What’s on our radar: crushing social like TSwift, narcissistic capitalism, and golden boy Ryan Reynolds.

Social Media Engagement, You’re Losing Me.

As creatives (and maybe closeted creatives), you probably know this feeling all too well. You spend all of this time thinking about a concept and bringing it to fruition, and then when you share it, it just doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for.?

To be honest, it can feel like social media only compounds that. Well, unless you’re Taylor Swift. You spend hours planning your content strategy, content pillars, and clever captions for posts and then get zero engagement.

So, what’s the point of being on social media if organic engagement and reach is dead? And how on Earth do the people who are getting engagement manage it?

While being Taylor Swift does help (we’re still swooning over her Eras Tour shoe collection), there are a few things you can do to game the system.?

Actually look at your metrics

If you’re not looking at your social metrics at least monthly….well, you should be. There’s a lot to learn there! A social media management platform, like Hootsuite or Sprout Social, can help you learn about your audience, the best times to post, what type of content is performing well with your followers, and more. Most importantly, be flexible and take the lessons you learned in your metrics. If a content pillar isn’t performing, scrap it and test something new. If your audience doesn’t love infographics, get rid of them. Do what works for YOUR people.

Create compelling content

We’re 1,000% guilty of over engineering social media content. But are you ready for this? People look at social content for maybe 8 seconds while scrolling through their feeds. So why are you spending so much time carefully curating things? It’s organic social media for a reason. These days, you can make something high-quality on an iPhone. Just make sure that what you create is visually appealing and relatable. Also, just say no to stock photography.

Collaborate

Collabs - you’re the loml lately. When working with other brands or influencers, ask them to collaborate on the post. That increases your visibility and chances of getting engagement on content. We’ve seen this firsthand with some of the influencer content we’ve done for brands. Make the tag and thank us later.

$14 Billion of Narcissism

Since the first Prime Day event in 2015, Amazon has single-handedly increased narcissism in the United States. American capitalists spent a whopping $14.2 billion during Amazon’s Prime event this week.?

And there’s not a single person out there who purchased items for anyone but themselves.?

This year's bigger selling items were premier protein shakes, liquid IV packets, Crest 3D Whitestrips and Apple AirPods. That’s a lot of narcissists toning up, improving their smiles and tuning out everyone around them.?

Prime Day was originally created to drive retail sales during summertime when most people are spending money on vacation travel. Now, the entire American retail industry has a Prime event. Wayfair has a 72-Hour Clearout, BestBuy had Black Friday in July (albeit it was on Tuesday and Wednesday) and Target’s gifted us narcissists an entire week of Circle Savings. Hallelujah!?

We have a conspiracy theory around Prime Day, though. Did you know that every year it coincides with the one day in America when there’s not a single professional sporting event? No NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL….nada. Zero distractions means one Prime day is one fine day.

Celebrities vs Agencies: Who's Winning?

In today’s metascape, a fascinating shift in power dynamics is unfolding. Celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Matthew McConaughey, and thousands of influencers you’ve never heard of, aren't just lending their faces to brands—they're redefining an industry in the throes of AI-tomation. So are celebs the modern-day David Ogilvy and Leo Burnett? Have a gander.

Celebrities Are Taking the Reins. And Creative Control.

We've worked with a long list of celebrities, and I'm certain that one significant aspect of this celebrity-driven marketing revolution is the creative control these stars command. Unburdened by layers that can dilute creative vision, celebrities have the autonomy to craft messages that resonate deeply. For instance, Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort agency is known for its quick, witty, and shareable ads, proving how maintaining creative oversight leads to authentic, engaging content. (As an aside, is there anything this guy touches that doesn’t turn to gold?!)

Talent, Resources, and Contacts

Celebrities bring immense talent, resources, and industry contacts. Matthew McConaughey, for example, has moved from being the face of Wild Turkey to taking on a strategic role in its storytelling. His deep understanding of narrative techniques, combined with Hollywood-grade production, sets a new benchmark for branded content.

But Are They Doing It Better Than AI?

Authenticity and Relatability

Celebrities inherently possess relatability and authenticity, making consumers more likely to engage with their content. AI grabs the most likely answer and re-spins. This human trust factor can significantly boost a brand’s credibility and reach.

Speed and Agility

Even with bots, agencies often operate within rigid structures that slow down production. Celebrities, however, can pivot quickly and produce timely, relevant content. Ryan Reynolds’ swift turnaround videos on trends and newsworthy moments demonstrate how speed and agility can capture the week's zeitgeist and max a brand’s relevance.

Cost-Effectiveness

While hiring a celebrity might seem expensive initially, the ROI is a solid bet. The streamlined production process and immediate attention they garner can often offset the costs.

The Celebrity-for-Hire Future of Marketing

The rise of celebrities in marketing signals a shift away from bots toward more personalized, authentic, and agile advertising strategies. And while agencies (with or without AI) aren’t going anywhere, they’ll need to adapt and collaborate more closely with carbon-based celebrity talent to stay competitive.

Join the Conversation

How can agencies compete? Are celebs the modern-day Ogilvy, Burnett, and Bernbach? Share your thoughts.

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