@eugbrandstrat
TikTok · Greenscreen Talking Head
@eugbrandstrat Is Costco the true middle-class lifestyle brand? Today: why aspirational middle-class branding is collapsing in a k-shaped economy - where consumers are either reaching for true luxury or drowning in cost-of-living pressures. --- Follow @eugbrandstrat for more insights on how brands can effectively navigate modern digital spaces. #brandstrategy #marketing #marketingstrategy #digitalculture
Performance
Video #39007 · Greenscreen Talking Head
[01]
The creator presents a thesis on why 'elevated millennial lifestyle brands' are failing. He first defines their formula (disrupting ordinary products with aspirational branding), then explains how a K-shaped economy is eliminating their target 'aspirational middle' consumer, pushing people towards either true luxury or value brands like Costco. He concludes by arguing that in a polarized world, the centrist, 'say-nothing' aesthetic of these brands is no longer effective, and advises brands to either move up-market, find a niche, or compete on volume.
[02]
[03]
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[05]
What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds
Title hook · 55%
THE MILLENNIAL BRAND IS DEAD
Verbal hook · 30%
The elevated millennial lifestyle brand is dead.
Visual hook · 15%
A rapid montage of aesthetically pleasing product shots from various 'millennial brands' like Recess, Glossier, and Allbirds, creating a visually dense and recognizable collage.
[06]
Steal this for your own video
THE IS DEAD
[07]
The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back
Hook
A provocative, definitive statement declaring the 'death' or obsolescence of a familiar concept, trend, or strategy, immediately establishing high stakes.
Payoff
A final, pithy summary that restates the 'death' thesis and provides a sense of closure, often with a thematic joke or call to action that reinforces the video's central theme.
[08]
The structural pattern this video runs on
Framework
The Paradigm Shift Eulogy
A declarative argument that pronounces a widely-accepted concept or trend 'dead,' explains the macro forces that killed it, and outlines the new reality and strategic imperatives that have emerged in its place.
The Obsolete Formula
A concise breakdown of how the old, now-dead paradigm used to work successfully, establishing context for its failure and demonstrating the creator's expertise.
The Critical Flaw
The introduction of the core problem or contradiction that caused the old paradigm to break, creating the central tension of the narrative.
The Macro-Causal Force
An explanation of the larger, external (economic, cultural, technological) force responsible for the critical flaw, providing the core evidence for the argument.
The Bifurcation Effect
A description of the two divergent paths or outcomes that have replaced the former unified reality, illustrating the consequences of the macro force.
The Unlikely Successor
The reveal of a surprising or counter-intuitive entity that is thriving in the new paradigm, serving as a memorable and satisfying plot twist.
The Ideological Layer
A secondary explanation that frames the shift in cultural or political terms, adding another layer of depth and intellectual authority to the argument.
The Extreme Example
A concrete, often absurd, real-world example that proves the existence of the new, polarized reality and makes the abstract concept tangible.
The Survival Mandate
A direct address to the audience, outlining the limited and stark strategic options available for navigating the new landscape.
Is Costco the true middle-class lifestyle brand? Today: why aspirational middle-class branding is collapsing in a k-shaped economy - where consumers are either reaching for true luxury or drowning in cost-of-living pressures. --- Follow @eugbrandstrat for more insights on how brands can effectively navigate modern digital spaces. #brandstrategy #marketing #marketingstrategy #digitalculture
title · beginning
THE MILLENNIAL BRAND IS DEAD
The elevated millennial lifestyle brand is dead. Now for years there was a clear formula to building a millennial brand. Take some ordinary product like razors or mattresses and disrupt the category by turning it into an aspirational lifestyle good. Complete with design led imagery, a web native shopping experience, and an aspirational best still accessible price point. Just enough to feel better than other plebs for using it, but still affordable enough to be treated as an everyday purchase. The problem is, in this economy, the target consumer for this type of brand narrative is disappearing. These are not luxury rank, they are targeted at the aspirational middle, in a k shaped economy that is increasingly rewarding only the wealthy. Either you are part of this lucky few, in which case you are reaching for true luxury rank, or you are drowning in ever increasing rental or mortgage repayments for your shit box studio apartment, in which case, aspirational brands become completely farcical, because you can only sell aspiration to a society that believes in the idea of aspiration itself. In this economy, Costco is the new true middle class brand. Furthermore, this is effectively centrist branding in a world that is growing increasingly polarized. The creed of the millennial lifestyle brand was to look nice best say nothing. Sure, they would incorporate ideas like self care or community or sustainability, but they weren't genuine commitments. They were aesthetic ideas that confirmed the elevated position of the buyer. And as I discussed with Tony Wang on a previous video on horseshoe maximalism, people are increasingly rejecting say nothing for product and brand narratives that live at the extremes, which is why Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop and Alex Jones' Infowars can sell the exact same product of cordyceps mushrooms as either sun potion or wake up America. If you're a brand in these categories, you need to accept that there is very little room for new entrance in this elevated middle ground. Either you build up to luxury brand positioning, or you drill down to a much more focused niche. Or you can kill your ego and accept a more down market position, where your margins are lower, but tier made up for with extra volume. Rip to the millennial rank. We'll be doing a eulogy at Rank Club this weekend. You should come. Just embrace your knees.