The Attention Seeker Has A Secret Project

Welcome back to where we fill you in on the latest topics at The Attention Seeker (ATTN).

This newsletter is coming from Ashley Short, the ATTN Internal Brand Exec.

This week we are discussing a new project here at The Attention Seeker.

Ponsonby.

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What Is Project Ponsonby?

Welcome to our new project, Ponsonby.

What in the world is Ponsonby? This project is a hub for the community to connect with each other.

The platform aims to share stories and experiences of the everyday atmosphere that Ponsonby provides, in doing so, giving a voice to the little guy and uncovering hidden gems of an area. Everyone should feel welcomed, heard, and involved - if they wish to.

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What Makes Ponsonby?Different

Have you ever looked at a magazine and thought shit, I wish I could just watch this rather than have to read the whole thing?

Sure, magazines have their place.

But in this new age of shortform content, it has become more and more valuable to also have a shortform version of whatever content you put out.

Likewise, when reading a magazine, you may end up having your own thoughts where you may feel like you would want to contribute to what you are reading - make it more of a two-way conversation.

A conversation where the person also reading your write-up feels like they can open up what you have said into a discussion.

OR you have been reading a magazine and you're like ok, most of this is adverts.

You feel like people are talking at you. Not with you.

That's where Ponsonby is different. Ponsonby is made by the community for the community.

Think of it like a Facebook community page. Where everyone has a voice.

This means that anyone in the community can feel like they can be involved with the happenings of that given area. You don't need to be a business owner, or if you are, you don't need to be a massive business. You can be your own little unique shop, in fact, we love that!

We want to find the hidden gems of a local area. For this platform, we have focused on the Ponsonby area because it's The Attention Seeker's local. So what better place to start than the area we love around us!

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What's So Good About This?Project?

The intent of this new project from The Attention Seeker is to build a sense of community.

We know TikTok best so it makes sense why we would create this platform firstly on TikTok.

Everything is turning into video form now, it has ever since movies were made from books.

People like to be able to sit back and relax while their brain takes something in rather than having to read. It's just that simple.

It allows us to take in information that may have taken 10 minutes to hours to read and intently focus on when you could just watch a short video, AND even better, watch it while you are multitasking and doing something else at the same time.

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Who's Running This?Project?

Who are the faces behind this mad project?

The idea was created by Stanley Henry, the owner of The Attention Seeker.

Stanley then turned the project over to myself (Ashley Short) to turn from an idea into a functioning real-life "thing" and oversee the project.

We pulled in some of our shortform experts - Connor Ransley and Jony Lee, to work out how we could turn this idea into a reality.

What should the videos involve?

What are our metrics?

We went through hours of strategising.

How do we make it so people feel they are a part of this project?

We decided this would be an excellent project for interns to learn and be exposed to the whole process of a social media marketing project.

Because it is an internal project, it is also a safe place for interns to get their footing and try new things, as it's not a deal breaker if anything goes wrong compared to anything that could go wrong on a client project.

Once Connor, Jony, and I had laid out the foundation of the project, that's where we trained the interns to step in and give it a go!

They have now gotten to the point where they are learning how to edit and film with businesses confidently on their own.

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Interns Learning Project

Our interns Olivia and Ishika are experiencing the difference between university theory work and getting first-hand experience:

Let's hear from our interns - what they have learnt so far.

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Ishika Patel

Every Wednesday, I know the drill.

But every Wednesday, I go through the same good and bad nerves.

Will I ask the right questions? What If I blank out? What if I shake the camera?

Just the endless what-ifs and preparing my mind to just F it up

Although all of this disappears in the moment

Ponsonby NZ “for the community by the community.”

And that’s precisely the feeling that comes in the moment when filming for Ponsonby NZ.

The fears leave, and the overthinking was just some classic self-sabotage.

When you press record, the conversation strikes up, and the moment is sealed.

In Ponsonby, hearing someone's journey through life.

You zone out of the chaos, your eyes squint, and your cheeks rise as you hear about the joys of someone's life.

The thicks and the thins, the highs and lows.

And all of a sudden, I forget.

This is a project.

And simply just a trip every Wednesday into someone’s little world in the heart of Ponsonby.

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Olivia Hubber

One thing I adore about this place is its open-arms policy. I remember chatting with my mentor Ashley Short, about my dyslexia, and her response was simply, 'We love that!' That's what makes this team special, and now, here she is, giving me another opportunity - to share my experience in this week's newsletter.

The project itself has been an incredible journey, starting from scratch with the support of the TAS crew. Ishika, my partner-in-crime, joining us added even more excitement. Together, we've come to know the locals; people stop us on the street, eager to hear about our progress. We've connected with shop owners and community members, uncovering inspiring stories of love, passion, and hard work.

The heart of the project lies in the incredible people we've met. I'll never forget the woman sharing her love story and journey to London, or the man urging us all to chase our dreams. These interviews have been so moving, and I've learned that everything happens for a reason.

In addition to strengthening my communication skills, I've gained practical expertise, like learning the ins and outs of Premiere Pro – a skill I'm gradually mastering, thanks to Connor's guidance. And how to strategically plan and create content designed specifically for TikTok with the help of Jony.

A massive thank you goes to my supervisor and mentor, Ashley, for facilitating this incredible learning journey and offering unwavering support. Our lunch catch-ups, where I hear about her travels and life experiences, have made my internship even more enriching.

For now, I’ve got to get back to the project and make some magic happen! Keep an eye out for Ponsonby on TikTok as big things are in the works!

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Let this serve as an example of what interns can learn while doing an internship with The Attention Seeker.

We are taking on another lot of interns for the next intake - get in touch if you would like to be taken seriously for an interview!

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Our In-House Podcast Stansplaining

Jazz Thornton is a director, filmmaker, TikTok star and Mental Health advocate. In this podcast episode, Stanley Henry and Jazz Thornton talk about Jazz Thornton's journey into the business side of what she does, from growing on TikTok, to the films she did, winning awards at New York film festivals, to winning dancing with the stars. Stanley and Jazz break down the brand she has built for herself. We learn how Jazz has become the powerhouse that it is today.

This is a premiere link, this podcast would usually be open to the public tomorrow BUT since you have this link you can watch it right now!

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See you next week!

Ashley