🎧 Why the internet loves “lore”

This week’s tabs: The Disney adult is getting a rebrand, waiting in line has become a social status symbol, and frustrated customers are taking their complaints to social media. Timestamps:🏰 0:21 - Goodbye Disney adults, hello Disney cool girls. How a new generation is making Disney more fashion-forward, and what it means for the brand’s next chapter.* Good-bye, Disney Adults; Hello, Disney Cool Girls, The Cut🧋 13:55 - When did waiting in line become the activity? Why viral experiences are turning queues into social destinations and status symbols.* When did waiting in line become the activity?, Dazed📱 25:20 - The customer service revolt. Why frustrated customers are bringing complaints to social media, and how brands can build loyalty through better experiences.* The customer service revolt: how bad support is building a grievance empire on social media, Fast Company* Megan’s piece: The pendulum always swings back: why 2026 is the Year of the Human Touch This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: why it feels like every brand has an ACOTAR collab and the rise of co-working livestreamers.Timestamps:📚 7:42 - ACOTAR [A Court of Thorns and Roses] is the latest franchise brands are clamoring to collaborate with. From Target to For Love & Lemons, brands are tapping into the fandom. We discuss what makes these collaborations work and why understanding the world behind the IP matters more than simply putting a logo on merchandise.* Every ACOTAR Collab You Can Shop Right Now, The Cut💻 20:44 - Why are people watching strangers work on the internet? Study and co-working livestreams offer accountability and a sense of companionship. We discuss the appeal of body doubling and whether these digital spaces are building community or monetizing loneliness. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: “Lore” is Sprout Social’s 2026 Word of the Year, and Banana Republic is turning to TikTok sitcoms to win over younger shoppers. We discuss what brands can learn from internet lore, why entertainment and marketing are increasingly overlapping, and what it actually takes to build cultural relevance.Timestamps:📚 0:21 - Lore is the internet’s word of the year. Sprout Social named “lore” its 2026 Social Media Word of the Year. We discuss why audiences are craving backstories and deeper worlds, how brands like Duolingo are building out their own universes.* Sprout Social crowns “Lore” as the 2026 social media word of the year👗 19:13 - Can a TikTok sitcom make Banana Republic cool again? Banana Republic launched The Agency, a five-part comedy series starring Jack Innanen, in an effort to reach younger shoppers. We discuss the growing trend of episodic brand content, whether consumers actually want marketing disguised as entertainment, and why a new content series might not be enough to revive a brand. Plus, what Gap Inc. could learn from creators, legacy products, and the power of having a clear point of view.* Banana Republic debuts TikTok content series in bid for younger shoppers, Marketing Dive This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Instagram is testing long-form video, Elizabeth Holmes is Gen Z’s latest “girl failure,” and a creator will be host SNL for the first time. Timestamps:📱 0:34 - Does Instagram need long-form video? Instagram is testing horizontal videos up to 90 minutes. We discuss whether audiences want another place to watch long-form content and why platforms may need to create more shared viewing experiences.* Instagram Tests 90-Minute Horizontal Videos, The Hollywood Reporter* Instagram CEO Reveals Biggest Update Yet, Collin & Samir🎬 8:59 - Elizabeth Holmes is Gen Z’s latest “girl failure.” Nathan Fielder’s new documentary about the Theranos founder has sparked conversations about public downfall, internet memes, and the line between accountability and entertainment.* You Can See Everything Is on Track to Be One of the Most Successful Docs in History, Vulture🎤 25:13 - SNL is tapping into creator culture. Druski is set to become the first content creator to host Saturday Night Live. What does his booking say about the show’s strategy to stay culturally relevant?* Druski is making SNL history, Variety This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Universities are turning student athletes into content creators, and LEGO is finding a whole new audience in adults.Timestamps:🏈 0:00 - College athletes are becoming content creators. UC Berkeley has opened a Twitch studio where student-athletes can livestream everything from workouts to cooking challenges.* UC Berkeley’s new Twitch studio gives student-athletes a place to build their audiences, Mashable🧱 24:05 - LEGO is growing up, and that might be changing the toy industry. With adults without children driving 55% of toy sales, LEGO is leaning into sets made for adults. * What Lego Lost When It Grew Up, The Atlantic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Victoria’s Secret gave its iconic fashion show a social media makeover. We’re breaking down how the brand is using creators, celebrity power, and a multi-platform strategy to bring new life to a legacy event, from its YouTube casting series to Kylie Jenner’s Fantasy Bra debut. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Brands are using Easter eggs to deepen fandom and Gen Alpha is bringing back the stigma around being a poser, from lifestyle tourism to cosplaying a life you don’t actually live.Timestamps:🥚 0:45 - Easter eggs are becoming a brand marketing strategy. From Google’s interactive Fat Bear Week feature to TikTok’s celebrity comment pop-ups and movie theater booking interfaces that turn seats into themed experiences, brands are finding ways to surprise and delight their audiences. * Why platforms are winning with digital Easter eggs🤠 10:19 - Gen Alpha and the fear of being a “poser.” From LARPer becoming a TikTok insult to influencers dressing up for a lifestyle they don’t actually live, we’re unpacking why authenticity is back in the spotlight. * The latest Gen Z insult is ‘You’re a Larper’ — so, are you?, The Times This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Beauty brands are bringing QVC-style shopping to TikTok Live, and creators are proving that the best brand partnerships are built on stories audiences are already invested in.Timestamps:💄 0:23 - Beauty brands are bringing QVC to TikTok. From Rihanna joining Fenty Beauty’s TikTok Live to brands building recurring livestream shopping shows, we’re unpacking why live shopping is gaining traction and what U.S. brands can learn from China’s multitrillion-dollar livestream commerce market.* How Beauty Brands Can Ride the Live Shopping Wave, WWD✨ 13:01 - The best creator partnerships have lore. Beauty creator Hannah Chody spent years trying to find a dupe for her favorite discontinued Tom Ford eyeshadow. Now, she’s partnered with Saie to recreate it, turning a long-running content series into a brand collaboration her audience is already invested in. We’re breaking down why brands should look beyond follower counts to find creators with stories and communities they can build on, and why bringing back a beloved product can be more powerful than launching something new.* Gap Just Launched a New Nostalgic Collection. Some Customers Consider It ‘Dystopian’ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: Executive women are turning to astrology and tarot to navigate their careers, and Big Tech is giving AI assistants the cute-character treatment to make them feel more human.Timestamps:🔮 0:20 - Workplace witchcraft is having a moment. From executive women hiring “workplace witches” for $1,000 a month to astrology becoming a regular topic on professional calls, we’re unpacking why spirituality is finding its way into the workplace.* The Rise of Workplace Witchcraft, Goop🤖 24:06 - Big Tech wants you to fall in love with its AI agents. Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dot are getting cute, character-inspired branding, but there’s a bigger strategy behind the adorable faces. As AI assistants move deeper into our inboxes, calendars, bank accounts, and shopping habits, we’re discussing how anthropomorphizing technology can make people more comfortable with it, and what happens when a friendly little character has access to your entire digital life. * Why Is Big Tech Trying to Make AI Agents the New Labubus? - Vogue This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s tabs: The NHL tried to capitalize on the hockey romance boom and listicles are making a comeback in the age of AI.Timestamps:🏒 0:00 - The NHL tried getting into hockey romance. The league launched “Hot for Hockey,” a series of fan fiction-inspired audio stories featuring real NHL players. They quickly scrapped the entire project just days after launching. We’re unpacking why it felt so off, what the league is missing about its growing female audience, and how sports can tap into women’s fandom without reducing it to romance and WAG culture [not that there’s anything wrong with romance or WAGs].* The NHL Is Releasing Its Own ‘Hot’ Fanfic. Romance Lovers Hate It, Wired* NHL’s ‘Hot for Hockey’ campaign ends after not-so-hot reception, Yahoo Sports📋 16:45 - The listicle is back. In an internet flooded with AI slop, people are turning back to rankings, lists, and curation as a way to signal taste, find community, and create shared cultural context. We’re talking BuzzFeed, Letterboxd, the New York Times’ TV rankings, and why the real value of a list might not be the list itself but what people do with it once its been posted.* How lists became our greatest defense against endless slop, New Yorker* The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, NY Times This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe