Welcome to the UNLEARN Podcast! Today, we’re joined by Emily Ross, co-author of Just Evil Enough and a leader in brand strategy and creativity. With a career spanning tech innovation, marketing, and even circus performance, Emily approaches challenges from unconventional angles.
As Director of Brand Strategy at X (formerly Twitter) for EMEA, Emily also serves as an Advisory Board Member at SXSW and GoGreen Routes, an EU funded, pan-European research project on nature-based connectedness, as Co-founder of Resonance Festival (Resonance-Lough Derg), and a mentor to startups across Europe.
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In this episode, she shares her approach to subversive marketing, reframing obstacles as opportunities and using bold tactics to achieve extraordinary results. Drawing inspiration from disruptors like Tesla, Emily reveals how creativity and curiosity can transform business outcomes. Whether you’re looking to reimagine your marketing strategies or disrupt the status quo, Emily’s expertise is an invaluable guide.
Key Takeaways:
- Unconventional marketing tactics involve reframing challenges and using bold strategies like zero-day exploits to help brands stand out.
- The power of creativity lies in applying attention-grabbing skills across industries, as seen through lessons from a diverse career.
- Turning flaws into strengths, as seen with Tesla and Space Invaders, shows how weaknesses can become powerful advantages.
- Consistency over brilliance emphasizes that success stems from daily effort and experimentation, not rare moments of genius.
Additional Insights:
- The Recon Canvas Framework uncovers market opportunities and shows the need for constant adaptability as strategies evolve.
- Capturing attention in the digital age requires standout marketing in a noisy, distracted world.
- Subversive thinking from Just Evil Enough shows how breaking rules can drive business success.
Get ready for a fascinating conversation with Emily Ross on rethinking traditional approaches, embracing creativity, and crafting strategies that disrupt the status quo
Episode Highlights:
00:36 – Episode Introduction
“We talk a lot about electric vehicles, and we talk about how originally when EVs hit the market, it was all about range and affordability.”
01:20 – Introducing Emily Ross
“Emily is a powerhouse in brand strategy, creative leadership, and co-author of Just Evil Enough. She’s reshaping how global brands stand out in noisy markets.”
04:00 – Lessons from the Circus The Power of Attention
“I spent years as a fire performer, and it taught me that attention is a superpower. Learning to capture and hold attention is a skill every marketer needs.”
05:59 – Subversive Marketing Tactics Explained
“Subversive marketing is about being bold, counterintuitive, and creative. It’s not growth hacking, it’s about playing the long game to stay ahead.”
10:32 – Turning Bugs Into Features
“The famous Space Invaders bug is a perfect example of how flaws can create differentiation. As the game progressed, it got faster, making it more exciting.”
15:55 – The Product-Market Fit Myth
“Product-market fit isn’t real, it’s actually product-medium-market fit. Success lies in how you connect your product to the audience through the right medium.”
21:18 – Zero-Day Exploits and Subversive Marketing
“We call those zero day exploits. So in cybersecurity, a zero day hack is one that is a kind of a finite hack.”
23:27 – Underdog Success Using Unconventional Tactics
“When smaller forces use unconventional tactics, they can flip the odds. It’s how underdogs win in both marketing and warfare.”
30:21 – The Recon Framework and Attention Economy
“One of the most practical pieces of the book is the recon canvas. We are drowning in noise, and Herbert Simon coined the term ‘attention economy’, where the thing in shortest supply becomes the currency of the day.”
32:13 – Just Evil Enough: Unexpected Validation
“When I pitched the idea of Just Evil Enough sitting beside Alchemy on the shelf, I never imagined Rory Sutherland would not only read the book but offer such high praise. It was an amazing moment of recognition.”
