The Content Dump, Vol 3: In Defence Of Glossy, Hi-Fi Content
Why high production value still matters, and how to get it right on social media.
Welcome to The Content Dump, our weekly round-up of the brands, campaigns and content weāve been loving this week. Every Sunday, weāll be curating the content moments you need to know about ā ready to inspire you to create some magic in the week ahead.
This week, weāre rounding up three brands that are nailing all things social media, spotlighting a founder whoās showing us how to build in public and sharing a tactical email campaign idea you can action today that will actually move the needle on your bottom line.
Okay, letās dive in. āØ
šļø From The Headlines
ā Are we living through the āend of deep readingā era?
If youāre not already subscribed to Carl Hendrickās The Learning Dispatch newsletter, take this as your sign to change that.
In one of his latest editions, Carl writes about how our āreading brainsā are being rewired from being capable of deep engagement and sustained attention to adapting to āan environment built for speed, distraction, and artificial fluency.ā Heās coined a term for it: Ultra-processed reading.
He writes:
āEven the rhythms of language are changing: from paragraphs to bullet points, from subtext to mere scannability. What matters is whether the keyword appears in the first hundred words, not whether the sentence carries any weight of thought.ā
As a team of writers who spend our days creating considered long-form content, this point hit close to home. Weāre always looking for ways to format and structure our writing to be skimmable and scannable, designed for digital-first consumption.
But in the process of striving for easy absorption, how can we ensure weāre still delivering deep expertise? Itās a delicate balance between responding to the consumption habits of readers, without churning out more snappy, sugary, superficial content.
We donāt have the perfect answer yet, but this piece is well worth a read for anyone writing content for brands in 2025.
š Founder Spotlight
ā Jess Ruhfus shows us how to build in public as an ecommerce founder
Jess is the kind of founder that needs no introduction. But in case you need a refresher: sheās an exited tech founder, marketing and partnerships expert, podcast co-host, speaker, and (most recently) the founder of ecommerce brand, No.2 Co.
Thereās SO much we could talk about when it comes to how Jess approaches content. Not only does she understand the importance of showing up consistently online (across multiple platforms!), but she isnāt afraid to test, experiment and see what sticks.
(Remember: perfection is the enemy of progress.)
One piece of content weāre absolutely loving is Jessā āMeetings of Oneā series. Each week, she shares the highs, lows and learnings of ābuilding a business to $3 million a year in revenue without any employed staffā.
Shared across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, these videos are raw, honest and lift the lid on scaling an ecommerce business. We love the clear weekly cadence, simple piece-to-camera execution and timely nature of the content, giving her audience a real-time glimpse into the inner workings of her company.
The takeaway? Behind-the-scenes content doesnāt have to be just office tours and āday in my lifeā vlogs ā why not build in public and treat your audience like a member of your team?
š Ideas To Swipe
ā Good Day Peopleās EOFY email campaign is a masterclass in using timely moments to drive sales
This week, an email from the team at gifting company Good Day People landed in our inbox.
The subject line was straightforward: āTax Deductible EOFY Gifting Tip šā and the email text-only ā no fancy email template here. But the message stuck with us: now (before June 30) is the perfect time to buy our EOFY client and team gifts to score a potential tax saving.
Hereās why this campaign works so well:
āØ Itās timely: June 30 is just over a month away, and now is the time to order gifts to ensure these can be claimed as a tax deduction.
āØ Itās helpful: Sure, this was a sales-focused campaign. But it led with a helpful, value-driven message (savvy tax time tips to reduce your companyās taxable income).
āØ Itās personal: The low-fi text-only email made this campaign feel like their Co-Founder, Jacob, was speaking directly to us, helping to build trust and rapport.
Next time you plan to run a flash sale or timely promotion, why not build an email execution like this in your campaign plan?
š«¶š» Content weāre crushing
ā Merit refreshes their entire Instagram grid to launch āThe Uniformā with a bang
How do you build hype around a new product? Get inspired by minimalist beauty brand Merit, which has just launched its new tinted mineral sunscreen, The Uniform, in the most iconic way possible.
The brand archived every single post on their Instagram grid shared to date, starting from scratch and building hype throughout May with cryptic teaser posts.
Day by day, their Instagram posts told the story of how the product was created, how customer feedback shaped its development, how to apply it, and even the shade range available.
This is an A+ example of building a world around a product, from the productās name to the social assets that accompany it.
ā Craighill shows that high-production value content can still perform on social media
In the era of low-fi, TikTok-style content, itās easy to think that glossy editorial shoots and studio imagery no longer have a place on social media. But design company Craighill is here to prove that theory wrong.
Every single video on the brandās Instagram feed feels curated and considered (not shot on an iPhone and quickly edited in CapCut). Not only do these videos break down the thinking and design process behind their products, but they also show the value of a striking, consistent aesthetic.
The fonts, block colour backgrounds, and flat-lay style make these videos instantly recognisable and memorable. And theyāre performing on social media too, each garnering tens of thousands of views.
ā Mellow Clo designs an editorial platform to build a community of outdoor enthusiasts
Gorpcore brand Mellow Clo is doing much more than selling trendy hiking gear.
Alongside creating technical apparel and outdoor-ready looks, the brand has launched Mellow Expeditions: a monthly interview series featuring fellow hikers who have recently tackled epic trails and bucket-list routes around the world.
Each editorial article serves as a source of hiking inspiration, with no sales agenda behind the posts. By collaborating with hiking content creators, Mellow Clo also boosts the shareability of these articles, increasing the chances of new audiences organically discovering the brand, too.
Not every piece of content you create as a brand needs to be focused on hitting SEO and sales targets. Instead, think about ways to use content to build a loyal, engaged community of like-minded people who are invested and interested in your building.
And thatās a wrap! See you next Sunday for another dose of all things content. āØ