Do marketing stunts work?

Well, if they get attention, they do.

Today you’ll read about one of the craziest marketing tactics we’ve seen in a very long time. I mean, we’re literally called The Attention Seeker so we love this kind of thing.

In today's newsletter:

• Meta goes for a nap (and content opportunities abound)

• Elon Musk is suing OpenAI (get ready to take a side)

• Rihanna comes out of retirement (how to get in on the social media storm that’s ensued)

• When Marvel aliens invade the news (and what we can learn from their blink-and-you-miss-it stunts)

• KWESCHENS with Cam (what working in the TAS office is REALLY like)

• How you can get FREE advice on your own social media

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

No, you didn't forget to pay your internet bill. Meta just had its own Gone Girl moment.

Earlier this week, the entire world experienced an outage of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

People immediately took to TikTok to confirm that everything Mark Zuckerberg touches has turned to sh*t. And X took to their own platform to tweet "we know why you're all here rn" during the time of the outage. Well played.

Meta's spokesperson, Andy Stone, has since released a statement that his outage was caused by a "technical issue". He also apologised for the inconvenience.

So how can you use this for your content?

• Film a video about how you would survive a global internet outage.

• Create a funny skit about TikTok & X being in cahoots to embarrass Meta.

All in all, this wasn't the end of the world. However, it did show us how outrageously unprepared we would be in the face of a complete social media shut down.

BRB - enrolling in a disaster preparedness course. 😳

And Meta's not the only tech giant having issues. Elon Musk is suing OpenAI. 

Why? Musk says the AI research non-profit has strayed from its mission of safe AI for humanity. Instead, it's turned into a profit-driven company under Microsoft's influence.

How can you leverage this? By sparking organic social content conversations. Here's one idea: Right now, this sound, which uses the voice of Kurt from Glee, is trending. Combine it with on-screen text saying something like “Elon Musk after giving Open AI $44,000,000 as a not-for-profit.” The content opportunities here are endless.

Are you the founder of a company that uses Open AI for your software? If so, you could record a video of you talking through why you agree or disagree with Musk. This is a really easy way to add your voice to this conversation.

Meanwhile, Rihanna has come out of semi-retirement for her first full live concert in 8 years. She performed in Jamnagar, India, for Anant Ambani, the son of an Indian billionaire. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump were among the high-profile guests.

Some sources say she was paid over $6 million for her performance. Fans have also been speculating that she may be pregnant with her third child.

Here’s a few ways to bring this into your content:

• Create skits around what type of situations may have taken place at this high-profile wedding.

• Show off your performance skills by recreating scenes from Rihanna’s performance.

• Jump in on the conversation about whether Rihanna may or may not be pregnant.

- Chey, Executive Assistant & Stanley, CEO & Cam, Videographer

When Marvel Villains Invade the News

Lizard people on TV?!

We've all heard that classic conspiracy theory about lizard people secretly living among us. They’re controlling all the world’s governments, right?

Most of us laugh about it, but imagine this:

You turn on the news and you see a green humanoid crossing the street during a live broadcast!

You may think the reptilians are truly among us! Or, if you follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you might notice the creature was an evil alien Skrull! Either way, you're left asking yourself one thing:

"What is going on?!"

In July 2023, Marvel Studios pulled off a clever stunt to immerse audiences in its Disney+ miniseries "Secret Invasion".

In short, the show follows the invasion of shapeshifting aliens called Skrulls. These creatures disguise themselves as humans to try and take over the world. Without a human disguise on, they have green skin and big elf-like ears.

In the week before the show's release, actors in Skrull make-up were seen at least four times during local news broadcasts across the US. One invader was even operating an in-studio camera!

All hail the invaders!

It's hard to say if the stunt roped in more viewers. But if this thread on the r/marvelstudios subreddit is anything to go by, fans loved it and were keen to play along.

So what can we learn from this marketing campaign’s success?

Don’t be afraid to do something outside the norm. In fact, catching your audience by surprise can be the best way to make an impact!

- Devin, Copywriter

Get To Know The Team

Welcome to KWESCHENS – the inside scoop on our TAS team and what's unfolding in their lives. Each letter in KWESCHENS unveils something they'd love to share with you - you'll catch the drift.

Meet Cameron Roh, our newest addition to the TikTok team. Hailing from Ohio, Cincinnati, USA, this American boy is making waves on TikTok with his POV content that has garnered up close to a mil in followership.

Who's Killin' it in the office?

Charlotte. She's just smashing it with this newsletter.

What's a Win you've recently experienced?

Having my boss fly me from NY to NZ. 100%.

What are you most Excited for at TAS?

I'm excited to spend some time with the team, get to know everyone, and explore New Zealand.

What's a Surprising Coworker fact?

Everyone at TAS is so high calibre.

What's Hard in your role right now?

Being around such high energy people all the time. It's a good thing. But, it's just difficult to not let my energy run dry.

What are you Exploring at TAS?

Working in a real office space and with a big team. It's a lot of fun, though.

Who's the Nicest person in the office?

Nate. He makes me feel good.

What’s your favourite thing on Social media right now?

Kanye West. He's one of my favourite people on the internet.

Check out the full interview here.

Stay tuned for more KWESCHENS with the TAS team! 😘

- Mel, Community Manager Extraordinaire

What’s Going Viral?

Got FOMO?

Listen to our YAP Podcast Tuesday - Saturday, where Stan & Jony break down the videos that are blowing up on social media. Not only will you learn why they work, but we’ll tell you how to capitalise on these trends before they disappear.

Watch the full podcast here and subscribe to the YouTube Channel so you don’t miss an episode.

Check out what's going viral RIGHT NOW before you miss it 👇

In My Nara Smith Era

Actual Nara Smith

Social Media Is Changing

Would You Swipe Right?

Undercover Barista

Tweets from The Intern

Ask the Editor

Q - Can you help me with the marketing strategy for my own clients? I’ve got a few I’m stuck on. - Mango

Hi Mango!

Ah yes, we all have those tricky clients that are hard to come up with a strategy for. Without knowing more, I can’t give you any specific advice on yours. You’d have to email me with some more details first!

But here’s what I can do—Let you know about our Monthly Meet Up. This is a Q&A call between you (our subscribers) and our team. It’s your chance to ask us any questions you have about social media strategy (or anything else you want to know)!

If you want to get into the meet up, you just have to refer 10 people to our newsletter. Then you’ll get an invite to join us. Our first Q&A call is coming up very soon so get to it!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡