Word & Mouth Blog
Where food, hospitality, branding, and human behavior all crash into each other. I write about restaurants, wine, placemaking, customer experience, and the small details that make people talk about a business long after they leave.
For even more snarky takes on marketing, pop culture, branding, and the internet, visit my Substack, Burnt Popcorn & Branding: Substack
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A mix of hospitality, branding, customer psychology, hospitality culture, and internet behavior from someone who’s worked behind the scenes in marketing long enough to know what feels authentic and what feels painfully forced.
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Yes. Especially if your marketing currently sounds like ChatGPT wrote it.
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No LinkedIn thought leadership energy here. Just strategy, storytelling, and occasional side-eye toward trends, Chat-GPT written branding advice, and “disruptive” ideas that all look the same.
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People in marketing, hospitality, branding, retail, wine, or anyone who secretly judges restaurants by their menu design before reading the food list.
AI Posters Are Everywhere, and People Are Already Over
AI-made posters are everywhere. They look polished, but people scroll past. Here’s why sameness is costing small businesses attention and trust.
Your Wine Story Is Killing Your Sales
Stop using wine jargon that confuses customers. Learn why simple, human descriptions sell more wine than technical tasting notes. Real wine marketing examples and actionable tips inside.
Growth Opportunity for Fitness Brands? Making People Feel Like They Belong
Fitness brands can’t grow by targeting athletes alone. The next opportunity? Marketing movement as belonging, not performance.
People Aren’t Buying Your Aesthetic. They’re Buying a Promise.
Your brand isn’t a vibe—it’s a promise. Here’s why consistency, not aesthetics, builds trust (and repeat customers).
The Wine Marketing Strategy in the Post-Brain Rot Era: What’s Next?
Wine marketing strategy still stuck in 2018? Consumers want real connection, not more content. Here’s how brands can shift from algorithm-chasing to authentic engagement post-brain rot era.
The Cost of Banning TikTok: More Than Just a Social Media Platform
The upcoming TikTok ban threatens jobs, marginalized voices, and access to vital information. Here's why this loss matters deeply.
Rediscovering Starbucks’ Core: A Lesson in Staying True to Your Brand
Starbucks' shift back to its core values offers key lessons for hospitality businesses—focus on quality, experience, and customer connection.
5 Reasons that Branding Matters in Social Media Marketing
Five reasons why branding matters when it comes to social media marketing. Your brand is how you connect with your community.
What Brands Are Losing by Ignoring Marketing Feedback Strategies
Want better customer feedback? Learn how smart marketing feedback strategies can give you real insights, boost engagement, and level up your business.
Wine Brands Can Appeal to Younger Generations While Maintaining Their Legacy- Here's How.
Discover how wine brands can attract younger consumers while preserving their core identity. Learn strategies on experiences, psychographics, authentic innovation, and strategic partnerships to engage diverse audiences.
Quick Updates to Grow Your Instagram Business Page
Here are some quick and actionable tips to grow your Instagram Business Page right away.
Social Media's Comeback: Debunking Myths and Seizing Opportunities - like Marketing & AI
Discover how AI and marketing are transforming the industry, from generative AI tools and social media strategies to content creation and audience engagement. Embrace the future and unlock new opportunities for success.
Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions - Tips for Lasting Success
As we enter the New Year, it's important for wine marketers and small business owners to set realistic goals and develop sustainable habits for success. Our tips for making your New Year's resolutions successful include understanding the difference between short-term and long-term goals, creating an action plan, and adjusting your goals as needed to remain flexible. By following these guidelines, you can stay motivated and on track to reach your goals in 2023 and beyond.
10 Ways to Optimize Social Media for SEO
How can you make sure that your social media content is seen by the people who are interested in it? By following these 10 tips, you can optimize your social media for SEO and ensure that your content reaches your target audience AND helps you grow and connect with new people within your niche.
Struggling to Achieve Your Goals? Here's How to Overcome Common Excuses
We all have common excuses we tell ourselves when it comes to not achieving goals. With a little bit of effort, you can overcome excuses, change your habits and start achieving your goals.
Whether it's a lack of time, motivation, or energy, there are plenty of ways we can overcome the excuses that are holding us back from achieving our goals.
5 Best Paid Social Media Tools I Use to Run My Content Marketing Business
If you're feeling overwhelmed by running a social media marketing business, these five paid tools will help make life easier. From content creation to organizing everything to email marketing, check out my top picks for best social media marketing tools!
A Step-by-step Guide to Creating Instagram Transitions in Reels (with 5 examples)
Learn how to create EASY Instagram Reels transitions between your videos for an even more engaging Instagram reel. This guide provides simple tips and tricks to help you create professional looking short-form videos for Instagram (and TikTok) in no time!
5 Content Marketing Tips For Your Wine Business, With A Bonus Tip…Which Is My Favorite, TBH
Wine Country small business owners and marketers are always looking for ways to get more bang for their marketing buck. Check out these five content marketing tips to drive traffic to your site and convert those visitors into paying customers — and if you DIY, your content marketing can be a pretty cheap way to build your brand online.