Any Insights Yet? with Chris Kocek

This episode is a little different.Instead of talking with a Chief Creative Officer or a Chief Strategy Officer about a recent ad campaign, I sit down with Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and co-author of The Disengaged Teen.Together, we dive into the insights that emerged from her research with over 60,000 students, 25,000 teachers, and 6,000 parents, and we explore what it takes to really engage young people in today’s tech-driven world.Rebecca’s findings around engagement are fascinating and we talk about different modes of learning (passenger mode vs. resistor mode vs. explorer mode) and the surprising overlaps between the world of branding and the world of education.In both worlds, you’re dealing with a rich combination of attention, inertia, distraction, and indifference. And in both cases, real engagement only happens when the people you’re talking to connect the experience you’ve created to something meaningful in their own lives.Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:What kids are neurobiologically primed to do in adolescence and the implications for designing more engaging experiencesThe Mattel-OpenAI partnership and why Rebecca is both excited and concerned about its implications How repetition and nagging can often shut down executive function in teens (and how brands might accidentally be doing the same thing with their messaging)What Minecraft can teach us about learning, rewards, motivation, and flowHow working for the Fish and Wildlife Department in her 20s led Rebecca to some valuable life lessons about FIO (Figure It Out) jobs Why educational innovation starts with rethinking how we measure progress and what that also means for brand strategyShow Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:The Disengaged Teen by Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny AndersonIf I Built a School by Chris Van DusenLies My Teacher Told Me by James W. LowenSix of Crows (Crooked Kingdom) by Leigh BardugProductsLegoClixo ToysInnovative Alt Education SchoolsBig Picture LearningTempleton AcademyAlpha Schools

Most brands use surface level data to market to superficial stereotypes.James Addlestone, on the other hand, uses data like a detective, reading between the lines of people’s survey responses and finding innovative ways to get to the truth behind their behaviors.With a background in behavioral economics and a deep appreciation for detective fiction (we talk quite a bit about Agatha Christie), James brings an exciting approach to data-driven strategy: one that combines quant, qual, and creative curiosity.During our conversation, James challenges the industry’s overreliance on survey panels, pre-loaded category drivers, and overly-tidy narratives that tend to collapse under real-world scrutiny. By contrast, James makes the case for embracing those moments when the data doesn’t quite make sense and treating that ambiguity as an invitation to look closer.In this episode, we explore how James uses data triangulation, not silver bullets, to connect the dots between data points, which leads not only to new campaign directions, but can also result in subtle shifts in operations and product innovation.Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:The “qual sandwich” framework James uses for insight generationWhy it’s important to challenge company myths every so often with fresh dataHow a surprising spike in tomato sales led to a deeper investigation and a new campaign direction for a major grocerHow the pet brand, Chewy, focuses on “moments that matter” and why moments-based segmentation matters even more than traditional demographicsThree reasons why AI won’t replace good analysts anytime soonAdvice for junior analysts and how to use different AI tools to help with big data projectsShow Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:Factfulness: 10 Reasons why You’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things are Better than you Think by Hans RolingEverybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Steph-Stephens DavidowitzAlgorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Tom GriffithsStolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann HariBlueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity by Marcus du SautoyCompaniesSystem 1: The World’s Most Predictive Ad TestMeet the 85: Ethnographic Research ConsultancyPodcasts:Thinking Inside the Box More Creatively with Dan Cohen, Creative Director at Saatchi New York

Katie Dreke has always been a rough and tumble explorer, ever since she was a kid.From early childhood days, she wanted to do all the things the boys in her neighborhood were doing - jumping bikes off of ramps, playing in treehouses, reading science fiction - but she quickly realized that the world was always trying to steer her in another direction. Those childhood experiences led to a lifelong fascination with social constructs and gender norms, which has shaped her groundbreaking work with sports brands, from Arc’teryx to New Balance to Nike’s historic maternity collection. Katie’s work history has spanned the globe, from Amsterdam to Japan to Australia, and she’s worked at a wide variety of award-winning shops, including Wieden + Kennedy, the Wexley School for Girls, Droga5, and IDEO.No matter what she’s working on, though, whether it’s a new DTC business model or product innovation, Katie always brings a distinct perspective to every project, one that blends cultural insight and deep empathy for the consumer’s lived experience.Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:How social norms and coded systems still shape women’s experience in sportWhy many women over 40 were turning to Lululemon and not shopping for themselves at NikeHow the Nike maternity collection uncovered a blindspot in how athletic potential is definedThe techniques and strategic questions Katie uses to kick start almost any projectHow working the front desk at a software company in Seattle led her to a global career in strategyShow Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:The Mountain in the Sea by Ray NaylerBrands & Campagins:Nike Maternity CollectionThe Toughest Athletes - Nike AdHoudini SportswearBenim Denim - A Start-up Designed to Shut Down

What do David Bowie lyrics, childhood memories of soda, and gut health all have in common? For Mark Lester, co-founder of the brand consultancy Squint, they’re part of a deeper exploration into how happiness shapes behavior and how brands can use that insight to grow.Prior to starting squint, Mark spent 15 years in the advertising industry, sharing his talents with R/GA, McGarryBowen and Dentsu, working a wide variety of brands, including Samsung, Diageo, and Equinox, just to name a few.In this episode, Mark shares how Squint’s “Happiness Advantage” approach to brand-building helped turn Olipop into a nearly $2 billion soda brand by leaning into emotional associations, not functional claims. We also discuss GenZ’s fraying relationship with sport and how an activation at the Olympics was able to help Nike reconnect with a younger generation. Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:Why great brands are built on memories, not just messagesHow a hike in the Hollywood Hills with Olipop’s founder led Mark to some powerful aha moments about himself and the brandThe consumer research findings that made “soda” a more powerful word than “tonic”The evolving nature of competitive sports and the opportunity to be part of the growing movement around collaborative sportsHow being an au pair in France during his gap year after college taught him some valuable life lessonsMark’s secret to happiness, both personally and professionallyShow Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:The Remains of the Day by Kazuo IshiguroNever Let me Go by Kazuo IshiguroCampaigns:Dude Wipes: The Evolution of WipingBrands:Nandos (UK Peri Peri Chicken Restaurant Chain)Podcasts:Going Cowboy and Being Bluntly Honest With Gordy Sang & Brian Siedband at Quality Meats Creative

What are the key characteristics of designing a great toy? It turns out, it’s many of the same characteristics that go into building a great brand.Playfulness. Imagination. A little bit of mischief. And joy.In this episode, I talk with Assaf Eshet, founder and award-winning toy designer at Clixo Toys.I met Assaf at the ISTE EdTech conference in San Antonio this summer and I was immediately drawn to the flexible, colorful shapes of Clixo and all the different things you could build with them - robots, animals, vehicles, wearables - you name it.And when Assaf started telling me about the philosophy behind Clixo - how they blend the best of origami with the best of magnetic building toys - I knew he needed to be a guest on the show. Because he definitely sees the world in a different way compared to most.I’m glad I met him when I did because since our chance encounter in San Antonio, Clixo has been getting attention just about everywhere. In the past few months Clixo launched nationally in Target, had a huge activation at the MoMA, and was just named one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2025.In this episode, Assaf and I talk about the principles of great toy design, and how his teaching philosophy helps students embrace failure and experimentation, which are prerequisites for coming up with even better ideas. We also explore the psychology of play and the secret to living as a joyful creature. Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:One of Assaf’s favorite design assignments that he gives to his students each semesterWhy good toy design (like good branding) requires constant testing “in the wild”What his grandmother’s hand-sewn Barbie clothing collection taught him about resourcefulness and innovationHow Italian cinema and Roberto Benigni shaped his outlook on creativityThe importance of becoming a collector (for whatever you’re passionate about) Show Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession by Irvin D. YalomProducts:Chomshop: A Kid-Safe Power Tool for Cutting CardboardSpeeches:Roberto Benigni Oscar Speech for Life is Beautiful