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This week the Internet went crazy talking about how Brangelina split. Despite how important that “news” might be – it’s clearly not the kind of “non-obvious” story I have to share today. Instead, this week’s underappreciated marketing stories feature YouTube’s desperate plan to fix their longtime problem with comments, a glimpse into what Netflix might do … Read more
I am deep in the midst of writing the next edition of Non-Obvious and identifying new trends for 2017. The research has been leading me down some interesting paths as I curate this weekly email for you. You’ll see some of those emerge this week, in stories that take you inside the strange Korean social … Read more
The future has been on display for the past few weeks, as new experiences, trials and initiatives from all kinds of brands and startups look to push us forward. As a result, my choices for the best stories to share with you this week take a varied look at these visions of the future, applied … Read more
The big news of Unilever purchasing subscription site Dollar Shave Club for $1B this week probably dominated your newsfeed this week, and one that I had two separate journalists contact me about for comment. Subscription commerce is back in the spotlight for this week, but the more interesting stories this week for me included an … Read more
My mind has been on startups and new ideas lately, as I spent most of this past week at Collision in New Orleans learning about what is new and listening to several dozen startup pitches. And so the stories this week are also influenced by this lens as I feature articles about Google’s latest move … Read more
Want these insights before anyone else? Join my email list to receive a curated list of top non-obvious stories of the week and useful insights like these every Thursday – a full 24 hours before they are published on this blog! Click here to subscribe >> This week’s issue of Non-Obvious Insights curates some widespread topics … Read more
There are plenty of signs that the way we have typically described gender may be dying before our very eyes. In Austria last year, the winner of Eurovision’s popular song contest was a 26 year old drag queen with a beard named Conchita Wurst. Earlier this year, Sweden officially became the first country to add … Read more
I have spent far too much of my life thinking about marketing. It’s not a part of my brain that I can switch off. I see marketing choices in every interaction I have as a customer. I see brands in how people introduce themselves. I even see the branding in airport signs for the baggage … Read more
Blindness is a predictable side effect of being a fan boy. For years Apple has relied and benefited from this sort of blindness to propel drone like fan boys toward obsession at every new product Apple launched. The theatrical nature of the announcements delivered by Steve Jobs would drive fan boys into a frenzy that … Read more
In 2007 an association of about 50 Honda dealerships based in the Southern California area launched a bold experiment. Faced with the reality that customers generally rate car dealers among the least trustworthy people in business, Honda and their agency at the time had an idea to change that perception. The “Helpful Honda Dealers” concept … Read more
Non-Obvious Thinking is my latest book about the 4 secrets of becoming a non-obvious thinker - released 10/01/2024.
Rohit Bhargava is a trend curator, founder of the Non-Obvious Company and the 3-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ten books.
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In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.
