Your ATTN Please || Tuesday, 18 February

2024’s latest notable stat—social media scams were up 9% in Q4.

And the cybercriminals have really upped their game now that all the Nigerian princes have “unfrozen their accounts.” Now, everything from fake e-shops to ads that spread malware are fair game.

The worst platform for social media threats? Facebook, which accounted for a whopping 56% of all scams. Somehow, I’m not surprised…

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Social Media Scams Are Up, Kendrick vs. Kendrick, & Dead Duo Merch

2024 was a record-breaking year for social media scams

Gen, a global giant in cybersecurity, just released its threat report for October-December '24. We won't mince words—social media's never been more dangerous. In Q4 last year, Gen's security programs (such as Norton and AVG) blocked an average of 321 threats per second, 56% on Facebook alone, and 26% on YouTube.

Across all big social platforms, just over half of the threats were "malvertising" (fake ads that spread malware) and E-shop scams (fake online shops selling counterfeit products, or sometimes nothing at all). It's a big report to go through, but definitely worth checking out the full thing here.

Kendrick's greatest foe fights him atop the charts.

With the dust seemingly settled from Kendrick Lamar's rap beef with Drake, the Super Bowl Half-time Show performer is now brawling for chart domination against none other than...himself?

As of February 16, Kendrick's Drake diss "Not Like Us" is #1 globally on Apple Music, while his song "luther" featuring SZA is #2. It was the same story on Spotify's weekly US charts. But just this weekend, "luther" slid ahead of "Not Like Us"—the rapper successfully defeating maybe the only person standing in his way.

It makes sense these songs got a bump, given the Super Bowl was just last week. But a bump THIS BIG? Especially for a 9-month-old diss track filled with some nasty-ass accusations? It's unheard of. Just goes to show how successful Kendrick's been at keeping himself and his music relevant for extended periods (even if it means rubbing salt in several-month-old wounds).

Duolingo's death toll—and dollars—are piling up

Duo the Duolingo Owl's death by Cybertruck has been widely reported - but now, the conspiracy runs deeper. Turns out, Duo didn't go out alone—his friends Falstaff, Zari and Lily have also been taken down in equally strange ways.

But it gets weirder—As of this weekend, Duolingo is selling plushies of their deceased mascots, each one coming with a customised coffin. In the company's own heartfelt words, "We're monetising grief because we are a corporation ...why process your emotions when you can process a payment?" Head here to check out all the dead Duo merch.

-Devin, Copywriter

DEEP DIVE

Waste.gov’s Royal F-up

Waste.gov just gave us a masterclass.

The subject? How to make incredibly embarrassing (and surprisingly simple) mistakes with your website. Because if you’re launching a website in 2024—especially one dedicated to transparency—there are a few golden rules to follow.

You know, basic stuff like:

• Actually putting content on the site

• Removing placeholder text

• Not making yourself the laughingstock of the internet

Unfortunately, someone forgot to pass that memo to the fine folks behind Waste.gov. So what was meant to be the Trump administration's latest attempt at accountability became a public service announcement on how not to launch a website.

A digital face-plant.

That’s what I would call this. Waste.gov was supposed to track government inefficiencies. Instead, it became one. EMBARAZZING.

The site launched with a default WordPress theme—unedited, unbranded, and still featuring lorem ipsum text from a fictional architecture firm. Rather than showcasing fiscal responsibility, it inadvertently highlighted an age-old government tradition: saying one thing while doing the complete opposite. Nice.

It gets better (or worse, depending on how you look at it).

Another government site, DEI.gov, redirected straight to the same half-baked WordPress template. That’s right—one placeholder template, two official government sites, and a whole lot of facepalms.

Transparency? More like an accidental magic trick.

When the internet caught wind of this mess, Waste.gov was promptly thrown behind a password wall. A classic move straight from the "if we hide it, maybe people will forget" playbook.

It’s a move that would be funny if it weren’t so telling. Transparency means showing your work, not locking the door the moment someone notices you haven’t done it right.

So, in honour of this monumental f&%k up, here’s what not to do when building your website:

1. Don’t leave placeholder text. I should not have to say this. But if your site still says "Études seamlessly merges creativity and functionality to redefine architectural excellence," but you’re not actually an architecture firm, you have a problem.

2. Don’t launch half-baked. If your website is a work in progress, keep it in staging. No one needs to see your “Coming Soon” page that looks like it was copy-pasted from a beginner’s WordPress tutorial.

3. Don’t forget what your website is for. If you’re preaching transparency but your website is a locked, empty shell, you might as well just put up a sign that says, “We have no idea what we’re doing.”

4. Don’t assume no one will notice. The internet will find out. They will screenshot it. And they will make fun of you.

If there’s one thing, we’ve learned from the Waste.gov debacle, it’s that websites—especially those meant to instil public trust—reflect how seriously (or not) an organisation takes its own mission.

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

GET OUT

Today's sound comes from Trading Spouses, specifically Marguerite Perrin, aka the God Warrior.

In the 2005 episode, she swapped lives with a New Age-y family. She then came home and lost it, screaming about how they were “dark-sided” and demanding anything ungodly be removed from her house. The way she yells “GET OUT!” with full spiritual conviction became instant meme history.

Now, TikTokers are using this trend to overreact to everyday situations, like when your dog stares into the void like he sees a ghost and you have to spiritually cleanse the house or when someone walks in on you when you’re working out and you need them gone immediately.

Or even when an intrusive thought like, "maybe having a bf wouldn't be so bad" creeps in, and you have to physically fight for your life not to act on it.

How you can jump on this trend:

Film yourself lipsyncing to the sound and FREAK OUT. Remember, the more unhinged the reaction, the better. Use OST to describe the situation you're reacting to.

A few ideas to get you started:

• When the client says, "Let’s make it go viral."

• When someone adds “Let’s circle back” to an email that’s already been circled back to five times.

• When a brand jumps on a meme trend two months late and calls it “relatable.”

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: he needs new friends
❤How wholesome: SOFIA!!!
😊Soooo satisfying: this was perfect
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Taco Lasagna

TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST

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Want even more “YAP”ing? Check out the full podcast here.

ASK THE EDITOR

I'm a yoga instructor and have started getting so many trolls on my content. What should I do? -Val

Hey Val!

Unfortunately, dealing with trolls is just part of being on social media. The good news is, the fact that you're getting those commenters means you're getting decent reach! And, if your audience engages with them to defend you, your content is just getting pushed to more people (silver lining, eh?)

The best thing to do is just hide those comments when they pop up. Try not to let them discourage you. Instead, focus on providing value to the people you're actually trying to reach and ignore the rest.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WHAT DO YA THINK?

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