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Your ATTN Please || Monday, 17 March

Your ATTN Please || Monday, 17 March

March 17, 2025

Together with

130,000 backseat screens are about to become prime ad real estate.

T-mobile has bought digital OOH company Vistar Media. And that purchase includes 1 million screens, 130,000 of which are in taxis and Ubers. With brands serving backseat ads, you’ll now have another source of entertainment on your way to a night out. You know, if doomscrolling or chatting up your driver isn’t your thing.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

PRESENTED BY PLANABLE

There’s no safety net for social media managers

Every campaign is a high-stakes bet—you either crush your KPIs or scramble to explain the numbers.

The difference? A strategic, well-planned campaign.

Planable’s free social media campaign playbook gives you the exact tools to:

✅ Plan with confidence (so you stop second-guessing every decision)
✅ Create briefs & reports effortlessly (with templates top marketing teams use)
✅ Steal ideas from high-performing campaigns (so you’re never starting from scratch)

Because let’s be honest—winging it stopped being cute three quarters ago.

👇 Get your FREE playbook 👇

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Ads coming soon to an Uber near you, Canva wants to help with your deck & Sour Patch Kids glow in the dark

Taxis & rideshares… the new hot spot for OOH?

Because why not shove screens in our faces at every given moment and try to sell us something? Yes, heard that right, the back seat of your Uber or taxi may become ad real estate, according to Marketing Brew. In January, T-Mobile acquired digital-out-of-home company Vistar Media for a whole $600 million. In doing so, the company locked down a network of over 1 million digital screens in over 30 countries. And 130,000 of these are situated in the backs of taxis and rideshare vehicles.

But according to MB, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a location for ad space. “Interest in the ad format has been growing for a few years, and it’s continuing to grow in 2025 as marketers pour considerable spend into DOOH ads and other brands like Uber and Lyft also build out their rideshare ad capabilities.” Bro, let me ride my Uber in peace, please.

Canva wants to help you fix your pitch deck

Because, you know, it sucks. "Love Your Work" is the brand's latest campaign across the US, and aims to help people finally move past their awful, outdated presentations. You know the ones I’m talking about. Cluttered slides, awful font, presentations that go on foreverrrrrrrr.

The 30-second spot features Sopranos actor Lorraine Bracco as Dr Lang, a therapist holding an intervention for the archaic slide deck. He's a clever representation of that guy (there's always one) who just needs a gentle reminder that a PowerPoint isn't always the answer. If you have one of those guys in your office, maybe show him this ad.

We got glowing Sour Patch Kids before GTA6.

Ahhhh America. You never cease to entertain me. Y’all got rid of Red30, and now you have glow in the dark candy. Sour Patch Kids will now have a version containing “confetti” that glows under black light. Okay - it’s made of a turmeric-extract – so it’s not as toxic as Red30. Just a thousand times more bizarre and inedible looking.

Mondelez, the cookie-and-candy parent company, also plans to introduce Swedish Fish that glow – because those things weren’t synthetic enough. Apparently, the idea of glowing products came from observing how much Gen Z consumers love glow-in-the-dark elements in other settings, including online videos of DJ sets. Not sure how that correlates to wanting to ingest glow in the dark things. But uuuuh sure.

Anyway, that’s all folks!

DEEP DIVE

How to market on a shoestring budget

It's no secret that marketing, like anything really, is a lot easier when you have deep pockets.

Billboards, TV spots, influencer campaigns that cost more than a house—if you have the budget, the world is kind of your ad playground. But, in this economy????? Please.

So, what if your budget is, well, non-existent? Welcome to the reality of many small businesses, startups, and scrappy entrepreneurs. The good news? You don’t need millions to make an impact. You just need creativity, consistency, and a little bit of hustle. So, this one's for the marketers without the billion dollar ad spend. The normies (like me.)

So, let’s break down exactly how to stretch your marketing dollar without sacrificing results.

If you’re not using social media, you’re leaving money on the table. I shouldn’t have to tell you this at this point. And the best part? It’s free to use. But to make it work, you need a strategy. Instead of trying to be everywhere, identify where your target audience hangs out most.

Instagram & TikTok? Short-form video is king. Master storytelling in 30 seconds.
Twitter/X? Dive into threads and engaging conversations in your industry.
LinkedIn? Position yourself as a thought leader with insightful posts and networking.

Engagement is key! So respond to comments, ask questions, and create shareable content. Posting blindly without interaction won’t get you anywhere.

2. Master the art of community building

Community is your marketing secret weapon. Believe me when I say there is nothing more powerful than this. People trust recommendations from peers more than ads. So build a loyal following that does the marketing for you.

Create a branded group on Facebook, Discord, or Slack where customers can connect, share experiences, and feel valued.
Turn customers into brand advocates. Offer insider perks or feature them in content.
Go beyond transactional. Share behind-the-scenes stories, product development insights, and user-generated content to deepen relationships.

3. Let content marketing become your long-term growth play

Content marketing isn’t just about blogging for the sake of it. You need a strategy for:

SEO. Find low-competition, high-intent keywords your audience searches for and create in-depth, valuable content.
Content pillar & clusters. Write a cornerstone blog post (pillar) and multiple related posts (clusters) linking back to it, boosting search rankings.
Evergreen vs. trendy content. Balance long-lasting content (guides, FAQs) with trends to stay relevant.

4. Turn your email marketing into a sales engine

It’s not just about blasting promotions and being annoying. Your emails need to build relationships and provide value. A few ideas for you:

Create an irresistible lead magnet (free e-book, checklist, exclusive discount) to grow your list.
Use segmentation. Don’t send the same email to everyone—customise based on user behaviour.
Automate wisely. Welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, and re-engagement campaigns work while you sleep.

5. Use guerrilla marketing to make a statement

When your budget is tight, think beyond traditional marketing. Get creative with it!

Stunts & PR moments. Do something so unexpected that it earns media attention (e.g., surprising street art, flash mobs, or local activations).
Hyperlocal marketing. Think local, whether it’s sidewalk chalk advertising, community sponsorships, or clever window displays.
The shareability factor. Make people WANT to talk about your brand. Challenge customers to participate in a viral trend or quirky social experiment.

6. Cross promote & partner for maximum reach

Team up with businesses targeting a similar audience (but not direct competitors, duh) to expand your reach without extra costs.

Co-host webinars, live Q&As, or joint giveaways to tap into each other’s communities.
Guest post or podcast swap to showcase your expertise to a new audience.
Bundle products or services for an irresistible limited-time offer.

7. Repurpose content for maximum ROI

Every piece of content should live multiple lives.

Blog post? Turn it into an email newsletter, a Twitter thread, an Instagram carousel, and a TikTok script.
Long-form videos? Chop them up into bite-sized clips for social media.
UGC? Feature it in ads, website testimonials, and stories.

8. Tap into free & affordable marketing tools

There’s no excuse for blowing your budget on software when there are so many free (or dirt cheap) tools available:

Creating campaigns? Canva (design), CapCut (video editing), Google Analytics (tracking), Trello (project management).
Want free press exposure? Sign up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and pitch journalists looking for expert quotes.

9. Turn customers into marketers

Make it easy for people to share their love for your brand. Try:

Creating a branded hashtag and featuring customers who use it.
Launching a referral program with discounts or exclusive perks.
Hosting a contest that requires user submissions (e.g., "Best way to use our product" challenge).

10. Don’t underestimate the power of PR

Getting featured in the right places can boost credibility and awareness without paying for ads.

Pitch stories to blogs, podcasts, and local news outlets.
Offer free value to journalists and content creators looking for expert insights.
Align with timely events and trends to increase your chances of getting picked up.

A small budget shouldn’t stop you from making a big impact.

The brands that win aren’t always the ones with the deepest pockets—they’re the ones with the best strategy. Creativity, consistency, and community-building will always beat a lazy big-budget, boring ass ad campaign. Now go out there and make it happen!

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

“Piper, noooooooo”

If you haven't been watching The White Lotus, well, I don't know where to start with you.

All I can say is there is a fabulous but also rude character called Victoria Ratliff on the show. She's always popping lorazepam, dressed in flowy, expensive resortwear. And her Texas accent is everything. This very accent, delivered beautifully, is where today's trend originates from. Parker Posy went on the Today Show and gave her best rendition of Victoria's voice, and it's gone viral.

Now, people are using the sound to show those moments where other people (or themselves) have had to say “noooooo”. Moments like:

How you can jump on this trend:

Think of a time someone (yourself, or anyone else) has said a big fat "noooooo". Film yourself reenacting it, pop the trending sound on top, and write some on-screen text for context. Voilà!

A few ideas to get you started:

My client when I tell them I can't reply to their message at 11:40pm
How it feels when there's no coffee in the office
My manager when I ask for leave at the busiest time of the year

-Maggie, Copywriter

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: a sticky situation
❤How wholesome: never too careful
😊Soooo satisfying: glass handwork!
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Vege Taco Skillet

ASK THE EDITOR

I really want to start my own business. How can I start building my brand when I'm not sure what kind of business I'm going to create? - Leah

Hey Leah!

The best thing you can do is start putting out as much content as you can. In our team, we talk about how you can create content from 3 perspectives, depending on where you are in your journey right now. The first perspective is the Reporter. This means you don't know a whole lot yet--you're just learning. So you create content about everything as you learn it. This means as you listen to podcasts, go to events, or read books, make content about what you get out of them.

Over time, you'll probably start creating content as an Expert because you'll know what you're talking about! Then, one day, you'll move onto being what we call the Fool. This is someone who knows enough to realise they actually know nothing! But for now, just share what you're learning. It's the perfect place to start.