Your ATTN Please || Wednesday, 21 May

May 21, 2025

One thing about Millennials and Gen Z?

We don’t want to talk to anyone. And that goes for pretty much every type of human interaction—phone calls, in-person shopping, and definitely anyone ringing the doorbell. In fact, 54% of Gen Z and 41% of Millennials say they’ve decided not to purchase something because a business didn’t let them use their digital wallet. So brands, take note—fewer “human touchpoints” and more robot takeover.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Millennials & Gen Z hate people, LinkedIn becomes “just another platform” & Spotify podcasts sell drugs

Millennials and Gen Z are going no contact.

No, not with their exes. Although that should probably be on the cards. According to eMarketer, half of Gen Z and millennials favour shopping methods that let them avoid human interaction. LOL. Can confirm. Ecommerce, in-store pickup and self-checkout options seem to be the go these days. 15% of Gen Z and 10% of millennial consumers prefer interacting with a chatbot over a human customer service rep, and over 70% of both cohorts place monthly pickup orders. Something to consider if you’re a retailer/ DTC business targeting Gen Z and Millennials.

LinkedIn is becoming less "professional" and more "social."

There’s always been discourse about how much of their personal lives people should be sharing on LinkedIn. However, comments are up 37% year over year and video uploads are up nearly as much, presenting LinkedIn with an opportunity to advertise, but at risk to its corporate identity.

The thing is, its identity has changed so much in recent years. LinkedIn is no longer just a platform for job updates and networking. It’s a social platform. Because the brand understands that in order to keep up with the way that the professional sector is going, it needs more personal content, and has started to cater to this. Behind The Numbers host Jamine Enberg believes it’s time for creators to jump on the platform and build their personal brands.

Spotify has been caught hosting hundreds of fake podcasts that advertise selling drugs.

This week, the music platform rushed to removed hundreds of blatantly fake podcasts in violation of Spotify’s policies – and probably federal law, also. Whoopsie. On Thursday, Business Insider (BI) reported that Spotify removed 200 podcasts advertising the sale of opioids and other drugs. Which is INSANE.

But wait, there’s more. Yesterday, CNN revealed that it easily uncovered dozens more fake podcasts peddling drugs. The craziest part is, these mfs weren’t even slick about it. They named the podcasts "My Adderall Store" or "Xtrapharma.com," with episodes titled "Order Codeine Online Safe Pharmacy Louisiana" or "Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season," CNN reported. Many of the podcast episodes featured a computerised voice and were under a minute long. I’m so sorry, but that’s too absurd not to be funny. Ah 2025, what a time to be alive.

DEEP DIVE

5 steps to a successful brand launch (or re-launch!)

So, you want to launch your brand.

You’ve done the fun stuff: the brand building, your strat is solid, your visuals are fresh, your story, clear.

But before you drop that shiny new logo into the ether and hope for the best, let’s talk about something just as important as creating your brand but is rarely mentioned: launching it properly.

Because how you introduce your brand, whether it’s brand-new or just got a facelift better than Joan Rivers circa 2015, can make or break how your audience receives it. Done well, it creates buzz, builds trust, and keeps your existing audience on the ride. Done poorly, it’s just... confusing, or worse, flatlined into irrelevance.

You want to create a compelling story. One that resonates with your audience and positions your brand correctly in the marketplace - but how? Well, here’s a step-by-step guide to doing so with intention.

1. Start with a runway, not a surprise drop.

People don’t like whiplash. If you're changing something major (like your name, look, or offer), let your audience in on the journey. Start teasing things a few weeks out. Show a little behind-the-scenes. Share why the change is happening, what it means, and what your audience can expect.

Even a simple “something new is coming” helps people feel part of the process instead of blindsided by it.

2. Create a transitional brand phase.

"New look, same great taste." You’ve seen this on cereal boxes as a bridge between the old product and the new one. It’s a small but powerful way of reassuring people they’re in the right place, and the heart of the product they love hasn’t changed.

So if you’re rebranding, consider using things like:

  • Side by side comparisons

  • Emails explaining the rebrand

  • “Formerly known as” language

  • A pinned Instagram post or story highlight showcasing the shift

Keep some visual cues, colour references or tone of voice consistent so even as you evolve, there’s a sense of continuity. A good rebrand doesn’t erase your past but honours it while pointing forward.

3. Plan a multi-channel rollout.

I’m sorry to say it, but this where a lot of small brands fumble. They launch in one place (say, Instagram), and then leave their website, packaging, and email list behind. Your audience doesn’t live in one place, so why would your rebrand???

At a minimum, align your:

  • Social media (with launch content prepped and scheduled)

  • Email list (warm-up, announcement, and follow-up sequence)

  • Website (update the branding and copy to reflect your new messaging)

  • Packaging or physical touchpoints (even if it’s a simple sticker or insert at first)

And if you’ve got a brick-and-mortar or service-based business? Make sure in-person touchpoints reflect the change, too. Think signage, business cards, menus, etc. Consistency across channels fosters trust.

4. Build a launch campaign, not just a launch post.

Just because you have a launch date, doesn’t mean it should be limited to one day. Duh.

Think in phases:

Tease: Something’s coming

Announce: It’s here — this is what’s new

Explain: Why it matters, what’s changed, what hasn’t

Engage: Invite feedback, questions, or user-generated content

Sustain: Continue showing up with your refreshed voice, visuals, and message

Spread these over a few weeks, not just one chaotic day. Momentum beats a moment, so plan for the long game.

5. Celebrate LOUD, baby.

People love to root for brands with flair, personality and purpose (especially small ones). So make your launch feel like something worth talking about (because it is, silly). Host a virtual or IRL launch party. Offer a limited time discount or product that supports the launch. Create a giveaway. Just do something.

Make it personal, make it fun, and allow people to celebrate with you. You didn’t do all this work to go unnoticed, now did you?

A brand launch is a rare opportunity to make an impression.

When you plan with intention, you set the tone. Not just for day one, but for the brand you’re becoming. And that, my friend, is entirely up to you x

TREND PLUG

“I live for Pakistan”

This viral audio comes from an old clip of a kid passionately declaring his love for Pakistan:

“I live for Pakistan, I die for Pakistan, and I’ll sacrifice my whole life for Pakistan. Pakistan zindabad.” The video’s years old, but TikTok just rediscovered it. And now? It’s no longer about countries. It’s about sleep. Or ChatGPT. Or Coke (the drink, you freaks).

Creators are pairing the sound with sarcastic devotion to random obsessions, like full on saluting, hand-on-heart, ready to give it all up for… blue Powerade, music, exes, you name it. Think ironic patriotism for the everyday things that make life worth living.

How you can jump on this trend:

Use the sound. Throw up an on-screen question like "How much do you love X?" Then cut to a clip of you dramatically saluting, standing proud, or pledging allegiance to your chosen obsession. Bonus points if it's for something wildly unserious.

A few ideas to get you started:

“How much do you love ...?”

  • Canva

  • Office memes

  • Email sign-offs

  • Brunch content

  • Google Calendar

  • Agency rebrands

  • Notion templates

  • "We’re so back" marketing

- abdel khalil, brand & marketing executive

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲WTF: Prison escape update!
❤How wholesome: they found each other
😊Soooo satisfying: soap crushing
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: 15 min Red lentil curry!

TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST

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ASK THE EDITOR

I've had a few of my posts flop and it's getting discouraging. How do I keep being consistent when I feel like it's getting me nowhere? -Isaac

Hey Isaac!

It can be hard to keep posting when you aren't getting much engagement! But the only way to improve your content is to keep posting. I'd encourage you to keep posting every day, paying attention to your analytics. Experiment by changing up your hook, images, and post style. And don't be afraid to change tack quickly. At TAS, we call this being agile.

You don't need to do the same thing for a month to see if it will work. If you do a few posts in a similar style and none work, try something else. The key is continuing to create content, even when you aren't quite sure what is going to work. Because you'll figure out what works way faster by continuing to post than you will by stopping!

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

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