The Metaverse and Web 3.0 persist as vaguely defined buzzwords of the day. We define the metaverse, explain Web 3.0, and highlight a case study on bringing new NFT tech to market.

Marketing Strategy, Macro Marketing, DigitalWes MortonApril 28, 2022web 3, metaverse, new techComment

Power: The Art of Partnership, Negotiation and Getting What You Want

An analysis of Hard and Soft Power and how to wield them. How can we apply these concepts of power to our understanding of Ukraine, Russia, and business?

Macro Marketing, Marketing StrategyWes MortonMarch 4, 2022ukraine, russia, soft power, hard power, powerComment

The Challenger Brand Opportunity. Taking Advantage of the Advertiser's Dilemma

New market entrants should recognize the advantages they possess over their larger rivals. Their ‘newness’ affords them several opportunities to displace, or even replace, their competition. Bigger does not always mean better. In the free market, Davids topple Goliaths every day.

Marketing Strategy, Macro MarketingWes MortonDecember 15, 2021advertiser's dilemma, challenger brand, branding, marketing, small brandsComment

The Advertiser's Dilemma and the Curse of Lagging Cultural Relevance

Yes, consumers hate most ads but that is because most advertising is bad. Yet, that begs the question - why are so many ads bad and what constitutes ‘bad’ in this advertisers opinion? In this white paper, we explore the incentive structures that produce most advertising we see today.

What is Creative Strategy? Why Do Businesses Need Creative Strategists?

A creative strategist speaks two languages, business and creativity. The marriage between strategy and creative is a marketing plan that works.

Macro Marketing, Marketing StrategyWes MortonMay 24, 2021creative strategy, creative, strategyComment

Champion Your New

We are a content studio for entertainment brands and publisher made by creatives just like you. We are the champions of the new. If you are an artist manager, studio, publisher, label, or entertainment company, we can champion your new too.

Marketing Strategy, Macro Marketing, Entertainment, Digital, PersonalWes MortonFebruary 1, 2021Comment

Can You Talk the Business Talk?

People judge you by the way you talk. In business, how the way we speak is often how others determine if we are part of the industry in-group. There’s a language of business, and it changes depending on the industry we find ourselves in.

Entertainment, Marketing Strategy, Macro MarketingWes MortonSeptember 30, 2020Comment

An EPIC F-U to Apple and Google Ignites a Hidden Tech War

The tit-for-tat between Epic and app store owners represents one battle in a larger, hidden war about who owns the digital pipes that affect us all as consumers. The outcome of these individual battles will determine the future of how we consume media forever.

Digital, Macro MarketingWes MortonAugust 31, 2020apple, google, epic games, operating system, fortniteComment

How Subscription Services Killed Home Entertainment

The subscription model has killed windowing and the home entertainment market. Instead of buying individual pieces of entertainment at retail, consumers now subscribe to services that bundle collections of entertainment into a single platform.

Streaming TV Has a Branding Problem

Legacy media companies have failed to understand what makes their entertainment brands valuable, creating new brands instead of extending existing ones.

Marketing Strategy, Macro Marketing, EntertainmentWes MortonMay 30, 2020disney, peacock, hbo max, streaming tv, tv, brandingComment

Creativity in the Face of Coronavirus

Trials like these give us a fuller picture into human potential and remind us – given the right environment and space – that anyone of us can be creative. Here are some of my favorites.

Personal, Macro MarketingWes MortonApril 30, 2020quarantine, covid-19, creativityComment

Virtual Realities - 4 Ways Covid-19 Will Forever Change Media & Entertainment

The scale of the pandemic will undoubtedly catalyze many of the trends affecting the media industry. Innovative business leaders must adapt to survive.

Cultural Disruption in a Digital Age

A scattered media diet has splintered our larger and collective culture. While new media tech has surfaced new voices, connected us to loved ones, and allowed us to share our lives, it has simultaneously split us into smaller factions.