The New Land Rush of Virtual Squatting
With physical property out of reach, people are treating handles, domains and online corners like land. Brands that leave their own digital territory empty look transient, or lose it entirely.
Read the full thing →The Modern Luxury of the Micro-Sabbatical
Instead of waiting for retirement, high performers are taking recurring two to three month breaks. That breaks the seasonal marketing calendar, and brands that punish people for pausing lose them for good.
MarketingSurviving the End of Monoculture
Mass media gave brands one shared public square. Algorithmic feeds broke it into thousands of streams. The brands that win now go deep inside niche communities instead of chasing one giant cultural moment.
CultureBeyond Maxxing: The Case for Mining What You Have
Looksmaxxing, sleepmaxxing, careermaxxing: the optimisation culture has left everyone exhausted. The counter-trend is mining what you already have, and brands can sell subtraction as a premium feature.
The predictive revolt: why we are learning to break our own feeds
Hyper-personalisation was meant to be the ultimate triumph of modern data science. But it is currently inducing a massive wave of psychological claustrophobia across the internet.
The "How-To Apocalypse" & The Rise of Evidence-Based Content
The traditional inbound marketing playbook is dead, buried, and decomposing. If your marketing strategy for the upcoming quarters still relies heavily on churning out generic blog posts like "Top 5 Tips for SEO Growth" or "How to Start a Brand in 3 Easy Steps," babes, you're shouting into the void. Put downnnn the microphone.
The showrunner strategy: how to build an episodic universe on the grid
I’ve seen so much content around “world building” recently. So it’s not surprise that Instagram just made it whole lot easier to do so.
The Perspective Shift for a Saturated Brain
Doom-scrolling every crisis at once leaves nothing left for action. The shift is radical focus: pick one cause, one community, one lane, and use your voice there.
The "Resume Laundering" Crisis & The Search for Un-Fakeable Proof
AI made every CV and every landing page look perfect, so perfect stopped meaning anything. The new trust signal is un-fakeable proof: the messy, real-time process nobody can prompt.
The Death of the "Creator" as a Job Category
When every physio, founder and barista makes content, “creator” stops meaning anything. Trust has moved from institutions to individuals, and the brands that win run niche at scale.
Micro-Nostalgia Loops Are a Thing Now
The 20-year nostalgia cycle has collapsed. People are now getting sentimental about 2022, and brands can build real emotional connection from memes that are only a few seasons old.
The Paradox of "Financial Dysmorphia" and Doom-Spending
Young professionals say they are anxious about money, yet festivals sell out and restaurants have waitlists. Financial dysmorphia explains why, and why brands selling delayed gratification are losing the room.
Corporate Neutrality: What Does It Look Like in 2026?
Every supporting act walked off Ed Sheeran's Loop tour and left him playing alone. For small brands, the lesson is not to pick a political side. It is to protect the community that built you.
She Went Viral by Accident... Then Built a Media Empire
Roi Wilkey cold-called for three months and got told no every time. Then she posted one video that hit 27 million views. Eighteen months later, revenue was up 114%.
Stanley sits down with Roi, founder of Burst Digital, on growing up with no money, the 100-day challenge that changed everything, and the one DM that made her quit posting for three months.
Two people from the same background, chasing the same thing. This one gets deep.
Chapters:
00:00 Who is Roi
01:00 Going all in on personal brand
03:40 The 27 million view video
05:56 Speaking on stage when you're scared
15:31 Chase views, not followers
18:21 Growing up with no money
20:47 Cold calling and getting told no
30:10 Handling hate online
48:08 What's next: teaching and community
59:37 Splitting the agency and the brand
01:04:00 AI and the future of the work
Follow Roi and Burst Digital: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roimata-wilkey-69355976/
More Stansplaining: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtLx0IRRmrMW3k61LJSZZyJ76alId8kW&si=E5lmTN2J_LvGNKgB
Follow Stanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleychenry/
#Stansplaining #PersonalBrand #Marketing #Entrepreneur
YouTube BANS AI Slop, KFC Goes Gritty, and Gen Z Learns to Drive in Fortnite
Subscribe to the newsletter now: https://www.yourattnp.lease/subscribe?ref=94emEwsTgRIn this episode of the YAP Podcast, we dive into five wild marketing stories shaking up the internet this week:🍗 KFC’s Comeback Era – The Colonel is back, but this time he’s scowling. We explore KFC’s gritty rebrand featuring The Bear’s Matty Matheson and ask: can a fast food mascot have a redemption arc?🎮 The General x Fortnite – T-Pain is now your driving instructor. We talk about how The General Insurance i
She Went Viral by Accident... Then Built a Media Empire
Roi Wilkey cold-called for three months and got told no every time. Then she posted one video that hit 27 million views. Eighteen months later, revenue was up 114%.
Stanley sits down with Roi, founder of Burst Digital, on growing up with no money, the 100-day challenge that changed everything, and the one DM that made her quit posting for three months.
Two people from the same background, chasing the same thing. This one gets deep.
Chapters:
00:00 Who is Roi
01:00 Going all in on personal brand
03:40 The 27 million view video
05:56 Speaking on stage when you're scared
15:31 Chase views, not followers
18:21 Growing up with no money
20:47 Cold calling and getting told no
30:10 Handling hate online
48:08 What's next: teaching and community
59:37 Splitting the agency and the brand
01:04:00 AI and the future of the work
Follow Roi and Burst Digital: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roimata-wilkey-69355976/
More Stansplaining: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtLx0IRRmrMW3k61LJSZZyJ76alId8kW&si=E5lmTN2J_LvGNKgB
Follow Stanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleychenry/
#Stansplaining #PersonalBrand #Marketing #Entrepreneur
Why You Should Start a Second Page: Emma Katja
Eat the Menu is back.
This time Stanley is at Broken Lantern with Ems Toast — food content
creator, digital marketing strategist, and the person running a secret
second channel her main audience doesn't know about.
The format this episode: One Perfect Bite. Every dish, one perfect
mouthful. Then rank them all until one winner remains.
We talk about why she started an incognito second page, why her smaller
page outperforms her bigger one, what strategy actually means in marketing,
why organic and paid content need completely different structures, and how
she films every single weekend and still hasn't burned out.
Filmed at Broken Lantern — 198 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011
Follow Ems Toast:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/emstoast/?hl=en
TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@emstoast
Subscribe → https://www.youtube.com/@TASPodcasts
STANSPLAINING — new episodes every week
Building a Profitable Creator Business Without Brand Deals w/ VJ Cooks
Vanya Insull is the creator behind VJ Cooks, one of New Zealand’s most successful food brands, built from simple, affordable recipes into a multi-revenue digital business. In this episode, Vanya breaks down exactly how she turned content into a scalable company. From cookbooks and brand deals to a high-performing website and a subscription meal-planning app, this is one of the most practical, transparent conversations we’ve had about monetising an audience. If you’re a creator trying to turn views into real income, this episode is a blueprint.
World's Most Common Passwords
you won't believe how predictable people are with passwords. see the world's most common ones and find out if yours made the list.
Open series ↗
Building a Profitable Creator Business Without Brand Deals w/ VJ Cooks
Vanya Insull is the creator behind VJ Cooks, one of New Zealand’s most successful food brands, built from simple, affordable recipes into a multi-revenue digital business. In this episode, Vanya breaks down exactly how she turned content into a scalable company. From cookbooks and brand deals to a high-performing website and a subscription meal-planning app, this is one of the most practical, transparent conversations we’ve had about monetising an audience. If you’re a creator trying to turn views into real income, this episode is a blueprint.
Open series ↗
Stanley Henry's AUT Guest Talk
exclusive guest talk from stanley henry at aut university. discover proven social media strategies and marketing insights you can't find anywhere else.
Open series ↗
AI Brain Webinar.
A live 2-hour session with Stanley Henry. Learn how to turn AI from a chatbot into an operating system for your business. Leave with the download pack and a six-week workbook that walks you through the full build.
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AI
AI tools, automation, analytics, and the intersection of technology and organic content.
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Audience & Community
Dark social, private communities, direct-to-fan relationships, and the shift to owned audiences.
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Content Creation
Video production, copywriting, hooks, visual design, and the craft of scroll-stopping content.
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Creators & Influence
UGC, EGC, influencer strategy, and the business of building creator-led brands.
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Social Media Platforms
Algorithm updates, platform mechanics, and tactical guidance for TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and beyond.
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Trends & Digital Culture
Memes, trends, Gen Z behaviour, and the cultural forces shaping how audiences engage online.
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