Watching the demise of Joe Biden’s personal brand has been painful.

No amount of positive PR could convince the public he was fit to run for another term.

And whether you’re running for president or selling to your customers, public perception is everything. Today we’re looking at the downfall of Biden’s image and how we can make sure our brands don’t suffer the same fate.

In today's newsletter:

• Joe Biden proves there’s more to brand image than good PR (if you really want to improve how people feel about your brand, here’s what to do)

• 6 Top marketing trends for the 2nd half of 2024 (don’t miss these insights into what’s happening in our industry right now)

• Trend plug - Raised by a woman who was hardly impressed

• Ask the Editor - How do I make educational content interesting? 

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

p.s. If you're reading this and you want to start creating viral content for your brand, our cohort program is set up to help you do that. Lucky for you, registrations for our August intake are now open! Learn more.

Joe Biden Proves There’s More to Brand Image Than Good PR

President Biden has officially dropped out of the race.

There have been weeks of anxious build-up to this moment.

Concerns over the president's age and competency have been a hot topic over the last few months. But the whispers have been going on since Joe Biden first took office.

His fall from grace serves as a stark reminder that PR can’t always save you.

It also highlights the importance of a strong personal brand in this day and age.

Obviously, the president has a little more public perception to worry about than most of us do. But the same rules apply when it comes to our own brand image.

When we witness the demise of somebody as high profile as the President of the United States of America, we’d do well to take notes of what went so terribly wrong, and what we can learn from it all.

For several years, the US president has made a string of embarrassing, and (literal) missteps in public.

But Biden had a cover--he had a long history of verbal slips and other blunders that made it hard to blame his age alone.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Marketers are hung up on chasing internet trends – but what’s trending in marketing?

There are many factors that influence our industry. And fortunately, they're not all driven by memes or AI.

However, we as marketers face relentless pressure to stay on top of what’s happening in our ever-changing world, including what tech rules us and what our clients want.

Trust me, I know this can sometimes feel like someone's always moving the goalposts.

Well, let me unpack some of the latest trends I’ve noticed in marketing (with a bit of help from our friendly neighbourhood Forbes).

1. There's no tolerance for friction.

Any delay in page load time? Forget it. Confusion at the checkout? Goodbye. Bad product recommendations? See ya! According to Salesforce, 80% of consumers report abandoning retailers after three bad experiences.

You heard it here first y’all. Three strikes and you’re out! There’s money to be made in removing friction (just look at what Tesla did to the car-buying experience.)

What’s a brand to do? Revise your customer experience, ironing out any kinks.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - I Was Raised by a Woman Who Was Hardly Impressed

This trend uses the lines, 'I was raised by a woman who was hardly impressed, and I carry that real deep in my chest' from a Zach Bryan song 'Bass Boat'.

TikTokers are using this sound in a pretty serious manner to talk about how different people/things have raised them. We've seen this used in both a positive and a negative way.

How to jump on this trend:

Using this sound, come up with an OST (on-screen text) that fits your brand. Use two photos to make a carousel post. Photo one should say, 'I was raised by (something) who was (something)'. Photo two should say, 'and I carry that real deep in my chest.' 

A few ideas to get you started:

• ‘I was raised in an office with a good/bad coffee machine’

• ‘I was raised in an office with a good/bad manager’

• ‘I was raised in a work-from-home environment’

• ‘I was raised in an office with sweet/ruthless clients’

-Carter, Intern

Tune in to the YAP Podcast

We’re breaking it down for you.

Listen to the YAP podcast Tuesday - Saturday, where we talk about everything that’s happening in marketing right now so you’re always in the know.

Watch the full podcast here and subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you never miss an episode.

Ask the Editor

Q - As a mortgage advisor, I want to create more educational content but I don't know how to present it in a way that's interesting to watch. What do you suggest? - Vlad

Hey Vlad!

If you're looking for an easy content format, you can start with creating 'talking head' videos. This just means you film yourself talking to the camera about your area of expertise. Think about some little-known insights about your industry and create content around these.

For your hook, try calling out your audience then introducing this information, such as, 'First home buyers, did you know...?' This creates curiosity and zeros in on your target audience in the first couple seconds.

Another content style you could try is standing in front of a whiteboard while you explain something. There's something about seeing a whiteboard that kicks our brains into learning mode. Don't be afraid to try several different styles to see what works for you!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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