#83: Better than Ever
A daily roundup of interesting links about music, culture and marketing
Morning!
Before we get started, some housekeeping.
Starting with Office Hours #100, this newsletter will shift to a tiered system. Paid subscribers will now receive exclusive articles. One example would be the Brands to Watch report, which will now become a monthly deepish-dive on a brand I think does really cool/innovative stuff. Here’s the Spring/Summer ‘19 report, as a freebie. Free subscribers will still get access to the podcast and the daily link newsletter. Speaking of the podcast…
The podcast is coming back! If you didn’t know there was a podcast version of this newsletter, now you do! I’m currently setting up an editorial calendar, but expect 1-3 pods a month given current workload. The format of the podcast will be the same as the newsletter, but with some added bonuses like interviews with marketing/culture/music people and rare stuff that I have tucked away.
If you took the Readers Poll, THANK YOU. I got a lot of feedback and a lot of kind words. I’ve taken that feedback into consideration and you should see some shifts away from some topics so I can focus on bringing you the hottest shit on Earth. Ok, back to it!
CULTURE THING:
Another round of layoffs at ViacomCBS, per several former MTV staffers tweets (h/t @waveslices) https://t.co/Pb7clkn8P7 https://t.co/SUctBGqyf6So, was just informed that today is my last day at MTV News due to greater ViacomCBS layoffs. Mergers, amirite? Anyway, if you have any social/audience dev job leads, that would be cool.
Bob Marshall @bobmarshallIf we’re talking metaphors, MTV is a 40-year-old trying to throw parties for teenagers. I sometimes wonder what would happen if all of the talent fired by MTV/MTV News were able to stay and have the freedom to innovate the brand they grew up idolizing? I mean, wouldn’t it be a good idea for a brand that’s turning 40 next year (!!!) to have those minds working there, helping to bridge between the then and the now?*
It’s hard to fathom to people younger than I, but MTV used to be what the internet, Youtube and style blogs are now all at once. A true cultural phenomenon. Sadly, I don’t know what’s going to come but it doesn’t look good. Hoping all that suffered through the layoffs are doing ok, this shit SUCKS.
Now that I’ve bummed you out, read this article about how MTV came to be. I don’t know how it will end but I can offer you a fun look at how it all began.
Birth of an MTV Nation
* I truly believe there’s an alternate universe where Desus & Mero got to host a relaunched YO! MTV Raps and I wish I lived in it.
MARKETING THING:
Steal these Digital Marketing Campaign Ideas
No, seriously.
MUSIC THINGS:
At the buzzer, Cool Men’s Boutique has been updated for April!
If you haven’t listened to this playlist before, the concept is easy: if I owned a Cool Men’s Boutique, this would be the store playlist.
Until tomorrow…
WASH YOUR HANDS! STAY IN THE HOUSE! CHECK ON YOUR LOVED ONES!
Office Hours is written by Ernest Wilkins. Follow me on Twitter/IG @ErnestWilkins or send me an e-mail.