Stop Asking How Far. Start Asking How Deep.
Amplification only works when something is already alive
What actually makes a brand spread through culture? What makes it get shared across feeds and comment sections, into DMs and group chats?
I’ve been mulling that question for months as I prepare for a keynote I’m giving at SXSW in a couple of weeks.
Every conversation I’ve had, every case study I’ve dug into, has pulled the thread tighter and made the answer clearer: it’s all about prioritizing relevance over reach.
The brands with momentum today aren't the ones with the biggest megaphones. They're the ones that matter undeniably to a specific audience.
Then I interviewed Alix Colin, Dove’s Global Marketing Manager for Hair, for this week’s newsletter, and she handed me perhaps the sharpest articulation of that idea I’ve heard yet.
The r/eal reviews campaign her team created was simple: an open call on Reddit for unfiltered product reviews, and a promise to publish all of them, both positive and negative.
Then Dove took those unfiltered reviews wide—billboards across New York, TV spots, and a physical installation at the Flatiron Building.
It worked because it was built entirely for one specific community—in their language, in their space, on their terms.
That’s when it clicked for me.
“It’s almost like relevance is a precondition for reach,” I offered.
“Yeah. That’s a very good way to frame it,” she said. “You wouldn’t go to volume if you don’t trust the relevance of what you’ve got.”
The mechanic at work here: relevance first. Amplification second.
So before you ask how to get people talking about your brand, the better question is: is there something you can offer that’s deeply relevant to them? And are you listening closely enough to know what that would even look like?
Until next time,
Sara
P.S. If you’ll be in Austin for SXSW, I’d love for you to join me for my keynote talk, Unlocking the Power of Community in the Post-Social Era, happening March 18 at 10 AM CST.
