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Welcome to my new and improved newsletter!
This is STRAIGHT UP ORIGINAL™ and its gonna be my new thing. I hope you looooooove her like I do 💕
📝 THE BACKGROUND 📝
Y’all know I go on and on about not copying them people, right? Well, I wanna bring you in on a lil’ secret to help you find new content and ideas that can set you apart in your industry.
As a marketer and brand strategist, when we need inspo for a new product launch or a unique marketing strategy for a client, we do market research a lil’ different.
Those of us who are committed to creating and developing a lane all our own, we look for inspiration in outside industries to see how they can be applied in our own. That way, we don’t have to worry about possibly taking on anyone else’s voice or thought process.
And when I sat and thought about how I stay inspired, I thought about the culture — our culture.
And I thought, what if I just brought you all in on the research?!
That’s when The STRAIGHT UP ORIGINAL™ newsletter was born!
I’ve got a few goals in my mission:
Give you proof positive of the effect of finding your voice
Hand over practical steps to standing out in your marketing and branding
Showcase the outcomes of following Dope + Different® values in your business
And mostly, to provide you with the inspiration to just be yourself
Every week, you can hop into your inbox and find a newsletter from me, connecting you to the current marketing trends and real time case studies of your fave people and brands! You’ll get to see how the culture is moving…and how you can use it all to your brand’s advantage 😊
Together, we’ll study the brand strategy of the biggest names in (pop) culture and grab insights on how they brand their voice (and their differences!) to build strong brands that serve their audiences…and themselves.
EVERY. WEEK.
So, welcome to Straight Up Original! Class is in session 🎬
📣 THE MANIFESTO 📣
I AM A STRAIGHT UP ORIGINAL™.
I am unapologetic in my beliefs and obedient to my gifts.
I do everything with intention because I am passionate about my assignment.
I cannot stand cookie cutter…I value MY story.
And I do not ask permission.
I control my own narrative.
🤔 ON BRAND…OR NAH? 🤔
September has been a month.
Not only have we lost legends, but we’ve been surprised by brands that we love.
Let’s take Shannon Sharpe for example.
Usually when Unc’s name would come up, leather coaches and cognac would come to mind. Maybe a side-by-side with Ochocinco. And for some, the football field is still gonna be top of mind.
That was all before a week ago. Now this is the image burned into our brains:
Screenshot from Shannon Sharpe’s IG Live
Shannon’s IG Live (mistake..?) blew tf up. And no, I’m not linking the actual video here! Please hit the Googler for that!
He started the day by claiming he was hacked. By the time he hopped on his emergency NightCap livestream that night, he was able to ‘fess up and let the world know, that was him that we’d heard on the replays.
Another claim? That his phone mistakenly went live. But that statement gave anyone who’s ever gone live on IG pause, mainly because we know that you’ve got to tap your phone at least good 3 times to go live 👀
But, hey. No judgement! We’re here to look at his brand.
The day of his IG mistake, Shannon was offered a contract by a major p*rn company. Then, while on his emergency livestream with Ochocinco, he hawked his male enhancement products (over and over and over again).
THEN, he released shirts with a certain phrase cut straight from his morning escapade — complete with the woman’s name! (That’s where I tapped out. Tew much for me, okay?!) It might’ve been tew much for others too because the shirts weren’t on sale for long.
But all of this happened within 24 hours of his viral mishap. So the question is, what happens to his brand now?
We can’t erase what we saw (excuse me…heard). He’s also undoubtedly being approached with tons of opportunities now that his brand perception has taken a turn.
You do know that’s what your brand is, right? What your audience says about you when you’re not in the room.
So what are we saying about Shannon, now??
Who knew when Katt Williams sat down on that couch back in January, that we’d end up here. That interview gave Unc a taste of what a viral hit can do. Some speculate that that one sit down alone, garnering 75 million views to date, even led him to a $1M paycheck. That kinda money will make a person rethink some things lol.
The internet has suggested that Katt come back to the couch to close the portal he opened, and I concur 😂
So what say you? Are we viewing Mr. Sharpe any differently now? Has he gone chasing after more viral money? Do we think he’s gonna actually hop onto any of the endorsements flooding his inbox this week?
And more importantly…is his a brand we want to keep supporting…or nah?
Let me know what you think!
🔌 BRAND POWER 🔌
This week also took us back in time.
With the amount of revelations and shock value 2024 has brought us (and we’re not even in Q4 yet!), folks are mentioning how Wendy Williams would have had A TIME.
Photo from ESSENCE Magazine’s IG account
During her radio days, Wendy was one of the most vocal critics of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, even going so far as to out him, a fact that led to her losing her job at Hot 97 in 1998, according to Charlamagne Tha God. So this entire Diddy saga, which publicly began back in November of 2023, would have been right up her alley.
In fact, many are convinced she knew exactly what Diddy was allegedly up to.
Thing is, we haven’t actually seen Wendy in her chair since 2021.
Imagine the type of brand you have to own to have folks recalling your phrases 3 years later.
Imagine the type of brand you have to have to have folks associate you with a high-profile story, even though they haven’t heard you speak on it in literal years.
Because of her diagnosis of aphasia and dementia, Wendy can’t tell us her viewpoints today.
But we can remember.
In her prime, she was a woman unapologetic about her beliefs. And, fortunately or not, she did not ask permission. These qualities led her to become a mogul in her own right.
She began her controversial career in 1984 and here’s how it’s rewarded her:
She became one of the most popular radio jocks of all time
Her syndicated talk show ran for 13 seasons and created a ton of catch phrases, like “How you doin’?!”
Her memoirs became NYT Bestsellers
She’s created clothing lines for HSN and Walmart
She’s executive produced several TV projects
She’s received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Michael Tran / FilmMagic for Getty Images
And what did Wendy have to say about all this??
“I guess I showed ‘em.”
Wendy shows us that you can build a brand around your passions, as long as you’re willing to stand on business.
Those things you obsess about.
The voice that can be polarizing.
The stories that you tell.
And when the time comes that you have to step away from the spotlight…
You can be remembered for being YOU.
You can be remembered for how you made people feel.
AND you also get to choose the feeling that you want to leave behind.
Your legacy can be yours, it doesn’t have to be what others say it should be. In fact, is it even your legacy if it comes by following others’ orders?
Questions that need answers.
But this week, I’m saluting Wendy for her memory — her legacy — bringing us levity when we most need it. Even years later.
She shows us that our brand can be the gift that keeps on giving, if you want it to be.
So where do you start?? By being unapologetically you.
I think authenticity is the name of the game.
🔥 YOU’VE GOTTA SEE THIS 🔥
A clip that made the rounds this week that you must take with you on your journey.
Today’s clip is of Caroline Wanga, President + CEO of ESSENCE Ventures, from her talk at the GU Disrupters Summit last year. This one stopped me in my tracks! But don’t take my word for it.
One of the gems she dropped?
“You won’t be safe, what you will be is legendary. That’s what disruption looks like.”
Click below to hear her game-changing words for yourself 👇🏾
🎵 VIBE OF THE WEEK 🎵
Music makes the world go round. Here’s the tune that’s been on replay for me this week.
This song is giving end of summer, Lucy Pearl vibes. Clock it!
🪩 KEEP THE PARTY GOING 🪩
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