Speci
@speci.news
A newsletter about how tech companies do brand and marketing by @jack.cully.blog
A new marketing era begins
The sun rises on a changed discipline.
www.speci.news
August 6, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Reposted by Speci
In a Stratechery interview a few weeks ago, Zuckerberg waxed lyrical about how Meta's basically going to replace marketing departments.
It's sat with me since I listened to it because I think he's really wrong.
#brand #marketing #meta #ai
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
It's sat with me since I listened to it because I think he's really wrong.
#brand #marketing #meta #ai
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
Meta wants to replace your marketing department
Zuckerberg's mystery box won't work.
www.speci.news
May 13, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In a Stratechery interview a few weeks ago, Zuckerberg waxed lyrical about how Meta's basically going to replace marketing departments.
It's sat with me since I listened to it because I think he's really wrong.
#brand #marketing #meta #ai
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
It's sat with me since I listened to it because I think he's really wrong.
#brand #marketing #meta #ai
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
Two years after OpenAI popularised generative AI with ChatGPT, AI is still a solution in search of a problem.
But we’re getting there! AI’s product market fit is coming.
www.speci.news/whats-the-po...
But we’re getting there! AI’s product market fit is coming.
www.speci.news/whats-the-po...
What's the point of AI?
There won't be a breakthrough AI product that replaces the iPhone. But AI is still going to take over the world.
www.speci.news
May 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Two years after OpenAI popularised generative AI with ChatGPT, AI is still a solution in search of a problem.
But we’re getting there! AI’s product market fit is coming.
www.speci.news/whats-the-po...
But we’re getting there! AI’s product market fit is coming.
www.speci.news/whats-the-po...
Is advertising an output or a process?
@rorysutherland.bsky.social thinks it's a process. But Mark Zuckerberg thinks it's an outcome.
Who's right?
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
@rorysutherland.bsky.social thinks it's a process. But Mark Zuckerberg thinks it's an outcome.
Who's right?
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
Meta wants to replace your marketing department
Zuckerberg's mystery box won't work.
www.speci.news
May 2, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Is advertising an output or a process?
@rorysutherland.bsky.social thinks it's a process. But Mark Zuckerberg thinks it's an outcome.
Who's right?
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
@rorysutherland.bsky.social thinks it's a process. But Mark Zuckerberg thinks it's an outcome.
Who's right?
www.speci.news/meta-wants-t...
Show the thing!
Great companies build credibility by *showing the thing* - being proud to show off the product they’ve made vs surrounding them in marketing bluster or showing them before they’re ready.
This is is why Apple events were always so magical - they showed off exciting new things that actually worked!
This is is why Apple events were always so magical - they showed off exciting new things that actually worked!
March 19, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Show the thing!
Apple should restart its live event tradition, even if that means less polish.
www.speci.news/apple-loses-...
www.speci.news/apple-loses-...
Apple loses its live events (and its way)
How the pressure to deliver Apple's answer to AI collided with no more live demos.
www.speci.news
March 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Apple should restart its live event tradition, even if that means less polish.
www.speci.news/apple-loses-...
www.speci.news/apple-loses-...
Cultural commentators will tell you there isn’t a monoculture anymore.
I don’t think that’s true - I think internet culture is monoculture. But maybe there are a few monocultures?
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
I don’t think that’s true - I think internet culture is monoculture. But maybe there are a few monocultures?
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
Welcome to the emotional internet
Remember the Jaguar rebrand fiasco?
Yeah, that was only two weeks ago. But it feels like forever ago, right?
I spotted the rebrand late, the Thursday night before the Friday that everyone jumped on ...
www.speci.news
March 8, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Cultural commentators will tell you there isn’t a monoculture anymore.
I don’t think that’s true - I think internet culture is monoculture. But maybe there are a few monocultures?
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
I don’t think that’s true - I think internet culture is monoculture. But maybe there are a few monocultures?
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
Okay, so Speci is a newsletter about how tech companies do brand… but back in November, I couldn’t resist writing this one.
I adored the Waitrose Christmas ad.
It absolutely nailed audience alignment and brand coding. So it’s one of the greats in my book.
www.speci.news/sweet-suspic...
I adored the Waitrose Christmas ad.
It absolutely nailed audience alignment and brand coding. So it’s one of the greats in my book.
www.speci.news/sweet-suspic...
Sweet suspicion
A Waitrose masterclass (via murder mystery).
www.speci.news
March 4, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Okay, so Speci is a newsletter about how tech companies do brand… but back in November, I couldn’t resist writing this one.
I adored the Waitrose Christmas ad.
It absolutely nailed audience alignment and brand coding. So it’s one of the greats in my book.
www.speci.news/sweet-suspic...
I adored the Waitrose Christmas ad.
It absolutely nailed audience alignment and brand coding. So it’s one of the greats in my book.
www.speci.news/sweet-suspic...
Reposted by Speci
Where people see your creative is as important as the creative.
Seeing a digital brand on a non-digital channel makes it feel way more legit (as the data in this post shows).
mktg.substack.com/p/channel-mi...
Seeing a digital brand on a non-digital channel makes it feel way more legit (as the data in this post shows).
mktg.substack.com/p/channel-mi...
Channel mix matters more than you think
It's not just what they hear about you, it’s where they hear about you.
mktg.substack.com
February 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Where people see your creative is as important as the creative.
Seeing a digital brand on a non-digital channel makes it feel way more legit (as the data in this post shows).
mktg.substack.com/p/channel-mi...
Seeing a digital brand on a non-digital channel makes it feel way more legit (as the data in this post shows).
mktg.substack.com/p/channel-mi...
Meta showed off a prototype that isn’t going to ship for a long time.
Why?
It’s all about positioning. They showed a working demo to the world and they became the company to beat in AR.
www.speci.news/metas-orion-...
Why?
It’s all about positioning. They showed a working demo to the world and they became the company to beat in AR.
www.speci.news/metas-orion-...
Meta's Orion swagger
Meta held an event for a device that they’ll never ship. It was the right decision.
www.speci.news
February 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Meta showed off a prototype that isn’t going to ship for a long time.
Why?
It’s all about positioning. They showed a working demo to the world and they became the company to beat in AR.
www.speci.news/metas-orion-...
Why?
It’s all about positioning. They showed a working demo to the world and they became the company to beat in AR.
www.speci.news/metas-orion-...
In November 2022, OpenAI, a research lab, released ChatGPT.
This was the moment they became a consumer brand, but they didn’t know it yet.
Here’s what they did over the last few years to grow ChatGPT, a research tool, into a consumer brand.
www.speci.news/chatgpt-is-a...
This was the moment they became a consumer brand, but they didn’t know it yet.
Here’s what they did over the last few years to grow ChatGPT, a research tool, into a consumer brand.
www.speci.news/chatgpt-is-a...
ChatGPT is a brand now
And so is OpenAI
www.speci.news
February 25, 2025 at 8:48 AM
In November 2022, OpenAI, a research lab, released ChatGPT.
This was the moment they became a consumer brand, but they didn’t know it yet.
Here’s what they did over the last few years to grow ChatGPT, a research tool, into a consumer brand.
www.speci.news/chatgpt-is-a...
This was the moment they became a consumer brand, but they didn’t know it yet.
Here’s what they did over the last few years to grow ChatGPT, a research tool, into a consumer brand.
www.speci.news/chatgpt-is-a...
Are dumb phones *really* taking off?
I took one on a test drive (and ended up keeping it) 👇
www.speci.news/boox-palma/
I took one on a test drive (and ended up keeping it) 👇
www.speci.news/boox-palma/
It’s iPhone season! So I bought a 'phone' with an e-ink screen
How I ended up with a Boox Palma.
www.speci.news
February 12, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Are dumb phones *really* taking off?
I took one on a test drive (and ended up keeping it) 👇
www.speci.news/boox-palma/
I took one on a test drive (and ended up keeping it) 👇
www.speci.news/boox-palma/
THREE THINGS that the Ray Ban Meta smart glasses do, and what they tell us about how AI will actually drive augmented reality 👇
www.speci.news/two-weeks-wi...
www.speci.news/two-weeks-wi...
Two weeks with Ray Ban Meta smart glasses
Two weeks ago, I bought a pair of sunglasses from Ray Ban. They’re glossy black Wayfarers, exactly as you’d expect them. I bet you can picture them: they’re iconic in design.
There are a few differen...
www.speci.news
February 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
THREE THINGS that the Ray Ban Meta smart glasses do, and what they tell us about how AI will actually drive augmented reality 👇
www.speci.news/two-weeks-wi...
www.speci.news/two-weeks-wi...
September is iPhone season.
Every year, Apple produces a highly polished marketing pitch, the main event being a Special Event, followed by websites and billboards and PR.
2024’s iPhone party was crashed by the promise of AI.
www.speci.news/apple-event-...
Every year, Apple produces a highly polished marketing pitch, the main event being a Special Event, followed by websites and billboards and PR.
2024’s iPhone party was crashed by the promise of AI.
www.speci.news/apple-event-...
How AI infiltrated the iPhone event
On Monday, Apple held a special event called It’s Glowtime. Clocking in at 1 hour, 38 minutes and 50 seconds, it was a long one.
At the event, they introduced to the world the Apple Watch Series 10, ...
www.speci.news
February 9, 2025 at 9:48 AM
September is iPhone season.
Every year, Apple produces a highly polished marketing pitch, the main event being a Special Event, followed by websites and billboards and PR.
2024’s iPhone party was crashed by the promise of AI.
www.speci.news/apple-event-...
Every year, Apple produces a highly polished marketing pitch, the main event being a Special Event, followed by websites and billboards and PR.
2024’s iPhone party was crashed by the promise of AI.
www.speci.news/apple-event-...
Say hello to the Stakes Spectrum.
Every product sits on it somewhere and it’s your job as a marketer to figure out where your product sits on it.
If your product is low-stakes, focus on how quick and easy it is to try it.
If it’s high stakes, focus on overcoming barriers like trust and safety.
Every product sits on it somewhere and it’s your job as a marketer to figure out where your product sits on it.
If your product is low-stakes, focus on how quick and easy it is to try it.
If it’s high stakes, focus on overcoming barriers like trust and safety.
January 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Say hello to the Stakes Spectrum.
Every product sits on it somewhere and it’s your job as a marketer to figure out where your product sits on it.
If your product is low-stakes, focus on how quick and easy it is to try it.
If it’s high stakes, focus on overcoming barriers like trust and safety.
Every product sits on it somewhere and it’s your job as a marketer to figure out where your product sits on it.
If your product is low-stakes, focus on how quick and easy it is to try it.
If it’s high stakes, focus on overcoming barriers like trust and safety.
In August, I shared some thoughts about how AI was killing great product design.
It’s because AI was such a bubble that everyone - including now Apple - has been smooshing it into their product experiences to show they’re not behind.
www.speci.news/how-ai-is-ki...
It’s because AI was such a bubble that everyone - including now Apple - has been smooshing it into their product experiences to show they’re not behind.
www.speci.news/how-ai-is-ki...
How AI is killing UX (for now)
Generative AI is impressive, but it’s making our apps less useful right now.
There’s an age old balancing act in the technology world. On the one side of the scales, there’s the technologists, the sc...
www.speci.news
January 7, 2025 at 11:27 AM
In August, I shared some thoughts about how AI was killing great product design.
It’s because AI was such a bubble that everyone - including now Apple - has been smooshing it into their product experiences to show they’re not behind.
www.speci.news/how-ai-is-ki...
It’s because AI was such a bubble that everyone - including now Apple - has been smooshing it into their product experiences to show they’re not behind.
www.speci.news/how-ai-is-ki...
2024 was the year tech got exciting again.
As the mobile era saturates, new technologies like AI and spatial computing are starting to become mainstream.
Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024, and what I’m excited about for 2025.
www.speci.news/2024s-year-i...
As the mobile era saturates, new technologies like AI and spatial computing are starting to become mainstream.
Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024, and what I’m excited about for 2025.
www.speci.news/2024s-year-i...
2024's Year in tech
The year that augmented reality and artificial intelligence broke out.
www.speci.news
January 6, 2025 at 8:45 AM
2024 was the year tech got exciting again.
As the mobile era saturates, new technologies like AI and spatial computing are starting to become mainstream.
Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024, and what I’m excited about for 2025.
www.speci.news/2024s-year-i...
As the mobile era saturates, new technologies like AI and spatial computing are starting to become mainstream.
Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024, and what I’m excited about for 2025.
www.speci.news/2024s-year-i...
Cultural commentators say that the monoculture is gone.
I don’t think so. It’s just that internet culture is monoculture now.
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
I don’t think so. It’s just that internet culture is monoculture now.
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
Welcome to the emotional internet
Remember the Jaguar rebrand fiasco?
Yeah, that was only two weeks ago. But it feels like forever ago, right?
I spotted the rebrand late, the Thursday night before the Friday that everyone jumped on ...
www.speci.news
December 8, 2024 at 3:57 PM
Cultural commentators say that the monoculture is gone.
I don’t think so. It’s just that internet culture is monoculture now.
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
I don’t think so. It’s just that internet culture is monoculture now.
www.speci.news/welcome-to-t...
For marketers, balancing budgets is hard.
Performance marketing is addictive, because you can see the impact immediately.
Brand marketing is hard, because it’s essential, yet very tough to measure.
Disney and Nike can teach us a lot about this difficult dance.
www.speci.news/what-running...
Performance marketing is addictive, because you can see the impact immediately.
Brand marketing is hard, because it’s essential, yet very tough to measure.
Disney and Nike can teach us a lot about this difficult dance.
www.speci.news/what-running...
What running shoes and a hundred-year-old mouse have in common
How Nike and Disney took their brands for granted
www.speci.news
November 28, 2024 at 7:30 AM
For marketers, balancing budgets is hard.
Performance marketing is addictive, because you can see the impact immediately.
Brand marketing is hard, because it’s essential, yet very tough to measure.
Disney and Nike can teach us a lot about this difficult dance.
www.speci.news/what-running...
Performance marketing is addictive, because you can see the impact immediately.
Brand marketing is hard, because it’s essential, yet very tough to measure.
Disney and Nike can teach us a lot about this difficult dance.
www.speci.news/what-running...
Back in July, I tried the Apple Vision Pro.
It was the best thing I've ever put on my head.
I returned it.
www.speci.news/a-week-with-...
It was the best thing I've ever put on my head.
I returned it.
www.speci.news/a-week-with-...
A week with Apple Vision Pro
From Apple’s Newsroom last month:
Apple today announced Apple Vision Pro will expand to new countries and regions, with pre-orders for China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore beginning this T...
www.speci.news
November 23, 2024 at 8:45 AM
Back in July, I tried the Apple Vision Pro.
It was the best thing I've ever put on my head.
I returned it.
www.speci.news/a-week-with-...
It was the best thing I've ever put on my head.
I returned it.
www.speci.news/a-week-with-...