The Art of the Brand

Episode: Why “Well-Produced” Brands Still Fail
Hosts: Camille Moore & Phillip Millar (Third Eye Insights)
Date: January 15, 2026

Overview

This episode tackles the perplexing problem of why even the most “well-produced” brands often fail to connect or scale successfully. Broadcasting from Los Angeles right after the Golden Globes, Camille and Phillip offer an insider’s view of marketing missteps, the intersection of celebrity culture and branding, and the pitfalls of inauthenticity—even when brands have flawless production values. They break down headline moments in beauty, tech, and hospitality, dive into the rise and fall of AI in creative industries, and get candid about the critical role of outlasting trends through authentic storytelling and strategy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Golden Globes: Networks, Access, and the Struggle for Relevance

• Barriers to Access. Camille and Phillip describe their difficulties in watching the Golden Globes, highlighting “regulatory nonsense” (03:41) and how networks are failing to adapt to a social-first, digital audience (03:28).
  • Quote [03:28, Camille]: “It makes no sense that they can't figure it out…when we're in a social first world.”
• Award Show Relevance. More people see clips on social media rather than live, underscoring a missed opportunity for live engagement.
• Influencer Overflow. To appear relevant, events like the Golden Globes are “packed” with influencers, sacrificing plus-ones and crowding out industry insiders (05:01).
  • Quote [05:01, Camille]: “They’re taking such a focus to get more eyeballs on the event, but they’re not getting the event more eyeballs.”

2. Brand HQs Versus In-Store Realities: The Case of Alo Yoga

• Alo HQ World-building. Visiting Alo’s headquarters, Camille details how the physical space is a masterstroke of world-building: “the day after we were there, Hailey Bieber was doing a yoga class there…They bring in these big names because they have these high end facilities that they don't charge for.” (08:13)
• Disconnect in Brand Experience. Phillip notes that the aspirational HQ vibe isn’t matched at retail level—stores feel cluttered and lose the “cool” factor, hurting scalability and authenticity (09:20, 10:16).
  • Quote [10:16, Phillip]: “There’s a disconnect in kind of the brand messaging... It’s not at the kind of on the ground where the consumers are.”
• Strategic Takeaway: World-building can elevate a brand, but the experience must translate into every physical and digital touchpoint.

3. Celebrity Campaigns & Authentic Storytelling: Lemmy x Kris Jenner

• Campaign Layering (Brand Stacking). Phillip explains how depth in campaigns allows for conscious and subconscious storytelling—what he calls “brand stacking” (14:55).
  • Quote [14:55, Phillip]: “Good brands, good campaigns take a while to digest. There's layers, like an onion… I kind of call it brand stacking and contenting.”
• Relevant Storylines. Lemmy’s campaign with Kris Jenner taps her Olympic history while creatively linking to current internet trends, branding, and TikTok-native humor (16:49).
• The Risk of Inauthentic Campaigns. For brands without genuine stories or connection, mimicking this approach flops—strategy must fit with brand origins and founders.

4. AI in Creative Industries: Promise, Pitfall, and Fatigue

• AI as a Shortcut. Both hosts argue AI-generated content is producing a wave of mediocrity and “AI fatigue” (21:10).
  • Quote [21:10, Phillip]: “AI has become a shortcut…There's an AI fatigue going on right now.”
• Authenticity Crisis in UGC. UGC’s effectiveness is tanking due to overuse of AI and paid “fake” creators. Real community remains the differentiator (23:32).
  • Quote [23:32, Camille]: “The reason why [Lemmy's TikTok] is working is because it's real girls with real followers… So they're authentically selling product to real people.”
• Leadership and AI Overuse. Phillip introduces an analogy from military leadership studies—overly ambitious but unintelligent leaders armed with AI can create massive inefficiency (25:44).
  • Quote [25:44, Phillip]: “Stupidity in AI can triple the workload of your good people and cause frustration.”

5. AI Health Companions: Fad or Function?

• Brand Community vs. Noise. A spate of wellness brands launching AI chatbots raises questions about trust, necessity, and differentiation (31:46).
• Trust Remains Key. While AI adds efficiency, trust comes from human touch—especially in health (32:29, 32:47).
  • Quote [32:29, Phillip]: "Humans aren't going to be replaced by AI. They're going to be replaced by humans who know how to leverage AI intelligently."

6. Brand Extension Overload: Starbucks Enters Beauty

• Hot Take Disagreement.
  • Phillip [34:13]: “When I think of Starbucks, I do not think of beauty.”
  • Camille [34:46]: “It is super intelligent and I will tell you why. This is the Sephora model... as people are waiting in line, they're gonna have lip glosses.”
• Strategic Rationale. Camille argues it’s about capturing micro-moments, increasing order value, and cultural relevance. Phillip sees it as brand dilution and desperation.
  • Quote [36:23, Phillip]: “It's a desperate attempt to get more revenue.”
• Execution Matters. Both agree capability depends on execution and whether Starbucks can make the offering feel authentic to its customer base.

7. Beauty Brand Trends: Celebrity Brands, Virality, and the Exit Mentality

• Makeup by Mario: Leadership Changes. The departure of its president is analyzed as a typical move ahead of a sale or IPO, but also signals a shift away from longevity toward quick exits (39:34).
  • Quote [39:46, Phillip]: “It's kind of the end of the brand... the brand is now just going to be cannibalized for corporate profits.”
• Everyone Wants to Sell. The culture of building-to-exit rather than building-to-last risks flooding the market for acquirers—“At some point people have to focus on building great things that last.” (41:01)
• Legacy vs. Trend-Driven Brands. Estee Lauder selling off influencer-era brands (Smashbox, Too Faced) is read as a move back to stable, low-maintenance, trusted legacy brands (46:13, 47:24).
• The “Beauty Graveyard.” Fast turnover means most products go unfinished by real consumers; virality isn’t the same as loyalty.

8. Retail Death & the Future: The Return of the Human Touch?

• Death of In-person Retail? Heritage brands once thrived on in-store relationships, but in-person retail is declining—can social/digital replicate real connection? (50:25)
  • Quote [50:25, Phillip]: “At some point people don't have money to just keep buying stuff online because somebody said to buy it. They want to have a tactile experience.”
• Symphony of Touchpoints. Success in the future means brands must orchestrate in-person, digital, community, and influencer activations in harmony—not pick one over the other (52:17).

9. The Substack Trend: “Zero Distance” and Community Building

• ELF’s Substack Launch. The new “Zero Distance” Substack mirrors the trend of “building in public”—making product development transparent and participative (53:52).
• Potential Pitfalls. If it’s just curated PR, it will flop; consumers crave direct, authentic dialogue with founders, not marketing-speak (54:19, 54:59).
  • Quote [54:19, Phillip]: “I care what the founder or the person in charge of the brand is saying.”
  • Quote [54:59, Phillip]: "Be authentic, say things that matter to you and don't worry about it... So don't be scared to say something interesting so you can be known for something rather than being known for fitting in the crowd."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand Messaging Fails:
  • “If you really have to explain it in person… you’re probably not messaging it well.” – Phillip [07:58]
• AI Fatigue:
  • “At some point you have to be like, am I really reflecting my personal brand by just chucking out stuff that seems more complicated that’s done by AI?” – Phillip [21:10]
• Founders Matter Most:
  • “I care what the founder or the person in charge of the brand is saying. So we’ll see if they actually deliver.” – Phillip [54:19]
• The Power of Authenticity:
  • “What we’re doing is different, though, than building in public, right? Like, we’ve proven that by being real and being authentic and not worrying about being perfect you build a tribe.” – Camille [55:35]
• On Virality vs. Loyalty:
  • “What does it say about your brand if it only continues to exist if you get viral moments?” – Phillip [47:00]

Important Timestamps

• [03:28] — Golden Globes’ streaming struggle and missed digital opportunities
• [05:01] — Award show influencer overflow and room layout strategy
• [08:13] — Alo Headquarters’ influence and retail store disconnect
• [14:55] — Breakdown of Lemmy x Kris Jenner 'content stacking' campaign
• [21:10] — “AI fatigue” explained; generic content and its impact on brands
• [23:32] — UGC differentiation: Real communities vs. AI fakes
• [25:44] — Leadership mistakes amplified by AI; military analogy
• [31:46] — The AI health assistant debate and brand trust
• [34:13/34:46] — Starbucks entering beauty—debate on brand congruence
• [39:34] — Analysis of Makeup by Mario’s leadership transition/sale
• [46:13/47:24] — Estee Lauder’s sell-off and the shift away from high-maintenance brands
• [50:25] — Heritage retail, tactile experiences, and digital challenges
• [53:52] — Elf’s Substack launch and the “building in public” trend
• [54:19/54:59] — Founder’s voice versus curated content

Conclusion

Camille and Phillip reiterate that successful brands require more than high production and social buzz. They emphasize the ongoing need for founder visibility, authentic storytelling, and connectedness at every brand touchpoint. Whether you’re scaling a new venture, revitalizing a legacy brand, or contemplating disruptive tech like AI, the “sympathy of human touch, strategy, and authentic community” is non-negotiable for enduring success.

Next episode preview: More industry guests and contemporary case studies (look out for new guest episodes teased at [11:18-12:25]).
Hosts’ sign-off: Look for them teaching at Harvard next week ([58:00]).

(Summary covers main episode content, omitting ads, intros, and outros)