Derek Thompson on Marketing

Derek Thompson@DKThomp

If Max is paying a marketing company a $1m annual retainer for naming strategy, this is pathetic. But. If Max figured that it can add and remove “HBO” from its streaming title every 2 years to create a bunch of free outraged publicity, I sort of respect the play.

822 likes21 repliesPosted May 14, 2025

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Uses concrete numbers instead of vague claims, which makes it credible and quotable.
Gives away something genuinely useful before asking for anything.
Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.
Short sentences keep the pace up, so the reader never has to re-read a line.

The mechanics

Hook: Leads with a number
Structure: Hook → Turn
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: personal, concrete
Mechanisms: Specificity, Reciprocity
Written for: Marketers and content teams

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Marketing

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