Your ATTN Please || Monday, 16 June

Another day, another lawsuit against an AI start-up.

This time, it’s Disney and Universal going head-to-head with Midjourney for being a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.” And they’re not wrong, as users are using AI to create images of Yoda, the minions, Iron Man and the like. So studios are ok using AI to de-age Tom Hanks and change actors’ voices, but letting randos cook up images of Elsa doing pilates with Hulk is a no-no? Got it.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Studios sue Midjourney, Dating site matches based on browser history & Paige DeSorbo launches sleepwear line

Disney and Universal sue Midjourney for copyright infringement.

One would think a company as new age as AI startup Midjourney would know there’s no taking on these two giants. One would be wrong, however. Because both Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit alleging that the company is a “bottomless pit of plagiarism” that generates “endless unauthorized copies” of the studios’ work. Obviously, the complaint is due to the way Midjourney can conjure up images featuring the studios' intellectual property in mere seconds.

Reminds me of the Studio Ghibli saga that split the internet. And it’s no surprise that there are already dozens of copyright lawsuits against AI companies winding through the US court system. But when these models scrape the internet to create large datasets of images, licenses go out the window. I guess it all boils down to whether these studios/ companies are being hurt financially by the practise. My best guess would be, not really. 

New experimental dating site matches people based on their search history.

Think of your most anxiety-riddled searches, strange midnight thoughts, and WebMD deep dives. What if they were the reason you found the love of your life? They say it is our quirks that make us lovable, after all. That’s the principle of Browser Dating. Where all other attempts at Big Dating seem to have failed at perfecting the science of compatibility, will AI swing in to save the day? Online dating has become about the illusion of potential, a strange little curated game far removed from who people actually are IRL. And well, there’s nothing more honest than your search history. The question is, would you trade those secrets of the soul for guaranteed connection?

Paige DeSorbo is launching her own sleepwear line.

The TV personality and podcaster known for her bed-bug sleepy girl slash-fashion persona is capitalising on exactly what she’s known for by launching her own loungewear label, Daphne. "Made my bed now I’m gonna lie in it," she joked on Instagram, alongside a sneak peek of the collection. This is a prime example of the strength of personal brand and the lengths you can take it, done right. If being a sleepy girl can get you rich, maybe there is hope for me to get on the property ladder after all. Take notes, people!

-Sophie Randell, Writer

DEEP DIVE

How to build a community that's wholesome, hospitable & human

When it comes to building a social media presence, community management often ends up being an afterthought.

But the benefits that come from expanding connections, engaging with commenters and harnessing feedback make it a pretty significant part of brand building. I sat down with The Attention Seeker’s Head of Community Management Melinda Wong to see what’s often misunderstood about the job, what it takes to effectively manage a community, and why it’s one of the last refuges in marketing that AI can’t do better.

Sup Mel! You’re at the forefront of community management for several of our clients' businesses and personal brands. Where do you see people often falling short in this area?

Most brands want to build a community, but they just don't know what approach to take. Because when you think about marketing you think about tactics and hacks, right? But at the foundation of community, it's just listening and building and nurturing relationships. It’s an unscalable thing. But it's those moments, those interactions you have that create magic for your brand.

Does that mean listening to the feedback your audience gives and the kinds of conversations they’re having?

Yeah. It's just paying attention to what the audience is saying and what has made an impression, and knowing how to leverage those moments, because they come and go. You have to time it well and listen, and then you just lean into it. I think it's easier said than done, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it's super hard to learn. Like, at the end of day, you just listen and take intentional time to surface any themes that people show you.

So you have to be quite empathetic I imagine, like a professional listener?

Yeah, something like that! I saw the community manager role phrased somewhere online as a “digital landscape therapist” or something like that. It's a weird thing, because I do think to a certain extent you need to be an empath, like a community person. But at the same time, because you might be bombarded with 900 comments a day, it's so easy to take it personally when it's just feedback.

I once heard someone say these days brands lose trust by the bucketful and gain it in spoonfuls. And yeah it’s true. But at the same time if you're so focused on that, you're not gonna be able to see the hate for what it is. And sometimes negativity is just feedback, and that’s super valuable.

It’s one thing to retain existing audiences, but what can brands do to expand them?

We do a lot of brand interplay, which put brands in the right conversations they should be in, like anything topical or that matches their values. But we also do outreach to other creators to tap into their audiences. The way I see community is that it's not really from a demographic point of view, but more so from an interest kind of breakdown. Because the best marketing moves people’s emotions. And a strong emotional trigger would be anything that's an extension of someone’s identity and interests.

Let’s say you’re fostering a community from the ground up. How would you approach it?

I think a word that encapsulates everything is “presence”. If you don't know what your brand is, just be present in conversations that are happening around you and make those connections. A lot of people just put comments out there, then forget about it. But that’s like bringing someone to the dance floor and just leaving them there. It’s awkward.

So if someone is responding to your posts, get on it, respond straight away, and actively build those connections. Don't see it as just another task to do. Actually invest in maintaining at least some of those connections. If there’s someone’s profile picture sitting in your inbox and you're not doing anything with it, that’s a wasted opportunity. Because when you nurture those connections, they can become opportunities.

Any last pointers you’d like to share?

If you want to scale community management, scale the logistics part of it, but never take the human part of it out. Automate all the logistics, but never automate the care. There’s only so much that AI tools can help with, and they're really good with helping you be more efficient. But there’s still that human element to brand building, particularly within community management, that needs to be there. Because it’s a relationship first, and the best brands - at least the best rising brands - are doing it.

- Devin Pike, Copywriter

TREND PLUG

Me when I have money

As much as we may hate to admit it, we all have our financial weaknesses.

The things we'll spend money on even when our bank balance says $0.03. Today's trend has creators showing the comparison of how they spend on that thing when they have money vs. when they don't. The difference? Well, there isn't one.

Maybe it's buying just a few cute outfits, grabbing a matcha (or two), or heading on a holiday, there are things we can always justify buying because, well, we can't live without them.

How you can jump on this trend:

Think of something you love to spend money on, no matter what your bank account says. Use a clip of you enjoying the thing and add the OST "me when I have money." Then, use the exact same clip but change the OST to "me when I have NO money." Add the sound and you're good to go!

A few ideas to get you started:

• Grabbing lunch with your work bestie

• Picking up iced coffee from your fav café

• Ordering more cute stationery for your office

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

ASK THE EDITOR

I've been promoting my online course for mums of toddlers on my Instagram but no one is signing up. What should I do? - Esme

Hey Esme!

If you aren't getting sign-ups, I'm going to guess you're coming across a little too salesy in your content OR you don't have good product-market fit. Organic content's for building a relationship with your audience. If they feel like you're constantly trying to sell them something, your audience won't continue to engage. If I were you, I'd pull back on promoting your course. Instead, make your posts around the actual course content. This will draw in people who care about the topics your course covers.

Engage with your audience in the comments to keep building those relationships. In those conversations, you can figure out whether your course content addresses the actual challenges your audience wants help with. This will help you understand whether you need to adjust what you're offering!

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

Not going viral yet?

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.

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