER_01:So it was actually this morning. So I know real time. Real time.
SPEAKER_02:Are you shopping as we're having this conversation?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. And with the chip that's inside my head. Or agentically. Exactly. Um, so I, you know, it's it's November. And starting in November, I make TikTok gift guides, like my entire personality. I just love consuming these curated gifts with the hope I can find the perfect gift, and I end up buying a lot of stuff for myself as a byproduct. So you're curating the content or I am relying on other curators who say, you know, here's the cool girl gift guide, or here's the guide for the hard-to-buy boy tween. Or if you have a cool guy in your life, then here's what they really want. Um, because I let I let people who have more time and more interest do all the hard work, and then I just get to reap their benefits. But one particular uh there's a lot of repeats. And so I've now been able to see kind of I should write a trend report actually about I, you know, I'm I'm thinking about that.
SPEAKER_02:You should, you know, write that for reaching video vibes.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, well, we'll start the newsletter.
SPEAKER_01:I love it. Um, but there was this I love athleisure. I love athleisure that kind of gives you a personality. And I came across this brand that I'd never heard of. Maybe you have dandy, uh, dandy brands. They do putties. They're very good.
SPEAKER_02:They're very cute. Definitely a way underrated garment.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And one that has an expressive point of view is even better that can transpose a message between the wearer and the bystander. And this one, yeah, they had a lot of great, like, let's go on an adventure, let's go on a road trip, let's watch sunsets, but mine said your daily affirmations. And then it was like a um kind of map of, I've got you, you got this, I love you, I hear you. And so I can't wait to wear it. That sounds really cool. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So, you know, gift guide for others that yeah, it was interesting about that garment is just like it feels like you it's putting the user into an experience of some of some sort of obviously it's gonna depend on on the the motif of the of the garment, right? But it is really interesting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it it invites a conversation, it expresses a personality while being comfortable all in one.
SPEAKER_02:I like it. I like it. Yeah, um, so I I love nostalgia. Okay, I like thinking about what's happened in the past and how it impacts the future. But if you were going to bring a retailer from the past back, who would that be? Or what you know, what retailer would that be?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, that's a really great question because we uh live and breathe a retail. Yeah. Um, and you know, I think I find retail really, really interesting. Um, so you know, kind of Blockbuster came. I know was it Brad who said Blockbuster?
SPEAKER_02:Uh Tom. Yeah, it's Tom. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Tom said Blackb, Blockbuster, and even like Radio Shack, because there's this very nostalgic uh feeling of when I was a teenager going to the mall with my parents. But I ended up, I really think Body Shop is a really great example of a retail experience. Sensorial, it was curated, and it was really kind of this disruptor in the beauty space when clean beauty and kind of ethical standards were really not in the conversation yet. And I have these very vivid memories of going and finding them in airports when I was a young adult or even an older teen. And so they're connected to these very powerful memories or this feeling of anticipation, of um wonder. And they put a sensorial placemarker to that memory with their trial of the scrubs and the lotions and then the the very fruity, earthy, um wonderful sense that they have as soon as you walk into the door. So they may still be around, but they're just not as prolific as they used to be.
SPEAKER_02:They actually gave me an idea for another topic another day is like retail at airports, right? And you know, some of the opportunities there as well. So uh thanks for the thanks for the idea. You know, I'll credit you the next time I have that have that up on the cast. Um all right. So this one's a little bit of a fun one. So recently, Taco Bell partnered with Venmo to create a taco belt holster. So it's exactly what you would think it is.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. I've waited this my whole life.
SPEAKER_02:It's it's it's it's a belt, leather belt, has a holster on it specifically for a taco. They gave it out to like 75 people who are randomly reward members, etc. Um, so you know, the taco belt host holster. What other fast food item needs a holster?
SPEAKER_01:My my here's my you better not steal mine.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, well, maybe my gosh, okay. I think there should be a chicken nugget fanny pack.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:And with a little with a with a little cup, you know, sauce cup holder, right? So I think you know, you get your get your your your pack with all your nuggets in there and you pull one out and you dip it in your sauce. Like that's that's that's mine. What do you what do you have?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, mine is somewhat similar. So I would want a holster for McDonald's French fries and then a little cup for my ketchup. And I don't know if you've seen some of the billboards McDonald's has done. They've done a really nice job about unlocking kind of usage occasions because we're a busy family, but I I try to eat healthy. We don't frequent McDonald's very often, but every time we're on a road trip, it's McDonald's. And do you know how hard it is to eat your French fries, dipping them into ketchup while I'm trying to keep my hands on the wheel?
SPEAKER_02:It's yeah, you can't do that. No, and you're not ordering a salad either, right?
SPEAKER_01:At McDonald's, no.
unknown:No.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Well, they have them, right?
SPEAKER_01:I know, but that's not why I go to McDonald's.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. All right. Well, all right, cool. All right, Aaron. That's that was those great icebreakers, great vibe check. So appreciate your your insights. Great to get to know you and have the audience get to know you a bit. So we're gonna move on now to our quick hit topics. Let's do this. All right, so let's do our little quick hit topics. So these are just you know, new noteworthy, newsworthy topics. Um, kind of get your your initial reaction on some of these stories that have hit the headlines here in uh in the last couple of weeks. So Toys R Us. All right, Toys R Us, they're making this uh this slow and steady resurrection. Um, it's continuing. They've added uh and are planning to add nearly 30 additional stores, right? So they had bankruptcy, they kind of went away, somebody rebuy, you know, kind of kept a hold of the brand and then now they're starting to bring it back. Um, and so I think a lot of you know, a lot of toy companies are probably getting excited about, you know, having another uh another retailer to have for for distribution. Um, so I'm personally excited about it. I've definitely grew up as a Toys R Us kid. My kids were Toys R Us kids. I could actually sing the song, but I will spare everyone involved uh with singing it. Um and have spent a ton of time in Toys R Us store. So, you know, my question for you is are you a Toys R Us kid? And do you think Toys R Us can make that, you know, come back, you know, um all the way back?
SPEAKER_01:Definitely I'm a Toys R Us kid. Again, I have those visceral memories of walking through the shy aisles with a um wonder and seeing, you know, what toy can I I I convinced my parents to buy. Um, I think it is a fantastic brand to reboot. I do think that they need to make some careful considerations. Obviously, with nostalgia being really in the kind of cultural conversation right now, especially the 90s with all the Red Lobster and TI Fridays come back. I think that nostalgic trend really informs the why now. Why now should Toys R Us come forward? Hopefully, they just use that nostalgia trend uh for the timing and not necessarily uh the strategic lever for how they come back, because I don't think nostalgia is enough of a um strategy to make them win. And I think they have a real opportunity to look at the new consumer and understand in a world of where choice and convenience is um the click of a button, what really is the opportunity for an in-store toy retailer to deliver? And I think they have a lot of really good proxies. If you look at the Jelly Cat Cafe in New York, uh, the American Doll whole day experience. And I think the one that is really interesting is Build-A-Bear. And I actually just did some research for uh a German toy brand that I partner with. And Build a Bear has had tremendous um rapid success since COVID.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. It was stock surprising.
SPEAKER_01:Stock went from$1 to$70 in less than five years. And I actually just looked up there, they're on track for over half a billion um in revenue and and um record profits. But when you really start to dissect what they do and where Toys R Us has the opportunity to apply, it's not about a warehouse of toys. And even I would say it's not even really about just a brand shop within a shop. They do some really interesting things. It's very based off of a ritual or it's a celebration or it's a process that they invite their users to step into. And throughout that ritual, they leave with a token, the bear, but what they really are selling is a memory. And so that's where Toys R Us has an opportunity to say, how do I create this space and create this immersive, sensorial, holistic ritual that allows their customers to create these core memories in a way that Amazon can't do. So I mean, some really cool ideas would be how do you have scavenger hunt birthday parties? Or how do you create a ceremony or certificate when a kid buys their first bike? Or the other thing Build-Abear does is I think I saw 40% of their audience is not kids, they're teens and adults. So Toys R Us kids, it goes back to your cadulting.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, absolutely. I was thinking about condulting, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And so kid is more figurative than literal. And so, how do you service the whole life cycle of a consumer? So I think it's really how do they go really deep and and and not um so broad in their in their activation?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I I think of it in in, I think most retail can do this, and I think Toys R Us has an opportunity to do this especially well is this experiential discovery, right? So we're always we're we're talking about discovery all the time. How do you discover new products, new brands? And then you have this opportunity with experiential. Like, how do you make that immersive and engaging experience that to your point becomes memorable for that shopper and and the the adult, right? You know, the adult, the kid, the combination of the two, bringing them together and making it make it a special moment. So if Toys R Us can can tap into that, I think they have an opportunity to build something really special, to your point, not just another place to buy toys.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's right. And I I hope what they don't do is just rely on the really powerhouse brand franchises to kind of bring those more fragmented, isolated experiences to life. And that they actually look at a holistic, kind of integrated experience. But I also love what you said. It's like this is an opportunity to connect people, to bring community, to um give me something as a mom that I can relate to with my son. And then we walk out with a shared memory. I mean, that's really powerful.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, those are very powerful moments for sure. All right. All right, let's let's move on to a slightly different, a different topic. Um, Apple. Okay, so we're gonna talk about Apple. Apple dropped a 229 phone sock, right? And so they call it the iPhone pocket. Um, it's a premium sock for your phone. I think there's a one that hangs on your arm and then one that's kind of like a sling, like a sling sling bag. I think that's probably the more expensive one is the sling bag. And so it's like, I know you're into fashion, right? You you you you're definitely someone who has an eye for fashion. And um, this was done by a fashion label, um, Issi Maya Mayaki. Um and so the idea was really creating an additional pocket, right? So I don't have enough pockets. And obviously a lot of um a lot of uh clothing, women's clothing don't have a lot of pockets, right? Typically, right? Unless there's something specific about it. Um and so like is this just is this really a product that can really is it solving a problem? Is it is what what what are your thoughts around this whole thing? Like the internet's gone a buzz, social media's gone a buzz about this is stupid, this is crazy. Is it is it really stupid and crazy? No, it is stupid and crazy. Okay, is it the price? Like if it was$19.99, yeah, would it be, oh, well, this is cool.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I think there's a couple things, and I think they're really in this mushy middle, which is actually what's making them so memeable right now. Right. I think I see what they were trying to do. They're trying to assert that they are Apple is a design house, and that extends to how you can wear your iPhone or or transitioning your iPhone into a wearable. And it does have some really nice kind of historical legacy uh roots. The the designer, the EC Ms. Miyaki, he designed Steve Jobs, famous black turtleneck. So when you start to kind of uncover the layers, it is kind of interesting, but I think it was the wrong time and it ends up coming a little tone-deaf. So it's incredibly expensive for what people are calling a uh, you know, a a stuff.
SPEAKER_02:But it's a fashion fashion from a designer, right? Those things are expensive. Right.
SPEAKER_01:But I think where what's happening is there's a couple of things. If it's obviously not a revenue driver, so they're they're not gonna make or break their their quarterly earnings from the stock. So then you have to assume it's a PR strategy, which we're talking about it. But to be a productive PR strategy to move the brand forward and make sure it doesn't become a meme, you either need to be so functional, it changes behavior, like it's so innovative, or you need to be so poignant that you are making a point. And the mismatch here is it's yes, it's design, but is it really a function that serves a problem that is currently not solved? I wear jeans, I put my pocket in my jeans, or as a fashion person, my bag, my purse as a woman is more of what I want to express. And so it feels like they're appealing more to this elitist and this fashion house, which that is not Apple's tribe. That's not their audience. Their audience is creators, they're builders, they are people who want something that is so beautifully designed, it seamlessly almost disappears and integrates into their everyday life. Or you and me, the everyday person that it's worth paying more for because the functionality is so good. And the AppleSoft doesn't do either one of those things. So I think they've lost the plot a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, I I mean I think it's I think it's a fun thing. I think you're right. I think, you know, and you I also thought about like, is Apple just trolling us, right? Yeah, I'm not sure you're gonna be willing to pay for a sock that has things around your shoulder.
SPEAKER_01:A belt holster for your phone would have been funnier. Like if you're gonna go funny or ironic, lean harder.
SPEAKER_02:But Apple accessories cost a lot anyway, like compared to you know other brands, right? And so if you're gonna buy the Apple version of an Apple Watch band or a case for your phone, you're gonna pay a lot more. Now, this is you know significantly more, probably at least you know, 10x more, right? You know, but it's definitely a lot more. So, yeah, good uh good points there for sure. And love how you kind of broke that down. Um all right, so with our third and final quick hit, let's talk about Doug McMillan stepping down. Uh, he's retiring at the I believe it's February of 2026. And so he's been in that role as CEO of Walmart for I mean, basically as long as I've been in shopper marketing.
SPEAKER_01:2014, I think.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. So just about as long as I've been in it. And it's like, you know, what do you what are some of the things you'll remember about in, you know, Doug's tenure as CEO?
SPEAKER_01:First, um, I don't think it's a surprise to us. I think the the man deserves hopefully a really good vacation after this. And I but I am I am sad because if you it took me gave me a moment to kind of reflect back on his tenure with Walmart. And when I think he took over, it it was at a really make or break pivot point for for Walmart. I mean, of course it was successful, but it had the risk of really becoming the next Kmart or Sears, right? Becoming a dinosaur. And uh Doug took the opportunity to kind of pump the brakes, pause, and really build a strategy that would take them into relevancy in for decades to come. And he had to do that by telling the board and then ultimately telling Wall Street that they were going to make significant investments and the stock price would take a hit. And we know Wall Street does not like um short-term pain, but he stepped up and said, it we need to invest in our digital, in our tech infrastructure. We need to invest in our people, and this will deliver a legacy of Walmart that is gonna withstand the encroachment of Amazon. And he's successfully done that. And so I think you see a really balanced leader that can manage for the short term effectively because he's a high humanity leader. He's incredibly approachable. He is charismatic and welcoming and kind and able to communicate the why when it doesn't always make sense on the short-term business numbers. And then he has successfully brought Walmart in to 2025 and handing off a very different business than he was handed to John Ferner, that really is going to just accelerate then into the automation and AI revolution.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Yeah. It's definitely been a great journey to see or reflect upon for for Walmart. Not everything was a hit over that period of time. Um, but you know, uh, you know, acquiring Jet.com, I think that really helped them from e-commerce. Obviously, Jet.com doesn't exist, but I think the infrastructure, what they learn from the e-commerce space is definitely uh fueling a lot of their e-commerce success that they're having today. I think, you know, he's been able to um allow Walmart to kind of change their position from that, yes, they're still, you know, everyday low prices, but they've also been able to reach a more affluent shopper, shoppers that would would probably in the past have not focused on Walmart as a shopping destination and and and brought it and brought more high-income shoppers into it as well. That's not easy to do, right? To change a position where everybody thinks that, oh, well, that's where I go just to get my groceries and I'm not gonna buy a bunch of cheap stuff. I'm not gonna buy my fashion there. But I mean, they've done a lot of great work in the fashion space, right? And you know, and you know, not to make start a whole comparison, but you kind of look at Target and how Target has kind of taken taken a seat back. Like Target used to be where everybody goes for fashion. Walmart now is becoming you know much more known for for that, and Walmart and excuse me, and Target less for that. So it's it's really interesting to see them navigate the currents. And like I said before, you know, some things were hits, some things were not, but they always seem to be learning, right? And I think that's one of the things that um I appreciate and and admire about you know the organization that Doug led was uh an organization that continued to learn, move fast, you know, kept kept core to their values, but still continued to build upon that. So I obviously wish him the best success in whatever his next chapter looks like, but you know, definitely one of the best runs of a of a CEO for a company that that the size of Walmart that I've that I've witnessed, especially in my lifetime.
SPEAKER_01:100%.
SPEAKER_02:So great.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, John, I'm excited to see what John does.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. Yeah. Um and we have lots of time to talk about John in the future, right?
SPEAKER_01:It's true, we do.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so it's that's great. So, all right, well, that ends quick hit. So appreciate your thoughts there. So we're gonna now move over to our main topics. All right, our first main topic, we're gonna talk about shoppers, right? And uh, and I've really had this fascination with like changes in behavior. And honestly, like I learned that when I was at Satchi and working with you honestly about the you know, shopper behavior and motivations and you know how uh those behaviors impact how we work, how we communicate and market and advertise to shoppers, but there's been a lot of change. Um, I mean, I guess there's been a lot of change over the last 10 years or or in a lot of change even over the last two years. You know, COVID was a lot of change, but you know, I would say that overall, like shoppers today are overwhelmed, they're distracted, and they're moving faster and faster. It feels like just things keep continuing to accelerate, accelerate, accelerate. And their attention, you know, jumps between screens and micromoments, right? And so they're, you know, they're on their tablets, they're on a TV, they've got their phone in their hands, they're you know, engaging in so many different, you know, digital and physical experiences, floating in between, you know, all of those all the time. Uh, and now we've included now AI, right? So AI is a whole nother layer of you know ways that you know are going to pull attention away from shoppers, right? And really have obviously an impact on behavior, right? There's no no doubt about that, right? And you know, with all of that stimulation, you know, they want everything real time. And it's just such a big change with what people are are seems like what people are are doing. It used to be so simple back in the day, right? So I always sometimes I think about oh, what was it like in the 50s, 60s, 70s, um, as an advertiser, right? You have it was so simple.
SPEAKER_01:It's hard, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Right? Yeah, a TV, yeah, yeah, prints, maybe a billboard, maybe some advertising in store, depending on you know, depending on how how it went. But it was so simple, right? And as an advertiser and a marketer, you had those channels, you learn those channels. Now you've got like 52,000 different channels, all these micro moments, multiple social net media networks. You know, people are spending time in gaming, people are spending time on social, they're watching TV, they have their phones in their hands, right? So it's like uh even it overwhelms me just thinking of thinking about I can only imagine with the shopper, shopper uh how they're feeling. Um, but can US according to McKinsey, US consumers now spend 13 hours a day with media. That's that's a lot of hours per day. And a lot of times it's multitasking, right? It's not just you know a single, a single form of media. And their average screen attention, now this one blew me away, actually, has dropped from over over the last few years, has dropped from two and a half minutes to 47 seconds, right? So that is that is a very significant decline in attention span. And yeah, I mean I'm self-professed ADD. I I know my attention span bounces around quite a bit. I and so I can only you know imagine. So it's really have a like a huge impact, you know, I think in you know how an advertiser can reach this audience and the expectations around reaching this audience. I think things are so fragmented now. How do you even plan to reach and actually make that you know behavior change, right? That's that's what shopper marketing is all about is behavior change. How can you even do that? And then when people are spending very little time when they are spending time on something and they're switching around, context switching like constantly, it's just you know, it's like I said before, it's it's really overwhelming. But you know, how many media channels do you think you engage with on a on a daily basis just to start it off?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's a really great question. I probably don't even know. But I mean, anything from a podcast to a recipe blog that I linked on through Pinterest, um, to short YouTubes and trying to learn how to pronounce fancy um designer names for the Apple Socks, um, to maybe a reading an email newsletter from my select few kind of thought leaders that I really respect, and then kind of, you know, deselecting all the rest from doom scrolling TikTok. Um, and then even just driving around and and seeing what's around us. So I I can't even imagine how many.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I I would I would say, you know, you know, for me, you know, on my phone, social, you know, work, you know, work on my laptop, you know, YouTube, a lot. I, you know, you to you know, YouTube is as big for me for sure. You know, it's but it's also happening all the time. I'll have the TV on watching a football game or something, or my wife will have Wikid on, and I'll be on my phone watching a YouTube video at the same time. So it's like, where am I really spending my attention? And if I'm an advertiser, where do I put that ad if I'm trying to reach that that individual? And it's just it's just so overwhelming. Do you ever get to that point of sufficiency where you're actually making that behavioral impact that you intend to make? Can you only do that in big moments, like you know, like a Super Bowl commercial where everybody's paying attention, everybody's locked in, then there's still probably multitasking going on, but it's still most of the attention is being paid to one place. It's just it just seems like it's more difficult, obviously more difficult than ever to really, to really drive behavior change. If you were a brand, let's say, you know, your brand, your new brand, and you are trying to, you know, reach this fragmented, distracted, you know, shopper, you know, what would be some things you would try to consider to make the impact that you intend to do with with advertising?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a really good question. Because I think all of the tools that we have as marketers, as far as tactics and media placement, they're so prolific that they have re have left us with a very overstimulated, cognitively deficient, decision-fatigued shopper. And their brains are really good at deselecting out all of the noise and coming up with some shortcut behaviors that aren't necessarily good for business. And and so I always when we have conversations with brands about this, most often brands want to come in and say, okay, what is the magical formula or combination of tactics that is going to um decrease my CAC and increase my um my revenue? And the the tools are the tools. Every brand, every marketer has access to the same tools. And I always say if someone's selling you the perfect formula, they're lying and run as fast as you can. But where you have a real opportunity to connect with this new consumer who is looking for less noise, they're looking for more meaning in their life, more connection, more community. They're looking ways to express kind of the human condition is so much less in the tactics, but it's really before that. It's one knowing who your audience is, you know. And I'm not talking from a demographic side. I'm talking from a heart and soul side. What are their values? What do they care about? What keeps them up at night? Who are they? Yes, yeah. Yes, yes. And and you want to and you want to authentically connect the heart and soul of your brand in areas and ways that they already intrinsically care about. And that's not a list of functional benefits. So it's understanding who you are as a brand at a higher order. If your brand had a soul, if your brand had a heart, if your brand could shortcut why this product was created, what problem does it relieve for your audience? Then that is where the meaning and the connection happens with your niche audience that cares about the same thing. So it becomes about hyper strategy and focus on your audience and who you are as a brand at your core. Get that right, then pick the mediums, of course, or the the channels where your audience is, but pick the channels that celebrate that message that allows that message to live and breathe. And you're not competing then in the same noisy mess for clips.
SPEAKER_02:But even if you are, you have a better chance to connect, right? So you can absolutely cast a net, you know, a wide net and maybe catch a a couple of fish. But if you're like more focused and you're, you know, you're fishing with a single line, you've got the right bait, you're gonna get a much bigger fish, you know, typically, right? And so, you know, from that standpoint. I've always one of the things I've I've always tried to consider, and I've I'm a huge hype marketer. I I love the hype, I get involved in the hype, I really, I really get really engaged in in what's going on and the excitement around things. But I've always tried to think about from time to time is like, do you zig when other people zag? Right. And so if everybody's spending all this money and time on one channel, maybe your best opportunity is to go to a different channel, right? And everybody's talking about you know, social and connected TV and all of these things. Well, maybe direct mail is a is an opportunity for you, right? And like I think you've got to open your mind to look at the white space as well. You know, I agree with you from a brand and making sure your your your message is connecting and has a soul and it's really resonating. It's hard to do that in less than a second's worth of time. Like I remember watching my niece's friend on her phone going through uh Instagram uh stories, and she's just beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, tap, tap. You know, and it's just like going through, and like you're not, you don't have the time to really make a lot of of connection with somebody when they are just looking for something that disrupts them, right? And then you, if you catch them, you only have like a second or two to get hold that attention and maybe get your message across or a part of the message across, right? So it's it's crazy. So look for those, I think just like looking for those white spaces, and I think also being unified in your message, right? Like ensuring that you're kind of thinking of things from a storyline all the way through, you know, simulating what that consumer experience should be from point A to point Z and what those potential touch points are. Like the reality is nobody's going through it from A to Z. But even if you just think about, okay, what you know, when they get up in the morning, you know, and they listen to, you know, they listen to the radio, like, okay, what does the ad sound like? Does it does it link to maybe if they see the billboard on their way to on their way to work and if they're surfing uh you know at lunchtime and they see an ad, right? Like you know, or they're checking something.
SPEAKER_01:I surf all the time.
SPEAKER_02:Well, sorry, okay, internet surf. It sounds sounds so old, right? The information is super highway. It's it's a real thing. But you know, making sure that that story because you know, repetition obviously leads to memory, right? And you know, one of the one commercial that I hate the most, but I appreciate it's you know, what it does is the Cars for Kids commercial.
SPEAKER_01:I don't even know this commercial.
SPEAKER_02:It's it it's okay, tell us Cars for Kids. So I appreciate what it does, but like it's the song is one of those, yeah, it's basically on like a nursery rhyme type song and like Cars for Kids. Anyway, and it it they play it over and over again, right? And so I now I know Cars for Kids regardless. And and I actually try to skip away. And if I have any chance to skip away, I try to skip away from it. But you know, it it obviously had made an impact, right? It's it's you know, I I don't think I've ever given a car to cars for kids, I don't think. But anyway, it's so that all being said, I think you know, that that opportunity for you know repetition and that messaging to hit your audience and have that unified communication does have allow you for that opportunity. And look for not only digital channels, but also you know, physical, you know, physical opportunities as well, like out of home.
SPEAKER_01:I would put a little bit more nuance on repetition. I absolutely think cohesion is important, but I actually think now, instead of maybe more kind of the seven, the special number of seven frequency is the magical mark when people remember you. Um, it's more about creating holistic brand worlds. So, yes, you need a unifying brand platform. And that gets back to knowing your tribe, knowing the problem you solve, knowing your heart and soul. And that should show up. But how that shows up in the specific message points, I think is more about creating a multidimensional lived experience that may not come across in literal repetitive words, but more in a brand experience, in a holistic brand experience. And I think smaller disruptive brands are doing a really good job at this because they are so niche. Their growth is at a much smaller scale. They can do this in a way where they're not relying on repetition, they're relying on depth and texture. Um, but it's built off of a cohesive brand promise. But how they bring that to life is like dialed up or dialed down, depending on the touch point in in the message conversation.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's good storytelling.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, that's exactly right. Yes, yes, there's plateaus, there's valleys, there's there's there's highs, there's lows. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's awesome. Awesome. All right, well, let's move on to the next topic. That was, I mean, we've probably talked about that for probably a whole nother another whole nother hour, but we're gonna move on to the next topic. And so secondhand shopping is on the rise. You know, not that it actually went away, but it, I mean, it really It's getting a lot of attention. It is getting a ton of attention and it's really in the in the mainstream. Um, it's not just thrift store shopping anymore. It's really, you know, intentional shopping. I think value is a big part of it. Absolutely. Um, I think sustainability plays a role um here as well. And then I think there's obviously some discovery element of it, right? And so, like if you go to a store, they have a selection. You know, you go to a secondhand store, you don't know really what that selection is going to be. And there's there is some excitement around the hunt. Yeah, right. You know, trying to find a specific item or you don't know what you're gonna what you're going to find, and then you find it, and it's like this is the a great, you know, perfect thing. And and in some cases, it may be at a good value as well. Um and so I think you know, around 70%, according to eBay, 70% of people plan to buy used items this year. Um, and then over 86% participate. In resale in the last 12 months, so buying or selling. And then even related to this, and you know, we're we're kind of we're into the gift giving season now, but secondhand gifting is surging is surging. Uh according to NASDAQ, uh 74% say it's more accepted, and 83% are open to receiving used gifts. So that's really like that used to be such a faux pas, right? Like, you know, you you know, there's you know, re-gifting, if you will, or you know, and uh obviously certain categories I think would uh have you know different, you know, different attitudes, like there are different attitudes towards you know, regifting um or or secondhand um uh gifts as well. Um, you know, some of the top categories, uh electronics, which makes sense, right? iPads, phones, TVs, etc. Books, you know, which it's really interesting. Um, I was I was reading that, like in uh I was reading that books have actually had made a comeback, um physical books. Um, and so like there's there's you know, there used to be the Kindle Surge, right? And now, and then you know Barnes and Noble is doing like really, really well as well, right? And so, like, so I um books are definitely one that gets uh gets regifted or or bought and sold on a resale market, fashion, home decor, sporting goods, um, which you know, I think all of these kind of make sense, yeah, right. Very, very intuitive. And then Facebook Marketplace now has integrated eBay and Poshmark listings into Facebook Marketplace. Right. Yeah. So that allows super smart. Yeah. I mean, that's you know, extension of you know, those platforms into the social channel, right?
SPEAKER_01:Well, and I really think that's probably how Facebook has managed to continue to have their younger users is through the marketplace integration. Right. And they're understanding that the Gen Z has migrated some of the secondhand shopping um beyond just the physical store into the Poshmark, the Depop. I think that that was wise of me. Right, right.
SPEAKER_02:And I think, you know, you and I both are cool with with resale, right? And buying secondhand, you know, um, or use product. Um, you know, and I like it's it's a great opportunity to one, get something you may not be able to get somewhere else, right? Or you know, or it's sold out somewhere, or or the the the product is no longer available, you can get that on the secondhand market. Um, and also it's a bit sometimes it's an opportunity to get something at a little less cost. That's right, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um or or pay more, you know, it depends. But but um so you you actually are wearing something today in honor of this conversation that you you bought um on in the secondhand market. So tell us a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, yeah, I'm wearing, I think it's 80s. I could not date it, it's from the 80s, but it's vintage Oscar De Lorenta. Oh, okay. And I bought it at the Springdale Goodwill for probably less than$10.
SPEAKER_00:Wow.
SPEAKER_01:And you know what I noticed this morning? It has a little bit of a stain on it, which normally I would not wear the dress with the stain on it, but I feel like it's okay because the piece has a story behind it. And when else am I gonna be able to wear an Oscar de Lorenta dress? And I did a little digging, looked online to see see if I could find the the dress. I found one eBay posting, just one. And I, you know, I searched for hours and hours and hours. Yeah, of course you do. One eBay posting with the same dress. So, in theory, I could be one of two people wearing this dress and talk about someone who appreciates fashion and beauty and design and that ability to express originality with in this day and age where our influencers and AI content all look flat and the same. That's a special gift that I think only the secondhand market or extraordinarily amounts of money is going to give you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And and today I have on a pair of uh Travis Scott pair Jordan ones. Um and so these are uh basically these are$1,000 sneakers, uh new.
SPEAKER_01:Well did you pay more than a thousand dollars?
SPEAKER_02:The original retail price was not a thousand dollars, but they're very limited. So if you want to buy a new version of this on the secondhand market, uh a pair of these goes for a thousand over a thousand dollars. So um, but you know, I kept my eyes open and I watched you know listings and I found a pair that was gently used for a much lower price. Love it. Not 10, not ten dollars like you got from you know for your dress, but it was at a different at a at a lower price, right? And you know, I think something like sneakers, you know, you should be wearing your sneakers. Right.
SPEAKER_01:And they're not art pieces.
SPEAKER_02:Well, you know, some are, right? I think I think they are, honestly. Uh but for the most part, like the sneakers are meant to be worn. You know, you're gonna take it take a new shoe out of a box and you're gonna put it on your feet and you're gonna run out the door anyway, the first first minute. As long for me, as long as the condition uh is good, you know, and the price is good, then you know, we have a we you know, we have a match. But I think you know, especially in the in the sneaker market, it's all about authenticity as well, right? And so you don't want to spend, you know, a significant amount of money on something that did not be authentic. So it has to go through an authentication process. So you have these secondary markets, these secondary uh platforms that you know authenticate the products. eBay is one I've used quite a bit. Goat is the one I I bought these through as as well. So, you know, the the owner will you know make the listing and go and then you buy, and then it goes to go. Go will verify GOAT will verify it and make sure that it is authentic and then it'll ship it on to you. So, you know, there's you know that that oper opportunity uh as as well. So, you know, provide in a way it provides a service, ability to get something that you probably couldn't couldn't get before. There's no way I was going to be able to get these, you know, at the time of release, unfortunately. Um it's just very difficult with certain types of shoes. And but it you know, it does provide that that value. Um, you know, when you you're a brand, like it's interesting, right? Because you know, the brand is obviously selling the product at a retail price at the original the original sale. But then the other the person who has it then has an opportunity to sell it again, right? And in cases like these shoes, that obviously they went for way higher than retail, and so they're they're they're making a a profit on it, I'm assuming. Um and you know, did are the brands really missing out on an opportunity because like should they be buying back these products and then reselling them? Or I hope not. Well, yeah, I know it's like there's it's like where where does a brand play in the second in the second hand, the second hand of market?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it's a really good question. I mean, I think I don't know the answer to that, but I have some maybe offshoot thoughts, but I think what was really interesting about your Travis Scott shoe story is one that there was a story to tell and that it helped extend your identity and your commitment to putting a sneakerhead. It acts as your badge of honor, that you're on the inside of that kind of tribe or subculture. And it doesn't shortcut to me because I'm not in that audience, but we still connected over the time you invested, the journey. Again, it's creating that meaning and that moment to connect. And I I also found it very interesting that the authentication process um it relies on this level of kind of trust and this added layer that you're kind of allowing a proxy to make that um authentication, um, which we just kind of shortcut when we're buying a product directly from the the brand site. So if I would to think about it through a strategic lens, I don't know if literally they need to participate in the um secondhand market. And it's more about how do they make their products and their brand secondhand market worthy. So again, it's can they create those stories and those textures and those moments to connect and build through that trust and that more intangible value that connects with a community that would facilitate that secondhand market because that's going to give long-term brand equity value.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:So it's more of the relationship game than the transactional revenue gain.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I mean, it I mean, it still comes back to hype marketing in a lot of ways, right? And so how much hype will drive the value and obviously supply and demand, you know, restricting restricting that. But all right, let's let's get off of that for a second and just really talk about the sustainable, the sustainability side of things, because obviously that is a a big trend. There's a lot of opportunity. I feel like sometimes people just there or there's just so many clothing items out there, like you know, do we need all these clothing items? You know, why why why are stores stocking all of these clothes? Don't we already have enough clothes? So, like, where do you where do you see like the role that sustainability plays in in this uh in this trend?
SPEAKER_01:I absolutely think it's a reaction to the fast fashion trend, specifically in your apparel and how before they used to have maybe two, maybe three seasons of cloth clothing rollouts. And now that hype cycle, I don't even know from uh uh a Timu or Zara and Amazon. I mean, it's gotta be within days, they are are are shifting these trends and trying to react to the flash in the pan hype cycle of social media. So I definitely think it is a pushback to that overconsumption. But I also think it has a couple of added layers to that. Obviously, if I'm buying secondhand, that acts as a shortcut that I either care about my the value I'm getting, the sustainability, or potentially the originality. It's that it's again that reaction to that sameness culture. But either way, it acts as a badge of my moral, my values, my belief system.
SPEAKER_02:How many secondhand gifts are you going to give this season?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, those so this is interesting. Probably none. Oh, um, but here's why. Because I am a busy work.
SPEAKER_02:Got down the whole story and one too.
SPEAKER_01:But I think I think there's an interesting idea here. I don't think I am the person who's going to give this because you know what it requires is a lot of time. And I think that's where that gift holds so much value. And I did see, I see people are giving what they're calling like these thrifted um like gift sets where they're taking, like, they're getting a book, they're getting a costume piece of jewelry, they're maybe getting a little housewares, then they're wrapping it up in a secondhand vintage scarfs, which silk scarves are having a major moment. Okay. I didn't um and and then giving this one-of-a-kind gift, and what that says to the receiver to me is like, wow, you really know me, you really took the time, you really care about me. And wow, do you have style and discernment because you were able to craft and curate and collect these one of a kind meanings? So I don't have the time to do that. I love you, B V, but I just am not gonna give you the time for your Christmas gift this year.
SPEAKER_02:That's uh I know. I know maybe, maybe next time. Maybe I think for me, I think it depends on what I'm hunting for, right? You know, if if I you know I'm looking for, you know, uh a piece of electronics that you know my son might need.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, electronics as well.
SPEAKER_02:Then I might can I might I might consider that there, you know, with um you know, one one pair of sneakers actually I've had my eye on is there's a Wizard of Oz uh Nike Donk Low that's there and I wanted to get it for my daughter.
SPEAKER_01:You might wait how girly is it? Do I need to get this for myself?
SPEAKER_02:It shows it's the the poppy field all the time. Okay, a little bit of red and flower. Yeah. So anyway, like I might get that in, you know, because you can get a little lower price, you know, if it's in good condition, you know, a lot of it is obviously comes down to condition. So I think it sort of again, it kind of comes back to the categories that you would typically think of that are ideal for secondhand. You know, I and I think you know, as as long as you don't portray it as being uh new, you know what I mean? Like that's that's the other thing too. Like, oh, I got you this nice new gift, and they open it's out clearly, you know, or clearly secondhand. You probably don't want to do that. Um, but I think if if if it's good condition, usable, hits the spot of what they're looking for, I think I think it's a great idea.
SPEAKER_01:And it feels uniquely them. Yeah, cool. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Let's move on now to our third and uh third topic today, uh, the analog comeback.
SPEAKER_01:So excited for this one.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I again, you know, nostalgia is important to me. And I think, you know, we we we talked a lot about so much time being spent on the digital side that you know some of these analog experiences have um have become more enriching, I believe, right? And so um shoppers are finding comfort in things that they feel physical and tension and intentional, like uh records or vinyl, film cameras, print books. We were talking about that a little bit ago, stationary, you know, that like actually taking out and writing an actual note in person. I mean, you know that that's one I struggle with a bit, but I I I understand people who like to do that. Like all that stuff is surging, especially even with younger shoppers, not that's right, not old folks like me necessarily, but definitely younger shoppers. You know, the analog experience is you know gives them more texture presence, right? So again, not distracted with you know 1800 things going on all around. You're you're you're focused, you're present, um, and it gives you a chance to to to slow down. Um it what's and then you throw AI into it, and now AI is like we've got all of this content being created via AI, and it's just inundating people with all of these, all these, all this digital content. And so it's like taking that step back and like reclaiming the physical world, reclaiming your your mental state, you know, potentially, you know. Um, and so this it's so cool to see some of these things that I grew up with are now making that that that comeback. Um, you know, even tapes and records, absolutely, even CDs for those that are a little bit old, like some of that stuff uh it has come back for sure. Um, you know, vinyl continues to to sell big time, you know, over 44 million uh records were sold uh last year. Film cameras are up, you know, significantly as as well. Print books are up 23% versus you know 10 10 years ago. Um, and so like all of this stuff is really kind of coming around. And you know, is it going to is are we gonna go back in time and do it all? No, of course not. But I think there is definitely a a group or a growing trend in this area that I think people are kind of using as almost like escapism to a certain degree from all of the other stuff that's that's going on. Um, and people are paying big bucks for art as well, you know, and especially Gen Z.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, physical art. Like, you know, just not too long ago, I felt like we were talking about these NFTs and people buying bored ape NFTs for millions of dollars. And now they're now that's pretty much gone away. And those obviously don't don't value as much as they used to, but and now people are spending, you know, you know, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars on a piece of on a piece of art. So it like it's definitely coming back. Um you know, what do you what do you really feel like are the drivers of of this? I know I've touched on a few, but sure if you had other thoughts.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I mean, I think you you're really you're circling what the driver is. I mean, first of all, we're the over the overdigital consumption, the the constant AI, the massive time we're spending on our screens, and you partner that with kind of the mental health crisis. Yeah. And so obviously, our obsession as brands and retailers and marketers of creating what uh will be we consider a frictionless, um, seamless, hyper convenience environment uh is is maybe that's what the shoppers thought that they wanted, but it's not necessarily delivering the relief or the intrinsic value that they thought. And so now if it's not frictionless, maybe it's intentional friction that will give you purpose and value. And again, it goes back to that new consumer and what they want, that new shopper, what they want. They want less noise, they want more meaning, and they want a uniquely human experience and analog options do that beautifully. Right. And it allows you to refocus your brain. And I mean, you know, it's all about brain rot. So what if this is about unrotting your brain? Unrotting. Yes, I actually tried to get the domain ww.unrotyourbrain.com, a Portuguese company. So if you wanna if you want to sell it to me, let me know. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um you you hit on something there too that I thought was really interesting is like that delayed gratification component, right? People are taking pictures with cameras, and you know, you're not you're not getting necessarily that instant photo, right, that on your phone that you see. Now, some of them have a combination digital and and film, but you have to wait for that film to be developed, and then you get the payoff, you know, once that, once that film is developed in into pictures. You know, one brand I was just thinking about um that I think does a really good job of combining like the digital and the physical and and kind of leans into the space a little bit is Lego, right? Lego does such a great job with their media and you know, they're online, they're in a lot of different places. But at the end of the day, like, you know, Legos and sitting down and doing a Lego set, uh, you have that leg gratification, right? Is as part of it. It's the process, it's the mindfulness, right? I actually just started a Lego set in in my office to give myself a little bit of a mental break. And so I've got Legos there, and I'm in a not no surprise to anybody, it's a it's a Nike Lego set where it's you know somebody dumping a ball with and has a shoe and all that. So but like I just thinking about like stepping, you know, kind of sliding away from my computer and just going through the instructions with leg with the Legos to kind of build this thing. And I'm not building it all in one day, right? It's that delayed gratification. There's going to be that appreciation of what I what I've done, what I've completed. So you've got a sense of accomplishment. Right at the at the end. And so I think Lego really, if I if I'm just thinking of a brand off the top of my head that I didn't really think about, you know, planning for this, was you know, Legos really seems to do it do a good job. And it also leans a little bit into this nostalgia side. Like Lego has been around for for years. Like I've had, you know, I had Legos when I was a kid, and that was that was a little while ago. And so I just I think Lego really does a great job. Are there any other like brands or you know, that you think do do a good job of that?
SPEAKER_01:Well, um, I think Lego is a great example. And actually, I I will share an experience. I remember buying a Lego set for my son who's now 10 years old, and this was maybe a couple years ago. And I remember sitting down with him and building the Lego set, but the instructions were on an app or on the screen or on a website. I actually as a mother did not like that because I'm always trying to come up with ways that are mine was in a book. Yes. And now whether or not it was that particular variation, but now everything comes with a book or a digital uh uh um instruction opportunity. And and so I do love that they are giving you these options and they're not forcing me in one mean because as a parent who is trying to manage obsessively my my son's screen time and making sure he doesn't rot his brain, I really like having again those tangible tactical moments that don't involve a screen at all. So a brand actually it's more of a product and it's fascinating to me, but it is a brand all at once that I think is is doing a really good job, and I am the absolute target market. It have you heard of tin can?
SPEAKER_02:No, I don't think I have.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, well, it is a corded phone for kids.
SPEAKER_02:A corded, oh, okay, all right.
SPEAKER_01:And it looks like a modern tin can. It it has the twirly cord, the branding is so nostalgic but modern. It just really speaks to me as kind of uh a kid of of the 80s and 90s and those kind of moments of being able to speak with my friends on the phone. What's great for me is as a parent, I am trying to hold off on getting him a sm a smartphone, hold off on giving him kind of unfettered access to the internet, but I also want to facilitate connections with his friends. And and so the tin can is giving me this option to go analog, old school, and also it's encouraging community, like you can buy multiple ones. But here's the kicker. I mean, it looks like a phone you and I would have had as a kid, and it would have cost even at that time, maybe 15 bucks at Walmart, and they are selling it for$75, and it is sold out until February.
SPEAKER_02:Wow.
SPEAKER_01:So it is obviously from a functional and an emotional meeting this analog desire or problem that we as parents I am fighting every single day.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, that's I mean, it's a it's a great way to you know bring something like that that solves some a problem that I'm sure a lot of parents are are dealing with. And how when is the right time to give your child a way to communicate, you know, with with the with the outside world.
SPEAKER_01:And I will say, so it acts as a landline, but you don't have to buy a telephone line. It works still through through your internet, and you don't have to buy a plan if you can con if you can recruit other friends with a tin can. So it acts as like a tin can.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's its own referral program.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, exactly. So you can speak to fellow tin canners for free.
SPEAKER_02:Awesome. Awesome. Well, I think, I mean, I think, you know, this this is an amazing trend. I think it's definitely needed. I think like the mental weight that so many people carry through a lot of the the uh information that they are receiving on an ongoing basis. It's like having a way to break away, you know, get back to to analog is definitely a trend that I think is um one that should hopefully continue. And I like, you know, yeah, you know, I'm I'm obviously really excited about leaning into myself.
SPEAKER_01:I am too, and I think it actually holds some significant kind of weight for the future generations. I think, you know, maybe call it time and knowledge were maybe kind of the the currency of the class system. Um now that information has completely been democratized. Um, our ability to use our brains and discern and be critical thinkers will be the kind of status of the elite, intellectually elite. Oh, wow moving forward. I said it here first. Yes. So I think the only way to do that is through letting your brain breathe through analog experiences.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. So yeah, and you actually, so you mentioned this earlier, like how like there's been like a thread of the topics today. And I think there there really is because it I think it kind of paints that picture of what the the consumer, consumer looks like today. You know, they're overstimulated, they want, but they want authenticity, they want, you know, they want um, you know, the ability to kind of disconnect at the same time. And you know, it's uh it's it's an interesting world we live in today and a society that we live in today that I think is really you know you know changing how we how we behave. So um appreciate you talking through those topics with us. All right, Aaron, that was uh a great run through of our of our big topics. Um and so we're as we get near the end of of today's podcast, um let play play a little game, you know, have a have a little wrap-up. And so um wanted to talk through any campaigns um that you've seen out there that you are you really have your eye on that's that right now.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, it's much less of a campaign and and more in these smaller brands that I tend to to work with and more how they come forward and alive in in their world. And if you're familiar with good girl snacks or hot girl pickles, they've made pickles um extremely cool for Gen Z, or actually Gen Z loves pickles, and they took an opportunity to make a product that connects uniquely with them. Gen Z creators, two friends, and they've actually documented their entire experience on social media, the highs and the lows.
SPEAKER_02:Storytelling? Storytelling. Oh, wow. Stories amazing that's gone back to stories.
SPEAKER_01:And they're creating these immersive brand worlds with these darling brand characters that shortcut into emotive experiences. But I think that they're really taking their audience on a journey. They literally just launched in Whole Foods and they had a whole TikTok video on all of all the things that went wrong. So they shared, they bought their first um billboard and it was covered by a bush. They used the wrong tape in the PR packages. It was just so authentic. And before that, they said that they had zero dollars in paid media. So it shows you that these brand worlds are cost-saving but also meaningful to the the right consumer that they connect with.
SPEAKER_02:Wait, what was the name of the brand?
SPEAKER_01:Well, the brand is good girl snacks, but what they it's the hot girl pickles.
SPEAKER_02:Hot girl pickles and the spicy pickles.
SPEAKER_01:They have different variations. Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_02:Awesome. Well, it's good to get introduced to a new brand and definitely we'll we'll check that out. Well, that's a wrap for this episode of Retail Media Vibes. I want to thank our guest, uh Erin Campbell. Uh thanks for thanks for coming in and uh chatting it up with us today. Is there anything that you would like to plug uh before before we wrap up today?
SPEAKER_01:Sure. I mean, I'm in the process right now of building an advisory uh consulting firm for female founders. Uh we're we're kind of not quite ready um to fully uh have a coming out party, but I would encourage if there are female founders out there, if there are people who support female founders in our Northwest Arkansas area, reach out to me on LinkedIn. I'd love to just connect with the community that's really looking to support um these founders in this kind of really tough journey that that they're about to uh embark on.
SPEAKER_02:Awesome. Yeah, that sounds great. Um I I try to ask my guests, would you come back on the show at a later date? Would you come back?
SPEAKER_01:I would, but only if you give me a thrifted care package as a supporting.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, we're up in the game now. Now, if I do that for you, I have to do it for everybody else. Just for me. It's so blow up the budget. All right. Well, um, so if you enjoyed today's episode, make sure that you like, uh, subscribe, comment. If you have a question or a comment, you can send those to retailmedia vibes at gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and as always, I will do better next time. Be out.