Matt Carney

It took only a few hours this time: Robinhood has shut off the buy button for GameStop. It was 20% up (just over $20 bucks) in Robinhoods after hours - but now the price is paused. DFV’s/Roaring Kitty’s second reference THIS WEEK (and second time communicating in years) about MOVIES!?  (Not even GameStop!). What a plot twist! Yet, makes sense, his username is “Deep F___n’ Value” and the more you look a certain theater company, you’re like “dang! There’s something DFV going on there 4 real!” Tomorrow will be crazy to watch: maybe even this whole week…. & BEYONDDD 🚀🚀🚀🚀😁👍 #mergermonday #amc #movies #dfv #cantstop #wontstop #gamestop #stocks #gme #bbby #bbbyq #beyond #buybuybaby

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Happy Monday! This one is for founders (most PR folks know better): Asking reporters "can you please feature our product/help us out" is the quickest way to guarantee 1) no response 2) no coverage Please do some basic homework to understand how journalism works

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Almost all talent agencies in the gaming industry say they're "creator first." I'm not, and I'll tell you why. Creator first mentality means the concerns of your brand partners are last. Even without the challenging economic environment we're in right now, this is a recipe for disaster. I love 💙 each and every content creator on our roster. But I'd be steering our agency, and ultimately our creators, into a disaster if we didn't also prioritize the needs of our brand partners. Content creators often don't understand the economics of influencer marketing. And honestly they don't have to...that's our job. It's our job to educate our roster about economic changes in the industry, overall rate trends, brand KPIs, why "set/legacy" rates don't work, etc. Influencer marketing doesn't have to be, and I'd argue should not be, a zero-sum game. #influencermarketing #gamingindustry #creatoreconomy

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The Department of Justice's (U.S.) antitrust investigation into LiveNation and its desire to break up the merger that allowed Ticketmaster and LiveNation to become one may be more than what it looks to be. Just like one person's behaviour (alleged) created the "Me Too" movement and was, as I said the morning that news broke, "the tip of the iceberg," so too is this shot across the bow. The entertainment industry has been rife with all kinds of business arrangements that defy anti-trust concepts. Conflicts of interest, much like in the startup world, where one day you are the enemy, and the next day the best friend, so too do those types of relationships exist, often masked by "attorney-client privilege, " "confidentiality agreements," "hush money" or "NDAs." Ticketmaster has forever been the bane of all venues. Few may even remember Ticketron, its ancient rival that it ground down out of existence through a sale first to Carlyle Group and then Ticketmaster. Even fewer likely remember the days of "hard tickets" that were in place before the digital era. Even fewer likely knew that (some) venues shared in the "service fee" paid by patrons to the "remote" locations. Those "remotes" were originally a minor portion of ticket sales for sporting events and concerts, but as technology rose, so did the convenience of going to the local department store or merchant with a terminal to make a purchase. The major money came through the venue's box office (remember the lines for concerts that would form nights before for the Grateful Dead?) or the local ticket brokers who bought blocks of tickets or were consigned even more. As Ticketmaster rose in strength and power, the brokers died off, the remotes became Ticketmaster locations, and the lines dwindled at arenas and stadium box offices over time. So, as the DoJ digs in, this will be part fishing expedition, part hunting lesson, but one thing is for sure: The more they dig, fish, and hunt, the more that will come out, and when that does, don't be surprised at what becomes public. Peter Csathy Tony Loiacono Charlie Lico #concerts #sports

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I see the fight over Perplexity as a battle of the metaphorical Large Adult Sons. On one side, legacy publishers want to squeeze out every last inch of screen space to run programmatic banner ads that literally no one likes; all while wildly underpaying their authors; creating pay-to-play expert committees for business leaders to "contribute" to articles; promoting and advertising bloated businesses that add more software interfaces (and nothing else) to the digitally transformed world. On the other side, tech bros have overpaid yet again for an easy way out, a summarization tool that chews up everyone else's hard-earned content and spits out the bones on the side of the road, with a few references. Perplexity is worse than Wikipedia in some minds, because it shows a blatant disregard for existing intellectual property laws. Per a recent lawsuit, AI startup doesn't respect the intellectual property of Forbes ... but Perplexity and I have that in common. Forbes is among the worst offenders in the world of overhyped garbage UX digital content farms. After evaluating how Perplexity.ai was reading and interpreting The Content Technologist and driving a couple of qualified-ish visits, I'm viewing tools like Perplexity as a solid go-to for content discovery tool for audiences who want more than a quick answer but don't want to read a whole book about a topic... or they want to learn who the leading voices around a topic are before making a decision on whose expertise to follow. Dare I say, viewed as a gateway to meeting a researcher's need, Perplexity's articles might be more valuable than a SERP. Maybe. I understand the attraction, and though it is overvalued and overhyped, it's not the worst. Dare I say I almost liked it. I also published a newsletter nearly five years ago with the subject line, "What will Quibi's innovation be?" so I can't predict the future better than any of the rest of you. (It turns out Quibi's best innovation was the rapid pace at which it set fire to legacy entertainment industry money.) #contentstrategy #seo #contentdiscovery #ai #perplexity #SERPs

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My idea of relaxing over the holiday weekend is researching music streaming platforms and seeing how they compare for both artists and listeners. After trying out a handful of services, here's what I found: -Qobuz has the best royalty payment (nearly 1.5 cents/song) but the clunkiest UI and is missing a few crucial albums (including a favorite From Hüsker Dü). Curation is pretty much non-existent, though they have a killer newsletter. -TIDAL has the second-best royalty payment (nearly 1.0 cents/song) and a Spotify Connect-like interface for smart speakers, but is also missing some key albums (like a few Stereolab favorites) and has some weird design quirks. Also, it appears their curation efforts were more or less curbed after recent layoffs. It's still a fantastic app. -Apple Music pays 2x more than Spotify. It unfortunately has a 100,000 song limit for the user library. For someone who’s been listening to digital music for 25 years and amassed a totally legal library (combined with saved streaming albums), this is unacceptable and something that's been the case for nearly a decade. It’s also missing more albums than any other service I tried (including a few Kim Deal singles). Curation is good, but nowhere near as good as when the service first started, as many of the official playlists I follow haven't been updated in years. -Out of everything I tested, Spotify is the best in terms of music availability, worst in terms of royalty payments to artists, and the best curation/playlists. I do wish I could turn off "made for" playlists for genre playlists as it's constantly feeding me songs I've already heard, and I look to these playlists for discovery rather than reminiscing or nostalgia. (Unless, of course, it's "Songs Like 'Reminiscing' By Little River Band.") They are also missing some Drag City artists like Joanna Newsom (likely due to the artist's choice) and are the only service I tested without a lossless option, though I assume this will change eventually. I've been a Spotify user for a year, making the switch after I hit Apple's 100k library limit. I will likely stick with the service for some time, while simultaneously supporting artists (and getting my Newsom fix) via Bandcamp and live shows. That said, whoever gets Spaceman 3's The Perfect Prescription first is the service I will stick with for life.

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Describing this behavior as impulsive leaves me nonplussed. With streaming continuing to use the full-season drop model it only makes sense that consumers would cancel subscriptions based entirely on what content has just landed. I just had this conversation with Moyna Söderstrand, what will streaming services do when they hit market saturation? How does it make sense to use a model that encourages Subscribers to come and go. Dropout has the right idea. Go back to daily episodic releases. At the very least this retains an audience subset for a season rather than a week.

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Nail your next interview with SIC!

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As the result of a large layoff, many of my talented former colleagues will suddenly enter the job market. Having also seen this too many times as a journalist, I wanted to say a few things about how you can support someone you know when they go through a layoff or have to leave a job: 1. Don’t assume the “talented” or high-achieving coworker will land on their feet. You have an intimate perspective of this person’s capabilities. Most hiring managers do not. I’ve seen so many talented people struggle in the job search, hardly able to get past the application stage. You may think they don’t need a leg up. But if you have the power to do so, offer it anyway. Refer, boost their profile, reach out to supervisors you know. You may help both them find a job and help someone else find a diamond in the rough. 2. Help them job hunt. There is an endless list of job boards, and none of them are exhaustive. Someone looking at 5 sources may still miss the perfect fit for them. If you believe in someone, set some job search alerts that pertain to their strength and send them viable options (not volunteer opportunities). 3. Share their work/brag about them publicly. Especially if you have a platform, showcasing the work of laid off people can give them a leg up in the next step. Not only might the right person see it, but it may show up in search engine/ social search results when would-be employers search prospects’ names. Every bit can help. 4. Long term, advocate for yourself and others. In interviews, we can ask employers how recently they laid off employees and if they got the desired results stated at the time. We can showcase companies and organizations who repeatedly deploy these tactics at the expense of non-leadership. We can hold companies accountable to their stated reasoning versus their future actions. Support unions and bargainers who advocate for severance packages that can help keep these layoffs from being financially devastating. Etc. Companies care about their reputation with workers because they have to recruit. We have the power to shift what’s acceptable as a place to work based on the treatment of its people, and apply/support/contract appropriately.

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💡 Substack and Snap Inc. both have open creator program applications right now... but what's the catch? I've been waiting on the creator economy journalist who wants to interview me, but should I speak on the scam vs bucket list benefits of these social platform creator programs? I've participated in creator programs hosted by almost every major platform (TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and multiple Meta/Instagram programs) I have... many, MANY thoughts 😀 #creatoreconomy #creatorprogram #influencereconomy #socialmedia

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QUESTION: What do all of these singers have in common? Top charting artists? Totally. Masters of their craft? Arguably. Dropped new music this Spring? Yes, and… Each of them released a song that referenced gaming in their lyrics: “Yet you played me like Atari” - Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine “Don't make me send your ass to the gulag” - Doja Cat, URRRGE!!!!!!!!!! “Switch it up like Nintendo” - Sabrina Carpenter, Espresso “Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto” - Taylor Swift, So Highschool I started noticing a common theme earlier this year and was interested to see that it continued all the way to Taylor’s most recent album… further cementing that now, more than ever, the vernacular of gaming is well and truly in our mainstream. When we’re having conversations with partners about using gaming as a key channel to reach everyday and engaged audiences, sometimes we’ll be met with misunderstanding because there is still a misconception that gaming is a ‘fringe’ community. To which we explain that some of the worlds most consumed media (gaming consumption aside) over the last few years across film, tv and music, has come from the converging of gaming with popular culture. The Last of Us (and now more recently, #Fallout), too many Fortnite and Call of Duty IP partnerships to count, the development of games universes in film with multi-year release schedules… it goes on. This is the current, but this is also next-gen stuff. All these artists, top charters or not, are looking for longevity in their career. They work with the most switched-on writers and producers in this business to formulate lyrical content and sound that will connect with audiences who will then carry that fandom 10 or 20 years into the future. It’s not just clever writing from game fans (Doja being the most active/known gamer on this list)… it’s a direct line to the language of our youth culture who are firmly planted at the center of this community. I loved hearing these lines across their individual bodies of work and I ALWAYS enjoy clocking how we are being (very intentionally) spoken to within these soundtracks of our seasons. Heard any other gaming lines in popular music this year that I didn’t catch? 😏 #opinion #gaming #community #taylorswift #arianagrande #dojacat #sabrinacarpenter #music #populartculture #socialmedia #marketing

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Most corporate case studies sent to me as a journalist aren't fit for purpose. I'm not talking about them just requiring a few tweaks. I mean that they are badly written, missing key information and require a lot of back and forth with a company press officer/PR agency before I can use them. All for something that is a staple of PR/marketing and journalism. (I know that working in corporate comms and PR is hard. Sometimes clients will ignore the advice of comms/PRs and insert sales plugs or be vague about return on investment and other benefits. But churning out sub-standard case studies is a waste of time for comms people, their clients and journalists.) Common problems with the thousands of case studies pitched to me: 1. (The biggest problem.) The case study doesn't give enough detail on benefits/return on investment/progress 2. They don't tell a story - problem, solution, setback, resolution/benefits 3. They aren't written clearly - including basics like explaining what the company/organisation does 4. The case study is a sales plug for the client, instead of focusing on their customer. The customer is more newsworthy. 5. The client quote has clearly not been said by the client and has been written by the press office/PR. And then rewritten several times to squeeze any remaining humanity from it! 6. Other important details are missing, e.g. timeframes. A case study without a date is worthless for a journalist. How to create better case studies: Email few bullet points to a journalist in your target publication and offer a 15-minute interview with the client. - The organisation - It's problem/challenge - How it overcame the problem - any challenges it faced in doing so - Benefits of the product/service/project/new way of working - Optional … Brief, punchy quote from client What do you think? Have I missed anything? PS: When I research and ghostwrite case studies for my tech clients, I'll say "What do you mean by?", "Roughly how much time was saved per worker?", "That's not clear, can you explain it a different way?", "Roughly what per cent did the software improve productivity compared to the old software?" multiple times when interviewing experts/ the client. To the point where the expert may even get a little frustrated and claim that I'm trying to over explain things. But you need to push for as much detail as possible and write something that you aunt or uncle would understand on the first read. Otherwise it's not a case study. ** Need help writing case studies that give journalists what they need? Message me or email me: nickhuber72@googlemail.com **

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During a recent lunch, a trusted client of over a decade questioned whether Moving Bits was an ad agency. I emphatically responded, "No! Not at all!" This made me realize that even after 26 years of partnering with some of the top business names, it’s challenging to succinctly define what we at Moving Bits: ideas inspiring action do. We're not just a Creative Production Agency—are we? Here’s a glimpse of the spectrum of work we take on: from original campaigns like Grand Hyatt Singapore's MOMENTS OF MORE – which I am told has been nominated by the Singapore Tourism Board's upcoming Singapore Tourism Awards for Outstanding Marketing Idea, congrats to Grand Hyatt Singapore's marketing team (https://lnkd.in/dhCW3rEj) to assisting The Walt Disney Company's streaming arm, Disney+, to market across SE Asia or defining Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) brand in print and on video (see below), envisioning future attractions for Resorts World Genting, and bringing GAMUDA LAND's Splash Mania to life (https://lnkd.in/gxCkwREq) before their public launches. We've produced impactful documentaries (https://lnkd.in/gffyRwQP) for global audiences and helped develop crucial initiatives with the World Bank Development Economics and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Internally, we handle everything from creative conception to production and post-production, typically seeing projects through from brief to final delivery. Occasionally, we enhance projects originated by other ad agencies with our production prowess. But these are only a small part of our overall business. So, I'm turning to you, the marketing folks on my wall, which I believe includes some of the brightest minds in marketing: What collective term truly captures the essence of Moving Bits? Your insights are invaluable as we continue to define and refine our role in this dynamic industry; I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Better still, if you have a unique, killer collective noun for all of us at Moving Bits: ideas inspiring action that, in a nutshell, represents everything we do, I will reward you appropriately. 😁

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In the past week, I've booked $27,000 worth of deals between my THREE influencers. I would say that is a pretty solid start for a Talent Manager who has faced Industry burnout for the past 3 years. I'm telling y'all this as proof that you don't need a giant roster to make money in this industry. I'm exhausted. Working three jobs and full-time mom life is kicking my butt! However, I have to keep going. I don't want to be in the same position this time next year. Mantra of the week: Keep. F*#%ing. Going! #InfluencerMarketing #TalentManagement #Entrepreneur #InfluencerManager #InfluencerManagement

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Remember the creator economy craze? Get ready for the producer economy – A single "rockstar" or "unicorn" (as we like to call them) driving projecs forward, powered by AI and the independent network. Leveraging platforms like Jauntboards. Article predictions: 1. Producers will eliminate the need for project management tools like Asana and Monday.com. 2. Producers will drive project scoping, planning, and execution. At any given point, they'll decide: am I going to do this myself, collaborate with AI, or tap a resource? 3. Producers will come from all kinds of backgrounds, not just the ones you think. Read the article to learn more 👇 And if you feel like this describes you, I want to hear about it ✨

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"it’s important to remember that there are no rules, and we can choose who we are and what we do every single day. Something I’ve noticed since starting my new job as a writer is just how diverse the label “writer” is. When most folks think of writers, they think of journalists who cover different industries and break the news on stories. But even within the narrow scope of “journalists,” there is so much variety. Some journalists cover finance, and within that, markets, and within that, venture capital and public equities and commodities. Other journalists cover sports, business, politics, and pop culture. Some writers, like me, apply a layer of commentary to the news. More often than not, I’m not telling readers what happened as much as I am why it matters. Some writers are pure essayists. Some are fiction novelists, others write biographies and histories. Some writers are equity researchers and hedge fund analysts, while others are copywriters, crisis comms strategists, and marketing executives. The scope of “writing,” as a profession, is infinite, because writing isn’t a profession. It’s a skill. And fine-tuned skills are valuable in a variety of “jobs.” Replace “writer” with teacher. Investor. Coach. If you only think about your career in terms of the job you do and other jobs that immediately progress from your current role then, yes, there are “rules” on what you may be able to pursue. But if you think about your career from the perspective of which skills you have developed and where else they might be applicable, you’ll realize that opportunities are near-infinite. Journalists can become investors. Corporate executives can become authors. Even in the case of the most rigid disciplines such as law and medicine, nothing is stopping you from going back to school right now, if you want to change course. You can reinvent yourself tomorrow if you’d like. The only “rules,” if any, are those that exist in your head. They’re self-imposed." No Rules: https://lnkd.in/d74EmhwW

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"Netflix sits last among the major SVOD services in hit rate, which measures sentiment for films, with 64% of titles falling into the “Average” category, according to Parrot data. This leads to a number of forgettable films that don’t generate much viewership or demand, as evidenced by Netflix’s own Engagement Report. (The top 1,000 TV/Movie titles out of 18,000, or roughly 5%, accounted for nearly 60% of all viewing in the six month period). This can also lead to the company’s popular films quickly falling out of relevancy in the greater pop culture conversation. Netflix ranked last behind Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company in terms of the percentage of films that maintained significant public interest for more than five months, per The Wall Street Journal. As of Q1 2024, Netflix original movies accounted for 25% of the platform’s total movie catalog in the US market, a significant increase from the 20% it saw in Q3 2022. Despite this, just one Netflix original movie ranked among the 50 most in-demand films worldwide from January 1, 2020-April 3, 2024."   It is my earnest hope that all stakeholders in the film industry will prioritize quality in their endeavors. This sentiment underscores the significance of first-release film theaters, which play a crucial role in setting the tone for a film’s reception and success. #FilmIndustry #Insights Parrot Analytics

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May is a very quiet month for me – no big events, just a lot of editorial work and tests of new features we are implementing. Sounds like a perfect time to share a few tips and tricks gained from moderating numerous offline and online panel discussions and debates: if you're stepping into the role of a moderator, here are some key things to keep in mind. 🎤 Prepare, prepare, prepare. Dive deep into the topic and understand each panelist's background and perspective – it will help to develop a meaningful discussion and keep the conversation flowing. 🎤 Set clear expectations. Communicate the format, limitations, and discussion framework beforehand to panelists and the audience. Clarity fosters engagement and helps everyone stay on track. 🎤 Encourage diverse perspectives. Accept diversity of thought and encourage all panelists to share their unique opinions. It enriches the conversation and provides a well-rounded view of the topic. 🎤 Don't take sides. I have repeatedly seen situations where a moderator supports one viewpoint and is completely oblivious to the existence of other panelists: do I need to tell you how bad it looks? 🎤 Manage time wisely. Time management is crucial. Keep an eye on the clock, make sure all panelists participate in the conversation equally and leave room for audience questions. It doesn't matter whether it's a large-scale offline event with thousands of attendees, a cozy Twitter space or a Telegram AMA – effective moderation elevates the discussion and leaves a lasting impression. Feel free to invade the comments if you have to add something to this list!

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