Check Out Benjamin A.'s LinkedIn Stats (Last 30 Days)

Where is the influencer and creator economy heading? 🤔 I regularly get asked this by our partners. Some on here are suggesting creator fatigue has set in, that a microeconomic pullback is on the way. But if you ask me, it's (still) only going one way 📈 When you look at the space's evolution over time, it's getting more deeply engrained and more diversified ① First there were brands ② Influencers and creators supported brands ③ Brands started to rely on influencers and creators ④ Influencers and creators became brands ⑤ Influencers and creators leverage brand partnerships to grow and monetize their own brands ⑥ Influencer and creator funds start to build brand monopolies ⑦ Influencer and creator monopolies replace traditional brands, creating wholly independent business ecosystems. Okay, point 7 is a futurist thought, for sure... But for me, the creator economy is moving in one direction - from brand partnerships to economic dominance. That's why we're continuing to invest in building a world class influencer and creator offering here at OK COOL. It's always been a prominent string to our bow but it's only becoming more and more critical for brands and agencies like ours to have true and differentiated expertise in. Think I'm being overly dramatic with my future prediction? Just read this excellent substack 👇 by Aaron Miller and Yash Gupta https://lnkd.in/e8K7xib7 Implications for brands? Simple: Involve and evolve. Fast. Because too many still see the space as purely a means to amplify their own brand messaging. Am I way off here? What do you think?

Hey LinkedIn devs, here's an idea: What if LinkedIn could remember? I love this platform. But it often feels like an endless loop of the same ideas being shared over and over. The constant recycling of perspectives and content can make it seem like we're stuck in a cycle of déjà vu. Imagine if LinkedIn could flag repeated content for users at the draft stage. Before you hit that post button on your latest "groundbreaking" AI insight, what if LinkedIn could show you that it's already been posted about by thousands this week? Similarly, before resharing that viral campaign for the umpteenth time, what if LinkedIn could gently nudge you that it's already flooded feeds in the past few days? It could save us from inadvertently - or intentionally - adding to the echo chamber. This platform craves a touch of uniqueness, it needs to be humanized. LinkedIn needs a soul. Perhaps incorporating a real-time content qualifier or contextualizer could be the answer. While it may sound like just another algorithm, the goal would be to promote originality and relevance over redundant content and clickbait. Maybe LinkedIn already has something in the works, but what if it could do more to encourage fresh perspectives and timely discussions? Could a blend of discovery and quality, akin to what TikTok offers, elevate LinkedIn to new heights as the ultimate professional network? Add in a better, more qualified way to network and I think you have a super interesting revamped platform. Would you be on board for such an evolution?? Who knows, maybe I should take the plunge and bring this vision to life…. Let me know what you think, or comment below 👇

Year 1️⃣ for me completed at OK COOL and what a ride... Big wins. Hard truths. Plenty of lessons, some learned the hard way. 🔥 The (very) good: Built a team of absolute superstars. Every company says that, but our people honestly amaze, inspire and challenge me every single day Officially, one of the Fastest Growing agencies out there rn. Momentum is real Still hybrid and dispersed but NYC team (partly seen here!!) is growing every week Onboarded some DREAM brand partners. Big things coming! Work that doesn’t just talk about culture, it moves it 👀 Upgraded to a cool new SoHo HQ. Swing by anytime. ⚡ The real talk: We’re not for every brand. And that’s okay. Gen Z thinking isn’t for the cautious. Overspent on pitches we should’ve walked away from. Lesson learned. No more free work. Hiring and process gaps? Still have some. But we see them. And we’re fixing them fast. Not every decision makes everyone happy. We’ve had to say no - to potential hires, partners, even team members. It’s never easy, but it’s always necessary. 💡 What we’ve learned: Saying no is a superpower. If a brand isn’t built for what we do, forcing it won’t work Growth is great, but only if it’s sustainable. Fast and smart is the only way Social media and culture are moving faster than ever. Agencies that don’t evolve in real time? Left behind 👋 With all the uncertainty around us, more than ever leadership means making tough calls. I've been reminded I can't please everyone but clarity > consensus All in all? Year 1: Epic. Year 2? Looking great so far. Let’s go. 💚💚

Last time I was in Chicago, the river was green and my hair wasn’t grey! Excited to be back in one of my favorite towns this week Finally getting to meet irl our awesome OK COOL team there and local clients Would also love to catch up with any new or old friends while I’m town Let’s chat content, culture and creators… or just have a coffee HMU in the dms✌️

Is this new work from adidas the 🐐 of brand repositioning?? Here's my POV why it is: 1 - You Got This perfectly captures the cultural shift that's happened in health and fitness in recent years, away from a solo endeavor built on performance, to one of community and shared journeys >> for proof of that, look no further than the rise and rise of run clubs and community-led workouts like Orangetheory Fitness, F45 Training and of course everyone's fave new(ish) race HYROX 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️ 2 - the fact this repositioning comes at the same time as arch competitor Nike seems to double down on the opposite end of the spectrum (You Can’t Win. So, Win) only reinforces its timeliness 3 - many recent noteworthy brand repositionings have focused on the visual and aesthetic redesign only; the logo, the color palette, packaging And while that's all super important, this work goes deeper, there's a new meaning, a new purpose infused in the tonality and story. It's more than just the new tagline. Personally, as a social media marketer, I'm excited to see how this great brand can amplify what is very clearly a socially-centric big idea There's limitless potential for activating this in different subcultures and communities in original and value-additive ways And for adidas, that needs to be a non-negotiable. because aside from their Portland rivals, PUMA Group are flying after several years of awesome culture-infused work, New Balance, lululemon and Alo Yoga are innovating, On are growing rapidly, and keep an eye out for Under Armour and FILA 👀 Competition is on and its only heating up. Who do you think's winning this race??

Here’s the thing - fast turnaround, made-for-social content doesn’t have to mean low-fi We just proved that with our latest work for TikTok Shop’s “The Big Game” campaign 🏈 🎯 72 hours from concept approval to live 🎯 Featuring pro golfer Lily He 🎯 In the middle of a nationwide TikTok shutdown and guess what? It looks a million bucks 💸💸 Just like this Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Eagles, we were up against the clock But we pulled it off, and I’m incredibly proud of our OK COOL team and our partners at TikTok who truly delivered. Here are 3 things we learned: 1️⃣ Plan ahead, but stay flexible We set a clear path, but when challenges popped up (hello, TikTok shutdown), we adapted on the fly 2️⃣ Leverage tech + expertise High-quality content doesn’t have to take weeks. With the right tools and talent, we moved fast without losing quality 3️⃣ Collaboration is key Everyone on the brand and agency team was aligned, passionate, and ready to roll up their sleeves to get the job done Agility isn't just a buzzword. It’s what we actually do 💡 WHOS YOUR MONEY ON??? 👇 #Marketing #SocialMedia #TikTok #ContentCreation #BrandStrategy #Agility #OKCOOL #Production #SuperBowl