The rise of the marketing Substack
And 4 Substackers you should follow
Hi friends,
It feels like a minute since we’ve last connected; alas, work deadlines have kept me from connecting with you and I missed last week’s newsletter. To make up for it, I’m bringing you a taste of some of my favourite Substack writers on this platform - who specialize in business and marketing - and enlisted them to talk trends, writing, and why they do what they do. I’m interested in understanding why we’re seeing the rise of marketing and business newsletters on Substack and wanted to get their diverse perspectives. More than that, as a sometime-journalist/turned-content strategist, I’m keenly curious about why people do what they do and why they’re passionate about it. I hope you find them as smart and interesting as I do and enjoy their takes on the marketing landscape, which I will find forever fascinating.
And now, I pass the mic to the Fab Four…
Sabena Suri,
When did you start your Substack newsletter and why did you start it?
I've always loved brands and trends because, when combined, they are a great cultural pulse check. I started my newsletter ~ four months ago. I felt like I hadn't found a newsletter that combined business trends, brand deep dives, and pop culture that felt meaty yet fun. So, I try to make Brandiose all of those things.
What is your day job and is it related at all to your newsletter content?
I'm a fractional Head of Brand Growth for early stage business (B2C & B2B both). It is related as it's my job to be plugged into what's happening in the brand world and have a strong POV! But even if it wasn't related, I'd doing it anyway :)
What’s the weirdest business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
I think we may be reaching the point of collab oversaturation, especially as Big CPG starts to come out with products like Warhead-flavored Cinnabon and Hellmann's Mayo flavored fragrance. Which makes me sad, because I love a collab that brings together the best of two brands to make something epic, rather than something that just drives PR coverage.
Favourite business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
I personally love all the Founders who are joining Substack right now to share the trials and tribulations of founder life. If Substack were around when I was building BOXFOX, I definitely would have started one—it's a great way to share experiences and build community, especially as founder life can be isolating.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your day job?
I'd be starting a consumer brand, which is something I'll definitely do again (I cofounded BOXFOX, a gifting company ~10 years ago). Just waiting for the right moment to launch something new :)
In a dream world, where would you like to take your newsletter?
I'd love to feature thought leaders & founders in the brand world to help bring new perspectives to my subscribers. I'd also love to build a community of Brandiose subscribers and offer a way for brand lovers to connect & have great conversations.
Do you have any news about your newsletter you’d like to share?
Yes! In addition to my ongoing Future of Fashion series, I'll be coming out with some exciting founder interviews this fall, so make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss those!
Why do you think we’re seeing a rise in business/marketing newsletters?
I think there's been a rise in business/marketing newsletters as the worlds of brand/business/pop culture/trends intersect; we've seen it in TikTok trend cycles, fast fashion, cancel culture... I also think there's been a democratization of education due to social media - consumers are becoming more savvy about what it takes to run a business and feel more invested in their favorite brands. So there's a general appetite for more information.
Nikita Walia,
When did you start your Substack newsletter and why did you start it?
I started my newsletter in October of 2020, as an ambient marketing channel for my strategy and design consultancy. I had a fairly ambivalent relationship towards my newsletter for a long time and have ebbed and flowed out of writing it. I try to frame it less as a trends focused newsletter and more as what I’m thinking about lately.
What is your day job and is it related at all to your newsletter content?
My day job is brand/social/cultural marketing for startups and Fortune 500s. My newsletter is ambiently about Brands, so I guess yes.
What’s the weirdest business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
Vibrams. Not weird really, natural end state of where things are going.
Favourite trend you’ve seen recently?
Honestly, a little burnt out on ‘trends’
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your day job?
Probably art.
In a dream world, where would you like to take your newsletter?
Something more frequent and possibly paywalled!
Do you have any news about your newsletter you’d like to share?
Not at the moment!
What do you think is driving the trend for marketing/business newsletters?
A real gold-rush, similar to what we saw with Fashion Blogging/TikTok/any media format before. It’s part that, and partially just wanting to make sense of the world. Oh, and the pressure to be a Brand to be a consultant/employee, etc.
Ochuko Akpovbovbo,
When did you start your Substack newsletter and why did you start it?
I started writing my newsletter in April, but for the first two months, I’d just send it to my friends, so it was all kind of incognito. I started it because I had a lot of time on my hands and wanted to do something challenging and creative.
What is your day job and is it related at all to your newsletter content?
I work on Membership Strategy at Adidas, but my prior roles have been in Brand. I think of the newsletter as related to my career, but not the role I’m in right now.
What’s the weirdest business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
This is less weird, and more something I disliked, but I’d really love to stop seeing demure or brat slapped on everything. I think it’s very uninspired when brands just hop on TikTok trends in a way that doesn’t really makes sense, or reflects what every other brand is doing. Also sucks the fun out of TikTok.
Favourite trend you’ve seen recently?
I’m enjoying all the Nara Smith partnerships that are springing up since she worked with Marc Jacobs. I guess brands were just waiting to see how “brand safe” she was and that was the vibe check they needed.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your day job?
Living on a farm and writing my newsletter.
In a dream world, where would you like to take your newsletter?
I’m honestly not sure yet. I’ve only been doing it consistently for four months, and I’m still testing out the waters and seeing what I can make of this. If it can one day make me loads of money and help me work on some really cool projects, I’d love that.
Jake Bell,
When did you start your Substack newsletter and why did you start it?
I started my newsletter in November of 2023. I had been living in New York just a few months and felt the urge to launch a new project that would keep me curious and provide an outlet for my thoughts and feelings on trends I was interested in. I work directly at the intersection of marketing and business, and am a very active consumer with a lot of strong opinions, so it feels natural put my ear to the street and give takes. The newsletter has also been an incredible networking tool, and I’ve been privileged to meet and interview so many founders and creatives and creators working for my favorite brands.
What is your day job and is it related to your newsletter content?
I currently work in brand marketing for a fintech startup, run the emerging Who Do You Know? media empire, and in my free time consult for brands I am passionate about across wellness, tech, fashion, luxury, etc. As a creative, the most essential part of any of these endeavors is a strong grasp on story, which can be conveyed across so many mediums: writing, design, video, etc. So in my head its all related.
What’s the weirdest business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
Ugh there are so many weird things I see everyday it’s honestly hard to pick just one. Let me freestyle real quick—
I've been seeing Lemme’s ‘I’m Just a Girl’ wheat-paste campaign in New York. When copywriting is hyper-online, I think it's tacky.
The collapse of the fashion trend cycle is interesting and honestly kind of exciting. It’s like everything is a trend and nothing is at the same time. I can’t tell if this is driven by think pieces in GQ and Vogue, or by TikTok creators talking about the ‘10 items you need this Fall’ but it feels like people are just tired of changing their style to fit a trend and just dressing how they want to dress. I feel it happening in myself too. I used to buy new shit all the time and now I’m like why? I have a wardrobe I’m happy with and find it easier to wear stuff that’s worn in and comfortable. I’m much more discerning.
I’ve written about this but streetwear stores need to find a new way to bring in customers besides coffee and aesthetic seating. We need more creativity. Fuck it, put a rock climbing wall in your store. Put in ski ball and basketball and make it feel like Dave & Buster’s. Just do something different.
Favourite business/marketing/fashion trend you’ve seen recently?
I’m most enamored with the rise of luxury fitness lately. Whether that be Equinox’s $40,000/yr personalized membership or new spots like Bathhouse and Othership that are taking the spa concept to a new level. As someone who loves to work out, I’m always finding ways to enhance my training or recovery, and this growing market is also fascinating in that it diverges away from luxury consumer culture being centered around product consumption and shifts it to being focused on taking care of our original ‘product’— our own bodies.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your day job?
The most talented people I’ve had the privilege of meeting or working under have had long, expansive careers where each step of the way informs the next. Everything is relevant if you are perceptive. I’m 26, there will be many unexpected turns in the journey ahead. I love what I do in all aspects so as long as I’m creating work that resonates with people and making money I’ll be happy. One thing I keep in mind is that talent is honestly overrated, you get ‘talent’ and generate ‘luck’ by putting in consistent work and finding how far you can push yourself, while along the way being someone people want to work with. Its less about what you know and more about who you know.
In a dream world, where would you like to take your newsletter?
The newsletter has gone further than I had ever anticipated, and I’m earnestly shocked at the opportunities it has brought thus far. But I’m seldom one to rest on my laurels, so I am exploring new ways to expand the newsletter's ethos across new mediums like video, audio, products, and experiences. I want to talk to the coolest, most interesting people I can. That’s the goal.
Do you have any news about your newsletter you’d like to share?
I’ve been experimenting with taking written content/ideas and turning them into short form videos. I used to do this on TikTok but I quit for awhile because it felt like I was blending into the sea of green screen Capcut videos.
Recently when I was at Apollo Bagels with Joey Scalabrino before he opened their West Village location, and I was interviewing him surrounded by workers making bagels, installing signage, it dawned on me that this should be a video.
So now I’m working on turning the written newsletters interviews into video content that dives deeper. Maybe that turns into a podcast too? Who knows.
I’m also launching the first Who Do You Know? hats in the next week or so. It's been a very fun experiment to put something physical into production, plan a GTM strategy, shoot a campaign, and launch a Shopify site.
I’m stoked to release them and hopefully see some readers wearing hats out in the streets of New York.
What do you think is driving the trend for marketing/business newsletters?
I think more people are realizing long-form newsletter content is a great way to build a super engaged, intimate audience and the best in the game like
Kristen Vinakmens is a content strategist, brand marketer and former/sometime journalist based in Toronto, Canada. She specializes in content strategy, editorial direction and cultural strategy, helping brands get laser-focused on their story, positioning and point of view to reach their audiences where they are. As a former beauty and fashion editor, she also has impeccable taste.
Thanks Kristen, we also at themarketingnewsletter.org are diving into the wild world of marketing and influencer authenticity!
Great list