529. Lights, Camera, Brainy: Launching Our New YouTube Channel

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Brainy Business – “Lights, Camera, Brainy: Launching Our New YouTube Channel”

Host: Melina Palmer
Episode: 529
Release Date: September 4, 2025

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Overview

In this milestone episode, Melina Palmer celebrates the launch of her new YouTube channel, “Brainy Melina,” marking a significant expansion of The Brainy Business brand from audio podcasting to video content. Melina shares the strategic and psychological journey that led to this launch, the lessons learned about content and audience expectations, and explores behavioral economics in action by analyzing the infamous flop of Crystal Pepsi. The episode is both a behind-the-scenes look at adapting content for new platforms and a practical illustration of how consumer brains respond to brands, framed in Melina’s characteristically insightful and approachable tone.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Rationale Behind Launching a Dedicated YouTube Channel

[01:33–06:40]

• Not a replacement, but an expansion — The podcast remains unchanged, with the YouTube channel serving as an additional, video-first platform.
  • “Nothing is changing there and nothing is changing here on the podcast either. This show isn't going anywhere.” (Melina Palmer, 01:46)
• The Brainy Business previously hosted podcast episodes as audiograms on YouTube, but those failed to engage as desired in a video-centric context.
• Melina and her team recognized that not all content fits all platforms; attempts to repurpose audio content into video “just didn’t have that spark.” (03:23)
• The idea for a new channel had been “years in the making,” finally made possible after a foundational business revamp enabled more creative and operational capacity.

2. Building the Right Foundation and Leveraging Team Growth

[03:23–04:30]

• The decision to wait until the time was right:
  • “If you caught episode 523 on ‘not yet,’ you know that timing and readiness matter.” (Melina Palmer, 03:49)
• Aaron (new team member) joins full time in 2024, helping overhaul internal structures and content frameworks.
• This revamped structure categorizes Brainy Business content into five key areas, laying the groundwork for consistent, meaningful video content.

3. The Purpose and Vision for Brainy Melina YouTube

[04:36–06:17]

• Rather than force existing content into YouTube’s mold, Melina asked: “What kind of video content do we want to create not just for the Brainy Business brand, but also for me, Melina Palmer, a person interested in human behavior, decision making, applied behavioral science, and business?” (04:46)
• After months of research and experimentation, they launched the new “Brainy Melina” channel (one word for algorithm clarity).
• Early traction has been promising with “thousands of views, and even some comments from total strangers who really get what we’re trying to do.” (05:34)

4. Content Highlights on the New Channel

[06:17–06:52]

• Officially launched July 6, 2025, coinciding with the 7-year anniversary of the podcast.
• First video: Behavioral breakdown of Crystal Pepsi’s famous product failure.
• Other video topics: Disney Vault strategy, Skip-It, and “Why It Works” (60-second shorts analyzing brand moments).
• Future plans: Reaction videos, habit change experiments, behind-the-scenes vlogs—all open to community suggestions.
• “That’s really the beauty of having this new channel... we can explore and let it be what it’s meant to be without feeling restricted by what we already have.” (06:49)

5. Behind the Scenes – Team Shoutout

[07:06–07:25]

• Special thanks to Aaron for his dedicated work on video production: “He jumped head first into this new skill set... The visuals, the pacing, the story, it’s all so thoughtfully done.” (07:13)

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Featured Case Study: The Crystal Pepsi Behavioral Breakdown

[07:37–14:28]

The Failure Story and Behavioral Science Lessons

• Recap: Crystal Pepsi was launched as a caffeine-free, clear cola—a product that looked healthy, captured 90s wellness trends, and initially generated massive curiosity and impressive sales.
• Despite an initial $470M in first-year sales, it was “named as one of the top 10 product fails of all time by Time magazine.” (Melina Palmer, 08:52)
• The crux of the failure: Consumer expectations versus reality.
  • “Crystal Pepsi looked like it should taste like Sprite or 7up… but it tasted like a flattish cola. People weren’t just confused, they were disappointed.” (10:13)
  • Color and familiarity influence experience: Clear bottles allowed rapid product degradation, adding to consumer dissatisfaction.
• Behind the scenes: Product development faltered because the flavor creator never had the original Pepsi recipe: “The genius behind Nacho cheese Doritos was never told the original Pepsi formula…” (10:51)
  • Even the exec admitted: “Would have been nice if I’d made sure the product tasted good.” (11:00)

Expectation Disconfirmation: How Our Brains React

• A childhood prank story illustrates how expectation shapes experience:
  • “When your brain is geared up for that cold, creamy smoothness, and instead it gets a splash of acidic citrus, it’s not just your tongue that is thrown off—your brain totally short circuits.” (11:32)
• Melina distills the concept: “Your brain is basically a high speed prediction machine... when something matches those predictions, boom: dopamine.” (11:37)
• But when expectations are violated, it’s “not just the flavor. It’s the psychological betrayal.” (12:00)
• “People weren’t mad that it was weird. They were mad that it lied to their brain.” (12:09)

The Practical Takeaway for Businesses

• Don’t just ask, ‘Will people like this?’—ask, ‘What will people expect this to be?’ (12:38)
• Failure to set or align expectations risks consumer disappointment.
• Melina contrasts with Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” limited-edition chips, which succeed because the weirdness is clearly positioned as the point—they’re “edible dares” and experiences, not new standards.
• “Weird can win when it’s intentional… Just be sure that the expectation is crystal clear, especially if you’re Pepsi.” (13:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On launching video content:
  “We realized we didn’t want to dilute what was working here just to force something into a format that didn’t fit.” (03:24)
• On expectation vs. reality:
  “Don’t just ask, will people like this? Ask what will people expect this to be? And build from there.” (12:38)
• On consumer disappointment:
  “People weren’t mad that it was weird. They were mad that it lied to their brain.” (12:09)
• On creative freedom:
  “That’s really the beauty of having this new channel too... we can explore and let it be what it’s meant to be without feeling restricted by what we already have that exists.” (06:49)
• On quirky brand moments:
  “As a little reward for sticking around, check out the Saturday Night Live parody Crystal Gravy. It’s linked below. It’s gross, it’s hilarious, and it’s behavioral economics in the most disturbingly slippery form imaginable.” (14:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Announcement – 00:00–01:33
• Why Not Just Repurpose Podcast Content for YouTube – 03:00–04:20
• Team Changes That Made Expansion Possible – 04:20–04:50
• Strategy and Vision for the New Channel – 04:50–06:17
• Channel Launch Details & Content Overview – 06:17–06:52
• Behind the Scenes: Team Shoutout – 07:06–07:25
• Crystal Pepsi Deep Dive (Behavioral Breakdown) – 07:37–14:28
• Wrap-Up: Key Takeaways & Call to Action – 14:28–15:55

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Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Melina reinforces that “setting a clear expectation is everything”—not just for Crystal Pepsi, but any venture, including launching a new media channel. She encourages listeners to support the Brainy Melina YouTube channel, connect on social media, and share their own creative new beginnings. She reminds the audience: “The Brainy Business Podcast isn’t changing ... But if you’re ready to see behavioral economics in action, video adds a whole new dimension.” (14:28)

Links to the YouTube channel, past episodes, and resources are in the show notes.

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For Listeners New and Returning

This episode serves as both inspiration and instruction—for business owners, brand managers, and creative professionals—on tailoring content to audience expectations and platform context. It’s also a fun, practical explainer on the psychology of product flops and how to engineer more brain-friendly experiences no matter your medium.

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Transcript

[Melina Palmer]

Have you been thinking about diving deeper into behavioral economics? Now is the perfect time. Our Virtual Applied Behavioral Economics Certificate from Texas A and M University is enrolling now and I'm going to be teaching both foundations of behavioral economics and pricing strategy and product development this fall. Both courses run just once a year and they start September 5th. You will learn directly from me, including the option of live virtual office hours, and you get to be a part of a global cohort of curious brainy professionals from around the world. Get all the details and claim your spot at HBL Tamu Edu. That's HBL like Human Behavior Lab. TAMU like Texas A and M University Edu and click on Certificate Program. Your future self will thank you and when you're ready, let's start the show. Welcome to episode 529 of the Brainy Business Understanding the Psychology of why People Buy. Today's episode is all about launching our brand new YouTube channel and the brainy journey that brought us here. Ready? Let's get started.

[Podcast Announcer]

You are listening to the Brainy Business Podcast where we dig into the psychology of why people buy and help you incorporate behavioral economics into your business, making it more brain friendly. Now, here's your host, Melina Palmer.

[Melina Palmer]

Hello. Hello everyone. My name is Melina Palmer and I want to welcome you to the Brainy Business Podcast. If you've been listening for a while, you know that I love exploring new ideas, but only when the time is right. That moment has officially come. For one space I can't wait to talk about. After years of dreaming, testing, waiting and fine tuning behind the scenes, I'm so thrilled to announce that we've officially launched a new YouTube channel called Brainy Molina. Yes, this is different from the existing Brainy Business Channel which still features every podcast episode with audiograms and continues to be updated weekly. Nothing is changing there and nothing is changing here on the podcast either. This show isn't going anywhere. And thank you to everyone who has made it such a success for the past seven years. This new channel is something I've wanted to do forever and it's finally possible because we laid a strong foundation first. If you caught episode 523 on not yet, you know that timing and readiness matter. And while I wanted to jump into video years ago, I knew we needed to do it right and that meant waiting. Thanks to Aaron joining the company full time in early 2024, we were able to revamp nearly everything in our business last year. Our offerings, packages, backend processes, the website, and even a reorganized framework that clearly aligns our content into five key categories. That work gave us space to launch consistent video content we're genuinely proud of without having to compromise anything else. Now, let me tell you, we really, really tried to make our existing podcast interviews work as YouTube videos. We even tried editing them into short clips on combined themes. And while they were interesting as audio, they just didn't have that spark in video form. And that led us to a crucial insight. Not all content is built for every platform. And you know, that's okay. We realized we didn't want to dilute what was working here just to force something into a format that didn't fit. So we went back to the drawing board and asked a really important question. What kind of video content do we want to create not just for the Brainy business brand, but also for me, Melina Palmer, a person interested in human behavior, decision making, applied behavioral science, and business and making that all relevant and usable for real people, being able to kind of open up and use that restriction as an opportunity. And so we spent months watching content, researching YouTube trends, getting advice and learning what works and what doesn't. Ultimately, we decided to launch a new channel. Brainy Molina. All is one word at Brainy B R I N Y Melina M E L I N A so the algorithm wouldn't be confused by our long history of podcast only audio first content. And let me tell you, starting from scratch is humbling. But in the first few weeks we've already gotten great feedback, thousands of views, and even some comments from total strangers who really get what we're trying to do. Still, we're at the very beginning of this journey. So if you like me and the podcast and want to support our expansion into video, I. I would be so thankful if you would take a moment to subscribe to Brainy Molina on YouTube. Again, all one word, B R A I n Y M E L I N A on YouTube and maybe even share it with a friend. So what's on the channel? We launched on July 6, 2025, marking seven years of this podcast with a video all about the fascinating flop that was Crystal Pepsi. You'll hear that flop full audio next. And there are also videos up now about the Disney Vault strategy, Skip it. And a bunch of 60 second shorts we call why It Works, where I analyze brand moments and campaigns through a behavioral science lens in just a quick minute long bite. And of course we're testing and exploring more content ideas, maybe some reaction videos, habit change experiments, behind the scenes vlog content and whatever else our community is curious to learn about. That's really the beauty of having this new channel too is we can explore and let it be what it's meant to be without feeling restricted by what we already have that exists. So if you do have thoughts on what you'd love to see there, please send them my way. Or even better, leave a comment about it on YouTube. I also want to take a moment to shout out Aaron, who is doing all all the video editing now. He jumped head first into this new skill set and it's crushing it. The visuals, the pacing, the story, it's all so thoughtfully done and I'm seriously so proud of what he's creating and it's allowing us to make together. If you love it too, which I think you will when you go check it out, give a shout out to him in the comments. Say thank you Aaron. We appreciate him so much. And now I do know this intro is a little longer than usual, but it felt important to set the stage. And I do want to say once again, the podcast is not going anywhere and we're not moving platforms, we're just expanding our offerings. And if you've ever thought about launching something new, I hope this inspires you to ask whether it's a not yet or a now's the time. And whenever you feel good about doing so, please come share it with me on social media so we can celebrate together. There are links to connect in the show notes and make it easy along with links to subscribe to the new channel. Check out my top related past episodes and books, ways to get in touch and more. It's all within the app you're listening to and@the brainybusiness.com 529. Now let's jump right in with the full audio from our very first long form YouTube video, the Crystal Pepsi Behavioral Breakdown. Have you ever tasted Crystal Pepsi? No actually I haven't. It doesn't really taste like Pepsi. What do you think?

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

That's weird. Can you imagine investing millions into a product launch only to have that be your customer's first reaction? Well, that's exactly what happened with Crystal Pepsi. But here's the thing. It wasn't a terrible idea. In fact, it was kind of brilliant. So what went wrong and what can.

[Melina Palmer]

You learn from it?

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

Let's hop in that mental time machine and roll back to the early 90s. It was the era of purity, bottled water, fat free everything.

[Melina Palmer]

Ugh.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

Remember Snackwell's cookies? They were not very tasty treats and my mom used to to buy them all the Time, let me tell you, they were definitely not Oreos. Anyway, cola sales were slumping and Pepsi wanted to make soda feel fresh again. So they pitched a bold idea. Let's make a clear caffeine free version of Pepsi. A soda that looks healthier even if it isn't. And honestly, that made sense. Shout out to Pepsi's 90s AD team. Because the Crystal Pepsi commercials were epic. Dramatic visuals, surreal imagery and yes, a fun full on Van Halen anthem that made you pay attention right now. Underwater baby? Check. Snow globe, Check. Slow mo. Bike rides, Check. Absolute chaos. Checkity check, Check. There is a link in the description to the full commercial. It's a ride. And hey, while you're down there, subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss the next deep dive into brands brains and behavioral quirks. All right, back to Crystal Pepsi. In the beginning, it worked. The ads stirred curiosity. Test markets went wild. People were calling friends shipping six packs across state lines. David Novak, the Pepsi exec behind the product, called it the hottest news in the category. In its first year, Crystal Pepsi made $470 million. But then it fizzled. It was even named as one of the top 10 product fails of all time by Time magazine. Not the list you want to be on. But why did something that started so great fall so flat? While curiosity can get people to try, it takes something else to make them buy again. Crystal Pepsi looked like it should taste like sprite or 7up. Something clean, crisp, citrusy. But it tasted like a flattish cola. People weren't just confused, they were disappointed. One reviewer said it tasted like cola flavored candy smells. Another comment compared the aftertaste to modeling clay and the clear bottles didn't help. It turns out so does brown for a reason. Color protects the product. Without it, the drink degraded and started to taste like shoe polish if left in the light too long. Oof. Yikes. And you want to know the wildest part? The flavor scientist behind Crystal Pepsi, Surinder Kumar, the genius behind Nacho cheese Doritos, was never told the original Pepsi formula. So he had to recreate the taste without knowing what was in it. Even Novak admitted later would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good. Yeah, just a minor detail. But this isn't just a story about taste buds. Here is where our brains come in. Let me explain with a child childhood story. And yes, I fully admit this was maybe just a little bit mean. I used to love handing someone a glass, having them close their eyes and.

[Melina Palmer]

Say, hey, you want some Milk. But it wasn't milk.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

It was orange juice. Now keep in mind, they liked orange juice. But the second they took that first sip, the face they made, oh, it was priceless. Disgust, confusion, betrayal. All in one twitchy expression. Because when your brain is geared up for that cold, creamy smoothness, and instead it gets a splash of acidic citrus, it's not just your tongue that is.

[Melina Palmer]

Thrown off your brain.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

Totally short circuits. See, your brain is basically a high speed prediction machine. It's constantly guessing what's next, using past experience, context clues and mental shortcuts. And when something matches those predictions, boom.

[Melina Palmer]

Dopamine.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

That's the brain's little nailed it moment. But when reality swerves, when your mouth says milk incoming and your taste buds yell sour alert, that's called expectation, disconfirmation. And it does not feel good. It's not just the flavor. It's the psychological betrayal.

[Melina Palmer]

That prank.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

That is exactly what Crystal Pepsi put in a bottle. And let's be clear, people weren't mad that it was weird. They were mad that it lied to their brain. You see Pepsi, you expect caramel colored cola. Something bold, familiar, a little fizzy. But what poured out looked like Sprite and smelled like a Yankee candle. And that mismatch created chaos. So what's the lesson for your business? It's really simple to say, harder to do. Don't just ask, will people like this? Ask what will people expect this to be? And build from there. Because if you don't set expectations to clearly, your audience will make their own assumptions and you might not like what they assume. Just look at the much more successful promotion from one of Pepsi's sister brands, lay's and their do us a flavor campaign. When you crunch into a salty lay's potato chip, do you expect to be met with the flavors of bacon, Mac and cheese, west coast truffle fries, Cappuccino?

[Melina Palmer]

Probably not.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

But these flavors weren't meant to be classics. They were conversation starters. Edible dares that turned a snack into a story. Lay's tapped into our novelty bias.

[Melina Palmer]

We're wired to notice what's strange and.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

Unexpected and with limited time, flavors, they layered in scarcity too. It wasn't about perfect taste. It was about framing the chip as an experience. A little weird, a little fun, and totally shareable. Which makes me wonder, what if it had originally been called Crystal Buy Pepsi instead? That tiny shift changes everything. It lets your brain expect something new while still tying into the brand it promised something iconic, and instead it was weird. Let's remember, though, weird can win when it's intentional.

[Melina Palmer]

So go ahead, be bold. Be weird.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

Just be sure that the expectation is crystal clear, especially if you're Pepsi.

[Melina Palmer]

Thanks for watching.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

If you found this breakdown helpful, subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss the next one. And as a little reward for sticking around, check out the Saturday Night Live parody Crystal Gravy. It's linked below. It's gross, it's hilarious, and it's behavioral economics in the most disturbingly slippery form imaginable. I'm Melina Palmer, and until next time.

[Melina Palmer]

Remember to be thoughtful. So what got your brain buzzing as you learned about the curious case of Crystal Pepsi? For me, I always come back to the lesson that setting a clear expectation is everything. A product doesn't have to be bad to fail, it just has to surprise the brain in the wrong way. And if you want to see the visuals that go along with what you just heard and support our new adventure into video content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to BrainyMelina. B R A I N Y M E L I N A Again, search for that as one word and there are already more videos live, with new ones dropping regularly. And once again, remember, Brainy Business Podcast isn't changing. This show will continue to be audio first and brainy as ever. But if you're ready to see behavioral economics in action, video adds a whole new dimension. And and if you have an idea for a cool video, even something totally different than what we've done so far, I would love to hear about it. Post a comment on our Brainy Molina YouTube channel or send us an email to let us know the idea. The good thing about being new and at the beginning of this journey is we have all the opportunity to try all the things. There are links to everything in the show, notes along with ways to get in touch with top past episodes and more. It's all waiting for you atthebrainybusiness.com 529.

[Melina Palmer (Narrator/Analyst)]

And.

[Melina Palmer]

Just like that, episode 529 on the launch of the Brainy Molina YouTube channel is done. Join me Tuesday for another Brainy episode of the Brainy Business Podcast. It's going to be a lot of fun. You don't want to miss it. Until then, thanks again for listening and learning more me and remember to be thoughtful.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thank you for listening to the Brainy Business Podcast. Molina offers virtual strategy sessions, workshops and other services to help businesses be more brain friendly. For more free resources, visit thebrainybusiness.com.