SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: What Makes a Must-Have Christmas Toy?

In this Time Capsule article, we explore how the accidental Beanie Babies craze decades ago taught toy manufacturers which psychological buttons to push to spark a sales stampede—and how recognizing an engineered repeat of these tactics can make you a more thoughtful consumer.

What if everything you knew about marketing was wrong? In How Brands Grow, marketing professor Byron Sharp argues that many of the marketing principles commonly taught in business schools are unsubstantiated myths. By examining the real-world data that indicates which marketing techniques succeed and which fail, Sharp claims to have discovered a new set of empirical rules that directly contradict the widely-held “common sense” principles of marketing.

In this guide, we’ll explore what Sharp believes most marketers get wrong about where a brand’s profits come from and the psychology behind consumers’ purchasing decisions. Furthermore, we’ll define what Sharp believes to be the optimal strategy to market any brand. In addition, we’ll contrast Sharp’s theories with those of marketing experts who argue against his contrarian stance, such as Al Ries and Jack Trout (Positioning) and Seth Godin (Purple Cow). Finally, we’ll update Sharp’s theories in light of the most recent marketing developments and trends, including personalized advertising, social media engagement, and the renaissance of the subscription business model.

Success in any business—from a local food stand to a multimillion-dollar tech business—depends on the strength of your offer: what you present to the customer to try to earn their business. But how can you create not just any offer, but a lucrative one that people can’t refuse? In $100M Offers, entrepreneur and marketing expert Alex Hormozi breaks down his strategies for creating offers that consistently generate massive, life-changing revenue.

Drawing from his experience building multiple eight-figure businesses, Hormozi explains how to design a high-value product, strategize your pricing, find the ideal market, and leverage psychological strategies to make your offer more attractive. By following these guidelines for fine-tuning your offer, Hormozi writes, you’ll have customers clamoring to take you up on it, and you’ll gain the financial freedom that every entrepreneur dreams of.

We’ll supplement Hormozi’s recommendations with insight into some of the psychological principles behind the sales tactics and with advice from other experts on growing your business.

In This Is Marketing, entrepreneur and marketing expert Seth Godin challenges conventional marketing strategies. He argues that in today's media-saturated world, traditional marketing techniques are no longer effective. Instead, Godin emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with customers based on trust, authenticity, and empathy. Effective marketing, according to Godin, goes beyond mere sales and aims to bring about positive changes in people's lives.

In this guide, we’ll explain why Godin says old marketing techniques are no longer effective and outline his guiding principles for successful marketing in the modern age. We complement his suggestions with insights from his other books as well as those of other marketing experts such as Ryan Holiday (Perennial Seller), Byron Sharp (How Brands Grow), and Pat Flynn (Superfans).

With inflation cutting into Christmas budgets and a recession possible next year, shoppers in many countries are checking their Christmas lists twice—and crossing off a few things. But rather than ruining the holiday, experts say pulling back from consumerism can be good for you. In this article we’ll discuss some non-financial reasons to avoid holiday excess, and give some tips for focusing on what’s important to you.

Holiday shopping will never be the same. AI assistants are helping consumers search for gifts, compare prices, and even complete purchases within a single platform. Learn how AI is changing who shops and how, what benefits and limitations to watch for, and the strategies retailers are using to get you to notice their products.

What if everything you knew about marketing was wrong? In How Brands Grow, marketing professor Byron Sharp argues that many of the marketing principles commonly taught in business schools are unsubstantiated myths. By examining the real-world data that indicates which marketing techniques succeed and which fail, Sharp claims to have discovered a new set of empirical rules that directly contradict the widely-held “common sense” principles of marketing.

In this guide, we’ll explore what Sharp believes most marketers get wrong about where a brand’s profits come from and the psychology behind consumers’ purchasing decisions. Furthermore, we’ll define what Sharp believes to be the optimal strategy to market any brand. In addition, we’ll contrast Sharp’s theories with those of marketing experts who argue against his contrarian stance, such as Al Ries and Jack Trout (Positioning) and Seth Godin (Purple Cow). Finally, we’ll update Sharp’s theories in light of the most recent marketing developments and trends, including personalized advertising, social media engagement, and the renaissance of the subscription business model.

Has Big Tech made our lives better or worse? In The Four, entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway takes a hard look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the “Four”). He argues that the success of the Four has had a profound and decidedly negative impact on our society, affecting everything from our privacy and our opportunities for career advancement to our free-market economy and even the functioning of our democracy.

In our guide, we examine the Four’s outsized influence on our personal lives as well as on society at large. We contrast Galloway’s ideas with those of other experts on Big Tech and provide additional background information to contextualize Galloway’s opinions.

Holiday shopping will never be the same. AI assistants are helping consumers search for gifts, compare prices, and even complete purchases within a single platform. Learn how AI is changing who shops and how, what benefits and limitations to watch for, and the strategies retailers are using to get you to notice their products.

Those hundreds of 5-star reviews aren’t always proof that everyone loves the product—they’re often tools of persuasion. Learn how sellers exploit your brain’s tendency to follow the crowd and develop the skills to spot fake consensus and make better purchasing decisions.