The Daily Carnage

Some new research suggests that telling people who your product is not for can actually be more persuasive than saying who it is for.

People were up to 48% more likely to choose a product when it used negative framing, like “Not for risk-taking investors,” rather than positive framing, like “For a safe investment.”

The effect works because it signals specialization and makes your product feel tailored.

It’s especially effective for products with strong personal preferences, like coffee, hot sauce, mattresses, beauty products, etc.

Here’s how to activate it:

• Use negative framing in product descriptions, ads, and social posts (“Not for people who hate dark roast coffee”).
• Highlight specialization to make your product feel tailored for your ideal customer.
• Test on preference-driven products first (food, beauty, lifestyle), since effectiveness may vary for other categories.
• Combine with context by referencing customer habits, history, or product use.
• Compare rivals carefully to showcase strengths and differentiate your offering.

Catch up on the research at Science Says.

Brands are mistaking participation for presence. Sorry if that hurts.

Trend-jacking can deliver short-term engagement, but it rarely builds long-term cultural influence.

It’s easy to take a meme format, swap in your logo, and hit post. But as feeds fill up with recycled humor, brands lose their distinctiveness.

Gen Z especially sees through the mimicry. They’re looking for authenticity and purpose over another “relatable” brand that tries too hard to belong.

So, how do you move from participation to ownership? You have to know your brand, have a clear voice, and create moments that feel organic, not opportunistic.

Here’s how:

• Know your identity. The basics! Define your brand voice, purpose, and audience role.
• Lead with originality. Use cultural moments as springboards, not scripts.
• Be selective. Quality over frequency. Not every trend deserves your logo.
• Add value. Join only those conversations where you can contribute meaningfully.
• Own your space. Don’t chase relevance. Create it.

Visibility ≠ influence.