Above the Fold

According to SEMrush: Above the fold (ATF) is the part of a webpage that you can see without scrolling down. The fold is the bottom edge of this initial view. Anything below that line requires scrolling and is considered “below the fold.”

I wonder how many people remember
the original meaning of "above the fold"?

To us old guys, "above the fold" referred to the content on the top half of the front page of a newspaper. To be stocked on a newsstand, the newspaper had to be physically folded ... and when folded, the headlines and lead stories above the fold were the most visible. Catchy headlines and vivid imagery (the original clickbait?) were placed in this area to attract readers’ attention and motivate them to buy the paper.

Language is funny ...
We are now referring to info "above the fold" on a device that doesn't fold. 

Maybe it's time for me to leave

 

There’s a moment in life when you start thinking less about climbing and more about landing. About what’s left. About what it all meant. And right now, as I look at the working world I’ll soon be leaving, I hardly recognize it.

The divide between those who run the companies and those who work for them has never been wider. The richest man in the world grins as he waves a chainsaw and brags about how many jobs he’s cut ... that tells you everything. Work, to them, is nothing but numbers: the bottom line and stock prices.

But for me and people like me, it’s always been more than that. It’s pride. It’s security. It’s community. It’s knowing you built something, contributed something, even if no one puts your name on a building. For decades, I worked not just to make a living but also to have a purpose and to take pride in a job well done. To provide for my family, sure, but also to be a part of something. Work was never just about money. It was also about dignity.

I remember when companies understood that. When success meant sharing the wins. When benefits were expected, not begged for. When a layoff was a last resort, not a badge of honor. I remember when the people at the top still seemed to care ... maybe not in some grand, altruistic way, but at least in a way that made you feel like more than a line item on an expense report.

Now? Now it’s different. Now it’s cold. Brutal. Layoffs are announced with a smirk and a toast. And the people left behind are told to be grateful it wasn’t them. Workers aren’t people anymore; they’re “redundancies.” They’re costs, not assets. Just numbers to be shuffled. Erased. Moved offshore. Pawns eliminated in actions renamed in corporate-speak to protect the brand: Rightsizing the organization. Optimizing operational efficiency. Strategic realignment.

This week alone, three friends lost their jobs. Happens all the time now. It’s happened to me before. And when it did, it wasn’t just about the money; it was about losing the structure, the purpose, the thing that kept my mind from spiraling in the quiet hours of the night.

That’s what these executives don’t understand. Work isn’t just a paycheck. It’s hope. It’s stability. It’s something to wake up for, something to fight for, something to believe in. Take that away, not just with the inevitability of change but with this smug, celebratory cruelty, and what do you think happens next?

This isn’t politics. This isn’t a debate. It’s reality. Income inequality is worse than ever. The job market is a disaster. Even the stock market (supposedly the god they worship) is reacting negatively. And still, the people in charge keep making the same choices, as if none of it will ever come back to bite them.

But it will. Because without workers who believe in the work, without people who still have hope, nothing works. Not for us. Not for them. Not for anyone. And I wonder, as I step toward the next chapter of my life, if those at the top will realize that before it’s too late.

An important message to marketers from Spinal Tap’s David St. Hubbins

Lock it in: A fine line between stupid and clever.

I could go on with a deeper dive on how this "insight" can be applied to marketing, but I'd rather talk about the movie the line came from: “This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi”

When Rob Reiner pitched “This Is Spın̈al Tap,” every major studio said, “No”. Not only had no one ever heard of a mockumentary (much less a rockumentary), they questioned whether Reiner, who was primarily known for playing the roll of “meathead” on the TV show “All in the Family”, had the right stuff direct a movie.

The satirical film was released in 1984. It didn’t do so well at the box office, but when it was made available on VHS, it became a cult hit. In 2002 the Library of Congress selected it for preservation by the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

And this scene made "put it up to eleven" a pop culture idiom still in use today:

Next movie night, consider viewing “This Is Spın̈al Tap” ... not only is it a genre defining film, but it's also funny as hell. And it will set you up for the sequel “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” scheduled for release in September 2025. Reiner is directing and most the original cast (band) is returning as well.

Advertising, Branding, & Fame

As marketers, we tend to get wrapped up in the idea that consumers are deeply connected to brand values and meanings. We like to imagine we live in a world where people are eager to be best friends with their toothpaste or join a loyal "tribe" of potato chip fans.

Reality Check: Most consumers don’t form emotional bonds with the brands they use. Sure, there are standouts like Apple or Nike that command genuine loyalty, but for the majority of products, the connection is surface-level at best. People gravitate toward brands they know and trust, often out of convenience or habit, rather than a heartfelt attachment.

Does this mean brand meaning doesn’t matter? Not exactly ... it’s just not as pivotal as many marketers would like to believe. For most people, the relationship with a brand is more transactional than transformational. It’s not a love story; it’s a practical choice.

That's how I started this post.

Then I stopped.

Because I recalled that Bob Hoffman had already written it ... 3 years ago.

And had done a far better job writing it than I would've done.

Here it is: The Three Word Brief from Bob Hoffman's Ad Contrarian

_________________________

Writer and speaker Bob Hoffman who has written six books
about advertising. Each has been an Amazon #1 seller.