Panlong, “Yunnan’s strongest matchmaker,” has a knack for seeing value where others might not.
A man says he works in a car repair shop. Panlong points out that “he drives different cars every day.”
It’s this ability to find the upside that has helped him attract nearly 3 million followers on Douyin.
Good positioning works the same way.
It doesn’t invent an advantage. It finds the advantage that was already there.
Sometimes, an overlooked strength just needs the right match.
Panlong, “Yunnan’s strongest matchmaker,” has a knack for seeing value where others might not.
A man says he works in a car repair shop. Panlong points out that “he drives different cars every day.”
It’s this ability to find the upside that has helped him attract nearly 3 million followers on Douyin.
Good positioning works the same way.
It doesn’t invent an advantage. It finds the advantage that was already there.
Sometimes, an overlooked strength just needs the right match.
Before air conditioning, some people in China had an unusual way of surviving hot summer nights: they slept with a winter melon.
Its high water content made it naturally cool to the touch – a surprisingly effective pillow on a sweltering night.
But there’s a catch. Keep it around too long and the melon could rot or even burst open.
Content has the same problem.
When a post performs well, the natural instinct is to make more.
But push the volume too far and quality drops, ideas repeat and audiences tune out.
Like the winter melon, even something that works can lose its value when you hold on to it for too long.
A newly discovered fish species was named Brachygobius jennie in honour of BLACKPINK’s Jennie.
The lead researcher from Sun Yat-sen University said Jennie’s music had brought her comfort and motivation throughout years of research.
Naming the species after Jennie was her way of saying thank you.
When people genuinely connect with what you create, they don’t just buy from you.
They remember you. Recommend you. Advocate for you.
And sometimes, even name a species after you.
A South Korean plastic surgeon recently went viral for sharing his list of the “five foods that can make you look uglier.”
The list included the usual suspects: salty foods, sugary desserts, fried foods, processed meats and alcohol.
The same is true for brands.
Broken promises. Clickbait headlines. Ignored complaints. Customers who leave feeling like they didn’t matter.
Brands don’t become attractive because of what they say.
They become attractive because of how they make customers feel.
A pet parrot in China accidentally escaped from home and somehow ended up on a high-speed train.
Fortunately, railway staff rescued the unexpected passenger and reunited it with its owner.
The parrot left its comfort zone by accident.
Many businesses never leave theirs. Those that rely on the same customers, the same referrals and the same marketing eventually reach the end of the line.
Real growth comes from reaching new audiences, testing new ideas and exploring markets you haven’t served before.
So spread your wings. The biggest opportunities often begin just beyond what’s familiar.
In South Korea, many of the world’s longest-living people eat kimchi, seaweed and home-cooked vegetables every day.
Longevity isn’t built overnight. It’s built through small habits, repeated every day for years.
The same may be true for brands.
Too many marketers chase viral spikes and vanity metrics instead of building the one thing that compounds over time: trust.
Brands with longevity aren’t built overnight either. They stay consistent and, like kimchi, get better with time.
In parts of Guizhou, China, people consume a traditional broth made from filtered digestive contents from a cow’s stomach, believed to aid digestion and promote health.
To outsiders, it may seem unappetising. To locals, it’s a delicacy.
One of the biggest mistakes global brands make is assuming their worldview is universal.
Markets are shaped by culture, not assumptions.
The best marketers don’t just localise content.
They understand what’s really in the pot.
People say pulling one white hair makes three more appear.
Some problems grow when we treat the symptoms instead of the cause.
Traffic down? Buy more ads. Leads down? Launch another campaign. Conversions down? Redesign the landing page.
These fixes feel productive because they’re visible.
But when the underlying problem remains untouched, nothing really changes.
Great marketers don’t chase symptoms.
They treat the root cause.
What started as a game at a Florida country club spiralled into a full-blown brawl after a disagreement over a line call.
The dispute quickly escalated into physical confrontation and eventually felony battery charges.
Campaign scuffles can happen too.
The client assumes one thing. The agency assumes another.
Misalignment turns small disagreements into expensive problems.
That’s why at Blak Labs, we align upfront on goals, feedback loops and success metrics.
The best partnerships happen when both sides play for the same team.
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