“Sweet Caroline🎶 BOM BOM BOMMM...”
(Pause)
Did you just sing,
“Good times never seemed so good”?
Of course you did.
But why exactly does our brain fill in these blanks so effortlessly?
Humans love filling in blanks
It makes us feel smart, included, and like we belong—like 30,000 people chanting “BOM BOM BOMMM” at Fenway Park during a Red Sox game. The wholesomeness of moments like this gives me chills 🥰
Why does our brain fill in blanks?
Ever wondered why your brain does this? Turns out, it's simple neuroscience: when two ideas regularly pair together, your brain naturally connects the dots. Ever played that “1, 2, 3” game where you and a friend try to say the same word simultaneously? Feels magical ✨ but it’s just your brains neurons making predictable connections.
My friend and I perfectly matched three words in a row last night. Low-key convinced we're psychic but riddle me this…
Why songs stick in your memory better than facts
Why can I still remember Soulja Boy’s phone number from 2008, but I can't remember my own to-do list?
That's because of music-evoked autobiographical memory. According to science:
“When music triggers memories of past events, people, or places, those memories stick longer and deeper.”
And I listened to Kiss Me Through The Phone an embarrassing amount of times on my mp3 player so that makes sense. Songs soundtrack our personal milestones (getting an mp3 player), making our brains stronger at filling in the blanks.
It’s the same reason why 30,000 strangers at Fenway Park know exactly when to yell “BOM BOM BOMMM” during Sweet Caroline. It’s involuntary—it’s belonging, through and through.
Great marketing taps into this exact feeling.
When your audience fills in the blanks themselves, the connection is real, not forced.
But how do we make sure we're doing this the right way?
How to let your audience fill in the blanks (the right way)
People respond better to brands when they feel empowered, not instructed. Treat your audience as peers, not patients waiting for your prescription.
✅ Peers feel empowered to interpret your content, connecting naturally and personally.
❌ Patients feel talked down to, overly directed, or sold to—like when U2 forced their album onto everyone’s iPhones without asking. (Still haven’t forgiven you, Bono.)
Examples:
✅ Good: Spotify Wrapped — Invites you to reflect on your own year, making the content deeply personal and shareable.
❌ Bad: Netflix’s autoplay trailers — Loudly deciding for you what to watch next, filling in the blanks instead of letting you naturally discover something you love.
(Netflix, please stop yelling at me—I’ll pick my own next binge, thanks.)
Before hitting publish, ask ourselves:
Am I giving my audience space to insert themselves?
Does this content feel personal or overly prescriptive?
Am I empowering readers to feel like peers rather than patients?
Other Fun Stuff
📽️ Wistia’s AI-Made Ad
Catchy, intentionally unsettling, and ironic in all the right ways—marketing to marketers has never been so meta. My new team at Wistia nailed this one. (Bonus: You can even stream the song on Spotify. Iconic.)
🎬 Watchlist this week:
Smile: Cinematic gold, genuinely unsettling. Reminds me visuals stick as deeply as stories.
Longlegs: Horror so artsy you'll need an explainer video afterward—still worth it?
His Three Daughters: Natasha Lyonne, family drama, daddy issues, tears guaranteed.
Kath & Kim: Wonderfully wacky Australian sitcom from the early 2000s—campy, quotable, and deeply chaotic in the best possible way. Honestly offended it took me this long to discover it.
Oh, last thing, look at this video of Noodle in drumstick mode 🍗😹
Like that can’t be comfortable right? I truly believe cats are liquid.
Alright, well I’ve left some blanks open. Can't wait to hear how you fill them in.
Talk to you soon. Byeeee!
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