--- title: "The100: Saying no, staying human and Hollywood" description: Well, that went quickly. First week back, so forgive the dustiness.  I thought I’d start the year with 9 reminders to take you into 2025… 1. Watching works I must admit to a touch of bias here, but if you don’t believe me, read what the CEO of KFC in China had to say. 2. … image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/The100%20Banners%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20(20).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: Saying no, staying human and Hollywood - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Saying no, staying human and Hollywood - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) 01/10/2025 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-saying-no-staying-human-and-hollywood#postComment) 1 Minutes Well, that went quickly. First week back, so forgive the dustiness.  I thought I’d start the year with 9 reminders to take you into 2025… ### 1. Watching works I must admit to a touch of bias here, but if you don’t believe me, read [what the CEO of KFC in China had to say](https://fortune.com/2024/11/17/the-ceo-of-kfc-and-taco-bell-china-sits-for-hours-and-watches-customers-eat-its-led-to-popular-menu-items/?). ### 2. Be aware of your bubble Old, but gold. h/t to Tom Goodwin for sharing [this 8 year old clip from SNL](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKOb-kmOgpI&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive). Funny, observant and coming true.  ### 3. Stay human in the age of data If you do want to ‘restore the soul of business’ then you could do worse than read [Rishad Tobaccowala’s book](https://rishad.substack.com/p/staying-human-in-the-age-of-data), which explores ‘why data is often not the way forward and we may have too much of it’. ### 4. Always be learning Tom Whitwell’s [‘52 things I learned in…’](https://medium.com/@tomwhitwell/52-things-i-learned-in-2024-75efffe44f15) is always a great read. Take time to read, observe, listen.  ### 5. Strength in weaknesses Love it or hate it, 30 years later and Marmite shows that [admitting a weakness can be a strength](https://www.marketingweek.com/why-it-works-marmite/). If you admit a flaw, you take away the power it has to cause damage. I’ve never drunk a cup of tea – there I said it.  ### 6. Yes to saying no Lots of people are going to be asking you for lots of things this year. Here are some [useful templates to help you say no](https://www.starterstory.com/how-to-say-no). ### 7. Communication has changed. Change with it [New rules of communicating?](https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-6-new-rules-of-communicating?) What the what? You need to start sitting down (excellent), be spontaneous, informal and conversational. Allegedly.  ### 8. Goodbye demographics. Hello subcultures.  Not sure where to start here, but [group by common interest, not age](https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2024/11/20/horizon-media-subcultures-report?). Age is so last year.  ### 9. No-one can predict the future… …So it’s worth looking at [what predictions from 25 years ago tell us about the next 25 years](https://uk.themedialeader.com/what-predictions-from-25-years-ago-tell-us-about-the-next-25-years/). if anything.  Related: [The BBC were pretty good at it in 1987,](https://youtu.be/IHmB1vyML9E?t=192) near enough calling smart watches and VR headsets.  ### And finally…. If you’re a listener to Desert Island Discs (a BBC radio show where celebrities choose what they’d like to be stranded with on a desert island), here’s a massive geek out for you:  [the full list of all music, luxuries, and books people have named](https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2FPraful%2Fdesert-island-discs%2Frefs%2Fheads%2Fmain%2Foutput%2Fdesert-island-discs-episodes.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK&utm_source=lauraolin&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=190-what-are-you-trying-to-be-free-of).  Some amazing [behind the scenes photos from the golden age of Hollywood](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g43101062/behind-the-scenes-hollywood-film-photos/?).  And h/t to [@SteveStuWill](https://x.com/SteveStuWill)for this: ![](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png)   --- #### 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-saying-no-staying-human-and-hollywood) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-saying-no-staying-human-and-hollywood&text=The100:%20Saying%20no,%20staying%20human%20and%20Hollywood) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-saying-no-staying-human-and-hollywood) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-saying-no-staying-human-and-hollywood&text=The100:%20Saying%20no,%20staying%20human%20and%20Hollywooddescription=Well,%20that%20went%20quickly.%20First%20week%20back,%20so%20forgive%20the%20dustiness.&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/The100%20Banners%20%281920%20x%201080%20px%29%20%2820%29.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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