What We're Processing 014

Signs and signals we're making sense of right now

Smashburger Superiority?

Or, waiting in line for low quality meat 🥩

Mike Hernandez

The boom of smash burgers in New York has been hard to ignore. While this style of burger has been around for quite a while, it commanded national attention with the arrival of the Smashburger fast food chain in the late 2000s. Now, it feels like a new restaurant is popping up every week - Smashed, 7th Street Burger, Gotham Burger Social Club, Hamburger America.

The draw is clear - a smashed beef patty allows the edges to crisp up, burning ever so slightly and providing an incredible bite. It’s deeper than just texture though. Smashing the patty also alters the flavor profile, due to the Maillard Reaction - a “chemical reaction between amino acids and a type of sugar called a ‘reducing sugar,’ located on the surface of food, in the presence of heat."

On the flip side (nice), it turns out these burgers are also really cheap to make. They’re commonly made with lower grade beef, as the thinner patty is more forgiving, and they cook fast. It’s also made with far less beef. So while they taste great, are we standing in long lines for less quality AND less quantity? Are these new restaurants hopping on a trend AND taking advantage of our pockets? Doesn’t feel like the NYC consumer standard.

Can a farm or running club become the new corner bar?

Or, brand engagement 24/7

Nick Hayman

Earlier this month, Fast Company released an article titled, “Why an ex-Googler just opened a chestnut farm in rural Pennsylvania”. It covers Sam Nana-Sinkam, a former Google exec who…does exactly what the title says. The long 7 year wait for the trees to grow presented a new opportunity for the farm: becoming a place where people can connect with nature and find community. In the last two years, his farm has hosted yoga retreats, forest bathing sessions, cooking classes, and writing workshops…the inspiration for Sam’s new company, “Third Place”.

The third place is a term created by sociologist Ray Oldenberg in 1989 that refers to the social spaces that are separate from home and the workplace. Examples include cafes, community centers, bars, public libraries, gyms, bookstores, parks, etc, where people can relax and engage with others.

It’s interesting to see how brands that don’t fit into this category can utilize events and activations as their the third place. In 2020, Fortnite featured a virtual concert with Travis Scott that roughly twelve million gamers attended, thus creating a space. Golf brand Random Golf Club holds a “Mad Scramble Tour”, with 50-100 participants playing in one group, turning strangers to teammates to friends. The hottest running shoe brands in the market right now, Hoka and On, frequently host run clubs led by fitness influencers. These experiences allow their customers to engage with the brand and their communities in ways that competitors aren’t offering.

This whole idea about the third space begs the question – can brands really afford to not offer this type of engagement anymore?

“Ask Me Anything” on Mother’s Day!

Or, parents use TikTok too

Dasha Ovsyannikova

Initially known for its youthful demographic, TikTok has seen a significant increase in older users, including parents and specifically moms, who are creating and sharing content related to parenting, cooking, DIY projects, lifestyle tips and more.

Walmart+ has teamed up with first-time moms and celebrities to celebrate Mother’s day in a big way. The campaign, dubbed “Mother of All Savings Memberships”, includes a star-studded lineup with Paris Hilton, Whitney Cummings, Tia Mowry, Aislinn Derbez, Kat Stickler, and Barbara “Babs” Costello. The campaign launched with a video on TikTok on April 22nd and is running as a TikTok TopView ad. Users are encouraged to comment with their questions, which will be answered by the celebrities in a Reddit-style AMA thread on the platform.

Moms are always on the lookout for advice from fellow moms, especially on social media.

This campaign fosters a dialogue for mom-to-mom advice in real-time. Moms in all phases of parenthood can engage in discussions about motherhood and glean insights from celebrity moms. Whitney Cummings delves into her parenting style, Paris Hilton questions the suitability of a hot pink nursery, and Babs, the Internet mom/grandma, offers expert tips on toddler cleanup. We love to see some wholesome, positive advice for a change.
Wishing all moms a happy Mother’s Day!