From community journalism to health care and higher ed, Mike’s career is powered by a passion to discover, create and share stories that connect people and advance strategic priorities.


Maxed Out?

How’s your MAX week going? The HBO Max to Max transition gives me that New Coke feeling. It seems like a big idea cooked up by too-smart folks in a hermetically sealed conference room or Zoom call.

Is it smart or strategic to ditch the equity of the long-established HBO brand as part of the flagship name and replace it with the generic “Max” that puts some of us old enough to remember in mind of Cinemax? Time will tell. Or maybe it won’t. On Puck’s “Powers that Be” podcast, Julia Alexander and Ben Landy share their insights on the big Warner Bros. Discovery rebrand and add that perhaps Max is just a placeholder name until the next megamerger. Everything is temporary.

Postscript: If you’re a Max subscriber, you can watch my favorite show on television. The season two finale of Somebody Somewhere airs (streams? appears?) Sunday evening. And if you’ve never watched SBSW, you can quickly catch up on seasons one and two over this holiday weekend. I’m envious of the adventure that awaits you. Bridget Everett is a national treasure.

Related reading:

When Do I Get to the Important Stuff?

When Do I Get to the Important Stuff?

Half Moon. Full Heart.

Half Moon. Full Heart.