#32 That's a 2023 problem.

W/C 19 December 2022

Hello and welcome to #32. The last few days until the break, it’s that time of year where I tend to get reflective. I’ll save that for a New Year post that looks forward and backwards, I’m nothing if not nostalgic, but I’m pretty content with the year from a professional and personal point of view.

This week I’ve been mostly finishing off work but it’s hard not to look at Twitter right now and think it’s out of control. I’ll miss it if it goes, though I don’t think it will. It’s a fairly silly platform really that has disproportionate influence amongst a certain demographic, but it’s hard to find a place where I can talk about stupid TV, great TV, Football, marketing, politics and whatever else and not sign up to a million different channels or have much expectation. There is something special about it, as meaningless as it is. I hope it finds its feet, I think there are a lot of terrible decisions being made on a daily basis though and the irony is that as a super user - I’d have absolutely paid for Twitter Blue, but the current proposition and (let’s be honest), perception of the product, is so bad - it’s not in any way worth it. Shame.

Thanks for reading this year, 32 Substacks + 1 flash edition on FIFA. I don’t know most of you but if you have enjoyed reading or have a view on the layout or things you don’t like or like, do let me know. Thanks for opening. Also, here’s my Mastadon (just in case), Twitter (don’t follow unless you like football really) Linkedin (professh arent I) and well, that’s probably it.

Now, on to the #content.

1. No words.

“Mute him, he’s talking nonsense”. Quite.

Read this.

caleb gamman @calebgamman

man who recently bought website for $44 billion dollars infuriated to hear the basics of online advertising accurately explained

Twitter section, urgh.

• The Twitter Files are a missed opportunity.

• Jack on a native internet protocol.

2. How successful are branded Roblox experiences?

Roblox is really interesting and some good benchmarks, these activations are more than visits and the earnt is always valuable as is the perception shifts. But some good numbers here.

Tweets and Toks

What’s trending for me.

• Meghan Trainor is still trending.

• Daniel Craig - Belvedere is still everywhere.

• Wednesday dance.

A nice wrap up of what’s trending daily here.

Steve Magness @stevemagness

What predicts performance? In a study on elite field hockey players, athletes performed better when they had: -Sense of Autonomy -Sense of Mastery -Feel Belonging -See the game as a challenge instead of a threat Satisfying our basic needs predicted performance.

The OC universe continues to grow 20 years later.

@belsheridanLike what?!! #theoc #greyanatomy #greysanatomyfacts

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Odds and ends, basic links. Pure linkage.

• The food post is dead, long live the food post. How Social changed restaurant culture in 2022.

• How to spot an incompetent leader

• IG roll out of notes sparks more nostalgia

• I got some really useful feedback this week that I need to take more breaks, this piece is another reminder.

• Streaming’s golden age is dimming.

• NFTs are dead, long live digital collectables. - inevitable, though personally, I do wonder about the scarcity of digital

• Interesting piece on loot box removal and player reaction from Brawl Stars

• 40 predictions for 2023 from founders, investors and more

• Potentially huge, huge, huge news. Rumour that Apple to allow outside App stores. EU huh, flexing some power.

• Interesting piece on digital retail drops and how retailers are trying to woo consumers in a different world.

• IG adding a BeReal Clone, thought this happened already.

• The new Apple Ad analysis.

• This is old but I found it really interesting, on Saving a business without losing the company.

Bonus.

Lil Simz new Album is insanely good. I think I’ve watched all the TV I can, Slow Horses is fun but not as good as S1. White Lotus ending was perfect, perfect, perfect. I don’t care if you disagree.

All the spelling and grammatical mistakes in this Substack are on purpose to test you, actually. Well done. You got them all. No, I don’t need to know about them, you have that kudos.