Your ATTN Please || Wednesday, 24 September

Is the longest-awaited, most drawn-out (and perhaps “bigliest”) TikTok deal happening with the US?

Quick memory jog - the Trump admin wants to ban TikTok in the US unless its owner, Chinese company ByteDance, makes some concessions. As of writing, it seems likely that US companies, investors and board members will oversee the app’s American operations in the near future. But if that’s the case, what happens to the algorithm? And what could it mean for your ability to grow and/or go viral?

- Devin Pike, Guest Editor 💜

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Kimmel returns, Zoom CEO says AI will shrink workweeks & ChatGPT is everyone’s therapist

Jimmy Kimmel returning on Tuesday

Somebody tell my mother tantrums do in fact get you somewhere. Disney's decision to suspend Kimmel's talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! sparked outrage among fans and the general public, but also democratic lawyers, free speech advocates, and hundreds of celebrities who signed a letter in support for Kimmel, calling it “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.

The immense pressure from both sides really had me wondering which way Disney would fold. In a statement on Monday, Disney announced it planned to resume production after having “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel.

A 3-day workweek is (apparently) coming soon thanks to AI.

Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, has predicted that AI chatbots and agents will bring about a 3- or 4-day work week. This echoes the likes of Bill Gates, Jensen Huang, and Jamie Dimon – and despite this sounding like the blunt rotation of billionaires from hell, I’m hoping they’re onto something here.

“I feel like if A.I. can make all of our lives better, why do we need to work for five days a week?” Yuan told The New York Times in a recent interview. “Every company will support three days, four days a week. I think this ultimately frees up everyone’s time.” You know what, he’s RIGHT. When does this become affective pls and thank u.

New study finds people are increasingly using ChatGPT for non-work purposes. More than half are “asking” – meaning people value the bot as an advisor.

In fact, non-work-related messages have grown from 53% to more than 70% of all usage, while “Practical Guidance”, “Seeking Information”, and “Writing” are the three most common topics and collectively account for nearly 80% of all conversations. As per OpenAI: “Patterns of use can also be thought of in terms of Asking, Doing, and Expressing. About half of messages (49%) are “Asking,” a growing and highly rated category that shows people value ChatGPT most as an advisor rather than only for task completion.”

“Doing (40% of usage, including about one third of use for work) encompasses task-oriented interactions such as drafting text, planning, or programming, where the model is enlisted to generate outputs or complete practical work. Expressing (11% of usage) captures uses that are neither asking nor doing, usually involving personal reflection, exploration, and play.”

Trippy.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Hey, do you like YAP?

If so, why not share it with a friend? The more we grow this thing, the more resources we can put into making it awesome for you. Even if every subscriber invites just 1 person to YAP, we’ll meet our growth goal for 2025. So, you in?

DEEP DIVE

TikTok’s algorithm at a crossroads. So what's next for the app?

The longest awaited, most drawn out TikTok deal may finally be going through.

And it looms over our heads like a cloud of both opportunity and fear. The big question isn’t really whether the app survives or not, because it will. It's got the full force of ‘merica to ensure it.

No, the question in my head is: what happens to the algorithm?

TikTok’s recommendation engine is its golden goose.

Unlike Instagram or Facebook, which are rooted in who you know, TikTok is built on what you watch. The “For You” page doesn’t care if you have two followers or two million; it cares how long people replay your video, whether they pause, share, or scroll. That ruthless efficiency is what gave regular degulars a shot at virality. It's the kind of overnight success that Reels and YouTube Shorts have endlessly tried and failed to replicate.

So what happens if that changes?

Like I said in a recent article, Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel just admitted Friend Stories are dying out, being replaced by influencer clips that spark conversations. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri confessed that users now prefer to DM memes instead of posting their own.

Posting ennui is real, and TikTok’s algorithm is both the cause and the counterweight. It made public posting thrilling again, even if risky, because the possibility of being seen by millions outweighed the fear of being cringe.

But if the deal forces changes to how TikTok’s algorithm is licensed, governed, or overseen, we could see ripple effects:

• Virality gets harder. The chance at a free ride could be over, baby. If the recommendation signals are tweaked to be more conservative or more “transparent,” unknown creators might find it harder to break through. The feed could flatten, privileging safer, more predictable content.

• Feeds lose their weirdness. TikTok is sticky because it surfaces the niche and the absurd (if you know you know). Frog cake baking, Albanian folk dances, a rant about oat milk. If algorithm changes make it less surprising, the magic could drain out.

• Posting feels even riskier. If virality becomes rare, why bother posting at all? The same ennui we feel on Instagram could creep into TikTok, deepening the sense that participation isn’t worth the vulnerability hangover.

• Private sharing grows. As public feeds get tamer, people will push more into group chats, DMs, and micro-communities. The real culture might move underground, away from the big stage.

There’s also the bigger geopolitical backdrop.

China considers TikTok’s algorithm a sensitive export, while the U.S. wants more control and transparency. If the eventual compromise dilutes the algorithm’s “secret sauce,” TikTok risks losing the very thing that made it a cultural juggernaut.

And that’s the paradox. TikTok’s algorithm is both addictive genius and an international liability.

It made the internet fun again by giving anyone a shot. But it also fuels the chaos that made posting casual selfies feel embarrassing everywhere else. If it changes, we don’t just lose a feed. We lose one of the last remaining engines of surprise on the internet.

So yes, the deal might keep TikTok alive. But the question isn’t of survival, it’s of soul. If it has one, that is.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

TREND PLUG

“That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a trainwreck”

This one's an ode to all the sh*tty situations you find (or put) yourself in. 

This sound comes from CNN’s Jake Tapper, who (in)famously described the first 2020 presidential debate, saying "that was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” (Yeah, politics... don't get us started). 

The clip was then posted on TikTok by @thecrazycreativeteacher with the express purpose of making it a sound.

What matters is the audio is messy, dramatic, and perfect for content that hits the right amount of 'I feel that'. Think: relatable, painfully accurate, universally understood experiences. Basically, those situations we’ve suffered through but don’t always say out loud (except when ranting to work besties/partners/mates).

How you can jump on the trend:

Lip-sync to the sound with your most expressionless “this is fine” energy. Overlay text briefly calling out your biggest L/oof/yikes situations. We're all human, so there should be no shortage of those.

A few ideas to get you started:

• POV: You finally hit “send” on an email that was due for a client 1 business day ago (it's Monday now) 

• The client asked for “just a couple tweaks” and sent back 17 bullet points 

• When you realize you sent through a campaign post… with the wrong brand account

• Average HR Meeting:

- Nico Mendoza, Intern

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: He’s gonna have a killer headache tomorrow
❤How wholesome: Spider-Man wedding moment
🎧Soooo tingly: Kinetic sand-core
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Yum Yum, Filipino Spaghetti!

ASK THE EDITOR

I know I shouldn't be so boring in my written content but I don't know how else to write. How do I break out of that habit? - Bhavia

Hey Bhavia!

If you're used to writing in an academic or professional style, it can be hard to break that habit. Here are 2 things that may help. First, write like you speak. You're posting on social media, not writing a dissertation. It will take some time to unlearn that stiff way of writing, so a good trick is to read your writing out loud and see what sounds unnatural. Starting sentences with "but," "and," or "so" can make your writing flow better.

My second tip is to pretend you are writing to one person, and a friend at that. If you're picturing writing to the masses, your writing will come off as impersonal. So imagine you're writing to one person instead. This will make your posts easier for your audience to read. When it comes to writing, the more you do it, the easier it will get!

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

Not going viral yet?

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.

WHAT DO YA THINK?

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