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Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 106

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Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 106

Matt Tillotson
Aug 27, 2021
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Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson and this is Matt’s Mix Tape, a weekly Mix of ideas on writing and content strategy for the Creator Age.

This week’s Mix:

  • Twitter brands as buddies

  • Fitness conundrum

  • Quick mix

  • This week’s Florida photo


This week’s Mix Tape logo

I didn’t feel like drawing something fun this week.

I’m dismayed by the events in Afghanistan. By leadership failures, passed off on others. By what it means for those stranded there. By the avoidable loss of life. And by the emotional impact on all who bravely served there, and may now be wondering what it was all for.


Twitter brands as buddies

Kushaan Shah on why processed and fast food brands create distinct voices on Twitter:

Wendy’s, Denny’s, Steak-umm, MoonPie, Boston Market, DiGiornio, Oreo, and Arby’s are among the many brands using their Twitter not just as a channel for their brand awareness, but as a sociological exploration into just how people interact.

Wendy’s Twitter account roasts competitors and fans alike:

(Nearly 1M likes on this roast.)

Steak-Umm’s account has become a stand-up comedian, mixing humor with thoughtful and self-aware takes on life, business, and the human experience:

Twitter avatar for @steak_umm
Steak-umm @steak_umm
anti-marketing is when a brand makes fun of itself for marketing in a self-aware way and meta-advertising is when a brand makes an ad about an ad but idk what it's called when a brand markets itself by telling consumers about its own anti-marketing meta-advertising strategy
2:56 PM ∙ Aug 24, 2021
2,640Likes150Retweets

Shah argues there’s little “experience” to reinforce purchase decisions with these brands. The Wendy’s drive-thru doesn’t leave a lasting dopamine trail. So the Twitter accounts at Wendy’s and other commodity brands try to build bonds in other ways:

If you see snark brand twitter, weird brand twitter, angsty brand twitter, or whatever permutation of unusual brand twitter exists out there, forget about the bottom line for a minute.

Just ask yourself exactly what void they might be filling in a world that’s full of them.

There’s another reason: These brands create emotional bonds to paper over the fact they shovel processed garbage at a populace that is chronically—catastrophically—overweight and sick.


Fitness Conundrum

On Twitter, I get the most engagement when I Tweet about health and fitness.

The problem is, I don’t really have that much to say about it. My personal program is simple:

I just do that stuff over and over. It’s not complicated.

Simple, not easy: I’m uncomfortable giving fitness “advice.” I’m not a trainer. Lord knows science was never my thing, so I have no credentials there.

My one advantage: I can see 50 years old in my windshield (still down the road a bit, though!), and I’ve stayed in good shape.

The best shape of my life, probably.

I do feel a pull to help our society get healthier. With COVID, we fight about masks and vaccines and ignore the role our own health plays in surviving the virus:

Twitter avatar for @GabeCanales
Gabe Canales @GabeCanales
On last night’s “Real Time”, Bill Maher asks why our public health officials and elected leaders continue not to not address obesity and lifestyle in their messaging? It’s a great question. It can be the difference in life and death once someone gets COVID.
5:02 PM ∙ Aug 21, 2021
48Likes27Retweets

Our culture encourages bad habits. Bad habits are profitable.

Not sure what to do with all that—or if it can be any kind of sustainable content advantage at all—as I consider my content strategy. Kinda thinking out loud here. Your thoughts are welcome.


Quick Mix

Some things I found interesting this week:

  • A new study finds sugar increases fat absorption in the gut. Minimize sugar! (From Cynthia Thurlow.)

  • I’ve abandoned ship on a lot of books lately. But “Project Hail Mary,” by Andy Weir, has me hooked. He also wrote “The Martian,” which became a movie starring Matt Damon. Apparently this book will follow a similar path and star Ryan Gosling.

  • And, finally, I liked this reminder:

    Twitter avatar for @writingforsouls
    ✞Writing & Beauty For Souls☦︎︎ @writingforsouls
    Don’t forget to write for your soul.
    7:03 PM ∙ Aug 26, 2021
    9Likes2Retweets

This week’s Florida photo

The wind currents that steer hurricanes from Africa to North America can also sweep Saharan dust into Florida. The dust amplifies our already spectacular sunsets:

My wife captured this shot earlier this week.


Welcome to 33 new subscribers 

Including Rika, Jimmy, Monica, and Brand. 

And thank you for reading. 

Please reach out and say hi, ask a question, whatever—anytime.

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1 Comment
Pitchfork Papers
Writes Pitchfork Papers
Aug 27, 2021Liked by Matt Tillotson

Loving Mixed Tape Matt

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