Buzz or Brand Invalidation?

It is a strange time in which we live.

To create "buzz" on social media, companies purposefully trigger one group or another, hoping the anger creates controversy and somehow mythically "raises sales." Remember, in today's world, "engagement is money," so if something can't be used to make people happy, money can be farmed by making people angry.

More often than not, this strategy revolves around tapping into our nostalgic sentiments. Companies will twist a beloved IP to cultivate anger, a practice that should raise eyebrows.

Now, nostalgia is terrible, so I do not care about it. Nostalgia is crap used to leech wealth from you.

Or used to get you angry.

Either way, it is garbage.

Internally, these are our memories and feelings, which is where nostalgia should be - in your hearts. Outside of your heart? It is pure, 100% manipulation, and every time I see it used, it is harmful and hurtful. I don't care if it is a "get for my side" to prove some point; hurting people's feelings is hateful and wrong.

However, these companies invalidate their brand when they use nostalgia to trigger people. They prove they don't respect the original artists, want to use your feelings to hurt you, and are cynical and hate the IP they hold. This happens when you won't hire talented creators, or Wall Street won't pay people to create new things.

Wall Street will tell companies to intentionally anger people just to farm cash. A "hate math" at work here maps anger to financial gain, and they probably have this down to a science.

If they aren't told, then it also happens naturally. The caretakers that sit on these "IP farms" grow hateful and cynical. They must keep forking over the same compost pile and figuring out how to use it to milk more money from a stone. Eventually, you see them resent what they were hired to care for.

You will hate what you have when you can't create something new.

How would you feel if you worked at a company you loved, had all these great ideas, and were never listened to? They tell you nothing new; please keep selling things you never helped create. Nothing new can be made here. The chances to create something new here are all over. Your ideas will never be heard.

You are the caretaker of a graveyard.

So you see, after a while, the IP that was once loved and carefully cared for becomes "trigger content." At this point, the brand is invalidated, and the best thing that can happen is someone is inspired to create something new and take the genre in a new direction. This happened with Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, and the ideas eventually moved on and became Star Wars. But watching these IP farms take things they can't sell anymore and use them to "farm hate" is just disgusting.

When it reaches this level, you close your heart, declare the IP a dead brand, and walk away. Beloved actors and musicians die. An IP can, too. And part of the healing process is to accept it is dead and move on with your life.

You have a choice.

Cry over dead brands. Let greedy people use it to farm cash or anger from you. It is money to them either way.

Or farm and support new ones that will have a life of their own.