Pumpkin spice season has returned, our bellies are full from Labor Day Weekend BBQs, and the order will be restored next Sunday because NFL RedZone is back. *Chandler Bing voice* Could life BE any better?

Let’s dive into what’s on the docket this week.

Helping Hand: Using Canva isn’t cheating…

We’re here to help you as a professional. This segment is dedicated to enhancing your professional workflow through innovative solutions and best practices.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re allowed to use Canva. If you work for a lean marketing team, you’re likely sprinting to keep up with deadlines and demands from other departments.

Ready for the truth bomb? A lot of the last minute graphics you’re pulling together on Photoshop could be built in five minutes on Canva. The functionality of this tool never ceases to amaze us. There’s nothing wrong with using this uber-efficient tool in your marketing tool stack, especially if you aren’t an Adobe whiz.

Canva is so easy to use.

When you have the time, look at some of these resources. It’s mind-boggling what you can do with just a simple Canva subscription.

Us af.

BTW - we aren’t Adobe haters by any means. If that’s your thang - all the power to you. It’s just important to recognize the reality of efficiency sometimes: if something is taking you six hours to build on Photoshop when you can make the same thing on Canva in 30 minutes, that’s just effective time management, babes.

Data Deep Dive: Glen Powell, the man that you are

We’re here to help you as an employee. This segment is built to inspire you with the transformative power of data in marketing growth and problem-solving, based on industry success stories.

TLDR: On the surface, Glen Powell looks like just another actor with a fairly successful catalogue. However, his popularity has exploded with the recent releases of Anyone But You and Twisters. He’s capitalized on the hit films and turned them into personal successes with strategic management of his personal brand.

Last summer was Ryan Gosling in Barbie. This summer was Glen Powell in Twisters. These days, it’s like everywhere you turn - bam, another edit of Glen Powell’s press tour with Daisy Edgar-Jones.

What’s with these dudes that absolutely skyrocket to peak popularity at seemingly random times for seemingly random roles? We’ll be the first to tell you - it’s not random. What we’re seeing from the Goslings and Powells of the world is a masterclass in personal branding.

Let’s dive into how Glen Powell has scored an A+ in Marketing 101 and how you can learn from it, too.

Did someone say yeehaw?

1 - Knowing your audience: Glen Powell is well aware that his demographic is chronically online Zillennials. As we’ve seen with the rise of NFL viewership because of the whole Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift thing, the data doesn’t lie: marketing to women works. Being an objectively handsome actor is a great first step to capturing that audience, but Powell has stolen their hearts through action as opposed to through appearance. What are his most genius moves?

Literally anything to do with Brisket: Dogs are an easy way to pretty much everyone’s heart. Glen Powell has brought his teeny tiny pup, Brisket, to basically every press event on the Twisters promo tour, which makes a lot of us point at his dog-obsessed vibe and say “me AF”.
TikTok besties: Glen Powell has smartly associated himself with well-known and well-loved influencers like Jake Shane and Alix Earle. Not only does this connect him with more consumers in his ideal demographic - he also benefits from the content types on their channels, which showcase his off-set personality (which we’ve discovered is just as charming).
Social media isn’t that serious: We understand that this is the era of the Instagram model, but no one can relate to (and therefore develop a para-social relationship with) picture-perfect personas. Almost every single photo dump Glen Powell has posted features at least one meme-worthy photo or snide comment in the caption. It’s not that serious, and Glen Powell gets it.

Babe wake up, Brisket and Glen Powell are wearing matching cowboy hats.

2 - Embracing the whole brand: When it comes to personal brand, it’s important to be proud of your catalogue. Everything you do won’t always be related, but you can still utilize past projects to cross-pollinate your popularity. With Twisters exploding this summer, a lot of discourse has been opened about what Glen Powell’s best work is. Netflix was quick to add Set It Up, one of Powell’s most beloved romcoms he stars in opposite Zoey Deutch, back to their featured panel.

Far too often, we see celebs discrediting their old work. When they get their big break in a sitcom, they pretend it never happened once they move to drama films. Glen Powell is loud and proud when it comes to his discography, and it’s helped him introduce fans of his new work to his old work, and vice versa.

3 - You’re never too cool: People value authenticity. We’ve talked about this a ton in previous issues. Celebrities can often be perceived as out of touch with reality, caught up in their own removed world. When they give us a dose of realness, or really just any sense of relatability, people tend to flock more toward them… as long as they do it right.

Glen Powell’s schtick of being the charming, co-star-obsessed, charismatic storytelling, energetic movie star has really landed with his audience. He doesn’t lean into the alt not-like-other-girls vibe that some actors try when they have a new film out - frankly, there’s nothing demure about Glen Powell at all. He’s the type to show up to a themed party in full costume with a relevant snack to share with the group. Parties die without these friends.

Be a Glen Powell. He’s proving to fans that he is well aware that he chose a fun career path, so he’s going to enjoy every second of it.

Our meme king.

So why do you care? Marketing extends so far beyond making graphics for your company. Having a strong personal brand is a huge asset in today’s age, and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Deliberate steps can be taken to lean into your target audience, to take pride in everything you do and treat all actions like they’re going on your resume, and to ensure that any time you’re Googled, brought up in conversation, or stalked on socials, people are liking what they find.

Fun & Flirty: Smells like potential [new episodes]

We’re here to help you as a person. This segment offers a lighthearted exploration of life beyond the workplace, focusing on cultural and lifestyle topics.

Summer is almost over, but last week, we were blessed with a ray of sunshine: Ted Lasso is (probably) back, baby!

As marketers, we understand the importance of choosing a target audience for your product because if you’re for everyone, then you’re actually for no one. Ted Lasso defies the rules of marketing and, well, basically everything; this is truly one of the most beloved modern shows. It genuinely may not have any haters. We know Ted tells us to be a goldfish, but we can’t forget how much we loved seasons one through three of this show.

Everyone <3s Jason Sudeikis.

What was marketed as the show’s final season came out in March 2023. Ted Lasso fans have had well over a year to cope with their show having ended, but media sources dropped a bomb at the end of August, announcing that a fourth season was in the works and on its way to a greenlight.

If you’ve never seen the show, now is a great time to start. It strikes an enviable balance between meaningful takeaways, cheeky comedy, and gut-wrenching lessons. Seriously, how do they do it?

The original cast is reportedly likely to return, but we don’t have many concrete details about much else, including when it’s set to be released. However, that won’t stop us from believing.

Stache game on point, always.

If you’re reading this, it’s too late for you to get the five minutes you spent reading this newsletter back, but we truly appreciate it.

Don’t forget to reply to this email to tell us about what you want to see featured next!

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Table of Contents

Helping Hand: Using Canva isn’t cheating…

Data Deep Dive: Glen Powell, the man that you are

Fun & Flirty: Smells like potential [new episodes]

About the author

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