Unlike its musical counterpart of pop, where the lip-synch reigns supreme, rock has never rested on the laurels of authenticity. Not like social media. Gareth May unpacks the weird world of fake #sponcon.
Author: Gareth May
Gareth May is a freelance journalist. He specialises in food and drink, sex and relationships, and gaming and tech. He's covered everything from hijab porn and the rise of brosecco, to the representation of mental health in video games.
Speaking in Tongues
The world of rock revels in symbolism. It’s a medium where the visual speaks almost as loud as the lyrics and the same is increasingly true of social media, where the emoji rules. Decode them and they’re an untapped well of digital marketing, writes Gareth May.
Read All About It!
Stand aside Twitter. Pipe down Facebook. You’re old news. Reddit is a little corner of the digital world that packs a powerful punch. Gareth May finds out what this means for brands.
Sign Up, Join In
As The Dandy Warhols sang in the late 1990s, “Heroin is so passé”. Surely the same could be said of getting a parcel in the post? Yet in the digital-drenched 21st century, consumers are signing up to endless snack clubs and perk clubs, electing to receive everything from coffee to cosmetics by mail. Gareth May unboxes the subscription economy, and the enduring appeal of the club.
Zombie Marketing: Bringing Back Dead Ideas
The graveyard of marketing is ripe with bodies. Print, video, and billboards killed at the hands of social media, QR codes, and digital PR. But are they gone for good? Gareth May explores.
Post-Cool: Time to Get Ethical
Bob Dylan said it right when he sang The Times They Are A-Changin’. Today, if […]
No Gag Reflex: Side Splitting Marketing
Rock and comedy make strange bedfellows and the same can be said of marketing and mirth. Gareth May finds out why rib tickling isn’t always tickety-boo for the public image, and the power of laughter if you get it right.
Is this the Real Life?
There’s a new kid on the block: augmented reality. Gareth May speaks to investigators and innovators about the latest tech to rock the brand landscape.
Rage Within the Machine: Finding the Opportunity in Restrictions
The most rockin’ of rock stars know rules are made to be broken. Or are they? Gareth Mayfinds out whether the best way to get your brand over the line is not to cross it.
Liquid Power: How the Flavour Mavericks Are Marketing Taste
Glam rock. What a mind f**k. The ’70s era of glitter and gutsy stage presence took bonkers to a whole new level. OTT experiences aren’t only the domain of Alice Cooper and co. though. Beyond trendy pop-ups, #foodporn and fawning whisky adverts, food and drink has its own wild ones. Gareth May takes a bite out of the mavericks’ cookbook and finds out how to really market taste.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Anarchy
The 27 club knew a thing or two about sucking all the marrow out of life, and the recent Cloverfield Paradox shock-drop revealed the marketing industry is dealing in when it comes to the unexpected. From film to fashion, music to gaming, Gareth May explores the rise and rise of surprise.