We’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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ABOUT

Chris 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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