Your ATTN Please || Tuesday, 4 March

March 04, 2025

The internet's reeling after an especially chaotic Oscars.

Notable moments included Adam Sandler getting kicked out for wearing gym shorts, a sandworm playing piano onstage, Demi Moore getting snubbed in favour of Mikey Madison (who?), and Miley Cyrus attending eyebrow-less. But the best part of any awards ceremony, as we know, is the fresh waves of memes that’s hitting our feeds right about now.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

We made it through The Oscars, DoorDash gets a $17M fine & Jona Cena turns “heel”

If you don’t live under a rock, you’ll know the Oscars were yesterday.

If you do, you should probably fix that. Also, how are you reading this?

If you would like to watch the acceptance speeches etcetera (nerd), TikTok created an in-app Oscars hub, providing a showcase of all the news related to the event. It also ran a contest where creators could win cash rewards and prizes for posting creative and unique takes on Oscars content.

The platform ran the same promotion last year with great success. “With over 2.6M combined posts and a 50% increase in posts in the US in 2024, #FilmTok and #MovieTok continue to grow their impact on the industry while offering movie buffs a place to share their thoughts on their passions, celebrate film, and connect around the buzziest moments in entertainment.”

TikTok says that 47% of its U.S. users have discovered a new movie coming to theatres through the platform, while 36% purchased a ticket. So Oscars hub could really help boost engagement for films, and even present opportunities for brands to jump in on the hype.

Last week, Meta and Starbucks found themselves in some sticky situs. Now, DoorDash follows suit, having been fined a sweet $17 million.

Something must be in the air because the world's biggest brands are, how to say, effing-it-up in the brand perception area. 

The delivery service was fined the wee sum over claims it was pocketing its New York workers' personal tips (ummm rude). DoorDash then used said tips to subsidise the wages of workers – cutting costs for the company (ummm even MORE rude.) They also did not communicate to customers how the tips were being used, misleading both delivery workers and consumers. Cool cool cool. 

"The allegations settled were related to an old pay model that was retired in 2019," a DoorDash spokesperson told the press.  "While we believe that our practices properly represented how Dashers were paid during this period, we are pleased to have resolved this years-old matter and look forward to continuing to offer a flexible way for millions of people to reach their financial goals.” 

Yas! We love a lack of accountability, empathy or any form of apology in sight, DoorDash. Under the settlement, DoorDash will now provide Dashers "with an accessible disclosure that explains the disclosures that a Dasher will see in their mobile application before the Dasher chooses to accept a delivery order." 

In other news, John Cena is now... evil John Cena gasp 

The 16-time world champion finally “turned heel” after 20 years – and the internet is losing their collective minds about it. If you’re a noob to wrestling like I am, I'll try and fill you in as best I can. Bear with. 

In pro wrestling the term "heel" means bad guy and "face" means good guy. Wrestlers will typically change their alignments several times throughout their careers, depending on the story being told and as the ebb and flow of their personal narrative changes. Cena has been portrayed as the consistent good guy/ superman archetype since 2004, with his brand appealing immensely to kids.  

After winning the elimination chamber, the crowd saw Cena's face change while looking at The Rock. He then crashed out, kicking Cody Rhodes in the groin and bringing Travis Scott (of all people) up to finish the job with him - while smoking a blunt?? 2025 honestly feels like a fever dream at this point.  

X has done was X does best (no, not promote racist content), and exploded with hilarious memes of the iconic moment Cena switched. Some are even calling it “one of the greatest, most shocking twists in the history of professional wrestling.” This being the last year of his wrestling career, I can imagine this narrative change will bring a whooole lot of eyes to his final blow out.   

Well played Cena, well played.  

-Sophie, Writer

DEEP DIVE

Web3 in 2025: How it started vs. how it’s going

How it started:

Remember when Web3 was supposed to change everything? The internet was getting its much-needed glow-up: decentralisation, creator ownership, and the death of Big Tech gatekeepers. Crypto bros were on top. NFTs were selling for millions. And brands were scrambling to launch digital sneakers and metaverse activations like their lives depended on it.

DAOs were the future of governance. Play-to-earn gaming was a gold rush. And Starbucks was handing out NFT loyalty perks like pumpkin spice lattes in October. It was a time of unchecked optimism, sky-high valuations, and endless promises. It was also a time that every drunk frat boy at your local house party tried to give you the rundown on why you “have to check it out.” Then came the crash.

The reality check:

Crypto winter hit hard. Suddenly, Web3 wasn’t looking so invincible. The market tanked, NFT hype fizzled, and regulatory scrutiny increased. Brands that had eagerly dipped their toes into Web3 (cough Meta’s metaverse pivot cough) started quietly backing away.

The utopian dream of decentralisation got messy. DAOs struggled with governance issues. Blockchain games became unsustainable. And the average consumer realised they didn’t actually want to manage a crypto wallet just to buy a coffee. Meanwhile, AI swooped in and stole the tech world’s attention, pushing Web3 even further out of the spotlight. So where does that leave us in 2025?

Where we are now:

Web3 isn’t dead, but it’s gone quiet. The hype has settled. And what remains is a more practical, behind-the-scenes integration of blockchain tech rather than the grand Web3 revolution we were promised. Some key areas where Web3 is still actually working:

  • Token-gated communities & loyalty programs. Brands like Gucci, Nike, and Prada continue to experiment with NFT-based collections, but it’s more about functionality than hype now. Consumers don’t care if it's Web3—they just want the benefits.

  • Blockchain for transparency & ownership. Supply chain tracking, digital contracts, and ownership verification are proving useful, especially in fashion, luxury, and gaming.

  • Decentralised finance & digital identity. There’s been some progress, but mainstream adoption is still slow due to regulation and user complexity.

  • The rise of “quiet web3.” Brands are using blockchain in the background without marketing it as “Web3.” No more buzzwords—just infrastructure.

What this means for brands

So, should brands still care about Web3? The short answer is yes, but strategically. Gone are the days of launching an NFT collection just for clout. Web3 now needs a use case beyond speculation. Here’s what marketers should consider:

  • If it solves a real problem, it’s worth exploring. Loyalty programs, ticketing, and supply chain transparency are some of the strongest real-world applications.

  • Don’t call it Web3. Consumers don’t really give a sh*t about the tech; they care about what it does for them. Focus on the value, not the jargon.

  • Regulation is real. The wild west era is over. Any Web3 strategy needs to be compliant and consumer-friendly.

  • Watch the AI x Web3 space. As AI continues to dominate, there may be new intersections with Web3 (e.g., decentralised AI models, NFT-driven content ownership).

So, will web3 make a comeback?

Web3 in 2025 isn’t the revolution we were promised. Instead, it’s more of a quiet evolution. The hype has faded, but the underlying technology isn’t going anywhere. Instead of being a flashy buzzword, Web3 is now a tool. And like any tool, it only matters if it actually makes something better.

If Web3 can enhance your strategy in a real, practical way, use it. If not, move on. Either way, it’s safe to say we’re past the era of Bored Apes and metaverse land grabs—and honestly, that might be for the best.

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

The FaceTime hang-up

There’s NOTHING worse than being mid-conversation and—boom—FaceTime just cuts you off.

Whether it’s bad Wi-Fi, a dead phone, or an accidental press of the red X, that abrupt hang-up noise is now TikTok’s new universal “wait… hello??” moment. Creators are using this sound to capture the confusion, frustration, and secondhand embarrassment of a convo suddenly ending. And it’s become the go-to meme for moments that end too soon or just straight-up disappear.

How you can jump on this trend:

The setup is super simple. Start the video mid-conversation, as if you’re talking to someone on FaceTime. When the sound hits, freeze like you just got disconnected. Then, add OST explaining what just happened.

 A few ideas to get you started:

  • “Me explaining why the campaign flopped… but the client’s Wi-Fi says otherwise.”

  • “Boss saying ‘just make it go viral’ and the call drops for my sanity.”

  • “Me hyping up my content idea, but my phone dies before I finish.”

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲WTF: He smuggled it WHERE?!
❤How wholesome: i hope this sheep makes your day a bit better :)
😊Soooo satisfying: Play-Doh CRUSHED
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: BBQ Chicken Roll Ups!

TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST

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ASK THE EDITOR

Q - Do I need a separate strategy for TikTok and Instagram or can I just post the same videos everywhere? - Sierra

Hey Sierra!

Every platform does have its own audience and culture, so content that does well one place may or may not perform as well somewhere else. And many big brands have platform-specific strategies, with different content going on each one. But for smaller brands that don't have the resources to do that, there's no downside to posting your videos everywhere and seeing what happens.

So if you're already creating content for TikTok, go ahead and try posting it on Reels, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube shorts. You may find an entirely new audience just by repurposing your content. Just make sure you're interacting with your audience when you do get engagement on those new platforms. Good luck!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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