Dear @CaseyNeistat…
For 3 months I religiously watched your YouTube channel, eager to see your daily Vlog and the beautifully curated time-lapse scenes of New York. I spent my days preaching to my clients that they have to watch your show and see how smart your marketing was.
We spoke about you on Whatsapp and debated what the product your business was going to launch and I swore that I would buy whatever it was and convert everyone I knew to do the same. I was your brand ambassador and I believed in your message.
You are entertaining and your opinions are aligned to my own. The life you portrayed was one that I aspired to and even though I knew you were building up to sell something to me, I didn’t care. It was honest. It was insightful. It was entertaining.
Then you launched Beme, your piece-of-shit mobile social media application.
It’s not even average. It’s sad and useless and not even pretty to look at. It serves no purpose and is not even doing a better job of any other app. I am still horrified and shocked that this was a result of a $2 million investment
I received my Beme code with joy and excitement and in one moment you destroyed all the value you built up in me, turning me from an advocate into a hater.
Some may say that my expectations were too high and that I was doomed to be disappointed and in hindsight and this is partly true, but Beme solves no problem, is not even remotely good and is the opposite of useful. It’s taken up space on my phone that can be better used to see my background image better.
Casey, your marketing was sheer brilliance. You had a captive opt-in audience that would spend hard earned money with you and then you released a product that was bad. I’ve unfollowed you on all social platforms and am telling this story as you have proved a valuable yet simple business lesson I will share going forward:
All the marketing in the world, as smart and innovative as it may be, is utterly useless if your product is not good, useful or solving a problem.
Casey, after writing this post I realise that you have added value to my life. Thank you. You have reminded me how important a great product or service really is.
I hope you release something that is meaningful into the world one day.
Thanks,
