Not too long ago, being always on, always available, was the goal. Smart watches meant you could see and respond to notifications instantly, never missing a thing. But now, the pendulum’s swung the other way, and being unavailable is considered a luxury few can afford. It signals you’re powerful enough to be able to give a big middle finger to anyone who might want something from you (unless you choose to bestow your attention on them, that is). So now that being unreachable is aspirational, how do you make your brand someone people want to hear from?

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

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It’s one hell of a landmark move. Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and partnering to license 200+ beloved characters, from Mickey to Marvel, for use in Sora – OpenAI’s video-generation platform. The 3-year deal lets fans create AI generated shorts and images featuring the characters (voice and actor likenesses excluded). It marks a shift from Disney’s prior legal battles with AI firms.

Beyond bringing Disney IP into generative AI, the agreement makes Disney a major OpenAI customer. Looks like the brand's aiming to influence how creative content is produced responsibly in the AI era.

Taking a big step toward becoming a one-stop creative workspace. Adobe has integrated Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Express directly into the chatbot. This allows users to edit images, design graphics, and tweak PDFs right inside their conversations. No app-switching required! Just upload a file and tell ChatGPT what you want done (like blurring a background or combining PDFs), and the relevant Adobe tool kicks in.

The features are free (!!!) and available on desktop, web, and iOS (with Android support rolling out soon). A great example of how AI + creative apps could reshape workflows for millions.

In todays episode of “the president is too old to understand the current landscape in any sense of the word”: on a televised roundtable, Donald Trump once again stumbled over tech terminology. This time, he confused 6G wireless networks with camera-style visual tech.

Speaking beside Qualcomm’s CEO, Trump asked whether 6G gives a “deeper view into somebody’s skin.” Clearly, he was mixing up next-generation mobile connectivity with image resolution concepts.

Experts point out that real 6G is about faster, more reliable internet infrastructure projected for the 2030s, not cameras. It another reminder that high-tech network evolution, i.e. 5G to 6G, remains widely misunderstood in most public discussion. Particularly when old heads are involved. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

The workers with the “least power” have to reply instantly. Creators desperate for growth have to post constantly. The small businesses have to be “always on” because the algorithm punishes absence. Meanwhile, the cultural "elite" are smoking cigarettes out the back door and saying Irish goodbyes.

Think about it. Having no notifications is now a flex. Being hard to contact signals importance. And going unseen online implies a life so full, you don’t need the performance.

This is where the digital detox economy stops being about wellness and becomes about class. Because the privilege of not participating is not evenly distributed.

That was the dream, I guess? A flat, frictionless world where availability was universal.

But in practice, the opposite happened. Those with the most demanding offline lives gained the most power by participating the least online. Those with the most precarious lives had to do the most to stay visible.

Now the internet is splitting into two classes:

1. The Unreachable. People who can afford to disappear. They work jobs where silence signals seniority, not disrespect. Their careers don’t collapse if they don’t post for a month. Their social lives don’t depend on maintaining a feed. When and how tech enters their day is a conscious choice.

2. The Perpetually Available. People who are "punished" for disappearing. Their income, relevance, or stability depend on engagement. Their phone is part leash, part lifeline.

This divide is reshaping aspiration. Everyone wants to be in Group 1. Duh.  And that is creating a cultural market for unreachability.

Platforms and brands have realised that the next frontier of growth isn’t adding more features, it’s adding more friction. Which is hilarious, considering these are the same companies that built their empires on eliminating all of that.

But capitalism has never met a contradiction it couldn’t monetise.

We’re already seeing the shift:

Tech is being forced to adapt because the people with power are no longer asking: “How can I do more online?” They’re asking: “How can I do less and still get what I need?”

And when the powerful shift, platforms obey.

The business model of the internet was built on attention. But attention has become a scarce, stratified resource, one increasingly hoarded by those who can afford to ignore you.

To keep users, they must help them use the platform less.

To retain relevance, they must reduce the demands they place on people’s lives.

To stay alive, they must embrace the very behaviour that threatens their survival.

We are watching the internet reverse-engineer itself.

It means your audience is no longer asking, “Why should I engage with you?” They’re asking, “Why should I permit you access to my limited attention at all?”

So the new rules become:

Your most valuable consumer is the one who barely participates. Not because they’re uninterested, but because they’re discerning.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

This trend is all about crafting a regular Christmas wish list comprising a couple items (like a normal functioning adult). But really, if you squint your eyes and spell out the capitalised letters, it secretly spells out the one thing that you really want. This is perfect for the people who are too shy to say their big asks out loud, but also refuse to unwrap their fifth pair of socks after years of playing nice. 

My fav examples include: 

Using this audio, flip the camera around and shoot in slo-mo to match the audio's tempo. Add on-screen text listing all the superficial things you're asking for. Then capitalise a letter in each word that spells out what you really want. 

A few ideas to get you started: 

-Raewyn Zhao, Intern

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Hey Verity,

My advice is to start by networking in the circles of people that are in your niche. Go to in-person events where your target audience is and build brand awareness that way first. I wouldn't worry about social media until you've exhausted every avenue you can find to connect with people in real life.

Once you're at that point, then you can begin creating content to build your audience on socials. I'd make content that appeals to a broad audience, not just people within your niche. This will help you find audiences you don't even know exist. To make your content widely relatable, you'll need to find a way to share content with a human truth anyone can connect with. But for now, start with in-person networking and take that as far as you can!

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

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.