Funny Business: Lessons From Chipotle's Halloween Costumes, FTX's co-CEO's Prison Announcement on LinkedIn and More!

Summary

Help Wanted: Episode Summary – "Funny Business: Lessons From Chipotle's Halloween Costumes, FTX's co-CEO's Prison Announcement on LinkedIn and More!"

Release Date: October 29, 2024

In this engaging episode of Help Wanted, hosts Jason Pfeiffer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, and Nicole Lapin, a renowned money expert, delve into the quirky and sometimes baffling world of business with their signature blend of humor and insight. Titled "Funny Business," this episode explores a series of unconventional business decisions and their broader implications, offering listeners both laughs and valuable takeaways.

---

1. FTX's Co-CEO Announces Prison Sentence on LinkedIn

[02:26] Nicole Lapin introduces a startling news story about the former co-CEO of FTX updating his LinkedIn profile to announce his impending prison sentence:

"I am happy to share that I'm starting a new position as inmate at FCI Cumberland."
— Former FTX Co-CEO [02:30]

Jason Pfeiffer humorously critiques the move, pondering its impact on personal branding:

"That is the hottest drop."
— Jason Pfeiffer [03:01]

The hosts discuss the balance between acknowledging mistakes and maintaining a personal brand, with Nicole emphasizing the importance of humor in public relations:

"Having some humor about it, you think would actually help him get hired somewhere."
— Jason Pfeiffer [05:06]

Their conversation underscores the complexities of reputation management in the digital age, especially for high-profile figures involved in scandals.

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2. Chipotle's Halloween Costume Collaboration with Spirit Halloween

Moving to lighter topics, Nicole Lapin brings up Chipotle's collaboration with Spirit Halloween to create themed costumes:

"Chipotle got together with Spirit Halloween to create Chipotle themed Halloween costumes. There is, of course, a burrito costume."
— Nicole Lapin [06:44]

Jason Pfeiffer critiques the practicality and creativity of the offerings, notably the infamous Chipotle fork costume:

"Thumbs down on the fork costume, because that thing sucks."
— Jason Pfeiffer [07:32]

The duo analyzes the effectiveness of such brand collaborations, debating whether these initiatives are necessary or simply gimmicks. Nicole argues for the potential of surprise and delight in marketing:

"There's something about that makes the brand feel fresh and feel fun and feel like it's just engaging with you out in the world."
— Nicole Lapin [09:00]

They conclude that while some collaborations may miss the mark, others can successfully rejuvenate brand perception and foster deeper customer engagement.

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3. Liquid Death's Innovative Marketing Meetings

Jason Pfeiffer introduces Liquid Death, a water brand known for its unconventional marketing strategies:

"Their marketing meetings are basically, let's get everyone together and then get high. Probably the dumbest idea win."
— Jason Pfeiffer [13:44]

Nicole and Jason discuss how Liquid Death disrupts the traditional water marketing narrative of purity and clarity, opting instead for edgy and irreverent branding that resonates with a younger, more rebellious audience.

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4. Umaibo's First Price Increase in 40 Years

Nicole Lapin presents the case of Umaibo, a popular Japanese corn snack, facing its first price hike after decades:

"They just raised their prices for the second time in 40 years, and they made a public apology."
— Nicole Lapin [14:09]

Jason Pfeiffer commends Umaibo's transparency in addressing rising costs, highlighting how open communication fosters customer understanding and loyalty:

"What worked was transparency. People will be surprisingly understanding if you are just straight with them."
— Jason Pfeiffer [16:24]

This segment emphasizes the value of honesty in business operations, especially during challenging economic times, and how it can mitigate negative customer reactions.

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5. Whole Foods' Recipe Change and Customer Backlash

In a discussion about product standardization gone wrong, Nicole Lapin shares Whole Foods' misstep in altering their beloved berry chantilly cake recipe by substituting fresh berries with jam:

"Customers revolted. So instead of fresh berries, Jason, there would be jam between the layers of the cake because I guess berries are in season at different times."
— Nicole Lapin [37:25]

Jason Pfeiffer parallels this scenario with Taco Bell's successful revival of the Mexican pizza, underscoring the importance of listening to customer feedback:

"If your customer wants it back, then bring it back."
— Jason Pfeiffer [37:48]

The hosts advocate for businesses to view mistakes as opportunities to demonstrate responsiveness and customer-centric values.

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6. Nutter Butter's Viral TikTok Campaign

Nicole Lapin and Jason Pfeiffer explore Nutter Butter's recent viral marketing endeavors on TikTok, characterized by surreal and chaotic video content:

"It was just Nutter Butter on drugs at a rave."
— Nicole Lapin [25:54]

Jason Pfeiffer dissects the brand's strategy to align with the unpredictable and eclectic nature of internet culture:

"Nutter Butter is a pretty weirdo brand... it's a brand that you can play with."
— Jason Pfeiffer [27:42]

Their analysis highlights how embracing absurdity and internet trends can rejuvenate legacy brands, making them relevant and appealing to younger audiences.

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7. Closing Thoughts on Brand Relevance and Innovation

Throughout the episode, Jason and Nicole emphasize the critical role of relevance in modern marketing. They advocate for brands to:

• Embrace Creativity: Step outside traditional boundaries to surprise and engage audiences.

• Maintain Transparency: Open communication builds trust and loyalty, especially during crises or changes.

• Listen to Customers: Feedback should drive decision-making, ensuring products and services meet consumer expectations.

• Adapt and Innovate: Brands must evolve with cultural shifts and technological advancements to stay pertinent.

Their discussions provide listeners with actionable insights on navigating the ever-changing business landscape, all while maintaining a sense of humor.

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Notable Quotes

• "The dumbest idea wins. Go make dumb ideas."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [14:37]

• "Stick a fork in this thing. It's done."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [40:34]

• "Nutter Butter is a brand for you."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [31:35]

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Conclusion

In this episode of Help Wanted, Jason Pfeiffer and Nicole Lapin adeptly navigate the whimsical and often perplexing decisions made by various brands. Through their insightful commentary and witty banter, they uncover the underlying strategies that drive these business maneuvers, offering listeners both entertainment and valuable lessons in marketing, branding, and customer relations. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or simply intrigued by the oddities of the business world, this "Funny Business" segment provides a compelling blend of humor and expertise.

For more insights and to have your work-related questions addressed, reach out to Help Wanted at [e-mail].

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Note: Advertisements and promotional segments from Airbnb and Chime were intentionally excluded from this summary to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Nicole Lapin]

I love hosting on Airbnb. It's a great way to bring in some extra cash. But I totally get it that it might sound overwhelming to start or even too complicated if, say, you want to put your summer home in Maine on Airbnb, but you live full time in San Francisco and you can't go to Maine every time you need to change sheets for your guests or something like that. If thoughts like these have been holding you back, I have great news for you. Airbnb has launched a Co Host network, which is a network of high quality local co hosts with Airbnb experience that can take care of your home and your guests. Co hosts can do what you don't have time for, like managing your reservations, messaging your guests, giving support at the property, or even create your listing for you. I always want to line up a reservation for my house when I'm traveling for work, but sometimes I just don't get around to it because getting ready to travel always feels like a scramble so I don't end up making time to make my house look guest friendly. I guess that's the best way to put it. But I'm matching with a co host so I can still make that extra cash while also making it easy on myself. Find a co [e-mail] host.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

This is help Wanted, the show that makes your work work for you. I'm Jason Pfeiffer, editor in chief of.

[Nicole Lapin]

Entrepreneur Magazine, and I'm money expert Nicole Lapin. On Tuesdays, Jason and I answer the helpline and help callers solve their work problems.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

And on Thursdays, I give you one way to improve your work and build a career or company you love.

[Nicole Lapin]

And it starts now. So it was really fun to do our version of Funny Money. And I know you listen to Money Rehab all the time, even probably on repeat daily.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

I listen to it twice a day. It comes out only once a day.

[Nicole Lapin]

On Money Rehab, we do a segment where we give comedians bizarre headlines from the worlds of finance and business and they give us their hot take. It's hilarious. Obviously their takes are not practical advice because they're not experts, but you are. So I wanted to continue and see if this is another thing we could do like a funny business segment.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Sure. So this is the second time that we've done this here on Help Wanted. It's a lot of fun. The downside is that I'm not a comedian, I guess is the upside is that Nicole thinks I'm funny. The downside is that I probably can't live up to that, but we'll try. And so you're going to tell me a bunch of things that are happening in the news right now, weird stories.

[Nicole Lapin]

Unfolding in the world of business right.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Now, and we will react and maybe even create something useful out of it. Okay, hit me.

[Nicole Lapin]

The former co CEO of FTX is set to begin his prison sentence and.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Wait, wait, hold on. So that former CEO of ftx. So that is the person who is not Sam Bankman Fried, but was working with Sam Bankman Fried, who was running this gigantic scam of a crypto company.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yep.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

And was sentenced to prison. And is now heading to prison, but.

[Nicole Lapin]

Updated his LinkedIn profile. Oh, you love LinkedIn. Okay. He used LinkedIn's job announcement feature, the one that creates the little cupcake graphic.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, yeah. It's like a little image and it says it's like a sort of congratulatory thing which you always see when someone has a new role.

[Nicole Lapin]

Totally. So he used that and he posted. I am happy to share that I'm starting a new position as inmate at FCI Cumberland.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh, congratulations to him. That is the hottest drop.

[Nicole Lapin]

Is this good for his personal brand? Then.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

You know what's good for his personal brand is that he did a thing that prompts the question after he goes to prison as to be is the good for his personal brand? So what this reminds me of is a person who is not yet in prison, but surely will be, which is current Mayor Eric Adams of New York. As we all know, Eric Adams has spent his time as mayor basically hanging out at nightclubs and doing weird and sketchy things, and now is indicted and his administration is resigning. I saw somebody, I can't remember who said it, who said, you know, what Eric Adams should do is just make some kind of deal, go to prison for some amount of time and then come out and then open a nightclub and call it City hall. Because that would work. Like, that would make money. And I tend to agree, like, that would be an incredible next step for him because in America you can have as many, like, lives and chances as you want. And so I actually think good move on this guy. Because unless he's going away forever, I don't know, do we know how long his sentence is unless he's going away forever?

[Nicole Lapin]

Freeze was like 25 years. I think the girlfriend Caroline was two years. I think some of the other executives were around six or seven years.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Okay. All right. So assuming that it's not the full 25. Well, even if it is the full 25, this guy knows there's going to be another chapter. And he probably wants to start, like, right now by saying, this doesn't define me, and how much does this not define me? That I'm just treating it like a roll on LinkedIn and I will come out and I will do something else next. And that is not bad personal branding.

[Nicole Lapin]

So having some humor about it, you think would actually help him get hired somewhere.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Well, I mean, I don't know what's going to happen. And let us not, like, discount all the people who lost their money because of this person's actions and all that. But I think that life is long and that things that feel serious today start to become less serious tomorrow, and that it's never too early to be thinking about who you are in the future. And that's not. Again, that's not to say that if something bad happens that you should be glib about it on social media. You shouldn't. You should take it seriously and all that. But the guy is going to prison. So he has been punished. He has reckoned. And I think the humor is a useful tool. And I kind of like what he did. I don't think that the question about whether or not this guy's personal brand, like, matters right now is actually relevant. Like, it's a funny question that you ask, but in the end, like, to me, it's really a question of what kind of attitude do you want to take into the world? And I think that this guy should acknowledge the mistakes and be open about it and not be glib about having harmed people, but at the same time, to take an attitude of, we are human and there is life to live, and I will do something next, and hopefully that will be a better contribution to society than I was before. And so right now, what am I doing? Well, right now I'm going to prison. So we'll see you guys later. Is this a bad take? Do you feel differently?

[Nicole Lapin]

No, I'm into it. I'm into it. All right.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

And then he can go party at Eric Adams nightclub, which I think will be the ultimate.

[Nicole Lapin]

All right. Chipotle got together with Spirit Halloween to create Chipotle themed Halloween costumes. There is, of course, a burrito costume.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

It's gotta be.

[Nicole Lapin]

There is also a Chipotle fork costume.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Just like, walking around like a giant fork.

[Nicole Lapin]

Okay, suppose I didn't know that Chipotle forks were that unique.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Just like a plastic fork. Is there something unique about that?

[Nicole Lapin]

There probably says Chipotle somewhere they have a Chipotle to Go bag costume and a few others how should brands make decisions about who they collab with? Is this a necessary collab that we need in our lives? When we're thinking about Halloween, do we want to be a burrito? Or maybe it's a sexy burrito or a sexy fork. I don't know. Everything is like a sexy something's got.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

To be a sexy something. I can't even conjure in my mind what a sexy burrito would be, so I would like someone to show me that. Well, okay, so you used the word necessary. Is this a necessary collab in our lives? No, but is any outside of Deadpool and Wolverine seem to be a necessary collab in our lives? People really wanted that. But these are supposed to be delightful and additive in a. Wait, sorry, I've gotten distracted because Morgan just sent over what the costume of a fork looks like. So. Wait, I still don't understand it. I'm seeing a package. What I'm seeing is basically a human who looks like they're like a fork.

[Nicole Lapin]

Like maybe it's a jumpsuit where you put your hands out looking like a fork. It includes a morph suit. So it's.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh, it's a morph suit.

[Nicole Lapin]

Wait, what's a morph suit? It's like a black jumpsuit.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

I think the morph suit is like the full body jumpsuit. Yeah, like head to toe, full body jump, be the fork. But you're not actually a fork. You're actually just wearing a full body jumpsuit. And if you hold your hands up and spread your fingers wide, then like in some kind of very abstract land, you are a fork. Okay, Thumbs down on the fork costume, because that thing sucks. That is not a good costume. If you were walking around and you actually had like a fork head, that's kind of funny. But this is not a fork. You could also be a Chipotle shadow puppet. You could be the Chipotle Dark Knight. Like this stupid. Okay, so look, I think here's the thing. There are opportunities to create total surprise and delight that is at once weird and unexpected and gets people talking and just feels like you are playing in the sandbox of culture. And I think that is great. I really like when brands do this. I know that it has become a thing, so much so that it has become a overused thing, and that maybe people will roll their eyes at all these collabs. But if you can do something that brings a little more delight to people and doesn't detract from the core business value that you have and lets you say we just like you guys, people out there in the world, we like what you do, and we want to be a part of it. And we offer up the things that we have here for your delight and pleasure. That's great. I love that. Green Day, my favorite band, just did this weird collab where they programmed songs from Dookie into objects that were not designed to play songs from dookie. So, for example, you know those big bass fish, you press a button that it sings. So they did that, but now it sings Basket Case. And it's like they've timed the mouth to it and they have a toothbrush. Children's toothbrushes will play a Green Day song that is programmed to the toothbrush. Why does this exist? For no good reason, except that I think it's just fun to see things that you like in totally different, unexpected contexts. And there's something about that makes the brand feel fresh and feel fun and feel like it's just engaging with you out in the world. And I like all of it, except for the fork costume, which is just so lazy that I am insulted by it. But in theory, I like it.

[Nicole Lapin]

But does it actually help sell burritos? The Green Day thing, I think, is interesting because maybe I forgot about Green Day. Until right this moment, I have not been thinking about Green Day or Dookie or whatever. And now that you mentioned it, or let's say I saw a fish singing it, or my toothbrush or whatever. Okay, I forgot. But maybe I should download it or something like that. Nostalgia. So I kind of see that there is some business explanation to it. But the Chipotle stuff, can you make an argument?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, sure you can. So you're asking the wrong question. This is not about selling burritos. This is about brand love and loyalty and being top of mind. And that matters, too. I do these breakdowns of advertisements on LinkedIn all the time where I'll. I'll find this really smart ad and I will explain why it was really smart. And inevitably, somebody in the comments will always say, yeah, but how many burritos did it sell? And it's like, you know what? It's not always. Well, yeah, you are actually the one who just keeps asking that. And I'm not always talking about burritos. Nicole, stop asking how many burritos it sold. So, no, like, it's not always about whether or not it converted the sale at the point in which somebody saw the thing. Right?

[Nicole Lapin]

Totally.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

There is. I get There is a funnel. This is a funnel.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yes, of course. This is super, super top of funnel. This Is like the helicopter above the funnel.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Sure.

[Nicole Lapin]

Where the fork costume lives.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yes. This is the.

[Nicole Lapin]

For the funnel. I get it, I get it. Chipotle just has so much money that they could be a helicopter over the funnel.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Fine. Yeah. This also probably was pretty cheap to make that fork costume looks super cheap. Here's what I think. This is for people who already love Chipotle, and you want to be serving those people too. You don't want all of your brand focus to be on just new user acquisition. You want this to sometimes just be about like, hey, you love Chipotle. I've got a fun thing for you. And if you want to walk around Halloween this year with Chipotle, then by God, we want that for you too. That is going to ultimately sell more burritos as long as you've got the resources for it and you have some sense of how this could play to your audience. I say just make a better costume than the fork and then go for it.

[Nicole Lapin]

How do you think that marketing meeting went? Okay, everybody, no bad ideas. Who should we collab with next?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, we ran a story once in Entrepreneur magazine about what's that water brand. That's completely ridiculous.

[Nicole Lapin]

Oh, Liquid Death.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Liquid Death. Thank you. Liquid Death, whose marketing is hilarious. And the whole concept is ridiculous. And the guy, like the CEO or whoever it was that we talked to, he said that their marketing meetings are basically, let's get everyone together and then get high. Probably the dumbest idea win. Yeah, probably get high, too. The dumbest idea wins. Like the weirdest.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yeah, I think they just auctioned a coffin or something.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, it's great, right? Because what they're going for is just. What did you not expect? What's going to just break through the noise? Just going to get your attention. And you know what? It worked. Because here we are talking about this stupid thing. If this was just Chipotle releasing a better fork, we wouldn't have been talking about this. But because it's a stupid fork costume that doesn't even look like a fork, somehow we are talking about it. So, yeah, I think that's what these.

[Nicole Lapin]

Things are on you, Japan. Yeah.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

The dumbest idea wins. Go make dumb ideas.

[Nicole Lapin]

A popular cheap Japanese corn snack. U Maibo.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Okay.

[Nicole Lapin]

U Maibo.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Sure.

[Nicole Lapin]

Oh, my bo. I'm going to go with it.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Ooh, your boo.

[Nicole Lapin]

My bo.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Let's call the whole thing off.

[Nicole Lapin]

They just raised their prices for the second time in 40 years, and they made a public apology. For two decades, the snack was 10 yen. It just went up to 12 yen in 2022 and now it's going up to 15 yen. How many dollars would that be?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

How many yens makes a dollar? Is that a dollar?

[Nicole Lapin]

No, dude, we're talking about 10 cents here.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh, wow. Wow. They've kept their prices that low. It's incredible.

[Nicole Lapin]

So the official X account for the brand Posted Quote in pricing Umibo, we have taken into consideration the goal of allowing even children to experience the joy of choosing what to buy using their allowance. However, even after 2022, the price of Umaibo's ingredients in general, including key components such as corn and vegetable oil, have continued to rise, and labor, packaging, shipping and other costs have also increased significantly. The situation has progressed beyond even what our company can allow for. And so to ensure a continued stable supply of Umaibo, it is with deep apologies that for shipments from the beginning of October, we will be implementing a price increase. We ask for your understanding as we continue to work hard to provide a stable supply of Umaibo and overflowing amounts of deliciousness and fun.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Whew. Wow, that was a mouthful. A mouthful of Umaibo.

[Nicole Lapin]

Customers responded with a lot of understanding. What about this social media post do you think worked?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

What worked was transparency. People will be surprisingly understanding if you are just straight with them. If you're not, then they will make up stories and they will have assumptions about how things work and they'll say, oh, it's just about greed. But when you just are straight with people about the challenges of your business, it humanizes you in this really important and valuable way that I don't think businesses appreciate enough. And this is especially true on the small business level. I don't know if you've seen this, but there's this thing going around social media now where people are posting what is a month's worth of expenses at their company. There's a woman who runs a bakery, and that bakery is called Always Yours Bakery Cafe in Castro Valley, California. M she posted this very quick video on Instagram detailing the monthly expenses for running a bakery in the Bay Area. And it is a lot. The whole thing comes out to $67,688 a month to run the bakery. And that thing got 3.5 million views. And I think there's good reason for it because people thought, oh my God, I had no idea it was that expensive. Business is really expensive. And so now when you go to that bakery and you buy a croissant or whatever and it costs like way more than you thought it would, now you understand because it costs so much money for that woman to run that business. And so it creates trust, it creates understanding, it creates support. I bet that a lot of people saw that and like ran over to buy something from her because they don't want her to go out of business. And now they understand exactly what she's dealing with. If you do not tell people, they do not know. And if this company had just raised its prices, I bet people would have been like, oh, well, everybody needs more money, huh? Do you remember when KFC ran out of chicken?

[Nicole Lapin]

I don't eat chicken. But yes, it was the horror, the horror.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Running out of chicken. You can't see what else, otherwise you're just kf. So KFC ran out of chicken. This was very specific to the uk. They had switched some kind of distributor or supplier or something and the switchover ran into a major hiccup and stores, like hundreds of stores had no chicken. And it was a disaster for kfc. And so what did they do? Their ad agency came up with this genius ad that it ran in a couple national newspapers in the uk. It showed a bucket. So picture it. The background is red and a little scuffed. There is a empty button. There is a empty bucket of kfc, but it is on its side and there's like crumbs spilling out of it. But it's otherwise empty. But it doesn't say KFC on the bucket. Do you remember what it says?

[Nicole Lapin]

No.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

KFC Fck.

[Nicole Lapin]

Which is clever.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Clever. And then underneath, I'm just going to read it to you. Underneath it says, we're sorry. That's like bold up top. And then afterwards it says, a chicken restaurant without any chicken. It's not ideal. Huge apologies to our customers, especially those who traveled out of their way to find we were closed. And endless thanks to our KFC team members and our franchise partners for working tirelessly to improve the situation. It's been a hell of a week, but we're making progress. And every day more and more fresh chicken is being delivered to our restaurants. Thank you for bearing with us. This was like, this was chef's kiss for the fried chicken that didn't exist and you couldn't eat so good because it acknowledged the problem. It didn't even, like, in this case, there was a buck to pass. They could have passed the buck onto the distributor or whatever it was, and they didn't. They just owned it. They said, this is not good. It's been rough for us. We know it's been rough for you. We really appreciate everybody we appreciate our team, we appreciate our customers. We're doing our best. And people were so understanding, it created a wave of support. So I think that this Japanese company, they've got to raise their prices. It's very clear that they're doing their best. They were open and transparent about what exactly the challenges were. They added details so that people could understand where the costs were rising. A plus 10. 10. No notes.

[Nicole Lapin]

Wow. By the way, it's not ideal is so British.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yes, but also so it was like perfect. It's perfect language. Because what was really great about this was in that phrase, it's not ideal, which is very British. But what I also read was like, KFC is trying to walk this line of it's a serious problem. It's not that serious, but we want to take it seriously.

[Nicole Lapin]

We're not saving.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

We're not saving the planet here. We understand you didn't get your fried chicken today. There are worse things that could happen in the world. And so we're really sorry. We know this means a lot. It's our business and we want to do our business well. And if you drove to a KFC and it was closed, then that was a waste of your time. And we're really sorry about that. It didn't dismiss anything, but it didn't make it too overly serious.

[Nicole Lapin]

No extra schmaltz.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

No extra schmaltz or seasoning. Just crispy chapskiz. Yeah. Stick around. Help wanted. We'll be right back.

[Nicole Lapin]

I love hosting on Airbnb. It's a great way to bring in some extra cash. But I totally get it that it might sound overwhelming to start or even too complicated if, say, you want to put your summer home in Maine on Airbnb, but you live full time in San Francisco and you can't go to Maine every time you need to change sheets for your guests or something like that. If thoughts like these have been holding you back, I have great news for you. Airbnb has launched a co host network, which is a network of high quality local co hosts with Airbnb experience that can take care of your home and your guests. Co hosts can do what you don't have time for, like managing your reservations, messaging your guests, giving support at the property, or even create your listing for you. I always want to line up a reservation for my house when I'm traveling for work, but sometimes I just don't get around to it because getting ready to travel always feels like a scramble so I don't end up making time to make my house look, guest friendly. I guess that's the best way to put it. But I'm matching with a co host so I can still make that extra cash while also making it easy on myself. Find a co [e-mail] host Jason, have you ever overdrafted?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Hasn't everybody?

[Nicole Lapin]

I mean, I certainly have. I famously overdrafted on a $7 latte and got hit with a $35 fee.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oof. That's the worst.

[Nicole Lapin]

The actual worst. But Jason, I do have a solution for this. It is Chime. A Chime checking account has fee free overdraft up to 200 bucks and a whole bunch of other game changing features that I love. Like Chime checking accounts have no maintenance fees and you can get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. You should check it out, Jason. It'[e-mail] MNN. Ooh. I am into it and you will love this. Chime is making it easier to support friends on their financial journey. And one of the ways that they're doing this is by allowing eligible members to give complimentary boosts to increase a friend's spot me limit. That means that you can help your friend's fee free overdraft limit. So if you need a hand, Jason, I got you.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oof. Friends helping friends make progress. I love that.

[Nicole Lapin]

I do too. So why not make your fall finances a little greener? Open your Chime account in just two [e-mail] MNN. That's chime.com MNN as in money News Network. Chime feels like progress. Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp NA or Stride Bank NA members. FDIC SpotMe eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Boosts are available to eligible Chime members enrolled in Spotme and are subject to monthly limits. Terms and conditions apply. Go to chime.com disclosures for details.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Welcome back to Help Wanted. Let's get to it.

[Nicole Lapin]

Okay. Nutter Butter is going viral on TikTok, Jason, for their latest marketing videos.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Okay. I didn't know Nutter Butter was around. Nutter Butter is like a cookie, right?

[Nicole Lapin]

Yes.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Okay.

[Nicole Lapin]

Can you guess what a Nutter Butter ad would look like?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

If it's a costume, it better be better than that Chipotle fork.

[Nicole Lapin]

It's sexy cookie costume.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

The directions that you could go with sexy Nutter Butter are not directions that I want to go, but they're there to go. I think we should just watch one. I can't even guess.

[Nicole Lapin]

All right, let's just watch one and you try to Explain it in real time.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Okay, you've brought it up. We haven't hit play yet. But what I'm looking at right now, picture the Nutter Butter. Now that I see it, I remember it. So it's basically, it's a cookie in the shape of a peanut. If Mr. Peanut was kind of looks like if somebody we know what fucking Nutter Butter is, stomped on Mr. Peanut and made him flat. Okay, so there's like an open dirt road and there's a large Nutter Butter kind of abstract thing, and then there's a bunch of Nutter Butter cookies floating around. And now you're going to hit play and God knows what's going to happen. And there's a hand. There's a cartoon hand coming in. Okay, go. So it says, open up now. And there's just like, now it says floor time. And there's like cookies everywhere. And some of it is digitized and some of it's all over there. I saw a cat. It says, what's wrong, sweetheart? Now it says, can you hear me? And there's a happy face. Oh, God. Now there's clowns. And now there's. It's just the word air for a bunch. And then that's it. And then it's over. That was a fever dream.

[Nicole Lapin]

Do you want to watch it again?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

I don't know if I want to get any sleep tonight. Nicole, what did you see? What was that?

[Nicole Lapin]

It was just Nutter Butter on drugs at a rave.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, it was Nutter Butter on drugs at a rave. So what it reminded me of. Are you aware of Skibidi Toilet?

[Nicole Lapin]

I am not. What is that?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Should I guess I should do a.

[Nicole Lapin]

Segment where like we just tell each other products we don't know and then we guess what they are?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah, no, I just loved. There was like a slight tinge of like disgust and disappointment. I have not. Skibidi toilet. Is this. Okay, so let me tell you what Wikipedia has to say about it. Skibidi toilet is a machinima. I'm sure I'm not pronouncing that correct. Web series released through YouTube.

[Nicole Lapin]

Oh, machinima.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Machinima.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yeah, it's like a production company.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Machinima is the use of real time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. It's also production. Well, in this case it's lowercase M. The word machinima is a portmanteau of the words machine and cinema. Anyway, what is this thing? Skibidi toilet. It follows a fictional war between human headed toilets and humanoid characters with Electronic devices for heads. Okay, so I have never watched Skibidi Toilet and I never will because that sounds so stupid. But I have talked to friends who have watched that and it is enormous. It's like one of the biggest things on YouTube right now. Like hundreds of millions of people are watching Skibidi Toilet. And the thing about it is that it makes absolutely no sense. It is just complete Internet nonsense garbage. And some sociologists could probably explain this, but there is something happening on the Internet where there is a kind of embrace of absolute nothing, nonsense. Just that it's sort of almost trying to capture what the Internet is, which is just a collection.

[Nicole Lapin]

That's what I was about to say.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Every random. Yeah, it's every random thing. And just cats and clowns and Nutter Butter and weird phrases and discordant noises and you just like, you throw it all together and you're just like, this is the Internet, period. And people are like, yep, that's the Internet. And then I think that we kind of like engaging in. We are all a part of that. We're making. That is what we are. That is the life that we're in. And so I think that's kind of what Nutter Butter's team was doing over there. They're like, you know what? Nutter Butter is a pretty weirdo brand. Like it's a cookie in the shape of a peanut and it's called Nutter Butter. And everyone kind of knows it, but I don't know that anybody actually cares about it. And it's been around for like somewhere between 20 and 700 years. Like we don't know when the hell Nutter Butter. And it's familiar, it's unfamiliar, we know everything about it. We know nothing about it. It's like the perfect kind of weird Internet brand if you wanted to play it that way. And so I love that they did this. This has been going well. People like this on TikTok.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yeah. So there are a bunch of these videos. They're all dystopian, scary, rave type videos. And people are into it.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Of course they are.

[Nicole Lapin]

What do you think the brand strategy is?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

That's a great question. What is the brand strategy? Let's see if we could reverse engineer what they were doing here. So for starters, the problem that Nutter Butter probably has is that it's an old brand that is more familiar to a generation that has largely outgrown cookies, particularly in a more health conscious time. And so Nutter Butter is thinking we need to engage younger consumers in a way that we haven't been before. So that's the starting point. So then they're like, okay, we got to get on TikTok. And then what's the next thought?

[Nicole Lapin]

Then we have to be cuckoo crazy.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

We don't have to be cuckoo crazy. We have to be fluent. Right. We have to be organic to the people that.

[Nicole Lapin]

Sure, sure, sure. Okay, so fine, so I'm nut or butter. I'm old.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah. So delicious.

[Nicole Lapin]

And so I want to be cool and delicious. So go to TikTok and be like the Tick Tockers.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Be like the Tiktokers. Right. So then you got to look at what are the Tiktokers doing and what's working really well on TikTok. And I think the challenge is that when most brands try to do this, what they do is they look around and they say, what are the existing memes and how can we follow them? And that doesn't really play that well. It just feels like fellow kids. That's like the adult showing up in the room being like, hello, fellow kids. So you've got to do something different. And I think that what Nutterbutter was thinking was, okay, what is the emerging conversation that nobody would expect Nutter Butter to engage with? What is the place where we can advance the experience of an emerging kind of sensibility on TikTok, where we can find a place that isn't too overdrawn and we can just start to create this sense that Nutter Butter is a brand that you can play with. Like, Nutter Butter is a brand that you can enjoy however you want. Nutter Butter is a brand that is as shapeable as your experience on the Internet itself. It's not this old brand. It's not your parents brand. Nutter Butter is a brand for you. Remember when Old Spice, which was your grandfather's deodorant, suddenly had super hot Isaiah Mustafa shirtless on a horse? Yeah.

[Nicole Lapin]

Wasn't it like, Fabio or something, too?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yes, they did. They did have Fabio. Like, it was so damn weird. But it was basically like, we don't take ourselves all that seriously. But also we play like we are in your sandbox. Like, we are here and we are really good. We want to shed any past perceptions that you have of us. And the way that we're going to do that is by completely flipping the script on who we are. We are aware that we have a history and we are severing that. And we are for you now. And you want something different. You don't want this thing from your grandfather, but you Know what? It also works for your grandfather because it's a really good product, but it's not for him anymore. It's for you now. And you take it in a different direction. And we are here with you, and this thing is moldable and fun and it's in conversation with you and it's going to surprise you and it's going to delight you, and it is yours for the taking. Because what that Old Spice campaign did, which was so smart, was it latched onto this thing that was just happening in TV entertainment, which was this kind of absurdist delivery. And it did that really well. And then it just kept surprising people. I don't know if you remember this, but after they ran a couple of those ads, they did this thing where the actor Isaiah was in a bathroom and would live produce new spots based on things that people said on social media. They were just like pumping them out, like in real time. Like somebody might say something and then he would take that and then improv some kind of skit and then they would release it. It was like people had never seen anything like it before. It was like commercials in real time. You'd, like, completely change the dynamic of how you interact with the brand and with advertising in general. And I think that Nutterbutter is trying to do the same thing. But, like, right now, the absurdist thing is not happening on tv. It's happening on the Internet. And it's happening in this undercurrent of Internet ness where we're all even trying to debate what the hell is the thing that we are all in right now. We're in this Internet and it's like, weird and it's this mishmash of absolute nonsense. And it's everything and nothing all at the same time. And it's like clarity and noise. And now it's also Nutter Butter. And now it's weirdly, also Nutter Butter. And if you are going to take a big gamble, but also a small gamble, because you just had to make these things and put them on TikTok and see what the hell happens. Like, I was pretty smart. That is pretty smart.

[Nicole Lapin]

It's clarity, it's noise, it's Nutter Butter. I think that you just came up with the new tagline for that.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

That's it. Nutter Butter. I work on commission that you can pay me per cookie.

[Nicole Lapin]

Okay, all right, last one. Which is. But so I guess like Net Net with the marketing stuff, just be as crazy as fucking possible right now.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

No, be as relevant as possible right now.

[Nicole Lapin]

But I was trying to link the Chipotle stuff and this stuff and Liquid Death and all of that.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

No, but I think that that's all relevance. So what is Chipotle doing? Chipotle is being relevant to a moment that it does not normally play in. Chipotle has nothing to do with Halloween. So what they could do in a boring world is they could run some kind of Halloween special, come in for a spooky burrito. Nobody wants a spooky burrito, right? Nobody wants a sexy burrito, and nobody wants a spooky burrito. How can they just be relevant to it, to a different moment? And I think that's really smart. And also it gets people talking, Right? That's another thing is like, to be relevant is also to get people talking. And the costumes got people talking. Liquid Death, same thing. It's being relevant to an audience that wants stories in their brands. So we love brands that tell stories. And the stories that we love are really wide and varied. And we like stories that have attitude. We like stories that speak to us as people and that, like the brands that can represent different parts of our, like, personalities or whatever. And what those guys recognized was that the only story that was being told in the water category was purity and clarity. It was just like, this is the purest water that you've ever found, which is why we've gone to the mountains of Maine, which is why we've gone to Fiji, which is why we. It's just like people traveling the world trying to find water that is basically exactly like the other water that you find everywhere else in the world. That's the only story that they told. So it was actually, and this is the genius of it, it was actually a total white space. Like, it was an incredibly crowded category, but it was also total white space because nobody else was trying to tell an interesting story. So they did. So it was relevant to people, because it was relevant to people's personalities and the way in which they like to relate to brands that nobody else in the water category was trying to do. And then that's exactly what Nutter Butter is doing as well. It's being relevant by engaging with this conversation that the young folks, not us, but the young folks, are having about what in the hell is the Internet and this thing that they have grown up in, and it is like chaos and noise and weirdness, and it's shapeable and moldable, even as it feels totally uncontrollable. And it's also nut or butter. It's doing the same thing where is the audience? Or rather, where is the audience going? And how can we, like, hop a step ahead of them and surprise them by how unexpectedly relevant we can be to them? By stepping outside of the constraints of what is expected of us. Yeah.

[Nicole Lapin]

But also weird and cuckoo. So that we talk about it. And give them earned media.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

And give them earned media. Which. Congratulations to everybody.

[Nicole Lapin]

You're welcome. All right. Finally, Whole Foods tried to change the recipe of one of its most popular cakes, the berry chantilly cake, to standardize the cake a little bit more.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

What?

[Nicole Lapin]

Customers revolted. So instead of fresh berries, Jason, there would be jam between the layers of the cake because I guess berries are in season at different times, different stores, whatever.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Sure.

[Nicole Lapin]

So customers were really pissed. They freaked out. And then Whole Foods decided to reverse the decision. Put the berries back.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Yeah. Good books.

[Nicole Lapin]

You think they made the right move?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

They definitely made the right move. Listen to your customer. If your customer wants it back, then bring it back. Taco Bell did away with the Mexican pizza during COVID because it wasn't one of the top things that were ordered. It was like, you know, a little more labor or resource intensive to make or whatever, and they just needed to become more efficient for operations during COVID So they got rid of the Mexican pizza, and customers were very unhappy. And people started to demand the Mexican pizza coming back on social media. And then it was, if I have this right, Doja Cat started to get involved and was like, I like the Mexican pizza, too. They should bring back the Mexican pizza. So the guy who was the chief brand officer, who's now the CEO, who I interviewed a while ago, Sean Tresvant over there at Taco Bell had this brilliant idea which was like, okay, bringing back the Mexican pizza, but we're going to make a whole big deal out of it. We're going to have Doja Cat announce the return of the Mexican pizza, and we're going to make it like a big surprise. Like, we listened to you fans. We love you. You wanted the Mexican pizza, you get the Mexican pizza. And they brought it back. And it was an enormous success. Just stampedes towards Taco Bell to get the Mexican pizza that they are now doing this on the regular with other discontinued things where they're having vote on what thing from Taco Bell did you love that disappeared five to 10 to 20 years ago. Maybe we're going to bring some of those back, too. I think it's really smart. Listen to your consumer. And in fact, if you replace this berry cake with jam and suddenly you learn that people really Love this cake. Then bringing it back actually creates this wonderful opportunity to show them that you hear them and to give them what they want. And I bet there will be more sales of that cake than before. Which is why everyone has to remember, sometimes mistakes and bad things are actually tremendous opportunities. Because when you fix them, even if you were the one to create them, you become the hero. What do you think? Should they bring the cake back? Do you care? You wouldn't eat this cake to begin with.

[Nicole Lapin]

No, you're right. You're right, Jason. Now I really want a Mexican pizza.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Uh huh.

[Nicole Lapin]

With some berry chandeli cake for dessert. Also, I'm pregnant, so.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh.

[Nicole Lapin]

I kind of want some Nutter Butters. So you want a burrito? I want Nutter Butters. I am hungry.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

This whole thing has really just been about pregnancy food. Yeah, this is an episode about pregnancy food. Give the baby what the baby wants.

[Nicole Lapin]

Pregnant ladies what they want.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Give them what they want. If they want to have that Chantilly cake, but with Mexican pizza in between it, in the slices with the berries, then you give it to them.

[Nicole Lapin]

That's right.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

I support everything that happened in this episode. Except for that fork costume. I hate that fork costume.

[Nicole Lapin]

It hates you too, Jason.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Stick a fork in this thing. It's done. Help Wanted is a production of Money News Network. Help Wanted is hosted by me, Jason.

[Nicole Lapin]

Pfeiffer and me, Nicole Lapin. Our executive producer is Morgan Lavoy. If you want some help, email our helpline at help [e-mail] for the chance to have some of your questions answered on the show. And follow us on Instagram @moneynews and TikTok @moneynewsnetwork for exclusive content and to see our beautiful faces. Maybe a little dance?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh, I didn't sign up for that.

[Nicole Lapin]

All right, well, talk to you soon. I love hosting on Airbnb. It's a great way to bring in some extra cash. But I totally get it that it might sound overwhelming to start or even too complicated. If, say, you want to put your summer home in Maine on Airbnb, but you live full time in San Francisco and you can't go to Maine every time you need to change sheets for your guests or something like that. If thoughts like these have been holding you back, I have great news for you. Airbnb has launched a co host network, which is a network of high quality local co hosts with Airbnb experience that can take care of your home and your guests. Co hosts can do what you don't have time for, like managing your reservations, messaging your guests, giving support at the property, or even create your listing for you. I always want to line up a reservation for my house when I'm traveling for work, but sometimes I just don't get around to it because getting ready to travel always feels like a scramble so I don't end up making time to make my house look guest friendly. I guess that's the best way to put it, but I'm matching with a co host so I can still make that extra cash while also making it easy on myself. Find a co host at airbnb.com/host.