--- title: "The100: Brand purpose, how to remember, and Miami Vice" description: "“The Danger of a Single Story” The copywriter who just keeps on giving: Dave Trott again with a brilliant piece directly related to empathy: We are not the target market.  It’s a simple trap to fall into, and that’s perhaps why so many of us do. We are a consumer, but we are not the …" image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/The100%20Banners%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20-%202025-12-15T161848.631-1.png --- [![Bombayworks logotype](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/wmt-logo_inverse.svg "Bombayworks logotype")](https://watchmethink.com/) - [What we do](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Watch Me Explore](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-explore) - [Watch Me Develop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-develop) - [Watch Me Use](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-use) - [Watch Me Shop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-shop) - [Who it's for](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Consumer Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-insights) - [Shopper Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/shopper-insights) - [Category Management](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/category-mangement) - [Innovation & Product Development](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/innovation) - [Sensory & Consumer Science](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-science) - [Packaging](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/packaging) - [Marketing](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/marketing) - [About](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [The 100 Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Contact](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/dashboard) - [Sign up](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Corporate users](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Request registration here](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - [Get paid to review products](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) Menu # The100: Brand purpose, how to remember, and Miami Vice - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Brand purpose, how to remember, and Miami Vice - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) 08/27/2021 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-brand-purpose-how-to-remember-and-miami-vice#postComment) 2 Minutes --- ## “The Danger of a Single Story” The copywriter who just keeps on giving: Dave Trott again with a brilliant piece directly related to empathy: [*We are not the target market*](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/not-target-market/1724272).  It’s a simple trap to fall into, and that’s perhaps why so many of us do. *We are* a consumer, but *we are not* the consumer.  > *By assuming there is only one truth, and it’s ours, we become unable to communicate and consequently irrelevant.* I’m presenting *how closing the empathy gap can improve innovation success rates* for my switched-on clients at the moment, and this “truth” forms one of the key questions I ask (there are 20 in total). If you want to chat about it, [let me know](mailto:alistair@watchmethink.com).  ## If you stop, you lose Another theme in my presentation is. of course,  *lies*,and Ritson addresses the biggest lie of them all, that [you must cut ad spend in a crisis](https://www.marketingweek.com/mark-ritson-pg-coke-dont-cut-ad-spend/).  > *The World Economic Forum calculated that total investment in advertising decreased by 10% in the USA, and a whopping 12% in the UK during the first half of 2020. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that almost a quarter (24%) of brands had paused all advertising by Q2 and gone completely dark.* Tut tut. ## Food for your empathy gene John Harris has a new UK based radio series featuring the stories of ordinary people in four places, each with a distinctive identity. It’s called [Citizens of Somewhere.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ytz7)  This is the kind of stuff that should be done more widely (re: the Dangers of a Single Story).  ## Food for, well, foodies Google has published [the key to food advertising](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/future-of-marketing/creativity/food-and-beverage-creative-advertising-strategies/) (with video). Noël Paasch, creative director at Google’s Creative Works, presents 5 tested creative strategies for effective food advertising. Do you agree? > Immerse the senses > > Show all the nooks and crannies > > Present the human side > > Brand thoughtfully > > It’s not food, it’s science ## Companies on good behaviour Phil Adams writes about [brand purpose](https://philadams.co/2021/08/brand-purpose-has-its-place/) with a small p (functional, emotional benefits) and a big P (a higher Purpose, the often controversial stuff). *You’d be wise to take it with a pinch of salt when people in focus groups encourage you to bet the house on brand purpose.* ## Why the books don’t work *Consuming information is not the same as acquiring knowledge*. Farnam Street posts a fascinating essay on [How to remember what you read](https://fs.blog/2021/08/remember-books/), with 6 key tips: > Quality matters more than quantity.  > > Speed-reading is bull\*&$#.  > > Book summary services miss the point > > Fancy apps are not needed.  > > Don’t read stuff you find boring.  > > Finishing the book is optional.  ## That’s how you do it Whilst it’s a very interesting article (on climber Adam Ondra), this, from the NYT, is a magnificent showcase of [how information can be delivered supremely well.](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/sports/olympics/adam-ondra-climbing.html) (FWIW, I thought the speed climbing at the Olympics was ace.) ## Besting beasts [Brits are more frightened of a goose than their American cousins](https://twitter.com/StephenGutowski/status/1424773641091354628?s=19)? I’ll leave you to marvel at the list. ## Crockett, Tubbs & Leonard Cohen For all Miami Vice fans out there (or people that have actually heard of it), it appears that near-enough every notable actor (and then some singers) appeared in it. [Incredible](https://twitter.com/DannyDutch/status/1422825829189496833).    **P.S.** For anyone interested in the history of The100, what I’ve learned from it, and what challenges the Insights Industry has ahead, [I did a podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJvFEJ5LgaQ) (interview) – it’s my first, so forgive any waffling. --- #### Tag: [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-brand-purpose-how-to-remember-and-miami-vice) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-brand-purpose-how-to-remember-and-miami-vice&text=The100:%20Brand%20purpose,%20how%20to%20remember,%20and%20Miami%20Vice) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-brand-purpose-how-to-remember-and-miami-vice) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-brand-purpose-how-to-remember-and-miami-vice&text=The100:%20Brand%20purpose,%20how%20to%20remember,%20and%20Miami%20Vicedescription=“The%20Danger%20of%20a%20Single%20Story”%20The%20copywriter%20who%20just%20keeps%20on%20giving:%20Dave%20Trott%20again%20with%20a%20brilliant%20piece%20directly%20related%20to%20empathy:%20We%20are%20not%20the[...]&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/The100%20Banners%20%281920%20x%201080%20px%29%20-%202025-12-15T161848.631-1.png) --- --- ## From the archives If you like The100, maybe even found it vaguely enjoyable (steady now), you can have a ganders at our previous issues. Fill your boots. [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 19 September, 2025 #### [The100: Uber’s research playbook, online delivery models and polyphonic ringtones](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-ubers-research-playbook-online-delivery-models-and-polyphonic-ringtones) UberCool Back in 2017, Uber had a problem. Passengers were so unhappy with UberPool that Uber… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-ubers-research-playbook-online-delivery-models-and-polyphonic-ringtones) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 05 September, 2025 #### [The100: Expanding time, talking to animals and Chile’s Atacama Desert](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-expanding-time-talking-to-animals-and-chiles-atacama-desert) SharkNinja’s $16B+ Product Machine SharkNinja must see more launches than a shipyard. Each year… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-expanding-time-talking-to-animals-and-chiles-atacama-desert) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 22 August, 2025 #### [The100: The price of American made, judgement economies and 1880s hipsters](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-the-price-of-american-made-judgement-economies-and-1880s-hipsters) Does your brand need to be polarising to be successful? 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