80/20 Deep Dives
Long-form analysis on the brands, campaigns, creators, and strategies worth understanding fully. Not what happened, why it matters, how it works, and what to do about it. Written by Kelly King, agency founder and marketing lecturer at the Kelley School of Business, with Claude AI as a production partner.
The Kelley School of Business is not affiliated with this publication or its content. All articles are independently created by Kelly King with the assistance of Claude AI.
Three Brands, Three Controversies,
Three Very Different Clocks.
Callaway, Tarte, and Lovesac all hit a controversy inside the same 10-day window. One brand's partner cut ties within a week. One brand's sales beat projections anyway. One brand turned a simple complaint into a week-long story it created for itself. Severity of the mistake didn't decide the outcome, response speed and tone did.
Read the Deep Dive →
The Creator Didn't Just Build an Audience. She Built the Room Brands Can't Build Alone.
TK and Josh Shikoff co-founded Onze Pickleball Club in February 2026. The most instructive influencer marketing case study of the year, and a framework every brand strategist needs.
Creator Economy →
The World Cup Brand Playbook: How to Win the Biggest Cultural Moment of the Decade
Billions of viewers, dozens of markets. The activation strategies that actually worked versus the ones that wasted budget.
Events & Activations →
Is Claude Beating ChatGPT? What the Data Actually Shows Marketers
Anthropic's five-year run, the Super Bowl spot, and what the competitive picture between Claude and ChatGPT means for brand strategy.
AI & Marketing →
Siri Gets Smart: What Apple's AI Rebuild Means for Every Brand's Discovery Strategy
Apple's overhauled Siri changes how people discover brands and content on the world's most-used device. Here's what marketers need to know.
AI & Marketing →
The Accenture/Whalar Acquisition and What It Means When Consulting Buys Creator
The largest creator economy transaction ever. A deep look at what it signals about where the industry is heading.
Brand StrategyAbout Kelly King
Founder of 80/20 Agency · Marketing Lecturer at Kelley School of Business · Fractional CMO · Author of The Pulse daily marketing intelligence briefing. The Deep Dives are where the analysis goes deeper than a daily briefing allows.
The Kelley School of Business is not affiliated with this publication. All content is independently created by Kelly King with the assistance of Claude AI.