Did you know the American Music Awards were this week? We don't think anybody did.

• Google I/O: What the AI announcements mean for marketers

• Dyson's new vacuum (and how the Coanda effect works!)

• The AMAs nobody went to: Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish won, but didn't go. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton performed... but didn't do it live. And people hated on Jennifer Lopez.

• Red Lobster's and Joey Fatone's $19.99 in 1999 moment. (Can you send us Cheddar Bay Biscuits?)

Follow us:

Sonia Baschez (@soniabaschez): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠

Amanda Natividad (@amandanat): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠, and Instagram

Sonia's consulting firm: bendgrowth.co

Amanda and her newsletter: amandanat.com

Meme Team: memeteampodcast.com

Bonus episode! You're welcome, teamsters.

• Is Tom Cruise the last movie star and... one of the best marketers? (Hear us out.)
• Duolingo purges its TikTok and Instagram and comes back... with a bizarre video. (Presumably to win us back after its AI-first disaster.)
• All-American Rejects playing in your backyard. (We wish.)

Follow us:

Sonia Baschez (@soniabaschez): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠

Amanda Natividad (@amandanat): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠

Sonia's consulting firm: bendgrowth.co

Amanda and her newsletter: amandanat.com

Meme Team: memeteampodcast.com

On the Meme Team podcast, we talk about the logic behind virality. Because marketing isn’t just logic — it’s culture… and this podcast decodes both.

• Sesame Street is now available on Netflix (but still on PBS!)
• Uber's route share announcement gets bungled (it's really not a bus!)
• HBO finally drops the "Max" (it's cleaner)
• Is everything going to become an AI chatbot?

Follow us:

Sonia Baschez (@soniabaschez): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠

Amanda Natividad (@amandanat): ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠

More about Sonia's consulting firm: https://www.bendgrowth.co/

More about Amanda and her newsletter:

https://amandanat.com/

Marketing isn't just logic — it's culture. The Meme Team podcast decodes both. Let's goooo!

• Apple Vision Pro and Bono (it's like they're trying to make 'fetch' happen)
• Skechers doubled down on this one audience segment — and got to a $9.4 billion valuation
• Final Destination's brilliant guerilla marketing (but if I see a truck with logs on the freeway, I am taking the next exit)
• Pope Leo XIV (is this America's big marketing opportunity?)

Follow us:

Sonia Baschez (@soniabaschez): ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter/X⁠

Amanda Natividad (@amandanat): ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter/X

More about Sonia's consulting firm: https://www.bendgrowth.co/

More about Amanda and her newsletter:

https://amandanat.com/

The queen of Marketing Twitter joins the Meme Team podcast! Christina Garnett, author of the forthcoming book, "Transforming Customer–Brand Relationships: Use Emotional Connection To Build Loyalty" chats with Sonia and Amanda about:

• Duolingo declaring itself 'AI-first'
• How everything is content (and why this sucks)
• The magic of Lego F1 cars
• Rivian doubling down on community with its new ad campaign
• AI and Mark Zuckerberg
• KIND — and why a cringe moment outshined their thoughtful rebranding

Preorder Christina Garnett's new book: Transforming Customer–Brand Relationships

Follow all of us:

Christina Garnett (@ThatChristinaG): LinkedIn and Twitter/X

Sonia Baschez (@soniabaschez): LinkedIn and Twitter/X

Amanda Natividad (@amandanat): LinkedIn and Twitter/X

Sonia and Amanda talk about millennial nostalgia, the innovative Slate Truck, the impact of viral user-generated content, and the challenges posed by bot farms on social media narratives.

Follow us:

Meme Team Podcast (official website)

@soniabaschez on LinkedIn and Twitter/X

@amandanat on LinkedIn and Twitter/X

Sonia and Amanda discuss Americans' obsession with protein and protein products, the big problems about Katy Perry going to space (and what is wrong with Blue Origin's marketing), and then we end on a charming note about the Japanese ambassador to the UK Hiroshi Suzuki.

Follow us:

⁠Meme Team Podcast⁠ (official website)

@soniabaschez on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter/X⁠

@amandanat on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter/X

First episode of the Meme Team podcast! Sonia and Amanda talk about why everyone cared so much about Rory McIlroy winning the Masters, the real tea about TikTokers saying all the luxury brands manufacture in China, and the significance of Ryan Coogler's thought leadership.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of storytelling, authenticity, and understanding audience truths in effective marketing.

Takeaways:

• Rory McIlroy’s win resonated due to his long journey and underdog status.
• Trend jacking should focus on authenticity and not self-promotion.
• Nike’s ad for McIlroy celebrated his achievement rather than the brand.
• Marketers should tap into universal truths to connect with audiences.
• Luxury brands often face misconceptions about their manufacturing processes.
• Consumers should be informed about the brands they support.
• Authenticity in thought leadership is crucial for engagement.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing strategies.
• Brands should prepare content for upcoming viral moments.
• Effective marketing is about understanding and addressing audience needs.

Sound Bites:

“People love an underdog.”

“Learn from the universal truths.”

“Show up in the way that you are.”

Follow us:

Meme Team Podcast (official website)

@soniabaschez on LinkedIn and Twitter/X

@amandanat on LinkedIn and Twitter/X