Let's Do Shots!

It’s been over 60 years since the world’s most popular lollipop brand was founded. In this episode, we explore the origins of the Chupa Chups brand, its intriguing connection with the famous Surrealist artist Salvador Dali, and how it went from being a family owned business in Spain to conquering the world (and space before Bezos and Branson could!)

What do Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson have in common? Apart from being multi-billionaires, all three have ambitions of commercialising space with tourism and building colonies with their respective space companies. How close are they to their goals? Are people actually buying into the hype? Listen to find out. 

There’s a lot of conversation about how dating apps have influenced modern romance and even society at large, but in this episode, we explore how dating apps themselves have transformed over the years. From becoming safer and more inclusive, to adapting to unforeseen circumstances such as the pandemic, dating apps are constantly evolving and doing a great job at it too.

Prove you are human to listen to this podcast. Just kidding. In this episode, we take a look at how the ubiquitous CAPTCHA tests have served more than just the purpose of differentiating between humans and bots, and how it has evolved over the two decades of its existence.

Indonesia’s tech scene is heating up. You might’ve heard of Gojek and Tokopedia in passing, but have no idea what they are. In this episode, we decode the two tech startups born out of Indonesia and talk about the merger that made global headlines and went down as the biggest deal ever in Indonesian history. 

A coffee shop disguised as a bank? Doesn’t really make sense at first glance. Surprisingly, Starbucks does function a lot like a bank. In this episode, we’re unpacking one of the most successful marketing strategies ever - The My Starbucks Rewards program and how it’s allowing the global coffee giant to borrow large sums of money from its loyal customers, at a 0% interest rate. 

Each year, more and more brands are jumping on the Pride bandwagon to promote themselves as allies to the LGBTQ community. But how many of these efforts are genuine, and not just brands cashing in on what’s trending? In this episode, we explore how Pride has evolved over the decades, how companies are capitalizing on a culture that’s reaching mainstream acceptance, and what they can do to be more...

In May 2021, Shein overtook Amazon as the most downloaded shopping app in the US. If you haven’t heard of the company, it's probably because you aren’t its target audience.  The brand has been making waves in the Gen Z fashion scene selling the hottest trends at unbelievably low prices for a while now. In this episode, we delve into the origins of Shein, how it cracked the Gen Z online fashio...

The final episode of Friends may have aired in 2004, but the show remains popular as ever even in the digital world. In this episode, we unpack just how much of an influence the show has had on our lives, and how it changed the sitcom landscape inspiring many of our favourite shows which followed its path to success. 

Tesla has tasted sweet success in China. In this episode, we explore the unique symbiotic relationship between Tesla and China, and how the EV manufacturer entered the Chinese market and became the market leader.

While it may be a hot topic right now, Apple and Facebook have been at loggerheads regarding privacy for over a decade now. The two tech giants might not be direct competitors, but their moves have a huge impact on each other’s businesses. With Apple’s rollout of iOS 14.5, things for Facebook are about to change drastically. This episode explains how.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor! In short, that’s the answer. Tune into the episode as we explore how George Clooney made a fortune out of his tequila brand ‘Casamigos’ without intending to make a single penny out of it.

It’s been over sixty years since Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seatbelt. The innovation has saved over a million lives, and continues to do so every day. In this episode, we explore how this invention came about and what has Volvo gained from the breakthrough since 1959.

With more connected consumers than anywhere else in the world, China has made social media the backbone of commerce. In this episode, we’re unpacking how China is shaping the future of shopping, not just for itself but for the rest of the world - with a focus on the viral social shopping platform Pinduoduo.

If you thought RedBull was an energy drink, think again. It is actually a marketing company, and a really good one at that. Instead of using traditional advertising methods, the brand associates itself with people and events that allow them to communicate what the brand represents - 'an energetic feeling', 'the feeling of being awake', 'the feeling of being alive'.

Pepsi's marketing fiasco in Philippines, also known as the infamous '349 incident', is a cautionary tale for marketers today. How did a simple promotion lead to riots with grenades and the death of five innocents? 

Kylie Jenner, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Katrina Kaif - the list goes on and on. Celebrities can’t seem to stop launching their own cosmetic brands. But what’s driving this trend? We find out in this episode of Let’s Do Shots.

Rihanna might have not dropped an album since 2016, but the pop-star’s lingerie label’s sales are skyrocketing, challenging the legacy of the Victoria’s Secret. This episode explores how Savage X Fenty has solidified itself to become a front runner in the global lingerie market. 

How did Whitney Wolfe Herd, co-founder and CEO of Bumble become the youngest woman to lead a company to an IPO and join the rare female billionaires club? Let’s find out.

As soon as the first vaccines were announced in countries like the UK and US, travel agents from around the globe began pitching vaccine tourism to the wealthy. But is it ethical?

Viagra was an accidental discovery, but once it showed up and never looked back. In this episode we talk about how Pfizer chanced upon the little blue pill and where the drug is today.

Pepsi's foray into the Soviet Union and the country's bizarre obsession with the cola beverage is a story for the ages. In fact, as a result of this obsession, for a brief moment in the 1980s, Pepsi was the 6th largest military operator in the world. 

The first Lamborghini ever was a tractor. The only reason they started making luxury sports car was because of a meeting with Enzo Ferrari which didn't end well.

In this episode we speak about the bizarre series of events that Ray Kroc (McDonald's) and Howard Schultz (Starbucks) went through early on in their career and how similar it was to each other, even though they were happening in different decades altogether. 

I watched 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix, and couldn't resist speaking to you about how the entire 'attention grasping' construct works on social media, and how important features like 'push notifications' have changed over the years.