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Conspicuously unknown is trendy
For a decade, success in the digital age has been measured by smoothness and scale. We were told to make our apps frictionless, our brands "seamless," and our follower counts as high as possible. We optimised the soul right out of the room.
COVID saw a boom in online followers almost overnight (looking at you, TikTok) as the world retreated to their screens. But much of what you hit follow on in the midst of lockdown gloom is quite likely to have lost it relevance now.
Now in 2026, the pendulum has swung. As Ana Andjelic argues in The Friction Advantage, efficiency is only a virtue until it makes you invisible. When there is no dissonance, no edge, no scruffiness, there is no memory.
This is why the new cultural flex is a conspicuously modest following. As the New Yorker notes, having zero followers isn't a failure of reach; it's a signal of autonomy. It means you are illegible to the machine.
For brands, that doesn’t mean deleting Instagram. It means rethinking what you’re using it for. Instead of chasing metrics and likes at any cost, this might be the best time to invest in spaces that feel harder to access, as counter-intuitive as that feels. Rooting your place in real-world experiences might help build real-world customers. Build moments that reward presence, create communities choose you.
In an era of AI slop (it was Macquarie Dictionary’s word of the year for a reason) and hyper-optimised feeds, value is found in the things that make our brains work a little harder. If everything is easy, nothing is memorable.
Hospitality software platform Mews just raised $300 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, claiming the largest funding round ever in hospitality software. The platform processed $19.7 billion in transaction volume in 2025 and now underpins 15,000 properties across 85 countries.
It doesn’t have a lobby, a loyalty program, or a rooftop bar, but it increasingly controls the systems that do. As agent-driven AI embeds itself into hotel operations, from check-in kiosks to revenue management, the guest experience is being influenced less by the people on the floor and more by infrastructure. Hospitality is becoming software-first, whether guests realise it or not.
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The industrialisation of paradise
What happens to a ‘passion project’ when the landlord becomes a $1.2 trillion asset manager
A quiet rebellion against spaces designed for the lens
Have we hit peak ‘instragammable’ fatigue?
A masterclass on why hidden access is the ultimate luxury flex in 2026
When everything is visible, true luxury means being impossible to find
Why "chic" is officially dead in 2026
The new cultural premium is ‘progressive’ and ‘considered’
Quick hits of insight
Grey Goose x 2026 Australian Open
With the AO coming to it’s close, we wanted to reflect on a flying start to the year with the highly anticipated return of the @greygoose courtside bar for its second year at the @australianopen – a reimagined summer escape overlooking Court 6. More than just a brand presence, it was a launch moment for Melbourne’s summer of tennis that prioritised premium focus over standard activation.
Tastemakers checked in to a spritzed up precinct soundtracked by @flightfac and @dijok on the decks, punctuated by roving caviar and bellhop service delivering the signature Grey Goose Lemon Ace, returning as the hero serve of the 2026 Australian Open.
We also launched Courtside Bar to the public, with Grey Goose ambassadors @nadiabartel and @bigfoe1998 on hand to make time wait and savour the serve of the summer 🍸.
Example led the broader Creative Strategy, PR and Talent approach for Grey Goose x Australian Open 2026.
Dane Gorrel
Owner/Music director, Club 77, an enduring underground institution
Sydney, Australia
My name is Dane Gorrel and I'm the owner and music director of Club 77. I've owned and operated my own venues since 2010, most notably The Abercrombie Hotel, Koh Bali and Apera. I was also a founding director/member of the Drink n Dine Group. These days my entire focus is on my wife, our two daughters (aged 2.5 years and 5 months old), our puppy Nergal and my business Club 77.
A ritual that resonates:
At the moment it's a daily swim in the ocean with my 5 month old daughter. Just like me, she absolutely loves the ocean and it makes the both of us so happy and is the best way to start any day.
Culture that moves you:
I am obsessed with nightclub culture and have been since my first experience in 1999. Since that night, I've dedicated my entire life to nightclubs and the culture around nightclubs. I love reading books on nightclub culture and am currently re-reading the book on Trouw (an amazing nightclub that operated for 6 years in Amsterdam) by the owner Olaf Boswijk.
Who do you think is making culture better right now?
The cross-pollinators! The people who can’t help but mix things up. DJs collaborating with architects, fashion designers teaming up with scientists, artists working with doctors to turn data into emotion. Refik Anadol’s work has been one of my favourite inspirations, blurring the line between architecture, AI, memory, and immersive art in a way that feels both futuristic and deeply human.
Undiscovered gems:
For food it must be Graze N Cakes in Avalon. It's a tiny hole in the wall Vietnamese street food bakery that I eat at every day. The owners Sandy and Viet are exceptional at what they do, and they make the best bánh mì I've ever eaten. They also bake all their own bread and sweet treats onsite.
A cultural experience:
I've just booked our first family holiday to Fiji and instead of staying in a 5-star resort, my wife and I have chosen to stay at Imeri's Homestay. We really want our children to experience different cultures growing up and we feel this is the perfect start. Really looking forward to learning about the Fijian way of life.
We are an earned-led culture agency. We create and amplify the world’s most talked-about brands, destinations and experiences.
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