It's the most wonderful time of the year! A clean slate. Back-to-school marketing tells us so, promoting the opportunity to ramp up and refocus.
👉To rewild your attention.
The post linked above from Clive Thompson stuck with me; the idea being that to create truly interesting ideas, to BE truly interesting, you need to break free of the algorithm.
Clive writes:
Instead of crowding your attention with what’s already going viral on the intertubes, focus on the weird stuff. Hunt down the idiosyncratic posts and videos that people are publishing, oftentimes to tiny and niche audiences. It’s decidedly unviral culture — but it’s more likely to plant in your mind the seed of a rare, new idea.
Steal it: Get your brain off autopilot. Swap out the news sources, blogs, and influencers you always read. In their place, subscribe to a newsletter on a topic you know nothing about. Read that weird hobby blog. Discover some new podcasts. Seek out content creators publishing to a niche audience. Then share them with others.
Falling off your industry’s approved path of thought helps to:
🌟 Spark new ideas. Established leaders are lovely, but you won’t ignite a new way of thinking by reading the over-polished words of someone else.
đź“• Remember how you learn. Start at the beginning of something and note the process of self-discovery. What questions do you have? Where do you hunt for information? What would help you gain mastery? Knowing the answers will strengthen your ability to learn and serve as a lesson in teaching others.
Steal it (twice!): You’re not the only one inspired to learn or do something new this season—lower the barrier of entry for your audience.
Offer a discount to get started. Create a beginner or jumpstart package. Tease a giveaway that makes it easy for someone to try--a free session, a discount, a personal experience.
2. Go Back To Why
This year, one of my favorite back-to-school campaigns came from OshKosh B’gosh, releasing a series of vignettes under the title “Today is Someday.” The spots featured pop icons Mariah Carey, Muhammed Ali, and Outkast as young children. It shows us their younger selves, sharing their dreams and aspirations in poignant monologues.
What I liked about it: it didn’t follow the typical back-to-school trope. We didn’t get big toothless smiles and munchkins perfectly outfitted in pigtails and new denim.
Instead, we see these young people as, well, people. We see their confidence and assuredness. We hear who they want to become. We’re reminded that we don’t give kids enough credit. They’re smarter than we think, earlier than we think.
The message from OshKosh:
Before they were icons, they were kids daring to imagine who they would become someday. To the next generation of icons: dream boldly and turn someday into today.
Listen to Young Mariah:
