Let’s not pretend anymore.

We’ve been saying this in every format possible; on LinkedIn, in community, on Zoom calls, in the newsletters you're reading now.

And still, a lot of you sound stuck. Politics at work. Paralysis by planning. Waiting to see what happens “next quarter.”

Come on. If you’re still waiting to see how it plays out:
You’re not listening.
You’re not adapting.
And you sure as hell aren’t leading.

Because here’s the truth:
This isn’t about what’s coming.
It’s already here.
And you need to understand what Connected Growth really means.

That’s why I’m writing this.

Not to shout louder. Not to trend-jack. Not even to sell. 

But because of what we’re building here; the Festival, the content, the tools, it’s not just a media play.

It’s a transformation system for us to engage in this new world.

And this newsletter is the entry point.

Mood of the Week:

Mood: Slap yourself round the face and do something that moves the dial.

Organic chaos meets futuristic control, the relevance, well it’s chaos out there and we need to find a way to take control.

Here’s What We’re Talking About Today:

👉 P.S. Did a mate forward this to you? Sign up for free here.

Audience Insights & Future Trends: This is not about what’s next. This is about what’s already here.

📊 The data at a glance:

Automation with soul: You must shift from implementing technology as a tool for efficiency to using it as a co-creator of value. Deloitte 

AI ≠ Replacement. “AI brought workflows to a next level" and "surfaced more intelligent, more value-added opportunities that people didn't have the time to think about."
(Kathy Doolaege Zoom / Connected Festival)

Real community = real speed. Peer-led teams are accelerating innovation through collaborative efforts. (CMX)

Your audience is your new agency.
Notion, Duolingo, Figma? They’re outsourcing full creative sprints to superfans. 

Meanwhile:
67% of B2B marketers still lose deals because sales and marketing can’t share a sentence. But aligned teams = 38% higher win rates. Forrester Study

🔎 Insight: Let me be blunt: If you're still hosting “Future of Marketing” webinars, you're already late.

💡Takeaway: “Putting humanity back into business” isn’t a strapline. It’s your growth engine now.

So put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Make a move this week to build AI into one of your workstreams
2. Who in your business, network or agency roster is looking at everything you do from a human’s point of view, not just the data
3. How many of your partners are really spending every week talking to people, and giving you those insights, tools and knowledge in their weekly meet ups
4. How many of your departments, or even just employees talk to each other, share learnings and help improve the day-to-day business 

PROMOTION for Audience101, by us, until one of you steps in to support the cause

Every day we talk to our community members
Every week we share a trend report, tool or tactic
Every Month we bring 6 of the best to share what they have learnt and what they are doing to adapt and win

Every moment we stop to breathe we ask: “How does this help people make real progress?”

Because that’s what we’re here for. Real tools. Real change. Real income.

Join us next Thursday for the next great installment. Or just stop messing around and subscribe now.

Testimonial:

Case Study: Netflix

Because they’re not just leading with budget. They’re building with guts. And they’re applying Connected Growth better than anyone.

While most streaming brands were moaning about content shortages during the pandemic, Netflix quietly expanded into Europe. And they haven’t stopped innovating since.

This weekend, I went to their Fear Street: Prom Queen experience. What looked like a horror pop-up? Was actually a masterclass.

Here’s what I saw:

Micro-networks
16 ticket drops, 100+ guests each.
All invite-only. All FOMO-powered.
No funnels. Just friction, anticipation, and shareability.

Community as the content machine
Fans didn’t just watch. They acted. Filmed. Shared.
Netflix didn’t need virality—they just turned up the emotional stakes.
Fear Street × Secret Cinema

Tech that disappears behind the experience
QR check-ins linked to Netflix’s CRM
Scene assignments via TodayTix
Seamless, useful, personal

Marketing that pays for itself
Stranger Things Experience sold over 300,000 tickets
Secret Cinema has passed 1M+
Bridgerton Ball = listed in Netflix’s 2023 shareholder letter

IP = Infinite Touchpoints
TV shows become theatre, merch, playlists, tattoos
Even The Queen’s Gambit: The Musical (yes, with a Mitski score)

Takeaway:
How can you productise your offering and monetize it

If a $200B company is ditching media buys for micro-networks, what’s your excuse?

1. Make yourself relevant - or redundant.
   

2. Build experiences, not wallpaper.
   

3. Design systems that scale emotion.
   

4. Stop running old playbooks. Kodak did that. We know how it ended.

Behind the Build:

We changed the title, this week, just to see if you are paying attention?

Our AI personalisation tool is being co-built by two members. Watch this space.

Imagine when Member content pays members back. That's what we are working on now.
Clicks → Tracked → Shared revenue.
Simple. Smart. Human.

This isn’t just a content play—it’s the start of something bigger.
A new kind of system.
Where insight turns into income.
Where participation creates equity.
Where brands, communities, and platforms co-transform.

That’s Connected Growth.

Lively Promo

Want to go bigger?

Lively is for brands who want to scale this energy into real-world activations.

We don’t just design live experiences.
We convert them—into data, story, revenue, and community.

From Spotify to Ericsson, we’ve delivered for the best.
Let’s talk if you’re next.

STEAL THIS: THE CONNECTED GROWTH TEST

✅ Is your marketing earning before the media budget drops?

✅ Is your community building value—not just commenting?

✅ Is your AI improving emotion—not just automation?

✅ Could your brand + sales teams finish each other’s sentences?

If not, that’s your Q2 brief.

Mood Board: Shared by our community

🎯 Call to Action

If this hit, send it to someone still stuck in Adland; the land where people still cling to campaign cycles and quarterly reports, still hoping someone else will start the movement.

If it didn’t hit? You weren’t listening.

Let’s build better. Let’s build together.
- Mike

P.S. Tom Cruise, speaking on my behalf: