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6. WELCOME TO MAKO__LAB
I just finished writing the first entry for the new MAKO__LAB newsletter, LAB REPORT. This first piece is a simple introduction to the brand, my first time actually writing something like that out.
With the first few drafts, I tried to write a professional and artistic sounding piece, but it never felt authentic. It always had a slightly pretentious and fake feel. After finding some inspiration from other brands using a more laid back tone in their copy, I was able to put together a more appropriate piece.
Writing out the description caused me to reflect on the way I’ve been writing vs the way I want to write. In the past, I’ve been writing in a similar tone to other popular luxury brands, which is fine, but it’s boring and that’s never been my vibe or the vibe I want for the brand.
In the future, I’m going to be sure to keep consistent with the laid back and more personal tone in the marketing for MAKO__LAB. It will hopefully make the brand seem more genuine, and allow readers to connect with what’s being said. It’s also more genuine to myself, and I’ve never been a fan of inauthenticity.
05.05.24
Lukas Mullen
5. BALENCIAGA : LUXURY SH*TPOSTING
Founded in 1917, Balenciaga is one of the most historic luxury fashion houses in the world. But looking at their social media posts from the last couple years you would never know. Mixed in with the standard product photos and runway shots is a video of a model comically slipping on a banana peel and a $3,000 bag being blended into a smoothie. It’s probably not what you’d expect from the haute couture house loved by Kim Kardashian. But this playful, carefree, slightly edge attitude is exactly what thrives on social media.
It’s not rare to see brands use this strategy. Bose is another example of a big brand killing it on social media this way. It is, however, unusual to see a luxury house like Balenciaga go this route. I can’t help but respect it and it’s inspired me to implement similar content into my brand strategy.
Earlier this month I posted a reel of a candle burning while laying on its side as well as a photo of the aftermath. It was a concept definitely inspired by this sh*tposting style used by Balenciaga. I plan to sprinkle more of those shorter style reels into my content in the future as well. I think the mix of the longer behind-the-scenes videos, short silly videos, and carousel posts will create a nice funnel for people who stumble upon my page.
02.1.24
Lukas Mullen
4. POTENTIAL IN BRAND CHARACTERS
Recently the brand good girl snacks was introduced to me. They’re a pickle company that’s killing it on Instagram right now. One thing stands out to me on their page. It’s the characters they’ve created for the brand. A lot of brands do this, but good girl’s stand out. They come across like some spontaneous doodles drawn in a notebook, rather than a super polished, corporate approved design. There’s more personality that way. The excitement for these characters created new highs for engagement for the brand and got me thinking how I could implement something similar for MAKO__LAB. I’m still not sure what direction I want to go in, but I know there’s no denying the potential in these characters, and I think I would be stupid to ignore it fully.
01.27.24
Lukas Mullen
3. INTRODUCING MAKO__RADIO
This week I launched the newest addition to my brand’s marketing, a Spotify playlist series I’m calling MAKO__RADIO. I take lots of inspiration from fashion when it comes to marketing for my own brand. Every Other Thursday and Supreme both have over 10,000 followers on their Spotify profiles just from posting playlists. It’s a great opportunity for brands to strengthen the connection with their fans. When people follow the playlist they’ll see it whenever they’re on the app, keeping MAKO__LAB at the top of their mind.
Quality curation is extremely important with these playlists. I need the vibe to connect with the world being built for the brand. Over the past few weeks I’ve been constantly tinkering with the tracklist and I’m very happy with the final lineup. There’s a good mix of popular artists, sleepers, hits, and deep tracks while keeping a consistent sound. I think it’ll resonate really well with my target audience.
I plan to release a new playlist once a month. I think that’ll give me plenty of time to put together an interesting list of tracks and also be a good amount of time for followers to enjoy the playlist. Feel free to check it out!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0BL5Z2V4FzUStpmFi6Q9Z6?si=5dd344a79c334c37
01.21.24
Lukas Mullen
2. SHIFTING CONTENT FOCUS TO CAROUSELS IN 2024
After lots of back and forth concerning my content strategy for MAKO__LAB in 2024, I’ve decided to put a heavy focus on Instagram carousels, and TikTok slideshows, and move away from short-form video. Until recently, I had the mindset that short videos were the future of social media, so I would be stupid to focus on anything else. But over the past few weeks, I’ve had my eyes opened to the power of carousels. Thanks to creators like Oren John and TheMarketingSharuf, I’ve come to realize the power and potential in slideshow posts. Examples like @about___blank and @ohsierracreative provide proof of concept that carousels can build an immense following and be responsible for a large amount of engagement.
There are signs pointing towards short-form video being on the way out as well. TikTok is really pushing longer videos for advertising reasons. It’s the same situation we saw with Vine a few years ago. TikTok wants to avoid the mistake that killed Vine, leading to their shift to long-form. Short-form is fun, but it’s not sustainable.
We are also seeing a rise in anti-TikTok discourse among older Gen Z’s and younger Millennials. The addiction to endlessly scrolling videos for hours daily is weighing down on users, and it’s clear to see why. TikTok is full of creators mindlessly yapping to a camera and obnoxious advertising for the TikTok Shop. It’s a terrible experience, but we can’t look away until we realize 3 hours have passed of consuming brain dead content and we ask ourselves what we’re doing with our lives. I know multiple people in real life who have been on TikTok for years, but recently deleted the app to free themselves from the addiction, a decision I see becoming a popular one in the coming years.
Reels suffer from a different set of issues. Being a part of the Instagram app creates a large hump for Meta to get over. Instagram is an app designed for silent content, and that’s what users expect for the platform. Meta has been pushing Reels for a while now, trying to change that idea in user's heads, but have had mixed results. Now it seems they are reeling (pun intended) back on that move and returning their focus towards carousel and story content. Like I said, it’s an app built on silent content. People come to Instagram to see photos with the occasional video sprinkled in, not the other way around. So I think they’re wise to lean into that.
There are still people who have success, and will continue to have success, with mainly short-form video. There are even people who preach posting exclusively short-form videos. However, I believe carousels will stand the test of time, while short-form will devolve into a 2nd/3rd tier content style.
Follow the MAKO__LAB socials to see all carousel and slideshow content coming in 2024.
01.17.23
Lukas Mullen
1. SOCKS ARE THE SHOES OF THE FUTURE
I can’t lie, I’m a big fan of these yeezy pod sock shoes. It’s the evolution of the small shoe trend. Sambas, Mexico 66s, etc. They’ve been everywhere. Where does the trend go from the smallest shoes you can get? Eliminate the shoe.
This is deeper than just a trend though. It’s a reference to Japanese sock shoes that have been around for centuries. And now that we see them coming to the western world, it seems their migration was an inevitable one. I’m eager to see the way they’re adopted, or not, in the coming years.
Imagine a world where instead of having a bunch of socks and a bunch of shoes, we just have a few pairs of sock shoes. It’s a minimalist dream, and I’m here for it.
01.15.23
Lukas Mullen