Brain Driven Brands – Episode Summary
Episode: How to Turn Hate Comments Into Your Best Marketing Strategy
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Sarah Levinger (with co-host Nate Lagos)
Overview
This episode explores how e-commerce brands can transform negative comments and "hate" online into powerful, psychology-driven marketing strategies. Sarah and Nate dissect real-world examples from brands like Liquid Death and Domino’s, evaluate psychological tactics behind various ad campaign concepts, and debate how to identify feedback worth acting on versus dismissing. Practical insights are also shared on using transparency, humility, and product improvements not only to weather online negativity, but also strengthen brand loyalty and credibility.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Starting With a Hate Comment (00:00–01:26)
- The episode kicks off with Sarah and Nate reading out a particularly harsh review criticizing Sarah’s voice.
- They use the incident as a jumping-off point:
"How do brands deal with—and I think capitalize on—negative comments, negative press?" (A, 01:27)
- Sarah takes the negativity in stride, joking about engagement and leveraging the review as a topic for discussion.
2. Brands That Own Their Hate (01:34–03:26)
- Liquid Death Water: Cited as a top example of a brand that laughs at its haters and boldly features negative comments in their ads.
"They literally think it's funny when people say, ‘Aren't you just water?’ Then they slap that on an ad and they're like, yes, we are." (B, 01:44)
- Domino's Pizza: Launched a bold campaign openly admitting their product's shortcomings and showing their transformation:
"The whole campaign was like, we're just sorry that we're awful. Sorry about that." (B, 02:53)
- Key insight: Owning criticism publicly can create trust—if you actually improve.
3. Product Quality vs. Marketing Hype (03:31–07:11)
- The hosts lament that few modern brands are beloved for the quality of their products; conversations usually revolve around marketing tactics, not actual excellence.
"When was the last time you heard someone in ecom say about a brand, 'Man, I'd love that brand because they make the best quality thing.' It never happens." (A, 03:31)
- Sarah emphasizes:
"It has to be the most of some attribute for you to deserve a place in the market." (A, 04:05)
- They argue that improving product quality is far more sustainable than relying on clever advertising alone.
4. Psychology-Driven Ad Campaigns for Negative Comments (08:14–15:52)
- Sarah presents five ad concepts (created with ChatGPT) based on negative reviews; Nate reacts to each, giving real consumer feedback.
Ad Concept Breakdown
-
Comment Section Campaign
- Showcase nasty comment in the ad (à la Liquid Death)
- Nate: Likes brands that own it (10:12)
"I like brands that own it." (A, 10:12)
-
The Therapy Session
- Brand goes to therapy in response to bad reviews
- Nate: Dislikes the therapy angle, prefers humanization without the therapy trope (11:14)
"I'm anti therapy. I know that's a bold take in 2025, but I'm willing to defend it if I need to." (A, 11:53)
-
We Fixed It
- Transparent process showing how the brand responded and improved post-feedback
- Nate: Responds best to actual proof of change (12:21–12:34)
"Show me. Prove it to me." (A, 12:31)
-
Read Mean Comments
- Team members simply read out hate comments for laughs
- Nate: Doesn’t like it unless it’s paired with tangible fixes (13:27)
"If they're just sitting here reading, like, Nate says that... then I'm like, oh, you think it's a joke that you're scared?" (A, 13:27)
-
Troll Hall of Fame
- Honor best haters and showcase their comments; only works if followed up with action
- Nate: Needs to see proof of action, not just jokes (15:13)
"If it's not, I don't care." (A, 15:52)
- Memorable Moment:
"You're a very tough customer because you're the type of person that's like, show me how you're going to fix it. I don't care that your ad's funny." (B, 14:06)
5. When to Listen to Negative Feedback (16:22–17:31)
- Importance of discerning between valid criticism and venting from upset individuals.
"A talent or a muscle that founders need to work out is being able to distinguish and discern between, like, this person just pissed off. Or is there... valid feedback?" (A, 16:40)
- Sometimes, negative reviews are more about the reviewer’s bad day than your brand.
6. Handling Negativity With Grace (18:31–21:00)
- Sarah recounts a Twitter exchange where a hater admitted to just having a bad day—offering a reminder about empathy.
- Invites listeners (and brands) to welcome constructive criticism with humility:
"Show me the study. Because I might be finding something that's two years old and you found something that's 18 months old... it's fine if the science proves me wrong. But this is, like, grace, people—and branding. You gotta take it." (B, 19:16)
- Channel Gary Vee: Remember those writing hate are often unhappy, and don’t let their negativity derail your mission (19:24–19:52).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the business case for quality:
"Do you make the best thing yet?... It has to be the most of some attribute for you to deserve a place in the market." (A, 04:05)
- On handling trolls:
"If you're going to market to Nate, make sure that you back it up with at least some way... What are you going to be doing about it?" (B, 20:04)
- On empathy:
"We just have no idea what people are going through." (B, 18:41)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–01:26: Introduction and a hate comment sparks the episode’s theme
- 01:34–03:26: Case studies: Liquid Death and Domino’s
- 03:31–07:11: Why product quality should come before clever marketing
- 08:14–15:52: Debating five psychology-based ad concepts for handling online hate
- 16:22–17:31: Sorting valid complaints from angry venting
- 18:31–21:00: Personal stories about dealing with online negativity; empathy and growth
- 21:19: Episode wrap-up
Practical Takeaways
- Embrace negative feedback—but do something about it: Transparency and real improvement foster long-term trust and loyalty.
- Humor works, but not as a distraction: Making fun of negative comments only works if paired with genuine updates or changes.
- Discern the intent: Learn to separate trolls from valuable critics; not all hate is worth a brand’s energy.
- Empathy for haters and self: Remember the human behind every comment, and learn from pushback without taking it personally.
- Proof over PR: Customers who see you responding and changing (“competence signaling”) become more loyal than those just entertained.
This episode offers a nuanced, practical look at turning negative engagement into a branding advantage—if brands respond with action, transparency, and empathy.