Your ATTN Please || Wednesday, 15 October

“This protein powder made me break out in hives, gave me vertigo, then convinced me to cut my own bangs. 0/5 stars”

Imagine you’re in the market to try a new protein powder for your post-gym smoothie and you find one that checks all the boxes… then you scroll down and see this review. You still buying it? I think not. Reading customer reviews has become one of the most important steps of our purchasing decisions. Which means, as a brand, you should be willing to beg, borrow, and steal (ok, maybe that’s going too far, but you get it) to collect as many as you can.

Get nerdy with us

Forget small talk. We prefer big ideas, with a drink in hand of course. 

Lectures After Dark is part classroom, part post-work hangout for marketers who like their insights served with wine, from some of the best academics in Auckland city. If you’re down for a thought provoking talk, bring your questions, ideas, and mid-week existential dread to 43 Ponsonby Road. We’ll bring the good vibes.

23 Oct | 6-7:30pm | $25 (includes your first drink!)

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Domino’s “rebrands,” Altman admits vibes were off with GPT-5 & Gushers brings back the Fruitheads

Domino’s rebrands for the first time in over a decade.

…Is the rebrand in the room with us??? Ok so the pizza boxes are more minimalistic, featuring slightly “more vibrant” shades of blue and red. Oh and the font's kind of different. And they included a jingle. Groundbreaking stuff, Domino’s. Sometimes I feel like I’m mean. And if you think I’m mean that’s fine. Because sometimes people do dumb sh*t. And I’m going to call it out. You bet your fine ass.

And I’m sorry but if you’re going to rebrand after 13 whole years, at least TRY and make it memorable. But then again, maybe everyone’s a little scared of rebranding a little too hard and getting the Right on their tail like a pack of hounds. Next thing you know Trump's calling you out at the podium. And in that case, fair enough.

“The vibes were kind of bad at launch” – Sam Altman on GPT-5.

Ok, perceptive diva??? You noticed?? “But now they’re great,” he told Wired in an exclusive interview. By “great,” he means the narrative has been diverted due to the company’s recent release of Sora and its freaky... ahh... abilities to create impressive AI video slop.

When it was released, the upgrade received an insane amount of negative feedback. But Altman says the naysayers are on the wrong side of history. He argues that GPT-5 cements AI technology as an indispensable tutor, a search-engine-killing information source, and, especially, a sophisticated collaborator for scientists and coders.

“I would not claim that GPT-5 is like doing meaningful science, obviously not,” Altman says. “But there is a glimmer, and I think by 6 or 7, we'll see more of it.”

Gushers just reignited my 90s fears.

I’m probably showing my age here, but I know I wasn’t the only person absolutely traumatised by the old Gushers commercial where the kids heads turned into fruit. Gushers has now taken our collective trauma and used it to create a new short horror film FruitHead.

This film follows a TV commercial director who has cursed a young actor from the 90s ad to live life as a FruitHead. Now, as an adult, this actor seeks his horrifying revenge. Please, I beg of y’all, go watch it. This is what advertising was made for.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

DEEP DIVE

How to make customer reviews your secret weapon

Hey, you! Yes you! Do you want to bribe your customers?

Obviously, I mean ethically…. Duh.

Okay, next question, and be honest. Would you ever buy anything online without consulting the digital peanut gallery first? I’ll bet my bottom dollar you wouldn’t. Whether it’s a serum, a blender, or a suspiciously cheap pair of boots, we all scroll straight to the reviews section before hitting “add to cart.”

And for good reason.

Reviews are the new word-of-mouth, just with worse spelling and better lighting.

In beauty especially, reviews are enough to literally make or break a product.

Everyone’s skin type, tone, age, and budget are different, so what works for one person might turn another into a walking chemical peel. That’s why brands, big and small, are so obsessed with incentivised reviews: they’re a shortcut to social proof, credibility, and actual conversion.

According to this 2024 Forrester report, over two-thirds of online adults in the U.S. rely on product ratings and reviews before they make a purchase. That means if your product page is sitting there with zero reviews, it’s not just quiet. It’s a purchase repellent.

What “incentivised” really means (and what it shouldn’t):

Just to be clear, incentivising reviews doesn’t mean paying people to lie (even though that’s, like, the first thing you’d think it was lol).

It means offering a small thank-you like a discount, loyalty points, a sample or whatever in exchange for an honest review. The goal isn’t five stars; it’s authenticity.

Transparency is key. Always disclose that a review was incentivised, and never, ever script the outcome. Many platforms like Amazon and Sephora have clear policies around this, so make sure your version of “creative” doesn’t get you banned.

For smaller businesses, incentivised reviews are a bit of a secret weapon.

Big brands have ad budgets and influencer deals; as a small brand, you’ve got genuine customer experiences and a whole lot of hope.

A steady flow of reviews builds trust faster than the majority of campaigns ever could, and it gives you gold for your content pipeline. Screenshots of reviews are perfect for social proof in ads. UGC photos are great for email and landing pages. Reviews even boost your SEO by feeding your product pages with juicy, keyword-rich content.

Sooo, in other words, every review you collect is basically an unpaid intern doing marketing for you. Work smarter, not harder.

How to do it right (and not get cancelled):

Because I don’t want you cancelled. I want you thriving, darling. And I especially don’t want you cancelled based on an article I wrote 5 coffees and 1 panic attack deep. So, here’s the playbook:

• Ask at the right time. Hit customers up when their first impression is fresh — not months later when they’ve forgotten your brand exists.

• Make it feel like a thank-you, not a bribe. A small discount or loyalty reward feels generous; cash for stars feels gross.

• Make it easy. One-click forms, short surveys, clear CTAs. If it’s effort, they won’t bother.

• Use what you get. Share great reviews on social. Turn them into graphics or short videos. Create a “review of the week” feature.

And remember, even the occasional negative review isn’t a disaster. Tbh it’s actually a good thing because it shows you’re real. It builds trust. (As long as you respond gracefully, a.k.a. resist the urge to crash out.)

Incentivised reviews aren’t a dirty trick.

They’re one of the smartest ways small brands can compete with the big guys, not by outspending them, but by out-trusting them.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

TREND PLUG

That’s not good writing

Apologies in advance to our Swiftie crowd (I presume there's many of you), especially those fond of T-Swizzle's latest venture - this trend might sting a bit.

Ever read something so foul, so gibberishy and nonsensical that you just gotta call it what it is (even if it was written by someone you like)? It's something Zachary a self-described "Swiftologist", recently went through while reviewing Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl.

In his review of the song "Eldest Daughter", he gave some harsh feedback after reading some lyrics:

"'Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter, so we all dressed as wolves, and we looked fire'... that's not good writing."

Everything Swift aside - we've all been Zachary before, reading something so objectionable that there's no use beating around the bush. Whether it's the last-minute essay you banged out at 4am or the fanfic that tore your teenage heart out, we've all had the displeasure of reading someone's terrible use of the English language (which sucks extra hard when you like the person!)

How you can jump on this trend:

Grab this sound, flip the camera round and film yourself looking slightly off-camera (as if reading something) and lip-syncing with the audio. Then, add onscreen text describing a time you read something back and thought "that's not good writing".

Try looking disgusted and distraught in your performance, because like a Swiftologist reciting Taylor Swift lyrics, you should take ZERO joy in bashing what you're reading.

A few ideas to get you started:

• When a client sends you a complaint, but it's full of typos and personal insults

• Reading your boss' "heartfelt" company-wide email clearly written by ChatGPT

• Writing a creative strategy in a 9pm coffee-fuelled frenzy, then reading it back the next morning

-Devin Pike, Copywriter

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲Yap’s funniest home videos: Don’t be suspicious. Don’t be suspicious.
❤How wholesome: Gramps still got it
😊Soooo satisfying: Which sounds do you like?
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Spicy peanut tofu bowls

ASK THE EDITOR

What’s the best way to increase and retain IG followers on a business account? What areas are more important than others? - Izzy

Hey Izzy,

The best way to get more followers is to create content that's relatable to your audience, uses story structure, and hits on a human truth they inherently understand. Even more simply, content that's engaging always comes down to storytelling. So every piece of your content needs a clear structure. Start with a setup, which hooks in your audience and gives context. Then, you need a conflict or challenge to overcome. The last element is the resolution, which gives that feels of catharsis to your audience.

Your focus should be on nailing your storytelling skills first rather than creating high-production content. Because if you have no story to draw your audience in, no amount of fancy editing will make them want to follow you.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

PSST…PASS IT ON