Your DIY summer checklist
Plus: Pinterest trend report and an interview with FatBoy Zine's Chris O'Leary
Fresh marketing stuff
Summer's here! Whether you’re off on holiday, taking a well-earned break, gearing up for autumn or already thinking ahead to the Christmas season (yes, really), now’s the perfect time for a mid-year marketing check-in.
📊 Start with your data
If you’re feeling unsure about what’s working or where to focus, your numbers will tell you. A mid-year check-in gives you the space to reflect on what’s been effective so far, and what might need tweaking. Look at what’s performing well, what’s falling flat, and what’s simply eating up time or budget without much return. It’s not about overhauling everything, it’s about small, smart adjustments that keep you moving in the right direction.
🔍 Keep a fresh eye on the market and competition
By checking out the positioning of your competitors, you can better understand the overall conditions of the market and how much influence they have on your target demographic. Market research, industry surveys and competitor research are the way to go. Keeping track of your competitors allows you to stay close to new trends and tactics and anticipate big market shifts. A quick refresh of your competitive analysis every few months can reveal opportunities or gaps you might be missing. Summer’s the perfect time to carve out a moment for this kind of strategic check-in!
✏️ Update your customer personas
We’re halfway through the year and you’ve likely gathered new insights about your audience and customers, whether it’s from sales, customer feedback, email performance or social media. Don’t let that sit in a spreadsheet somewhere. Now’s a great time to revisit and refresh your customer personas so the second half of your marketing year is even more targeted and effective.
🎨 Reassess your marketing materials
This is also always a good time to check that your marketing platforms and assets are up-to-date. For example: polish your website (remember that About page you need to update?!), and refresh your ad creatives with the latest incentives or messaging. Don’t forget your email templates too – a small refresh can go a long way in keeping your direct comms feeling sharp and on-brand.
Hot off the press
Pinterest’s 2025 Summer Trend Report is out and reveals that this season is all about reconnecting with nature, with simplicity and with creativity.
Digital detox is big: searches for things like “digital detox vision boards” are up 273%, as more people aim to unplug and enjoy the outdoors. Home decor trends center on rustic farmhouse and cottage interiors, driven by Gen‑Z's love for thrifted, earthy, nature‑inspired spaces (farm cottage aesthetic +911%). Read the report here.
My latest news
June was absolutely buzzy. Here’s a lowdown on all the fun and action from the month.
I was an official mentor at SXSW London – the festival celebrating the intersection of tech, film, music, culture and creativity, right here in East London – and I hosted sessions for incredible creatives from all over Europe. The week was packed with talks, screenings and gigs. See my recap & main takeaways here and some pics here.
Supported the Adobe Express team at their event activation in the Female Quotient lounge x SXSW, showing participants how to create their personalised bookmark.
Attended Mailchimp’s FWD: London conference, listened to fantastic panels, and caught up with Mailchimp partners and team. Click here for some key takeaways I jotted down.
Amplified the Community as Superpower campaign for Refugee Week and took part in the UNHCR Refugee Week Reading challenge. More about it here.
Ready to level up your marketing this summer? Let’s chat! Book your consulting session, get a fresh audit, or hire me as a speaker for your next event. Get in touch!New stuff on social
LinkedIn is removing the option to add a custom link to your profile, a feature currently available to Premium subscribers via the app.
Instagram notes can now display the Spotify track you’re listening to!
Instagram is also testing a teleprompter display within its new Edits app, in order to help creators present to camera in a more engaging way. Personally, this feature would be so useful.
YouTube is rolling out a new feature allowing creators to upload different thumbnails for videos dubbed in multiple languages
Time for this month’s big interview! Let’s catch up with Chris O’Leary, an all-around creative force: art director at Warner Music, FatBoy Zine founder and supper club host.
I first came across FatBoy Zine when Danny handed me a copy and said, “This is a zine you’re gonna love, it’s all about Asian identity, culture and food.” He was right. I was instantly hooked by the beautiful storytelling and bold design. I messaged Chris on Instagram right away and we met up to chat about our shared love of magazines and print culture and also our mixed-race identity. That was the beginning of a friendship that’s only grown since.
Hey Chris, tell us about yourself!
I’m a London-based Art Director currently at Warner Music. But my real joy is my personal project FatBoy Zine, an indie publishing project that explores Asian identity through food, art and writing. Outside of work stuff though, I live in Hackney with my partner Emily and our cat Cora. We’re getting married soon so every spare minute we have is going into planning.
What are you currently working on that excites you?
I feel like it’s always FatBoy stuff haha. Right now we’re working on our new 6th issue all about chefs and creatives of multiple heritage, it’s a theme I’ve been planning for a while now, and as usual I vastly underestimated just how deep this subject goes. The more I read, talk and create around this theme, the more I keep learning. It’s also the first time we’ve worked with a director to shoot short interviews alongside our print issue, which is huge for me.
You juggle a lot of creative roles. How do you keep the energy flowing and not burn out?
Ooooh good question. To be honest, I can’t give the best advice about avoiding burnout. I always do it to myself. I’m always throwing myself into projects, collabs, events, day jobs and side jobs. But I can say I’ve gotten better at anticipating it and knowing when I need to slow down, and it’s usually when I feel less excited by something that usually does. From there I start to think about my pace and time and ‘retreat’ a little. Taking more time to do nothing, read and absorb new things rather than creating. That always relaxes me and gives me more energy later. I think nowadays, when everything can feel rushed, competitive and high energy, it’s very hard to avoid burnout completely, so I do my best to manage it and slowly find more sustainable ways of giving my time.
How would you describe your creative approach as an art director in the music industry?
Weirdly, my first thing is being encouraging. I work with a lot of people where creative, comms and visuals aren’t their strengths. And they’re very down and discouraging about their own input and ideas. So I try to engage them in ways they're comfortable with, then push and challenge when they’ve become more confident. No one wants to work with someone who takes up all the space in a room, but they don’t mind someone whose willing to push their ideas further while keeping an eye on boring things like budget and production.
What’s one project at Warner Music you’re especially proud of and why?
A few years ago, we decided to throw a three day conference in Miami. It was all about music's relationship to tech. It was so intense but I got the opportunity to work with brilliant labels, commission insane creatives all across the world, build apps, takeover galleries. It was the most touchpoints I’ve ever handled, and I had to do it all solo. I loved the challenge.
What sparked the creation of FatBoy Zine and what keeps it going?
Being honest, it was grief that started FBZ. I was feeling lost and unconnected from my roots. So I created this small zine to help me cope. A friend worked for a magazine distributor and took it on - we didn’t expect much but that was okay. It was all about doing something for myself. But quickly we sold out, and got good press. But more importantly, people reached out saying they’d also lost someone, and wanted to do something similar to find comfort, and that made me want to keep it going.
Have you seen a shift in how Asian food and culture are being represented since you started the zine?
Definitely, I think factors like Covid, the rise in community groups and grassroots led projects, as well as more diverse talent standing out has had a huge impact here in the UK. Chefs, talent and creatives are more connected, and can rely on vocal communities for support. And perhaps even critics and haters are a little more wary of putting something down for silly reasons than they used to be. Which to be honest, I’m glad about. A lot of the writing/critique I used to read when I first came to London was quite vicious, and sometimes poorly researched. Now, it feels more positive, and open minded.
Tell us more about Pogi boi supperclub
Oh budddd, it was the most stressed I’ve ever been. But I loved it. More stressful than any Warner project. I doubted myself for so long, I knew I could cook well, but that extra step of charging people felt like a no no. But I finally decided to go for it and you know, I’m so glad I did (pics here). It took months of planning, finding the right venue, the right suppliers and (most importantly) the right menu. It had to be ambitious but doable, clever but not approachable, and true to the zine; affordable (as best I can), welcoming, and joyful.
What conversations are you excited to be part of, or help spark, within the ESEA creative space?
So many. There’s a lot of chat from the Filipino community about how to push Filipino culture more, or ESEA writers about new regionality and heritage, and food influencers about helping smaller businesses get the attention they deserve. I’m proud to chip into all these conversations.
What advice would you give to someone trying to turn a side project into a "thing"?
My two go-to pieces of advice are always:
Be niche, be weird, be loud, just get really good at explaining your idea and justification simply. People love engaging with new ideas, but hate when it’s ill explained. And it’ll eventually lead to fatigue in your audience.
Think long-term. It sounds boring, but I’ve seen a lot of talented friends start magazines, and think they have to spend a lot of money and resource to ‘get into the right shops’ or ‘sit next to mags they aspire to become’ and unfortunately, blow their budget on the first issue, then struggle to recoup for their 2nd or 3rd. Start with a small, attainable, clear idea, then the growth will follow.
Ok, quick-fire questions. Marketing trend you’re tired of?
Not sure if it’s a marketing trend, but condensed lists, i.e. top 5 restaurants for xxx. I don’t think I’ve ever been drawn to do something on those lists because of the list.
Inspiration: scroll online or step outside?
Step outside all the time, in fact, go for a run with no music. You’re trapped with your own thoughts.
Fav social platform right now, for work or play?
I’m only ever on Instagram haha.
Music, podcasts or silence when you’re working?
Music, but when I’m in the zone I’ll absolutely hammer 1 song for hours like it’s white noise.
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Discover FatBoy Zine and follow Chris on IG