MediaCat Monthly, May | People Power

Do people have more power over the media at the moment? Should leaders allow organisations to be led more by people? In what ways is power waxing and waning between brands and people right now? For May our contributors explored these questions… looking at the Met Gala and blocking of celebrities, Substack, non-profits, the attention economy, transparency and trust, fans and idols, communities, internet culture and public opinion. We have in-depth pieces on Japanese media, business boycotts, older women reclaiming their power, gender polarisation, and more.

There’s also a delightful People Power playlist for your listening pleasure. Please, enjoy the issue.

Mike Piggott, Editor

How the Met Gala became The Hunger Games

‘The divide between celebrity culture and public opinion is growing, with ‘out of touch’ influencers held to account’ Becks Collins analyses this, and the blocking of celebrities movement which followed. read

How Substack disrupted the media landscape

Cultural and trend analyst, Mel Zog, digs into the rise of Substack, as creators seek stability and ownership. Mel looks at the growth of other platforms too, like Ghost and Beehiiv, and asks, what’s next? read

Non-profits: where people power fuels change

For?Jenni Romaniuk’s ‘just in case you missed it’ column she explores non-profit marketers, and how they are using people power to improve our world: from the law of double jeopardy to the law of buying frequencies. read

Transparency is key to trust

‘The erosion of trust stems from a crisis of transparency’ Writer Josh Mcloughlin looks at how trust today is a dwindling resource, and gives examples of brands doing it well, and not so well: from Lush and Oatly to Volkswagen. read

Democratised access to idols is putting power in fans’ hands

Experience Strategist at UNIT9, Magda Domagala, looks at how, for the first time, consumers have some control over how they interact with their idols - and that AI is making the fan-idol connection more instant. read

Welcome to the community era

Truant London’s Chris Jefford says the world may seem depressing, but thinks there’s hope at the cracks and edges of society, and that, in community, there is richness. He explores how brands can embrace this, if they understand the importance of culture. read

The power of attention: defeating the monster

‘The dream of unlimited content is beginning to sour,’ Cultural analyst Harry Kinnear says, in the attention economy, we have control over our greatest resource, and can exert power by deciding where we choose to spend it. read

Morbin’ time! When brands misread internet culture

Writer Laura Holliday explores meme culture, microtrends and trendjacking, looking at Sony’s 2022 film Morbius - with advice for brands on how to read the room when they’re not clued up on internet slang. read

The symbiotic relationship between the media and public opinion

People power has the potential to shake up the focus of the media, writes campaigner Jinan Younis, citing the Post Office Horizon scandal and the subsequent BBC drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. read

Wisdom

This month… harnessing the power of people, tackling misinformation, navigating fandom, and Japan’s relationship with traditional media.

Mina Baginova: Social anthropologist Mina says recent boycotts show businesses are failing to grasp the concerns of young people

Natasha Randhawa: MediaCat’s Editor-at-large analyses Japan's enduring love for traditional media: from vinyl to CDs and DVDs

Toru Jhaveri: ‘There are limits to our clout as consumers and corporate citizens.’ Stuff Of Life’s Strategy Lead on how brands are businesses

Svilena Keane: MediaCat’s Content Editor investigates older women reclaiming power through social media

Emma Lacey: Zefr’s SVP EMEA looks into misinformation tools and says there have been major developments in fact-checking technology

Alice Beecroft: Yahoo’s Senior Director of Global DSP Strategy & Partnerships discusses AI transparency winning over sceptical consumers

Richard Shotton: Author Richard shares insight on how marketers harness the power of their teams, and their collective wisdom

Paul White: BAMM's Strategy Director looks at how brands can navigate fandom, and says don’t forget the mainstream

Conversations

In this part of the magazine we ask some smart people topical questions. This month… technology and choices, ad blocking, and endless content

How can we be more critical consumers with endless content?

Sometimes all this content can be overwhelming, but what are we, as consumers, to do?

Does tech empower people to make informed choices?

Are we all now slaves to the algorithm, or is technology putting power back in the hands of the people?

Digital ads are on the rise. So is ad blocking. Is the system broken?

Things aren’t working, for advertisers or consumers. But what should marketers do to fix things?

Interviews

Lori Meakin on gender polarisation in media

Discussing a recent insight report, CEO of The Others & Me, Lori, examines default-male design, feminine coded characters, gender norms and lad culture

AI or die! Glenn Fisher discusses Fix Fest

This year we’re partners of copywriting festival, Fix Fest - so we spoke to co-founder, Glenn, about algorithmic poetry, robot DJs, and his dog

Q&A: Robert Andersen on bringing a German thinker to life with AI

We talk to Jung Von Matt CREATORS about using AI to bring German philosopher Immanuel Kant back to life as an influencer

In case you missed it...

We conclude with some interesting articles and interviews that you may have missed first time round…

Jenny Zhang: CALLING's Strategy Director explores the rise of podcasts, brand involvement, and their experimental future

Paddy Gilmore: In this podcast we speak to Studio Gilmore’s Founder about how and when brands should use humour

Sam Collenette: DRUM's Senior Strategist examines the power that fans yield and how brands can respond to it

Giles Lury: The Value Engineers’ Giles argues that ‘despite people power, brand owners need to drive the direction of their brands’

Ben Kay: Social media has given people a voice that is far louder than it has ever been, but what difference has this made?

Imogen Kemp-Hunt: Senior Digital Strategist at Brandwidth looks at how brands can use AI to improve CX