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Don't you wish this year could last forever? 😬😬

My Long Island roots have me feeling stuck inside 2020’s version of We Didn’t Start The Fire, unsure if our current verse is closer to the song's beginning or the end. I'm back to wanting to vomit. 

But we're dealing with it! All of it—the politics, the unrest, hurricanes deemed "unsurvivable," and the whole schools opening while there's still a deadly virus thing. There's this heavy expectation that, despite everything, we'll just. keep. going. Swallowing this whiplash lump in our throat whenever we're thrown from the world out there to back in here. This space where, as marketers, we still need to promote and talk about our stuff.  We all have the same question.  

How do I not look tone death while trying to sell this toaster? How do we market anything right now without mucking it up?  

We remember we're humans first. Humans talking to other humans. That's what's helping me. And as a fellow human, I've been super appreciative of brands using this time to spark joy. To remind me that its okay to smile by giving me a reason to do it. That it's okay to keep going and to focus on things that are fun and good. I’m aching for it. Anything that helps me feel seen or a sign that someone else understands how CRAZY this is. Joy sparks resilience.

This week, I wanted to share some joyful examples of marketing to see if they inspire you too.

As If Carne Asada Wasn't Joyful Enough

Have you seen the new spot from Café Rio Mexican Grill? It’s feeding my soul. Café Rio has a small chain of restaurants. They recently brought back their carne asada dish and they were amped to tell people about it. The end result is delicious. 

Check it out but don't get lost. Come back. 

Why is it so good? It flips the switch.

It takes our shared experience, one that most of us are doing are darndest just to survive, and it douses it with levity. Where your face mask is a convenient way to keep in flavor. Kids rush out the door for school holding bags of carne asada…only to run back inside because they’re not attending school in-person; they’re being homeschooled and they’re late and they hate this class. Dad works from home wearing business wear on top and basketball shorts on the bottom. The official office mullet.

It acknowledges the absurdness of life right now without making light out of it. The result is you laugh, you feel seen, and you exhale the breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

STEAL THE IDEA: Help your humans find a moment of joy. Don't make fun of their situation but do help them get through it. Share content designed to make them smile or to laugh. Highlight the good people are doing in the world. Help them to look at the hard parts of their situation in a different way. It’s become cliché but we truly are in this together. Help them feel it.

Mrs. Meyer's Scent Swatches

I know it's summer. But in my mind, it’s fall. I’m drinking pumpkin coffee, I'm wearing my Overit hoodies, and I’ve already received all my favorite fall-scented Mrs. Meyer’s products. Acorn Spice hand soap. Mum-scented cleaning sprays. Apple Cider everything. I couldn't be happier.

But then, I was happier!

Tucked in my Mrs. Meyer's order this week was this lovely scratch & sniff product swatches key chain that highlights more than a dozen product flavors scents with coordinated cleaning household hints. 

It’s like little perfume samples only Mrs. Meyer’s products actually smell good.

Guys, I was joyful. I was joyful because…

• It was a surprise. It’s something extra I wasn’t expecting.
• It’s tactile. I can touch it and flip through it and scratch it. 
• It’s useful. Educational content value-add. Heck yeah!
• It’s playful. Scent-testing the different cards makes me feel like a giant human baby and I love it. I tested them all and I've made others do it, too.

STEAL THE IDEA: We like small surprises. We love them, actually. Tiny interactions we weren’t expecting. Maybe it’s an email to say thank you, a free gift or personalized something that acknowledges us or provides value, or rockstar-level customer service. The best part of delighting someone is that it's not that hard. The bar is so, so low. Just a small gesture at a moment they weren't expecting it. Master it and you won't just be appreciated--you'll be remembered and loved. 

The past few months have been traumatic—for you, for your family, for the people you’re trying to reach. We can’t NOT acknowledge it, but we can help each other get through it. One way brands are doing it is by marketing joy. Whether it's Burger King's Christmas in July or Popeye's speeding 2020 along or the examples I shared. Brands are using their big moment to take me out of mine. And we can, too. 

What about you? How are you doing balancing work and life? What's getting you through it all?

• Life Needs Truth from the New York Times is a masterclass in audio marketing. It pairs a poem over jazzy beats, perfectly set to the tap-tap-tap of a mechanical keyboard. (H/T The Drum)

• Sticking with our topic of joy,  Chris Hemsworth thinks you’re doing a great job and you make him want to be a better man. Here. He’ll tell you himself. 

• Not related to marketing at all, essayist Geraldine DeRuiter wrote about how the United States Postal Service is responsible for her relationship with her father. If you want to experience beauty, you owe it to yourself to read this.

• Lastly, Starbucks and I want to welcome you to fall. Dial 1-833-GET-FALL. Sip and enjoy. See you in two weeks.

P.S.

I truly want to say thank you for all the emails, comments, and shares the inaugural edition of this newsletter received. We're not alone in our need to feel connected and share in conversation. I see you. Thank you for coming with me.