As an agency, our curiosity and quest for learning never stops. One of the things we do every Friday is get everyone together to discuss a topic. Topics include consumer trends, marketing strategies and tactics, or just something relevant to pop culture. They’ve ranged from the latest in VR head set technology to resolution marketing to DEI rollbacks. Each meeting is hosted by a team member who crafts a 10–15 page deck and guides the discussion. And each meeting is half an hour. We call it “Leftovers”.
Leftovers is one my favorite things that we do as a shop. It brings us together to share thoughts, opinions and insights, and it gives us ideas for our client brands as well as content for our social. In 2024 the team hosted over 30 Leftovers sessions.
Here are some of my favorites:
Facebook Marketplace
Why I liked it:
It was something I was aware of but had never used. Once the discussion got going it naturally took on a life of its own. Team members shared what they had bought or sold and their overall impressions.
What we covered:
This really went full circle as we discussed its current size and growth, its role within Meta’s ecosystem, comparisons to Craigslist and eBay, pricing of typical household items vs. retail pricing, and its relevance to today’s consumer retail experience.
Direct Mail
Why I liked it:
What’s old is new again. In a world where digital communications often dominate the conversation, it was refreshing to see how some brands are leveraging direct mail today. When done right – meaning a brand is willing to invest in direct mail – it still serves as a way to break through the clutter and differentiate.
I also liked that it reminded me of a direct mail piece we used to launch Belvedere Vodka: A hand crafted wooden box with a pewter and leather top, which held a full bottle of Belvedere, was presented as a gift to influencers (before that was even a thing) like Ralph Lauren, Robin Williams, Michael Jordan and Kim Bassinger.
What we covered:
Strengths – audience acquisition, challenges – costs, environmental impact, perceived as junk, lower response rates. We also discussed how to integrate with digital and that there was a 61% increase in U.S. direct mail spending in 2024 v. 2023.
Easter Eggs – A hidden message, feature or reference hidden within content that requires a keen eye to discover.
Why I liked it:
The session was fun and playful. And not being a gamer, I was not as familiar as others with all the ways Easter eggs could be leveraged to enhance an experience. So, I learned a lot too. This topic elicited a lot of discussion and examples of where team members had experienced Easter eggs.
What we covered:
Tips for getting it right – keep it relevant, keep it fun and encourage sharing. Shared examples of how brands have used Easter eggs and how we could incorporate them for our partner brands as well.
Generative AI Prompts
Why I liked it:
This session was loaded with practical advice that we could put to immediate use. It also facilitated a good discussion about how various team members are currently using AI in the projects we work on and potential ways to use it going forward.
What we covered:
There were the “10 most common ways agencies are using AI,” ranging from summarizing research or assisting in brainstorming to competitive reviews. My favorite was the coaching on how to develop better prompts. Like including the phrase “act as if” as an instruction. In a blog post a few months back, I asked AI to rewrite my post as if it were Tony Stark from Marvel’s “Iron Man”. While I did not use in my post, it was remarkable what it did.
Creating new Leftovers in 2025
We invite you to follow and read our Leftovers summaries by keeping an eye on our social.
We often republish snippets of sessions on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned, Leftovers is a great way for us to keep our finger of the pulse of trends, consumer behavior and marketing communications strategies and tactics. It also serves as a great moment for team building. So, to our team members working on it each week, thank you. You help make us better.
