Another year of “fun” comes to a close with more navigating an ongoing pandemic amidst huge life changes. Some highlights of this year: Starting school with an amazing cohort of friends in the Berkeley Haas PT MBA Program, more than 50,000 words in the newsletter, an incredible new job with…

A fascinating case study on the power of K-pop, a new paradigm in promotion, and the psychology of an undeterred fandom — I have to start this piece with an embarrassing confession. Before 2021, I had never heard a song by the boy band BTS. Sure, I knew who they were. I had loosely followed the rising popularity of their work and of K-pop in the US. …

Most of us probably overspend or have eaten “healthy” — what subconscious secrets drive our relationship with food? — Welcome to MIND MELD: Deep dives into the psychology and human behavior that drives products, brands, and marketing strategies. It all starts with an innocent trip to Trader Joe’s. You just need bread, milk, and dish soap. In the blink of an eye, you escape into a vortex of impulse…

For a long time, I thought of the spectrum of burnout as a speedometer. If you’re working long hours and going at 110%, you’ll feel the pain. You need to dial it back before it screws you. …

This past Monday, for the first time in almost two years, I felt true pain. The Maryland Terrapins, my beloved alma mater, had just suffered a soul crushing loss at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. I finished my last bite of dinner…

What does the NFT craze mean for marketers and brands? — Welcome to MIND MELD: Deep dives into the psychology and human behavior that drives products, brands, and marketing strategies. A couple of weeks back, I was chatting with a friend and fellow NBA fan, who told me to check out this site called NBA Top Shot, a site that sells…

Budweiser, McDonald’s and Apple are just some of the many brands that have nailed iconic Super Bowl Ads — what’s unique about their strategy? — Welcome to MIND MELD: Deep dives into the psychology and human behavior that drives products, brands, and marketing strategies. Growing up in Massachusetts, I spent most of my Super Bowl evenings fairly stressed. In the roughly twenty Super Bowls I’ve watched since 1999, my Patriots have played in nine of…

✍️ This piece was originally published as part of my new Substack newsletter, the Marketing Mind Meld. Subscribe there for weekly marketing reads! I was eight years old at Universal Studios when I first learned about the existence of ET, Steven Spielberg’s mini extraterrestrial masterpiece. I was enamored by its…

An analysis of the categories of memes: topical, social, reactionary, nostalgic, utilitarian — Welcome to MIND MELD: Deep dives into the psychology and human behavior that drives products, brands, and marketing strategies. Last Wednesday was the U.S. inauguration, a day typically reserved for surprising celebrity appearances, bold platitudes from the new president, and general atmospheric optimism for the incoming political party.