- Your ATTN Please
- Posts
- Your ATTN Please || Thursday, 3 April
Your ATTN Please || Thursday, 3 April
Strap in, because we’re in for a wild April.
Trump’s automobile tariff goes into effect mere hours from now. The deadline for TikTok to either be sold or banned is Saturday. And the trials for lawsuits brought against Meta and Google begin on the 14th and 22nd, respectively. So put your fears of a ho-hum month to bed. Because if we’ve learnt anything this year, it’s to expect the unexpected.
- Charlotte, Editor ♡
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?
April is shaping up to be HECTIC, Duke has beef with The White Lotus & Instagram intros “repost” feature
April’s set to be a messy month, to say the least.
Let’s start with the April 2nd tariffs. (Not April 1st, because Trump is, as he put it, “a little superstitious.”) The official 25% tariff on automobile imports is explained here. The president has also threatened to implement a 25% tariff on goods from countries that import Venezuelan oil, a 200% reciprocal tariff on European wine and alcohol, and a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada or Mexico.
But wait, there's more. April 5th brings the highly anticipated deadline for the TikTok ban, or extension. On April 14th, the FTC v. Meta antimonopoly lawsuit trial begins. You may want to grab your popcorn for this one as we hear testimony on whether Meta illegally monopolised the personal social networking market. Following suit, the Google search remedies trial starts in another monopoly case on April 22nd. And I’m sure we’ll have some other crazy sh*t pop up in between it all. Maybe we can all have a break in May.
The Duke University / White Lotus drama, explained.
The iconic show is known for its onscreen drama, and we love to see it. Duke University, on the other hand, did not love to see characters marked as Duke alumni engaging in… unfavourable activities. I’m a lot of things, but I ain't no snitch and I would also never EVER spoil a show, so I can’t say too much. Just watch it.
Frank Tramble, Duke’s VP for Communications made this statement about seeing (fictional) alumni being naughty: “The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far.” LOL, you guys know what college kids get up to right? Okay. Just checking. In my humble opinion, it’s a missed opportunity to engage with culture. I guess the whole thing boils down to one question: Can you control how your brand manifests in culture, or do you have to choose between control and relevance?
Instagram is never beating the TikTok copycat allegations.
The platform is now testing the "Repost" feature. Copycat or not, I’m stoked because that feature? Bangs. As explained by Roizman, “Before, you could only share someone else’s content to stories. Now, when you tap the repost icon under a post or reel, you can add your own text and it’ll show up in your followers’ feeds like a regular post.”
This could give users more options for engagement and interaction, as it’s basically like retweeting, but IG’s version, which is something Instagram has been flirting with for some time. We’ll see how long they keep it around.
Anyway, that’s all folks!
-Sophie, Writer
DEEP DIVE
How to market in a highly regulated industry (without getting into trouble)
So much of the marketing advice out there is stock standard. But what about those highly-regulated industries that are anything but?
Marketing in such an industry is kind of like playing Jenga with legal documents—one wrong move, and everything collapses. Whether you're selling pharmaceuticals, financial services, alcohol, cannabis, funeral plans (yes, that's a thing), the rules are strict. And regulators are watching like hawks.
Even sectors like transport, online dating, charities, healthcare are obligated to follow stricter rules and regulations than Sally who sells seashells by the seashore. But fear not! You can market effectively without a cease-and-desist letter showing up at your door. I promise. So how do you stay ahead of the curve but also within the law?
Most important is that everyone in your team understands just how regulated your industry is.
Education and awareness aren’t just an internal matter. They apply to every external agency, freelancer, intern for crying out loud, that you may be using to help with your marketing. If they don’t have knowledge to the nth degree of the frameworks you need to operate within, there’s a risk of you shelling out for unusable work.
Make friends with legal (yes, really).
Marketers and legal teams usually have the chemistry of oil and water. But in regulated industries, they need to be besties. Have regular check-ins, ask questions before launching campaigns, and treat them like your marketing guardian angels (who also happen to carry red pens and a terrifying amount of compliance knowledge).
Be clear, not cute.
We all love a clever tagline. But regulators don’t have a sense of humour. Overpromising? Misleading claims? Vague language? That’s a one-way ticket to a lawsuit. If you’re marketing skincare, you can’t say it “erases wrinkles instantly”—you can say it “reduces the appearance of fine lines with consistent use.” Stick to the facts.
Know your watchdogs.
Every industry has its own Big Brother keeping tabs on what you say. FDA, SEC, FTC, FINRA, ASA—there's an acronym lurking in the shadows, ready to slap you with fines. Get familiar with the rules that apply to your industry and keep up with regulatory updates. Ignorance isn’t a defence when the regulators come knocking.
User-generated content? Proceed with caution.
You can’t control what people say about your brand, but you can control what you endorse. If a customer claims your weight loss supplement made them drop 50 pounds in a week, you cannot repost that glowing review (unless you enjoy hefty fines). Monitor UGC closely. Add disclaimers when needed. And never amplify false claims.
Master the art of disclaimers.
Disclaimers are your secret weapon. If you’re in finance, you need a “past performance is not indicative of future results” disclaimer. If you’re in wellness, “results may vary.” Think of them as the asterisks that save your brand from regulatory doom.
Brief influencers like they’re new employees.
Influencer marketing is a minefield in regulated industries. You can’t just hand them a brief and hope for the best. Provide clear guidelines, insist on proper disclosures, and make sure they don’t make outlandish claims on your behalf.
Go heavy on education.
Regulated industries thrive on trust. Instead of flashy promises, focus on education. Webinars, expert interviews, white papers—these build credibility while keeping you out of hot water. The more you empower consumers with accurate information, the less likely you are to step on legal landmines.
Test your ads like a paranoid genius.
Before you go live, put your marketing materials through an internal review process. Get legal sign-off, check for compliance risks, and make sure you’re not accidentally implying something illegal (or unethical). If there’s even a hint of trouble, rework it before the regulators do it for you.
Don’t get creative with the rules.
“But what if we phrase it this way?”—Don’t. If you’re asking that question, you’re probably already toeing the line. Compliance is not the place for loophole-hunting. Play it safe and keep the creativity where it belongs: in the execution, not in the legal interpretation.
Have a crisis plan (because, well… sh*t happens).
Even with the best intentions, mistakes happen. Have a plan for handling regulatory hiccups—whether it’s an ad that gets flagged, an influencer who goes rogue, or a social post that gets misinterpreted. Respond quickly, take responsibility, and fix the issue before it spirals.
Marketing in regulated industries isn’t about avoiding risk entirely—it’s about managing it wisely. Think of it as playing a game where the rules are annoying but necessary, and the prize is a thriving, legally compliant brand. And no fines wiping out your entire budget. We love that for us. Now go forth and market (responsibly.)
-Sophie, Writer
TREND PLUG
“Miss me with that f*cking bullshit”
Cassandra Bowman has TikTok in a chokehold again.
This sound comes from one of her chaotic prank calls, where the caller starts off crying, asking “What f*cking accusations?” and Cassandra hits them back, calm as ever, with “Girl, miss me with that bullshit.” The best part is when the caller completely loses it and screams back, “MISS ME WITH THAT F*CKING BULLSHIT!” It’s the emotional 180 for me.
People are using the sound to show those moments where they tried to stay calm, tried to be soft… until the other person kept being rude and pushed them over the edge. Like:
How you can jump on this trend:
Use the sound to show when you tried to stay calm, but they dragged you into the madness. Bonus points if you choose something where you definitely made the situation worse.
A few ideas to get you started:
When someone calls you a micro-influencer like it’s an insult
When someone sends you “quick feedback” at 4:59pm on a Friday
When you explain the deadline calmly five times and they still ask when it’s due
-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator
FOR THE GROUP CHAT
😲WTF: First Humans Orbit Earth’s Poles!
✨Daily inspo: the perfect seven second video
🎧Soooo tingly: BeatBox ASMR
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Viral Baked Spaghetti
TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST
Want even more “YAP”ing? Check out the full podcast here.
ASK THE EDITOR
If you were a music festival brand, what content would you focus on? What storyline would you use (e.g. boss vs employee sort of set up like what you guys do)? -Perry
Hey Perry,
That's a pretty loaded question as it's the type of thing our strategy department would spend many hours figuring out! The story your content tells will depend on how you want to show up as a brand. The boss vs. employee strategy we use in our content won't necessarily translate into your industry (although it might). It works for us because a highly relatable concept everyone understands. So when thinking about your content, you should also have a core human truth you want people to connect with. Once you figure out what that universal truth is, that should be the underlying theme of the content you create.
- Charlotte, 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?
How did you like YAP today? |
Reply