The Authenticity Advantage: What Social Media's New Favorite Word Really Reveals
Fair warning: this is a long read. But some patterns are worth examining slowly, the way they actually develop in
If you want fast, cheap, and forgettable—there’s a whole internet for that.
Plate Lunch Collective works with brands ready to take themselves seriously. We build strategy that cuts clean, language that lands right, and direction that holds up under pressure.
Occasional essays on clarity, strategy, and what makes people actually care.
NOTES / DISPATCHES
There's a Difference Between Agencies That Talk About Hawaii Markets and Agencies That Understand There Are 8 Main Hawaiian Islands
Hawaii is 2,397 miles from Los Angeles. That's farther than New York to Denver, though most people
Mango Sticky Rice Smoothie Slay Era Strikes… Come on, who are we kidding? This was some damn good marketing.
This is a Note — quick field observations, no fluff
The Mainland Mirage: Why Most Hawaii Brands Kill Their Own Authenticity
Most Hawaii businesses think they need to become someone else to succeed on the mainland. They're wrong.
We
When Your Customers Have Money But Your Competitors Don’t: The Anti-Payday Strategy
A kitschy leisure apparel company once had it made. Their core audience? Seniors with steady income from Social Security and
Campaign Timing Strategy: The Payday Approach 80% of Brands Miss
boohooMAN didn’t change their product. Didn’t touch their branding. Just timed their ads better. Result: 80% ROAS improvement.
Your Marketing Still Talks to Appetites That Don't Exist
Most brands are still shouting at appetites that aren't there. Selling indulgence to a generation that's
Strategy / Language / Direction
Train your brand to speak with the kind of clarity machines obey — and people trust.
Answer Engine Optimization
Stop creating content that sounds like everyone else. Strategic content planning that builds trust and earns belief.
Content Strategy
Your brand has a voice. But if it's not landing, it's not working. Uncover the voice buried under approvals.
Brand Language & Voice Development
Not everything broken looks broken. We read the gauges and say the quiet parts out loud about what's really killing performance.
Performance Audits & Diagnostics
Testimonials
I was competing on price with mainland sellers and barely breaking even. Hayden helped me realize my plants weren't just plants - they were Hawaii-grown, hand-rooted, and shipped from the islands. That story changed everything. I doubled my prices and my sales actually went up. Mainland customers were willing to pay more because they understood what they were really buying.
Taking over a 40-year family market in wine country - talk about pressure. I wanted to build an Italian deli but couldn't alienate three generations of loyal customers. Plus we had wine tourists, Solvang visitors, and casino crowds all needing completely different messages. Hayden helped us speak to longtime locals about honoring tradition while targeting weekend visitors with geo-fenced campaigns about authentic Italian food. Same kitchen, four different conversations. Revenue tripled in eight months.
Twenty years building companies, and this was the first time I had no idea how to reach my market. The platform worked beautifully, but nobody understood what problem it solved. Hayden didn't change what we built - he changed how we talked about it. Suddenly prospects were saying 'this is exactly what we've been looking for.' Same product, completely different conversation.
Hayden helped us navigate going public when I was with a large data storage firm, then when I decided to completely pivot to custom furniture, I called him again. Tech IPO to handcrafted furniture - two totally different worlds, but he saw the thread: I'm someone who builds things that last. He helped me tell that story in both industries. There's something about how he cuts through all the noise and finds the one thing that actually matters. That clarity is rare.
