The Popularity of Things That Are Wrong
Why data-driven too often means ethics-free
Latest
Marketing cope in a polycrisis
Everything is marketing, and nobody wants to admit it.
They Want to Know What You Think
The latest episode of Cross Tabs is almost a crossover with The Focus Group Podcast!
Why does talking to - and listening to - people matter?
The long-overdue second installment of "If I Did It" - a rumination on research methods built to understand, and to act.
If I Did It**
A few initial thoughts about how a branding agency would approach rebranding the Democrats
Over before it began
The importance of fighting for real victories, and moral ones too. And a bit about Clausewitz, because I took Law of War in law school. So there.
Always-on Brands
You can't build a brand in 107 days. You shouldn't run a campaign once every 2 years. But also: you don't need to run weekly brand trackers.
"when the city they love finally loves them back"
Brands are vehicles for emotions. You can't build those vehicles with surveys.
Weekend Reading Live with Farrah Bostic
A conversation with Mike Podhorzer about <waves hands> all this.
People Like Me
A democracy indicator, as good as any other.
Representative Democracy is an Interface
Some reflections on my conversation with G. Elliott Morris, all while reading a book literally called Oligarchy.
Political Market Making
The key to matching voters with ideas is mobilization
Say What You're For
My conversation with Anat Shenker-Osorio
brand strategy
Gatekeepers v. Barbarians
A second attempt at last week's post about "being a Democrat"
You are not a Democrat.
And neither am I.
Episodes
What should pollsters do in the absence of a horse race?
A new episode of Cross Tabs, featuring Ariel Edwards-Levy
Newsletter
Why does all this ambition & abundance seem so... small?
A few half-formed thoughts on what I suspect is getting in the way of leadership.
strategy
A Post-Truth Economy Built for the 1%
My conversation with Faris Yakob of Genius Steals about the YOLO economy, diverging demographic destinies, and why there is no "average" American for you to appeal to, in politics or marketing
What is a brand?
What do Democrats have to do with soda, burgers, rental cars, sportsball teams, or SaaS? Let's discuss.
A recession would be better than this
Seriously.
The Topline
Friday Rant Time
I am not emotionally prepared to talk about the Actual Problems, so instead I got mad at a liberal YouTuber
strategy
It’s a Party of the People — but which party?
My interview with Patrick Ruffini about the emergent multicultural, populist coalition that’s been shifting to the right.
The Topline
Brick by brick
Another week of taking apart what we just started putting together.
civic tech
When Tech Bros Reinvent Government (And Miss the Point Entirely)
A conversation with strategist and civic tech expert, Dan Hon.