Podcast
GOOD THINKING
Hosted by Chris Danton & Kirsten Ludwig | IN GOOD CO · EN
This podcast will dive a little deeper into bit of our weekly GOOD THINKING letter. Not a recap or a reading, just chatting more, unpacking, giving more insights—the fun stuff. Like the letter, the lens is a best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What I’m dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands.
ingoodco.substack.com
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Episodes
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Candy shops are putting big brands to shame
2w ago00:48:25Tap to summarizeA couple of months ago, I met Danny Giacopelli in London while I was over Mc’ing Brands and Culture. Danny writes For Starters. A super fun newsletter all about starting cool businesses.Danny is a New Yorker who lives in London (at the Barbican, maybe the coolest place to live ever), and he spent years at Monocle and then ran Courier, so he’s been telling business stories his whole career.We get into the big word that is “community”, the businesses he’s obsessed with right now, the analog comeback, and his case for buying a business instead of starting one.There are lessons in here for small businesses, new media folks, and also lots of lessons that bigger brands often overlook.Enjoy!https://youtu.be/O16MoPBlM3IMeet Danny GiacopelliDanny Giacopelli is the founder of For Starters, an independent weekly newsletter for the next generation of small business owners, read by thousands around the world every Friday. He got his start hosting one of the podcast industry’s earliest business shows, The Entrepreneurs, at Monocle, then became editor of Courier, the global magazine about working on your own terms (later acquired by Mailchimp). Born and raised in New York, he’s lived in London for 16 years. And yes, his newsletter’s address just says “Barbican.”Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy02:11 — MEET FOR STARTERS // From Monocle to Courier to his own thing: the best newsletter for the next generation of small business owners.02:58 — THE BARBICAN FLEX // His newsletter just lists “Barbican” as the address. I mean, come on.04:36 — THE SMALL BUSINESS BUG // The best stories are the people who failed and kept going, not the ones who raised a fortune.10:42 — BUILDING IN PUBLIC, ON PURPOSE // Danny mapped the business model from day one. Memberships, partnerships, and products and, yes, community.13:56 — YOU CAN’T BUILD A COMMUNITY // You can only nurture one. The nicher the topic, the better. And how brands can actually buy communities but they can’t forget to feed them.16:52 — NOTHING ABOUT THIS IS EASY // You can’t copy someone’s viral playbook, only learn their process. Legacy “5 tips to a billion” media is b******t.20:08 — THE BUSINESSES HE LOVES // All Day Goods turning restaurant plastic into knives. Yanaa’s real-food energy pouches. Storytelling like Paynter.24:56 — WHAT ELSE CAN A PRODUCT BE? // Milkadamia ships oat milk as dissolvable sheets instead of water. Change the format, change the business.27:02 — THE ANALOG RENAISSANCE // Landlines, vinyl, sweet shops, bookstores. Real sales. And a big response to AI.38:13 — BUY IT, DON’T BUILD IT // Millions of boomer businesses need a successor. Buy one.39:33 — BUILD FOR THE SILVERS // Everyone chases Gen Z. Wealthy 65-to-70s are underserved, and every product made for them is cringe.42:19 — TELL THE BETTER STORY // The bodega owner who came from nothing beats the Wharton-to-McKinsey grad every time. Hero’s journey, learned the hard way.44:11 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every brand should do. The trend he’s most excited about. And what most brands get wrong.Huge thanks to Danny for coming on. Read For Starters and find him on Instagram.ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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The pie is infinite. Act like it.
3w ago00:53:30Tap to summarizeWe’ve been trying to get Melissa Rosenfield on the pod for about a year. As you’ll see through the episode, she’s a lady in demand! We finally made it happen, and it was worth the wait.We met Melissa four or five years ago, and the friendship was instant. As was the admiration. Every time we run into her at Cannes or SXSW, we walk away wishing we’d gotten more Melissa time.PR can be a strange, icky business. It never has to be but it gets that rep for lots of reasons. Melissa’s approach is totally the opposite. We get into what’s changed in PR in just the last eight months, why the spray-and-pray pitch is dead, the problem with over-optimized positioning, and why “generosity is a flywheel.”If you run a brand or work in comms, this one’s for you.Enjoy!Meet Melissa RosenfieldMelissa Rosenfield is the founder of IFP Communications, a New York agency known for making heritage brands relevant again and challenger brands impossible to ignore. Before IFP, she was the Viceroy Hotel Group’s first-ever Director of Vibe. She writes In Fine Print on Substack, and has been named a PR News Top Woman in PR and a multi-year Inc. Power Partner. Find Melissa on LinkedIn, subscribe to In Fine Print, and see more at ifpcommunications.com.Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy02:22 — THE WORLD’S FIRST DIRECTOR OF VIBE // Melissa’s story. From director of vibes to today.05:18 — CALCULATED RISK, ALWAYS // Every good move is a calculated risk, and you have to let an idea sit before you kill it.07:20 — PR’S SUBSTACK MOMENT // The talented writers went independent, and earned media feels like the early days of Instagram.09:24 — STOP SENDING THE GENERIC PITCH // Getting 700 pitches a week. Lazy blasts do more harm than good. Be a human.15:23 — THE HAIR TIE THAT WON THE WORLD CUP // Over-optimized positioning kills discovery. Loosen the reins and let people run with it.22:20 — WHY GOOD PR IS SLOW // In the age of AI speed, the things that actually build a brand take time.24:15 — STILL HERE IN 150 YEARS // A watch CMO said the only real KPI was longevity of the brand.28:01 — NOBODY FOLLOWS A BRAND ON LINKEDIN // People follow founders, not logos. Richard Branson is the OG blueprint.31:01 — THE C-SUITE PERSONAL BRAND DILEMMA// Building up a great exec isn’t a threat. Done right, like most things, it raises the whole ship.34:09 — HOW TO FIX CANNES // Fewer six-figure CEO panels, more of the people actually in the weeds doing the work.40:07 — MAKE A SEAT AT THE TABLE // Stop asking where your seat is and start creating seats for other people.46:56 — GENEROSITY IS A FLYWHEEL // Give it away. The pie is infinite, and abundance always beats scarcity.50:10 — EVERYBODY LOVES A COMEBACK // Take the calculated risk, and do your own PR hard in your first three years.Huge thanks to Melissa for coming on. If you need PR help. Or are starting out and want to learn the ropes from an expert, sub to her letter :ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Sitting in discomfort is a superpower
4w ago00:52:36Tap to summarizeLast year at Paradigms, in Marrakesh, I had a front row seat to Nu Goteh’s talk. Nu is one of those speakers who drops so many gems that you feel a bit dizzy after the talk. He’s philosophical, funny and just really delightful to listen to.We get into learning in public, where his fearlessness comes from (Liberia, a refugee at three, a tribe of storytellers), why sitting in discomfort is the ultimate superpower.If you’re starting your career, navigating change, thinking about the future, or are a keynote speaker in the making and want some thinking from someone that does it on the regular, this one is for you.Enjoy!https://youtu.be/0GwqdrxRyE4Meet Nu GotehNu Goteh is the founder of the strategy and design studio Room for Magic and co-founder of Deem Journal, a platform for design as social practice. Born in Liberia and raised in the US after arriving as a refugee at three, he spent 15 years marketing for brands like Puma, Red Bull, and Sonos before turning to work that sits at the intersection of design, culture, and dignity. He won the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for emerging designer, and he’s one of the most magnetic keynote speakers you’ll ever see.Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy02:54 — WISDOM AT PARADIGMS // Chris saw Nu give one of the most soulful talks of the whole conference and knew Kirsten would love him.04:45 — THE PERFORMANCE // Lessons on keynote speaking. The first person you need to satisfy is yourself.08:23 — ROOM FOR MAGIC // Meaning-making meets form-making.12:17 — LEARNING IN PUBLIC // His talks open with vulnerability, not authority. “Come along while I figure it out.”17:49 — WHERE IT COMES FROM // Born in Liberia, a refugee at three. What his tribe taught him about storytelling, emotion, and ‘facts’.20:14 — “WHAT’S AN INSIGHT?” // An insight is a hidden human truth. Who does it best? Comedians.25:25 — THE WOBBLY SPEEDBOAT // The ambiguous space is the one that’s increasing in value.28:31 — NOBODY DOES IT ALONE // A shout out to his wife, and killing the myth of the single person doing it all.32:48 — DISCOMFORT IS THE SUPERPOWER // Sitting in discomfort is the biggest one there is.35:43 — SHROOMS IN THE HOT TUB // His monthly practice in accepting discomfort.44:55 — NOBODY’S COMING TO SAVE US // So step forward. The universe tends to meet you when you do.48:23 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every brand should do. The trend that excites and scares him. And what brands keep getting wrong.Huge thanks to Nu for taking us on this one. Find him on Instagram, read Deem Journal, and see Room for Magic.ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Everyone's hiring a hand-painter
Jul 1500:44:49Tap to summarizeWe’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS — a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.These aren’t trends (yet!). These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply what we’re finding interesting in the last month.Enjoy!And let us know what you think in the comments.Skip to the bits you fancy1.02:44 — MALE ORIENTATION // Men’s health has moved out of the shadows. Much like women’s health (PCOS, peri/menopause, etc), people are openly discussing male fertility, hormones, and ED. And brands are building to meet the conversation.Places it’s showing up:* Sperm-maxxing is trending. Sperm health is being reframed as a vital sign worth tracking.* Hone sells TRT. Legacy sells at-home sperm freezing. Mojo treats ED on a mind, body, and communication model.* The manosphere pushback is getting louder.Pendulum Swing → The flip side of this is the (sad) anxiety-related underbelly. The Trinity Stack has men mixing GLP-1, growth hormone, and androgens at home. All of this sits very adjacent to look-maxxing.2.10:07 — CREDITING CREDITING// There’s so much talk about not appreciating humans. But there are lots of examples lately of the inverse, too. The people behind the work being applauded.Places it’s showing up:* Following in the footsteps of Dior, Marc Jacobs, and Alaïa, Balenciaga brought out their studio team at the end of their latest couture show.* Canva’s CMO worked the door at her team’s Pride party.* Yungblud pulled his producer on stage to thank her.* “Shot by” credits are creeping back onto billboards.Pendulum Swing → Meanwhile, AI isn’t killing jobs, but companies keep blaming it for the headcount they cut anyway.3.20:13 — ROOM WITH REACH // Corporate gatherings as gathering-content-opportunity for creators is gathering steam.Places it’s showing up:* Cannes used to be about the awards. But Instagram wouldn’t know it. Creators flocked in to make content and connections. B2B is now entertaining the masses.* Oatly’s corporate gathering was a very tasteful, made-for-the-feed affair.* Substack’s first media summit did the same.* Goop Kitchen co-hosted a low-key creator picnic in the park with Katie Stone.Pendulum Swing → With Meta glasses and every device running Granola all day, closed doors will grow faster and faster. Phoebe Bridgers phone-free concerts are just the cusp.4.30:59 — CANDOR CAPITAL // Founders are making candor work for them. And, honest conversation is being sought outside the comment section.Places it’s showing up:* Topicals’ founder posted about her flop and asked the audience to diagnose it. They loved being asked.* Peter Rahal, founder of David, went vulnerable with Emily Sundberg, and it worked.* Creator trust is shifting toward direct relationships: DMs, paywalled Substack comment sections and chats, group chats, and private communities. (We discussed this in particular at length in the last GOOD SIGNS)Pendulum Swing → Zuck sat for Emily Sundberg’s interview and played it safe. No candor = no payoff.5.40:28 — HIRING HUMAN HANDS // Commissioning handmade moments, especially live ones, is becoming the flex.Places it’s showing up:* Fred Again had a 72-year-old sign painter hand-paint his India tour poster.* I’ve been saying brands should hire sketch artists. Live drawing is about to have a moment.* Soof Flash treats garment repair like tattooing. Imperfection is the point.Pendulum Swing → The AI flood is rising. Being “AI-pilled” runs $7,449 per employee a month, and Eternal turns your bloodwork into an unnecessary podcast.Letters and pods referenced:* Oatly makes “corporate” look good* Levi’s doesn’t need a logo. Trophy-worthy.* What was Skims thinking?* LVMH wants to buy Hyrox?* Cannes hot (very hot) takes* Topicals’ founder shared a brand flop. It worked.ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack <...
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Topicals' founder shared a brand flop. It worked.
Jul 800:44:59Tap to summarizeOver a year ago, we met Bryon Stewart at our GOOD THINKING NYC tour. And we loved him from the beginning.Bryon writes one of the best social media letters out there, Tapped In. You can rely on it for surfacing things nobody else is finding. It’s as much culture analysis as it is social trends and tactics. We wanted to get Bryon on to talk about everything brands should be thinking about when it comes to social.We’ve wanted this one to happen for ages, and it’s finally here. Enjoy!Meet ByronByron got his start in sneaker retail back when “social strategy” barely existed as a term. From there: fashion media, then back to retail and the agency side, building social, content, and influencer strategies for Nike, Jordan, adidas, TikTok, Levi’s, Wingstop, Chipotle, and more. Today, he’s Senior Director of Social for a portfolio of heritage fashion and retail brands, and he writes Tapped In, a Substack read by 3,000+ marketers, creatives, and strategists. In short: he thinks outside the social box, and we’re better for it.Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy02:11 — TAPPED IN // How Bryon got to where he is today.03:21 — BYRON’S INTERNET // Everyone says they have their own internet. Byron actually does. And he refuses to stay in his box. Amen.07:53 — CULTURE FIRST, SOCIAL SECOND // Social through a culture lens, not the other way around.09:28 — SPORTS IS THE LAST UNIFIER // The Knicks might be the most unifying thing on the internet right now. Sport is the one piece of culture everyone can still rally around.13:08 — PEOPLE BUY FROM PEOPLE // Social commerce isn’t a trend anymore. And everyone’s still hunting for a TikTok shop person.16:25 — ANTI-AI IS A FLEX // Right now, NOT using AI is a win. But it depends on your brand. Porsche can’t. Kalshi can.19:37 — RETAIL CAN’T BE TRANSACTIONAL // Entertainment first, niche down, and go backwards to go forward. GAP, J.Crew, and yes, Chili’s is a heritage brand.26:32 — THE UNTAPPED PLATFORMS // Reddit, streamers, and YouTube.30:35 — SUBSTACK FOR BRANDS // You can’t just show up and perform there. It takes a real perspective and a dedicated team.32:48 — COMMENTS EQUAL CONTENT // Social listening is the lowest-hanging fruit there is. Look at your own comments, and you’ll never run out of ideas.34:09 — TRANSPARENCY IS THE FLEX // The Topicals founder didn’t hide that her brand Bread’s new launch flopped. Put your face out there. Be transparent. People become bigger fans of it.40:02 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every brand should do. The trend Byron’s most excited about. And what brands keep getting wrong.Huge thanks to Byron for coming on. Find him on LinkedIn and subscribe to Tapped In!ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Cannes hot (very hot) takes
Jul 101:26:22Tap to summarizeMuch like last year, sending a Cannes recap a week after feels like you’re so late to the party, it’s cringe. Work is busy. The inbox was very scary. But we’ve made it. The heat dome couldn’t stop us (though it tried).There are a few goals for this letter/pod: 1) Heap praise on the few brands and orgs that did things well 2) Give a healthy dose of constructive criticism 3) Share how we want to reinvent this whole thing, because what else are two fresh pairs of eyes good for?Quick note: this email will get cut off by all the photos. Carry on in the browser for the pics.Enjoy!Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy* 00:00 — No five takeaways. One giant episode of hot takes (live from a heat dome).* 03:04 — The many worlds of Cannes, and why we happily fit in none of them.* 08:32 — Creators are walking ad platforms now. And dominated the conversation.* 11:12 — Every AI panel opened with the same Claude-written line.* 13:29 — Amazon built a whole port of partners, but missed the one ‘Amazon’ moment.* 16:51 — Cîroc ditched the panels for a wellness villa. Brave. Smart.* 20:56 — Female Quotient got the memo. Even brought daycare. So many claps.* 24:16 — Canva dominated for many reasons. Their own CMO running the line was icing.* 29:07 — Brand Innovators went bigger.* 29:52 — Pinterest wants you offline, and this year they focused the message.* 33:16 — TikTok’s cold room won. The scent bar less so.* 36:51 — Meta filmed your content for you. And provided a breeze.* 41:06 — Edelman House lived up to the promise. A home away from home.* 43:22 — Our dinner: breathwork, phones away, masks off. Such an amazing evening.* 46:31 — The AI Tech Sandbox was beautifully built, yet empty. We have some guesses.* 46:58 — Yahoo looked very cute. But yet again it was quiet. Minus 1 exceptional dinner.* 47:16 — Uber handed out free pizza at 1am. Kings of the gutter bar.* 49:13 — PayPal’s patisserie was a meeting you wanted to go to.* 50:05 — DoorDash had nice amenities. Next year, they could deliver more (literally).* 51:25 — Google and YouTube became the creator hub they wanted to be.* 53:29 — Breakfast with Knotch and chatting about AI tools that actually make sense.* 54:23 — Our happy hour. Feet in the sand. Lovely company.* 55:04 — Our swim. People want to get in the water. With or without the heat dome.* 55:53 — Substack’s breakfast was cute but needed a host. We have ideas.* 56:06 — Collins House. Always exceptional. Always a breath of fresh air.* 58:28 — Burgers Magic Frites was the house party you really wanted to get into.* 1:00:24 — The Carlton is still worth every visit. Crowded but so many familiar faces.* 1:00:52 — Brands & Culture do it right every time. And Kirsten moderated a panel.* 1:01:59 — LinkedIn’s rooftop was nice, but felt a little less integrated this year.* 1:03:22 — Dept’s Souvenir Shop/Secret Garden were the stars/sleeper hit of the week.* 1:05:10 — The Wall Street Journal brought serenity and great conversations.* 1:07:07 — Sport Beach turned us away. But we still discuss it (briefly).* 1:07:59 — Spotify had the hardest ticket in town.* 1:08:22 — Reddit brought real food, and it felt like a new era for them.* 1:13:01 — Adobe is an OG in Cannes, but might be getting out-hustled by Canva.* 1:13:58 — Snapchat. What. Was. Happening?!* 1:17:39 — Grindr’s bus was pure energy in a little footprint. Winning staff.* 1:18:19 — ManyChat went full analog. But maybe you actually missed the brand?* 1:20:00 — Foster Kramer had the crowd Substack missed. A delight in person.* 1:22:19 — The basement, where the work actually lives. Why you go + what’s missing.* 1:24:02 — The awards, and a real push for human creativity.AMAZONA PORT, NOT A PLACE // Amazon built this whole “port” of partner spaces, Twitch, IMDB. All were very cute. Oprah’s gratitude corner, especially. And the rosé fountain in the bar was cute. But the overall brand felt a bit disjointed. And the heat made fun experiences like caricatures an impossibility. Fixable things. But also next year, the yacht, pls.CÎROCALLS WELL // Cîroc went bold. No panels, all wellness villa: paddle, massages, IV drips (mildly controversial), a helicopter just sitting there. We bet a lot of brands copy this next year.FEMALE QUOTIENTGOT THE MEMO // FQ leveled all the way up. Down on the beach now, with a charm bar, a very smart matcha-ordering situation, swag you’d actually keep, great line-ups, a rooftop for meetings, and daycare so panelists with kids could still show up. They clearly know their audience.CANVALIVED VALUES, GOOD VIBES // Canva’s always great, but this year it was an experience the whole way through. Pool stage, good experiential moments, XP Land, the best Pride party on the Croisette. But the best part was their C-Suite running the lines on the last night, so their teams could celebrate. Obviously, no one else would know that. And that’s what was so f-ing cool about it. Very inspiring. Love them even more.BRAND INNOVATORSBIGGER, DARKER, COOLER // Big move to the beach. Private cabana offices around the edges for sponsors. A bit dark but certainly cooler. Like many, the casting of the panels was 1 creator to many brands. Not wrong, but felt a bit traditional.PINTERESTCLEARLY GOOD // Always the most experiential, but this year the message felt tighter: we’re an online platform that wants you living your IRL life. Bleach/hair salon, tattoos themed to their 2026 predictions, DIY notebooks. Only note: they shaded the patisserie, which was kind of the whole show last year. Just wish there had been a way to check in for some experiences as the lines in the heat were TOUGH.TIKTOKCOOL BUT SMELLY // Fully enclosed, fully air conditioned, which was lovely. Closing off the room for talks is nice for noise, but hard when running late is a perpetual Cannes-life problem. The build-your-own scent bar inside was tough. Macy’s fragrance floor smells. TikTok has the right team, but really needs to figure out its brand (the kind with a capital B).METASURPRISINGLY ELEVATED // We did not expect “elevated” from Meta, but got it. A whole gradient event sub-brand, a flower Mobius you walk through, very rad uniforms. The creator vignettes (Laila Gohar, Yuki Kawae, Louis Rubi — who did the uniforms, and more) were staffed with creators to help you get perfect content. The only ding was the grumpy staff (not the event producers, who were a delight). In fairness, the heat was criminally difficult.EDELMAN HOUSEA REAL HOUSE // First activation they’ve ever done, and it was the one place that actually felt like a house, not “come see our brand.” AC, coffee, matcha, popsicles, cold towels, happy hour every day, open to everyone. Gr...
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"The right thing is the right thing" is a strategy
Jun 2400:45:28Tap to summarizeEveryone who reads here regularly knows I reference Fitt Insider’s content constantly. I met co-founder Anthony Vennare a year ago and told Kirsten on the spot: “You are going to love this him.”We get into the business model behind Fitt (super unique, if you’re in the new media business, I’d tune in), the health trends he is most bullish on, and a wellness stack that will genuinely surprise you for someone who covers and works this industry for a living.It’s a fun one.Enjoy!Meet Anthony VennareAnthony Vennare is co-founder and CEO of Fitt, the platform connecting the people and organizations building the future of health. He works with founders, executives, and investors across fitness, wellness, healthcare, and longevity through media—consumer- and B2B-facing—recruiting, PR, and capital. Truly one of the good ones. Find him on LinkedIn.Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy02:25 — THE FITT INSIDER MODEL // Writers who don’t know their own traffic. Revenue lives everywhere except the newsletter.10:47 — THE RIGHT THING IS THE RIGHT THING // His dad’s saying. A phrase to guide you through life.13:14 — EVENTS ARE BROKEN // Pay-to-play makes everyone unhappy. How Fitt is approaching it.16:33 — EUDEMONIA // An event within an event. Business gets done at the sauna, not on the panel.19:22 — THE 2026 SCOUTING REPORT // Brands that didn’t know they were in it until launch day. One raised $5M after. Read it here.22:19 — THE TRENDS // Validated products. Home health. Hormones and peptides. And more.31:00 — FRINGE // Health and wellness trends Anthony is watching. Off-grid analog spaces. Living near the people you love. And things he’s watching before they’re trends.33:57 — THE STACK // No wearables. Daily sauna with friends. Magnesium, zinc, creatine. That’s it, folx.37:35 — WHAT’S NEXT FOR FITT // Why healthcare is the space everyone should be watching. And Wellworthy becoming the ‘Barstool’ of wellness.43:14 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every brand should do. The trend Anthony’s most excited about. And who’s getting it right.Huge thanks to Anthony for coming on.And if you’d like to sponsor the pod, please reach out to hello@weareingoodco.com.ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Hot dips and serendipity: A Cannes guide
Jun 1700:32:28Tap to summarizeLast year, we booked a flight to Cannes 3 weeks before, and showed up knowing nothing. This year, we’re hosting a CMO Dinner, a very informal happy hour, and have a bit more experience. So we thought we’d share for any first-timers going.See you there? Hit reply if you want to meet.Enjoy!Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy01:41 — ALL ARE WELCOME // If you’re going for the first time, this is for you.02:50 — HOW CANNES HAS CHANGED // It used to be about the awards. Now the programming is the main draw.04:35 — BEING AN OUTSIDER IS FINE // No pass, no problem. Go open and let the run-ins happen.05:00 — WHERE TO MEET // The properties with real space to actually talk to someone.09:30 — TOO MANY PANELS // You panel out by day two. Some brands like Cîroc are offering fun alternatives.11:58 — THE ACTIVATIONS WE LOVED // Where we’d go first and why.* Pinterest Manifestival: 100% worth it.* Female Quotient: Best panels last year.* Canva: Chill vibes, morning sound baths, and a proper coffee bar.* Collins House: Lovely villa, great talks, actual space to meet. See you at the Substack private breakfast on Thursday?* Adobe: Big property, festival-affiliated.* LinkedIn: Big property and spaces for creators if you are one.* TikTok: Well-organized last year.* Brands & Culture: Open to everyone, great content, we love Charlotte and Jo.* Edelman: Cooling towels and popsicles in the afternoon. Sounds like it will be lovely.* Cîroc Athletic Club: No panels, IV drips, paddle, massages, drinks. We’ll be there on Wednesday afternoon, if you’re there.* World Woman Foundation: New to us this year.* You’ll find tons more as you walk around.12:49 — PRE-WORK // Walk the footprint, register for every event individually, and bring 10 battery packs.16:02 — SHOES, PACKING, AND THE HEAT // Lightweight sneakers, zero synthetics, hats, and scheduled outfit changes.19:03 — GO TO THE BASEMENT FOR THE AWARDS // If you’ve got a badge, go see the work downstairs. It brings you back to why this whole thing exists.20:22 — THE DIPS // Warm dip is not it. Don’t forget to get real food in your body.21:27 — WHERE TO EAT // The Japanese spot and beachside with your feet in the sand. My small saved list (use code GOODTHINKING)24:27 — BOOK THE CAR + GETTING AROUND // Pre-book your taxis, carry-on only because strikes are real, and budget 30 minutes to walk everywhere. Hit reply if you need a recc re: taxis.27:17 — COFFEE + THE SUPERMARKET MOVE // Stock your fridge with fruit for the 5pm crash. Good Mate and Copenhagen are your best coffee bets. Also, don’t miss Breakfast Club. Tuesday 9:00am, open invite to all. Check Breakfastclubbing.com as the venue may change.28:25 — SWIM, MONOPRIX, AND PLAN LESS // Swim in the ocean at least once, hit up Monoprix for cute hats, and leave room for spontaneity. Join us for a Friday morning swim. Hit reply.Finally, friend of the letter, Jeanine, also put together a Spotify playlist for fun flight vibes.Have the best time. It’s going to be hot, you’ll be tired, and you’ll come back with a good story.That’s all, folx. – ChrisPS — Find us on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.PPS — Our job board is live. Post a job!ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless positioning.Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Experiential is going long-format
Jun 1100:44:37Tap to summarizeWe’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS — a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.These aren’t trends (yet!). These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply what we’re finding interesting in the last month.Enjoy! And let us know what you think in the comments.Skip to the bits you fancy.1.03:13 — BRAND NEW DEAL // Brands have been funding the arts (see this episode). Now they’re funding infrastructure.Places it’s showing up:* The Ordinary ran a free express bus between Domino Park and Prospect Park, eliminating a despised 50-minute subway route.* The UK is dropping intricate designer tiles into standard public toilets. Not brand-sponsored but could have been.* Starbucks opened an EV lounge next to a Ford dealer. Rivian has its Outposts.Pendulum Swing → Meanwhile, brands are backing out of public life entirely. The Pride flags came down.2.08:30 — PRIVATE SOURCE // Nobody trusts influencer reccs anymore. Everyone’s bought. Except for the community you pay to be in Conversations are happening in the DMs. And platforms are building for your personal taste and sphere.Places it’s showing up:* Real decisions happen in Substack group chats now. “Best private chef in Chamonix?” Your paid-sub-friends are there to answer it.* The founder of Yellow Trace says the honest talk lives in her DMs and at afterparties. Not in public.* The Mall and Phia turn your receipts and your closet into a feed your friends can shop.Pendulum Swing → Brands can’t buy their way in. When Satisfy and Adidas tried with their Circle Pit, the Substackers came for them from every direction.3.20:13 — LONG-FORMAT EXPERIENTIAL // Experiential is going long-format. Something with many parts you can sit with, sleep in, and come back to. It’s the 5-minute movie ad version of experiences.Places it’s showing up:* Design Within Reach turned a historic property into a rentable home with Boutique Homes. I’d move into the Boathouse.* Delta’s Flow State Flight starts with a focus kit on every seat and ends with a lounge waiting for you inside Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design.* Fortnum & Mason put a picnic on a boat down the Thames.Pendulum Swing → Balenciaga’s burner account is filled with iPhone photos to keep their permanent feed clean, but gives you a less filtered view.4.27:18 — BOT BUYERS // Agents fill and handle your cart now. But beware, you risk becoming a wholesaler and a random SKU.Places it’s showing up:* Google’s Universal Cart lets you add products from any retailer across Search, Gmail, Gemini, and YouTube.* Meta is rolling out WhatsApp AI agents that recommend products and book appointments for you.* Robinhood’s new agentic card makes purchases on your behalf.Pendulum Swing → Relationships are paying off. Evereve is near $450M on stylists who give you an hour, no commission.5.35:41 — RISK AVERSE // Uncertainty has everyone hedging their bets. Especially when it comes to the ‘kids’. We want guarantees, refunds, and safe outcomes. It’s risk-aversion to the max.Places it’s showing up:* Founders School will refund your $600K tuition if you don’t make $1M by graduation.* Wealthy families are sending kids to school for fiscal prudence.* 1-in-10 teens can’t leave the house without an adult. 80% can’t leave the neighborhood.Pendulum Swing → Boom Boom is finally here, steak and booze and leather. We only want puritanical vibes from our children, apparently.Letters referenced:* Design Within Reach made an Airbnb (ps. it not actually an Airbnb)* Free People backs the girls, literally* Adidas’s 5-min ad might be the future* Balenciaga made a burner accountThat’s all, folx.– ChrisPS — Find us on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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Substack wants you to have fun and make money
Jun 300:46:16Tap to summarizeHi all,Last week was a whirlwind. I went to my college reunion at RISD reunion and Substack’s first media summit. No surprise, but I had notes.Somehow, this reunion turned into a conversation about understanding your differentiation. And then delivering on said differentiation.But the meat of this episode is all about my takeaways from the Substack summit. We chat about the venue/branding of the event, Emily Sundberg’s superb interviewing skills. And my notes from TBPN’s Dylan , Jasmine Sun , Priya Parker , Alice Ma . Plus my fave line from Chris Best (that I definitely butcher).Enjoy!Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy01:04 — KNOW YOUR DIFFERENCE // Sometimes noticing things is a gift and a curse. But there were some lessons to be learned about understanding what makes you different.13:34 — SUBSTACK’S FIRST SUMMIT // First big media summit, 150 people, a stunning townhouse, and really nice backdrops.19:12 — MAKE WHAT YOU LIKE // Emily Sundberg is secretly (or maybe not, and it’s just new to me) an amazing interviewer. We also chat about what Dylan shared about the secrets to TBNP’s success.25:57 — HAVE STYLE + TYPOS //Why writing style is suddenly a critical, and some good lessons on actually promoting your work after you put it out.32:36 — THE ART OF FIGHTING // Priya Parker got a room of introverts to share something. It was an amazing part of the day.37:32 — CREATIVITY FIRST // Why data will kill every good thing if you let it lead..43:26 — WHAT TIES IT TOGETHER // Everyone at the summit was making the thing they wanted to make. Chris Best said it plainly: have fun, make money.Please note: In case it’s no abundantly clear after listening. I actually love RISD. And just want the best for it. That’s all, folx. – ChrisIf you listened or read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.PS — Find us on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe
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