Luxury Retail’s “White Lotus” Effect and an IPO for Lionel Messi

Each week, we sift through a ton of content and then debate it ad nauseam at FEVO HQ. And since good content, like the mind, is a terrible thing to waste, we are also sharing it here with you, our fans, in the form of this weekly blog post on e-commerce, media and life on the internet.

Michelle Wiles: What “White Lotus,” “Glass Onion,” and “Triangle of Sadness” imply about culture
Brand marketer Michelle Wiles looks at the recent film and television hits — all of which satirize the uber wealthy — and dissects what the trend means for the future of luxury brands. If being wealthy is no longer “cool,” how do brands targeting the rich differentiate themselves and create desire for their products? [read more]

NPR: A golden age for nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits
The demand for non-alcoholic beverages has shot up over 120% in the last three years, and while the total market still pales in comparison to alcohol, it’s growing every day. What does that mean for social activities and live events? Well, unless you’re investing in non-alcoholic options for attendees, you may be leaving concession money on the table. [read more]

First Round Review: The 30 best pieces of advice for entrepreneurs from 2022
This incredibly in-depth piece will take a while to get through, but it’s well worth the time for seasoned entrepreneurs and early-stage career climbers alike. Read this and we guarantee you’ll pick up a thing or two to help you do your job better. [read more]

Quartz: The company managing Messi’s lifestyle brand plans to build on his World Cup success with a Nasdaq IPO
If you’re gonna try to IPO your own image, might as well be right after you win the world’s most revered sporting competition, right? Interestingly, Messi does not actually own any of the company (he gets 12% of sales with a minimum guarantee) started by Argentina-born Maximiliano Ojeda and US designer Ginny Hilfiger, the sister of Tommy. The company is only aiming to raise about $7.5M and says they are not profitable nor do they plan to be anytime soon. Their contract with Messi is up next year, so it will be interesting to see if he decides to start up his own label or continue down this path. [read more]

And a few more nuggets of assorted internet wisdom …

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists (Year End Lists)

These sports teams scored the biggest gains In 2022 (Forbes)

Mapping the generative AI landscape (Antler)

The 10 themes that will define the fashion agenda in 2023 (BOF)

Samsung wants Twitch streamers to buy its new oven (The Verge)

How the cult of consumerism ushered in an era of badly made products (Vox)

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