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Climate tech isnt a thing. It has shifted in recent years from a category to define clean energy companies to an umbrella phrase that loses meaning the more we use it. Granted, the term is everywhere: inserted into VC pitch decks, plastered on billboards along highways from San Francisco to Austin to Boston, wedged into government policy papers, and featured prominently on conference agendas. Media properties from CNBC to GreenBiz rely on it as a traffic-driving category. And theres a reason why. A changing climate is the most complex and vast challenge and opportunity confronting our society today. That also means we cant afford ambiguity. We need accountability. We need progress. We need to reengineer infrastructure with advanced tech that future-proofs as it solves urgent and complex problems. Now. Which means we need precision. And we need to acknowledge that infrastructure and markets that have served us for so long are failingand in need of rebuilding to anticipate and meet future challenges. Our world is in desperate need of solutions tied to specific applications and impact across energy tech, waste tech, food tech, and carbon tech. We need solutions that advance specific areas of deeply specialized work with distinct metrics and challenges like energy storage, batteries, food security, and sustainable fuel development. And, we need talent trained and sharpened to tackle these specific problems. Ambiguity is the enemy of progress Progress requires clarity. Energy technology is a distinct thing. Waste technology is a distinct thing. Transportation technology, energy storage, agriculture and food sustainability, carbon removalthese are specific categories with definable challenges and measurable outcomes. Each is firmly tied to infrastructure and requires dedicated engineering, specialized expertise, and different pools of capital. For example, grid storage is not a climate tech problemits a specific energy challenge with concrete metrics: cost per kilowatt-hour, storage capacity, duration, and efficiency. Grid storage is about optimizing supply and demand, the outcome of which is a financial, political, and engineering goal, not a moral imperative. We must connect the promise and hype of AI-powered software solutions to their physical applications in the real world. Why? Because solving these big, specific problems requires more than computation behind a screen. Realizing the promise of AI to transform and improve is only possible if it enters the physical realm and changes the mechanics of existing ways of doing things. Calling the solutions to these problems climate tech is a disservice to the work because it no longer adequately captures the scale and range of what’s required. Breaking climate tech down to drive breakthroughs We need to build and invest in technologies that are better, faster, cheaper than what came before and solve real problemsrather than loaded words that offer environmental promise and not much else. The trajectory of biotech offers a solid framework. Rather than lumping everything under a term like health tech, industry pioneers stood up clearly defined categories, including: immunotherapy, CRISPR, mRNA vaccine development, oncology, longevity, and so on. Each domain pursued a specific set of problems and attracted talent and capital to solve them. The result? Breakthroughs. Whether we realize it or not, software also focused in recent years, which has helped to accelerate progress. Information technology gave way to specific technical disciplines like cybersecurity, cloud computing, and enterprise tools. Category focus allowed companies to gain market share and differentiate with customer experience and accountability front-and-center. Its time that climate tech undergoes the same level of rigorous redefinition. And its not just because were approaching critical climate tipping points (which we are). Its because the economic opportunity cost of not acting is too great. The future of American communities and industries from agriculture to manufacturing rests on our ability to effectively seize the opportunities in front of us and reengineer them. Everything needs to be built for the future with engineering precision and a specific problem in mind to solve. We need infrastructure and hardware solutions to solve focused problems like recycling plastic for manufacturing, rendering cement carbon-neutral, electrifying freight transport, rethinking protein production, and removing carbon at scale. We cannot grow the economy in the future without approaching all tech as climate tech. For example, the investment firm I cofounded, Incite, invested in Monarch, a startup with a fleet of AI-powered electric vehicles and tech solutions that work for agricultural clients ranging from dairy farmers to municipalities to winemakers. Monarch recently shipped MonarchOne, an end-to-end physical AI platform for OEMs to more efficiently manage work and use data to influence operations across environments. Monarch isnt a climate tech company. Its an AI and robotics company with clear environmental benefits. Working toward a post-climate tech world Climate tech served its purpose as an initial rallying cry. It placed an urgent crisis squarely on the map of capital markets, boardrooms, and policy agendas. It made innovation to help us take care of our planet inevitable. Totally unsurprisingly, however, grouping a product or tech into the vague category enables more greenwashing and ambiguity when what we need is progress, focus, and accountability. In order to scale up the grid, add resilience to infrastructure, and prevent the housing market from insurance collapse, we need to retire not just the language but the entire categorization of climate tech completely. We must dismantle the umbrella term into specific, infrastructure-centered areas in need of urgent work. Lets refine our language. Words matter. Tech is crucial to curbing negative environmental impacts. But the utility of climate tech is running on fumes. Lets stop pretending its still a thingand seize the opportunity to build and invest in the physical infrastructure, software, apps, and technologies that will power economic opportunities and enrich life around the world.
Category:
E-Commerce
Every year, 12.5 million travelers pass through South Station, Boston’s 126-year-old transportation hub, to hop on Greyhound buses, Amtrak trains, and the commuter rail. But the station hadn’t been renovated in 30 years, and looked worn, industrial, and dated. For decades, the city of Boston has been working on an ambitious urban infrastructure redevelopment project to reimagine the city’s downtown. It recently unveiled a stunning transformation of South Station that includes a redesigned transportation hub as well as a 51-story tower that will house luxury condos, offices, a rooftop garden, and a high-end restaurant. [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] For the hundreds of thousands commuters who pass through South Station every day, the most obvious change is the new vaulted concourse, called the Great Space, that will usher them to their trains. It features 10 concrete arches that reach 60 feet into the air. The archways open to the street, bus stops, and train lines. The structure supports three enormous domes that have a ring of spotlights at the center of them to brighten the interior. While the previous concourse felt industrial and functional, with concrete ceilings and metal railings, it now feels opulent and open. [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] The design of the space was conceptualized by Pelli Clarke & Partners, an architectural practice based in New Haven, Connecticut founded in 1977 by Yale Professor Cesar Pelli. The firm is known for taking ambitious projects in cities around the world, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Tokyo’s Mori JP Tower, which is now the tallest skyscraper in Japan; and the Natural History Museum in Chengdu, China. The project was a private-public partnership, backed by the developer Hines. Amtrak, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and Boston Planning and Development Agency were also involved in the process. [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] While part of the goal of the project was urban renewal, the architects were also tasked with modernizing the transportation hub to increase capacity and improve efficiency. There is now 50% more capacity in the bus terminal, and 70% increased rail capacity. “As Boston’s population grows, so is the demand for transportation,” says Graham Banks, a partner at Pelli Clarke, who worked on this project. “But rebuilding South Station without disrupting any of the transportation service was an enormous challenge. Work took place slowly.” Banks says work began on this project in early 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction, and then afterwards, workers were only able to work in the brief stretches when trains and buses weren’t running. “Workers would be sitting around waiting for Amtrak to give them the signal that they could get going,” he recalls. “Orchestrating the logistics of construction took a lot of work.” [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] The original South Station structure was unveiled in 1899 during the late Gilded Age, when railway tracks expanded rapidly across the country. Five different railroads served Boston, and initially, each had their own terminal. South Station, which was designed by architects Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, was meant to consolidate these different lines. By 1913, it had become the busiest station in New England, helping to boost Boston’s status as a city. The station in the late 19th century. [Photo: GHI/Universal Images Group/Getty Images] Pelli Clarke wanted to preserve the original South Station building, while also modernizing it. They have kept the South Station’s facade, but they also built a glass tower on top of it, adding another skyscraper to Boston’s skyline. On lower levels, there is office space. Banks says that there is already interest from local firms to move in. “These offices are designed to have all the amenities and ambiance of a hotel,” says Banks. “Companies realize that they have to entice workers to come into the office.” [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] Starting at the 36th floor and going to the top, there are luxury Ritz-Carlton apartments, that cost between $1.3 million for a 683-square-foot one-bedroom and $14.5 million for a duplex penthouse. Residents will have access to an outdoor pool that overlooks Back Bay, as well as a 1-acre rooftop park that features gardens, a dog run, an outdoor movie theater, and a dining terrace. Residents have their own private entrances, both from the street and from a private parking garage. The idea of introducing luxury apartments to South Station is fairly radical. For years, the station and the area around it were crime ridden. The neighboring financial district emptied out at night, as workers went home. But building high-end condos is likely to make the area livelier and spur restaurants, grocers, and shops to come back to the area. It’s a similar transformation to what has happened in New York’s financial district, which is now bursting with luxury apartments, office buildings, and glittering shopping centers. “This part of the city will now be alive 24/7,” Banks says. [Photo: Jason O’Rear/courtesy Pelli Clarke & Partners] South Station’s redevelopment is part of a broader revitalization of downtown Boston. Boston’s Planning and Development Agency, in partnership with WS Development, transformed the Seaport District from an industrial wasteland, covered in parking lots and vacant wharves, into one of its hottest neighborhoods. In 2014, it unveiled the new mixed-use development, which features high-end condos, buzzy restaurants, and hip retailers like Warby Parker and Mejuri. It quickly became the fastest-growing part of Boston, and is now an economic engine for the city. There’s some concern that these luxury apartments and offices will alienate Boston’s lower and moderate income residents. And it could further exacerbate the city’s affordability crisis, much like the one New York City has experienced in recent years. But at the same time, the revitalization of this transportation hub also benefits everyday Bostonian who pass through it on their daily commutes and who rely on buses and trains to get in and out of the city. We’ll have to wait and see how the new South Station Tower transforms the neighborhood. But in the meanwhile, hopping off a bus or train upon your arrival to Boston is already a more pleasant experience.
Category:
E-Commerce
With more than 30 years in digital transformation, Ive seen technology cycles come and go. And the latest wave Im seeing is AI-powered automation. It promises sweeping gains in productivity, but without ethical guardrails, it risks undermining the trust leaders depend on to grow. Thats why leaders can no longer treat ethics as an afterthought. Automation isnt just a technical upgrade. It is a human, cultural, and reputational challenge. The choices that leaders make today will determine whether automation drives sustainable progress or fuels mistrust and inequity. The promise and the peril Automation has a lot of benefits. It can free workers from repetitive tasks, improve customer service, and open new possibilities for innovation. In manufacturing, robots can boost safety by removing people from hazardous environments. When it comes to finance, AI can spot fraud faster than any analyst. And in healthcare, hospitals are using automation to speed up patient admissions (though there are privacy and consent issues). But every gain carries a shadow. Bias in algorithms can lock in discrimination. Displaced workers may find no clear pathways to re-skill. Opaque decision-making can leave customers and regulators in the dark. And what looks like a cost saving in year one can become a reputational crisis by year three. Lessons from the field Global surveys show that leaders remain uncertain about the value and risks of AI adoption. McKinsey reports that while nearly 70% of businesses have adopted at least one AI capability, fewer than one in three have embedded AI into core strategies with measurable returns. The World Economic Forums 2025 Future of Jobs report projects that by 2030, automation and other global shifts will create about 170 million jobs, while displacing around 92 million, for a net gain of 78 million roles. This makes equity, transparency, and upskilling urgent priorities for leaders. The Back on Track Foundation, a not-for-profit case study, illustrates both the potential and the pitfalls. By introducing AI tools to support case management, they improved efficiency but faced immediate questions about data privacy and oversight. Their experience is a reminder that automation is never just about efficiency. Its also about accountability, transparency, and public trust. And it doesnt just impact nonprofits. Manufacturers rolling out automated quality control or banks deploying AI in credit decisions face the same ethical crossroads. How do we balance efficiency and productivity gains with fairness, transparency, and responsibility? Why leaders cannot wait for regulation Unlike the European Union, many countries have not yet built comprehensive legal frameworks for AI. Existing laws around privacy, consumer protection, and workplace rights still apply, but theres no dedicated safety net. That means every board, CEO, and executive team needs to lead with their own ethical compass. Transparency is nonnegotiable. Customers, staff, and stakeholders deserve to know when automation is involved, what guardrails exist, and how to handle recourse if (or when) things go wrong. In my own work with clients, I use AI tools for research, analyzing reports, and preparing strategy briefs. The responsibility and decisions remain mine, but using these tools has reinforced how transparency builds trust. Leaders need to hold themselves to the same standard and be open about where and how they use automation. Equity and the human-first lens Equity is the ethical line thats most at risk. Without deliberate design, automation can deepen divides: between city and region, skilled and unskilled, and insiders and outsiders. PwC estimates that up to 30% of jobs in OECD countries are at potential risk of automation by the mid-2030s, with lower-skilled roles most exposed. A factory that automates its production line might save millions, but what happens to the workforce whose jobs disappear overnight? If you dont reinvest savings into re-skilling or transition, inequity widens. This is the human-first lens. Technology can (and should) amplify the roles of the people in the organization. What it should never do is replace their dignity or the critical and creative lens humans bring. Ethical automation aligns with company values and extends them into every workflow and algorithm. Ethical AI adoption Leaders who are looking to adopt AI in an ethical way should consider taking the following steps Audit your automation footprint. Map where automation already touches your business, who it impacts, and what risks are in play. Create governance frameworks. Decide who is accountable, how they will explain decisions, and what ethical standards apply. Invest in literacy. When it comes to training, you need to go beyond technical staff. Boards, executives, and frontline teams all need a baseline understanding of automation. Googles AI Works 2025 report found that organizations investing in AI training achieved productivity gains of up to tenfold. Measure more than ROI. Track trust, transparency, equity, and social impact alongside efficiency metrics. Be transparent. If automation influences a customer outcome or an employee process, disclose it. Trust grows in the open. Automation is inevitable. Ethical leadership is optional, but only in the short term. Regulation will eventually catch up, and those who embed human-first, transparent practices now will be far ahead of the curve. Ethical automation isnt just about managing risks. It is a competitive advantage. Organizations that lead with equity and transparency will be the ones attracting talent, investors, and customers in the years ahead.
Category:
E-Commerce
A new type of window on the verge of mass production in the United States will provide a new vision for architects and builders seeking to marry design with energy efficiency. This window, made from millimeter-thin glass panels, can achieve exceptional energy efficiency scores and make a significant difference in global emissions. Buildings account for about 30% of global energy consumption, and about half of the energy use in residential and commercial buildings is used for heating and cooling. Corning, the firm that developed Gorilla glass in 2007 for Apple iPhones, helped refine the mass-manufacturing process based on material discoveries made at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. In the late 1980s, researchers at the lab began looking into window efficiency in the aftermath of the energy crisis of the 70s. It led them to develop a new kind of glass that was thinner, yet stronger and more efficient. In short, by creating these ultra-thin layers of glass, more layers and air gaps can be arranged inside a standard window frame, which multiplies a windows ability to insulate. Typical double-pane windows utilize two sheets of glass three or four millimeters thick; this new thin glass can be a half-a-millimeter thick. Corning developed a modified manufacturing process based on the lab’s research that can create glass sheets at scale, as thin as a credit card. It can be cut and modified to suit standard window frames, as well as for more unique designs for custom buildings designed by architects. Corning calls this new, larger commercial glass Enlighten. The Kenzi Apartments at Bartlett Station, Boston-area [Photo: courtesy Alpen] A more efficient window Stephen Selkowitz, a research scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who theorized this process in the 80s, before it was commercially possible to produce, says that windows lose 10 to 20 times more energy per square foot than a well-insulated wall. Within a standard home or business, windows and glass represent the most porous area for heat exchange, letting in cold weather in the winter and heat in the summer. By cutting down this energy transfer, this new glasswhich contains layers of inert gas between thin panes, increasing its insulating propertiescan slash the costs of heating and cooling a single-family home or office building. Andrew Zech, the CEO of Alpen, a company that has collaborated with Corning on commercializing this technology for the last six years, says this new glass can achieve five times the energy efficiency of standard windows. The material also boasts a special coating that inhibits solar gain, or the heating effect of bright sunlight on a room. As Ronald Verkleeren, Cornings senior vice president for the Emerging Innovations Group, sees it, energy efficiency codes have in effect provided a limiting factor for glass. Increasingly strict building standards require a more balanced approach to material choices and window sizes to limit energy use. This development, in effect, frees up the industry to use and buy more windows, and will help manufacturers utilizing this process gain market share in the large, lucrative, architectural glass market. Corning has reached out to architects to encourage them to create case studies and new designs utilizing this glass. All of a sudden you can show up with a window that comes as close to matching what’s possible from a wall, in terms of energy efficiency, and that gives a lot of degrees of design freedom to be able to meet the code, Verkleeren says. That’s the game changer. Ramping up production Alpen was the first domestic firm to manufacture this glass, and will ramp up facilities in Pennsylvania and Colorado later this fall. According to news from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, which helped develop the breakthroughs that made this process possible, a number of larger producers will begin making these kinds of windows. Manufacturers include Andersen, the world’s biggest window manufacturer, which plans to open a plant in Georgia in October specifically geared towards this product, as well as PGT, which makes hurricane-resistent windows. The rate of window replacement is rather slow, says Zech, just about 1.4% of the national stock gets updated every year, and the number of windows sold each year is generally split in half between new projects and replacement. As Zech sees it, these new thin glasses can be used for any shape or profilethey can be as boring as you need them to be. This new wave of thin glass production in the United Statescoming during a time of heightened tariffs and a loosening of environmental regulationscan help U.S. developers and builders utilize more glass on projects in a way that can not just cut emissions but help architects rethink how theyre designing buildings. The end of architectural trade-offs Alpens factory utilizes a number of robotics and advanced manufacturing technologies in the production process, says Zech. A vacuum system holds onto the panes as they roll down a conveyor belta stiff wind could blow them offand a series of superfine bristles wash the glass, akin to a microscopic glass carwash. Alpens Zech says the companys working theory was that they would sell tons of these new windows in cold climates like Alaska or Minnesota. But theyre also selling a lot in hotter climates and temperate areas like San Francisco, as a way to open up walls and facades with glass without creating additional heating burdens through substantial solar gain. Selkowitz believes this tech offers so many commercial opportunities where this technology helps meet real world needs, such as building offices with more daylighting. In fact, Zech says the trend in recent years has been adding fewer windows to new construction, as energy efficiency standards have demanded builders figure out how to meet more strict insulation goals. He believes this new thin glass will eliminate the need for these kinds of design trade-offs, and allow for larger windows and showier facades. There is an energy savings story here, and it’s really potent, Zech says. But probably the bigger story is actually, people just want to have massive windows in their homes and businesses, they want walls of glass.
Category:
E-Commerce
As news worsens, the potential for comedy rises. No one understands this inverse relationship better than the team behind The Onion, which has channeled todays dystopian political slide into banger headlines (Trump Spends Entire U.K. Trip Trying To Figure Out Where He Knows Prince Andrew From). The news site has attracted nearly 54,000 subscribers since its relaunch last year, and is on track to generate $6 million in revenue in 2025, according to The Wall Street Journal. Which is why it seemed particularly comical when, in May, the satirical news outlet issued a press release announcing a foray into advertising in order to expand its marketplace dominance. Companies could enlist writers at The Onion for creative projects, because nothingnot spouses, not children, not fragile elderly parentsmatters more . . . than helping brands tell their stories. It seemed like a classic Onion spoof of capitalism and corporate jargon. But for once, The Onion was not doing a bit. Or at least we dont think it was. The Onion has launched what its describing as a strategy and creative agency that operates adjacent to, yet distinct from, the publication. Called Americas Finestnamed for The Onions tagline, Americas Finest News Sourcethe agency is avowedly not a gag. Yet it gleefully satirizes itself in its own press release and social media posts. For The Onion, the agency represents an opportunity to create a new revenue stream: providing corporate clients with copy that is fresh, funny, and written by actual writers, to stand out from AI slop. Americas Finest currently has between five and ten clients, and has done work for Paramount, an ETF fund, and a nonprofit. Its comedy, but packaged as a brand message, says The Onions chief marketing officer, Leila Brillson. The Onions CEO, Ben Collins, sees no downside to the effort, unless we start working with ICE and Raytheon, he says. The Onion launches an Agency The Onion has been lampooning the news for almost 40 years, running classic headlines like “Black Guy Given Nation’s Worst Job” following Obamas election, and “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens,” after countless mass shootings. A surprising new coalition took over the website in April 2024, led by former NBC News reporter Collins, who pledged as the new CEO to give the writers more creative freedom. The publication relaunched a print version in August 2024; Collins reported recently that it is now the now the 13th largest print newspaper in the United States by subscribers, on a list right between the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune, and growing fast. Brillson, who previously worked in marketing at Disney, Netflix, and Bumble, and then ran her own agency, says that it was she whod ushered through the agency idea. I don’t want to say that there were naysayers, she says of her initial pitch, but a lot of people didn’t fully understand what it looked like until it was up and running. The concept of an agency living within a media company is hardly newThe New York Timess T Brand Studio and The Washington Posts WP Creative Group have been operating custom content divisions since 2014 and 2021 respectively, creating stories that may look like standard articles but are really marketing for brands (and acknowledged as such). The Onion itself used to do something similar. Its previous owners, G/O Media, ran an in-house agency called Onion Labs from 2013 to 2019, which produced ads for brands such as Mr. Peanut and Whitecastle. It generated the kind of sponsored content that mirrored Onion stories, along with ads that ran on The Onion‘s own website. It was no small operation. At one point, Brillson says, 30 people worked for this full-service studio that had video capacity, which was costly to maintain. We simply dont live in that market anymore, Brillson says. Americas Finest operates differently. It produces copy for everything from social media posts to billboard adsbut The Onion plays no part in hosting or distributing the work. People are like, Will The Onion write about this? And we have to say, no, Brillson says. We have a pretty strong separation of church and state. Marnie Shure, the former managing editor of The Onion who now works as creative producer for Americas Finest, explains that we’re not necessarily trying to make everybody sound like The Onion. And while video capabilities exist, the focus is more tightly on copy, content, and strategy. To that end, The Onion is commissioning former writers. Louisa Kellogg, a senior staff writer from 2015 to 2018, now accepts agency assignments as they come in, and as they suit her schedule. Her first assignment, in October 2024, was a campaign for The Onion itself, writing fake testimonials from subscribers. She now writes copy for external clients. Comedy writers for hire The company put out the ambiguous press announcing Americas Finest in May; today, Americas Finest has a team of roughly eight writers, specifically ones who dont live in Chicago, including the L.A.-based Kellogg. Living near the The Onions Chicago headquarters is one of the news outlets rigid rules for editorial staffers, but it has left some Hall of Famers out there in the wilderness, Collins says. Americas Finest is a way for Onion management to support writers during a shaky time, in the aftermath of the writers strike, COVID, and the L.A. fires. We wanted to give them a chance to make some rent, he says, and use some of the world’s best comedy writers wh otherwise should be writing for Colbert. But that show is dead now. Americas Finest copywriters use the same system they did in the Onion newsroom: best joke wins. That very deliberate process, honed for almost 40 years, is something you can apply to projects, Shure says, even when the project is not a satirical newspaper. Since theyre remote, Kellogg says writers often email in their jokes (the ad copy), and Shure chooses the winner. The key difference is that its not just the punchline, but also the client brief, that will determine the victor. Clients like the real writingan antidote to the AI-generated slop that’s being presented as advertising right now, Collins saysand the fact that it can be comical. Ads just aren’t funny anymore, and it’s a disease, he says. I cant remember the last time I laughed at an advertisement. ‘If you cant beat em, join em’ Many of Americas Finests early clients are in the entertainment realm: the agency has written for Paramount, including for The Naked Gun, which did well in theaters this summer as R-rated comedies have floundered in recent years. (The agency is hesitant to identify other movie and TV clients: They don’t want to admit that they delegate out copywriting to anybody else, Collins says.) [Photo: courtesy of the author] Other clients have included nonprofits such Subversive ETFs, a fund that invests in equity securities of publicly traded companiesspecifically ones that, public disclosures indicate, sitting U.S. Congress members have invested in. Americas Finest created copy for social media and for posters that were recently wheatpasted around New York City that read: This should not be legal. Congress trades on inside information . . . But if you cant beat em, join em. The agency also works on events. It threw an off-beat party at SXSW for Project Liberty, a nonprofit, founded by billionaire executive Frank McCourt, aiming to create a people-powered internet by shifting control of data to individuals. (Americas Finest wrote the speeches, too.) It also helped throw a party in September for Mexican sports store Culto, themed around the cult of soccer as a religion (it featured a ball that predicted the future, among other curiosities). People come to us knowing they’re going to get some unhinged stuff and might be made uncomfortable, Collins says. Some clients have turned down copy pitches, Brillson says, because they were too weird for them. Parodying LinkedIn from the inside, but still for real One challenge Americas Finest may face as it grows is maintaining its signature voice while convincing potential clients that the whole thing isnt a gag. The agencys new LinkedIn feed, for example, features refreshingly facetious posts about capitalismYou don’t want to be on your deathbed wondering if you could’ve delivered more value to your clientsalongside more earnest posts, like the invitation to the Culto event: I would love to invite you folks to come hang out with us. Lemme know here if you want to party! Collins reassures me that it is not, in fact, a joke. Everything involving The Onion, the first instinct is: it’s a bit, he says. That was true when it announced the rerelease of the print paper, or the bid to buy InfoWars from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Yet somehow, I still wonder. Collins finds this ambiguity fun to play with. It’s a strange way to run a business where you’re just constantly having to tell people everything you’re doing is real, actually.
Category:
E-Commerce
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