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- Your ATTN Please | Tuesday, 9 September
Your ATTN Please | Tuesday, 9 September
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YouTube just released their new Culture & Trends Report and it's all about maximalism, baby.
As we all know, Gen Z doesn’t just consume content. They want to remix it, meme it, and stuff it with inside jokes (which is why if you’re over the age of, like 26, you’re probably struggling to understand WTF they’re talking about half the time). Young creators are building a whole new style of content. So if you’re trying to speak to that generation, this report is a freaking lifeline.
- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡
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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?
Gen Z content is maximalist, The way brands use creators is changing & Sesame Street comes to YT
YouTube’s Culture & Trends Report decodes what the future of content looks like.
According to the report, here are 4 characteristics of Gen Z media:
Audio/visual complexity: Think chaotic edits, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it iconography, and visual noise
Narrative co-creation: Massive, decentralised fandoms building stories together
Internet-referential: Niche memes and inside jokes you only get if you're chronically on Reddit
Global influence: Aesthetic and storytelling cues pulled from everywhere, from K-pop to Turkish dramas
The next generation doesn’t just want to watch—they want to participate. So if your content doesn’t reflect their world, invite their creativity, or speak fluent internet, it’s probably not going to land with Gen Z. Check out the whole report here.
Brands are spending more on creators. But that money isn't going to sponsorship deals...
Creator marketing budgets are up (like way up). This year, influencer spending is expected to increase over 12%. And big brands like Unilever are spending a whopping 50% of their overall marketing budget on influencer strategies. But that spend isn't just going to sponsorship deals. Instead, brands are putting that money into affiliate marketing and paid media (think Meta partnership ads and TikTok Spark Ads).
Spark Ads now make up 60–70% of creator-driven spend on TikTok. And YouTube affiliate spend is growing 3X faster than traditional sponsorships. So, why the shift? Well, because advertisers know how finicky algorithms can be. So instead of pouring money into organic branded content (which can be hit-or-miss), they're opting for options that give them more certainty their spend will pay off. And creators that can offer brands multiple ways to work with them are about to make bank.
🎶 Can you tell me how to get, how to get to... YouTube.com/sesamestreet? 🎶
It's a sunny day for every kid and kid-at-heart, for Sesame Street's expanding its online presence through the re-release of hundreds of full episodes on YouTube - all for free and without the need for a subscription (looking in your direction, Netflix). Announcing the news on Instagram, Sesame Workshop, the non-profit that produces the show, said from January 2026, YouTube "will have the largest digital library of Sesame Street content, with hundreds of full episodes coming to the Sesame Street channels".
In a press release, the organisation also highlighted the "natural fit" of the partnership as Sesame Street's YouTube channel already receives more than half of its viewership through connected TV screens. The channel, which currently sports nearly 28 million subscribers and brought in 5 billion views in just the past year, also produces YouTube-exclusive content that Sesame Workshop says will continue to release. Sesame Street's 56th season (Yes - FIFTY. SIXTH.) releases in November, and I dunno about you, but given the state of the world as I plough through my mid-twenties... I may be blocking out my evenings for my good friend Elmo in the near future.
- Charlotte Ellis, Editor & Devin Pike, Copywriter
DEEP DIVE
How your small business can ride the “shoppable content” wave
Remember when ads were just billboards, banners, or annoying pop-ups you closed as fast as humanly possible?
Those days are, kind of over…
These days, the ad is the content, and the content is the store. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, even Spotify—they’re all blending entertainment with e-commerce. You watch, you laugh, you tap, and boom, you’ve accidentally (on purpose) bought the thing.
The line between “I’m just browsing” and “oops, I own that now” is getting thinner than your Wi-Fi signal at your parents’ house.
So, what does this mean for small businesses? I’m here to break it down without all the godforsaken jargon.
What the frick is shoppable content?
Imagine you’re watching a video of someone making a cocktail. Halfway through, a button pops up: “Buy the exact shaker they’re using.” You click, and in two taps it’s on its way to your kitchen.
It’s not a separate ad. It’s woven into what you’re already consuming. The content isn’t interrupted, it’s enhanced.
Why should small businesses care?
Impulse, baby. The closer you put the “buy” button to the moment of inspiration, the more likely people are to act. If someone’s vibing with your product in the moment, don’t make them go hunt it down later and lose the sale in the process.
Cheaper than you think. You don’t need Super Bowl money. Instagram Shops, TikTok Shop, Pinterest Product Pins; these are literal built-in tools, and they’re basically plug-and-play.
It works for niches. Selling handmade candles? Vintage clothes? Local honey? CBD gummies? Shoppable content lets you show your product in context, and context sells.
How to actually do it (without hiring a 40-person content team):
Start scrappy. Film a quick reel of your product in action. Add a product tag. Boom, shoppable content.
Use what the platforms give you. TikTok Shop and Instagram product tags are free to set up. Take advantage of them before they get saturated.
Make it feel natural. If it looks like an ad, people swipe. If it looks like a story they’d share, people click.
Collaborate. Micro-influencers are perfect here. Their content feels authentic, and you can piggyback on their built-in trust.
Recent data backs up just how powerful this shift is.
According to Shopify, brands using shoppable content see conversion rates up to 3x higher than traditional ads. TikTok reports that 67% of users say the platform inspires them to shop even when they weren’t planning to.
And McKinsey’s “See-Now-Buy-Now” framework sums it up neatly: the closer you put commerce to the moment of inspiration, the less friction there is, and the faster purchase intent converts into action.
For small businesses, this boils down to three pillars:
Visibility (show up in the feeds your audience is already in)
Seamlessness (make the purchase flow one tap, not ten)
Authenticity (content should feel like storytelling, not sales)
When you apply those levers, you’re doing more than just advertising—you’re collapsing the freaking funnel.
For small businesses, it’s a shortcut to get customers from curiosity to checkout without detours. No one wants to click six links or Google your shop name. Meet them where they are, in the moment they’re interested.
Because right now, the best ad isn’t an ad. It’s the thing you didn’t even realise you wanted until you tapped “add to cart.” Hehe, whoopsie.
-Sophie Randell, Writer
TREND PLUG
"I know a spell...."
I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but the trending sound taking over TikTok right now is literally: “I know a spell that summons big booty Latinas.”
(Yes. Played off my laptop. Several times. On speakers. In the office. In 2025. This is my life.)
The sound kicks off with a crowd yelling “Burn the witch!”, then flips when the creator interrupts with “I know a spell that…”. The mob instantly changes tune to “Release the witch!” because the “spell” is just too powerful to punish. It’s absurd, it’s chaotic, and it’s exactly the type of unserious magic trick TikTok just eats up every single time.
Everyone’s treating the “spell” like the ultimate hack, secret skill, or forbidden power. The fun comes from exaggerating that. Some of my fave examples include:
I know how to make your ex fall back in love with you (only because it's funny, NOT relatable)
How you can jump on this trend:
Using the sound, lip-sync “I know a spell that…” and drop your version of the “forbidden magic.” Keep it simple and snappy.
A few ideas to get you started:
I know a spell that makes clients stop asking for "one more revision"
I know a spell that makes the algorithm actually push your content
I know a spell that makes your boss stop saying "quick turnaround"
- abdel khalil, brand & marketing executive
FOR THE GROUP CHAT
😲WTF: Man Found Living Under Home
❤How wholesome: A true friend
😊Soooo satisfying: Soap cutting
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Chicken Poke Bowl
ASK THE EDITOR
I don't have any professional photos for LinkedIn. Is it ok to use regular iPhone photos? - Lee
Hey Lee,
Photos you've taken on your phone are absolutely fine for LinkedIn! Depending on what side of LI you're on, you might see a lot of posts with posed, professional photos. And there's nothing wrong with getting some professional photos done eventually (although I'd suggest having those show your personality, not just have you doing stiff poses)!
But don't let not having photos be a barrier for posting. Instead, start thinking of whatever you do as an opportunity to capture photos for your content. Have a colleague take some candids of you at your desk or chatting with clients. When you go to networking events or conferences, ask whoever you’re with to snap a few. Once you adopt the mindset of always thinking about creating content, you'll find it much easier to take photos in your daily life.
- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡
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