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📬 In this Edition

Spotify Wrapped is one of the most innovative marketing moves we’ve seen from a corporation. For years, consumers have been hell-bent on concealing their data. They’ve been up in arms about protecting their purchases and search history, but businesses still collect it one way or another. And while the biggest companies in the world try to conceal the fact that they’re using and selling this information, Spotify doubled down 10 years ago, telling the whole world they’re tracking and analyzing your every move. And this has become one of the most anticipated annual releases from a corporation to date. 

Nailed it. 

Nearly everyone does nearly everything online. Which means that our actions – clicks, purchases, views, opens, listens, reads, etc. – are all tracked to some extent (unless you figured out how to be totally incognito which, no you didn’t). And while consumers still care deeply about their privacy, they will give a free pass to any business that can turn their data into social currency to be used to their benefit. 

When it comes to Spotify Wrapped, I’m biased. I want all of my platforms to do this. I want my tech platforms to tell me how many meetings could have been an email, or how much time we spent Slacking about Bravo. I want ChatGPT to report how many typos I had, or how many prompts made absolutely zero sense. I want Asana to tell me how many tasks were “completed” and then reopened, and I want Canva to give me a design score (it would be equivalent to a third grader, and that hurts). 

But ALAS, not all dreams can become realities. So without further ado, here’s why Spotify Wrapped works, and how other businesses can follow suit.

It’s my pipe dream that more big businesses do a Wrapped. It’s probably in my best interest (and the interest of my company) that they don’t. But a girl can dream, right? I asked ChatGPT and it said yes, so. 😛

Early in my reporting career, a seasoned editor said something that’s stayed with me: journalists are storytellers, and stories need humans. Or at least, something of genuine human interest.

Not enough PRs understand this. 

You might be promoting the coolest company with the greatest products and most exciting initiatives; you might truly believe in the mission. But none of that is a substitute for a good angle – something that engages readers, presenting them with people and issues that actually resonate.

With that in mind, here are some tips from a journalist about building a narrative:

Focus on the person. Who’s affected by the thing you’re announcing? A teacher who can better connect with their pupils thanks to an edtech innovation? A patient whose life was changed by a smart new implant? If you’ve got people in your story, spotlight them. 

Spell out the stakes. What happens if this problem isn’t solved? Who might be impacted? Don’t catastrophize, but make it clear why your announcement has real-life import. 

Keep it tight. If you need three paragraphs of background before getting to the point, you’ll lose your audience. Start with what’s interesting. (Sorry if that’s an insult to your intelligence, but the number of press releases I get that bury the lead three pages deep...)

Connect to bigger themes. How does an individual story reflect something larger happening in society, technology, or business? Don’t be afraid to spoon-feed a journalist this connection. Yeah, it’s probably our job to see the bigger picture, but we appreciate the assistance.

In short: talking points and product features are important (of course), but an actual story that readers can latch onto – that’s what really counts. 

You spend hours crafting the perfect press release: thoughtful, polished, actually worth reading. You enter the email address, triple-check for typos, hit send… and hear nothing. Not a “thanks, but no thanks,” not a “nice idea, but the timing’s not quite right.” Just silence. Dismal, demoralizing silence. 

Familiar story, I’m sure… but this isn’t a comms person pitching a journalist. It’s me – a freelance journalist – pitching an editor. Used to do it all the time, sending off article ideas full of hope and optimism. And then hear crickets. So I know all about the art of the follow-up nudge. Here’s my approach, which translates well to PR:

Give it a few days. Any sooner seems desperate. Any later and you’re forgotten. I’ve found five days is the sweet spot.

Add something new. Unless the original message was genuinely lost in the crush, “just circling back” won’t cut it. Highlight something fresh – different data, a sharper angle, a more timely hook. Anything that moves the story forward. 

Stick to three sentences. Reference the original pitch, add the new element, and end it. 

Tweak the subject line. Add “NEW:” or “UPDATE ON [topic]” – something to distinguish it from the ignored original.

Limit yourself to one follow-up. If they still don’t bite, they’re not interested. Move on.

Send it Tuesday–Thursday, mid-morning. Skip Monday morning inbox madness and Friday afternoon checkout. Hit them when they’re focused.

The freelancer in me knows persistence pays. The journalist in me knows when to stop. One good nudge can resurrect a pitch – three annoying ones can burn a bridge. 

Who's going where and why it matters. Not just job shifts - power dynamics, layoffs, and who's headed out. 

🧳 Tekpon, a Romanian-founded SaaS marketplace, acquired 100% of The Next Web (TNW) media and events brands from The Financial Times, its largest investment in media to date; plans include reviving the website with a new team, expanding the TNW Conference in 2026 with SaaS/AI tracks, and integrating into Tekpon's ecosystem while maintaining editorial independence—FT retains TNW Spaces tech hub in Amsterdam.

🥳 The Verge's paid subscription service celebrated its one-year anniversary, reflecting on growth in reader-supported tech journalism and teasing upcoming expansions in coverage and community features.

💔 Caren Bohan exited as Editor in Chief of USA Today after just over a year in the role (appointed September 2024), the second top editor to depart in under two years amid Gannett's $100M cost-cutting; interim replacement is Michael McCarter, VP and group editor of Opinion.

🧳 The New Yorker expanded its staff with key hires and shifts in politics, culture, and criticism:

🧳 Kylie Klein Nixon, award-winning New Zealand journalist and columnist at Stuff NZ, joined tech/science startup Core Memory as reporter to chase under-the-radar stories; founded by Bloomberg alum Ashlee Vance, focusing on emerging tech, documentaries, podcasts, and newsletters.

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