Borkowski Media Trends: Rishi X LadBible vs Vaping | Neuralink's human experiment & MORE

PLUS UMG vs TikTok | Japan brings 'Cute' to the Space Race

Mark Borkowski’s thoughts on Rishi Sunak announcing the vaping ban via LadBible

“People are asking me what possessed Rishi to announce his proposed vaping ban exclusively on LadBible. It’s such a baffling comms strategy that I can only guess.

Despite serious concerns about the health hazards of children vaping, the policy itself isn’t an easy sell.

Before becoming mired in culture war skirmishes, Rishi had signalled a return to laissez-faire pro-business conservatism; it’s hard to see how this policy, which has prompted a surge in ‘nanny state’ headlines, is consistent with that approach.

The comms strategy hasn’t made the job any easier. LadBible’s social-first transition and editorial expansion to politics, sports and entertainment has allowed it to outlive several digital media competitors, but its very name speaks to a blokeish noughties-millennial-uni culture that no longer exists in the same form.

This simple truth debunks any notion that, through LadBible, Rishi was speaking directly to the youth. In fact, per SimilarWeb, only 13% of LadBible’s online audience are under 25, so its largest demographic is closer in age to the parents of those impacted by the ban.

In any case LadBible lacks the editorial power to truly influence the news agenda. Experienced operators give exclusivity on potentially sensitive or divisive news to a trusted journalist at a media outlet whose editorial line is naturally sympathetic and whose credibility is sufficient for other outlets to follow. A news story and op-ed combo is a common way to land the story that juxtaposes information and rationale.

LadBible’s credibility has grown in recent years; an astute question by editor Simon Binns during a COVID press conference drew attention to the increasing quality of its journalism. (Incidentally, Binns now appears to be working for the Cabinet Office so may have facilitated the exclusive.) But it’s still seen by many as a glorified meme channel, and hard news exclusives followed-up by other outlets are rare, suggesting that its news agenda influence still lags behind the traditional powerhouses.

Of course, other outlets did follow the story, but the LadBible story failed to establish the government’s desired narrative, and the zeal with which right-wing publications criticised the ban (abetted by mutinous briefings from Tory libertarians) won’t have been restrained by the choice of exclusive. As traditional media allies begin to turn against the ailing government, overlooking them for a major policy announcement in election year will hardly appease disgruntled editors.”

Neuralink: Scientific Breakthrough or Gateway to Dystopian Future?

This week's most dystopian communications campaign comes from Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which is stepping into the realm of human trials (having previously faced criticism for experimenting with animals) to implant a chip onto the surface of a person's brain to allow them to talk directly with computers.

Musk unsurprisingly leveraged another of his businesses, X, to promote Neuralink by announcing it has successfully implanted its first human subject. The aim was presumably to get ahead of possible negative headlines with positive news that the human trialist is recovering well. This milestone represents a strategic narrative shift - drawing parallels from recent advancements, such as brain-spine interfaces aiding paralysed patients to walk again. Musk will undoubtedly position Neuralink's mission as humanitarian - aiming to restore sight to blind people and mobility to the paralysed.

However, the commercial implications of Neuralink's success cannot be understated. With potential revenues in the billions, such invasive technology's ethical and moral considerations are under intense scrutiny. At the end of 2022, Reuters pointed to Neuralink's animal testing phase, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of 1,500 animals. While it remains private, the company’s value has so far been able to ride out that reputational turmoil: human casualties would be a different case entirely and potentially even preclude any future IPO.

In contrast to Musk's characteristically brazen promotion, Neuralink's communication strategy is a pragmatic ‘less is more’ approach. The company's reluctance to engage with the media, especially amid inevitable ethical debates and negative press, suggests a challenging road ahead. As Neuralink navigates these complexities, the balance between groundbreaking innovation and moral responsibility will be crucial.

Universal mutes TikTok

Over the last few years, TikTok has become an undeniable music kingmaker. One thinks of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road", the 2018 hit which rode the TikTok wave from obscurity to over 18 million record sales and 17 weeks at the top of the US charts. Or Megan Thee Stallion, again previously pretty obscure, whose hit single Savage trended long enough to catch a guest verse from Beyonce herself. Such is its power that just last year, 13 of the 16 UK Number Ones were supported by viral moments on the platform. 

All that, however, could be about to change. Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's biggest music company, has pulled its vast catalog from the site. After a tumultuous series of negotiations, UMG made the decisive move, citing TikTok's inadequate compensation rates and allegations of AI-driven artist displacement. In a scathing open letter, UMG demanded "fair value for music," condemning TikTok's purported indifference and strong-arm tactics.

TikTok, in turn, has painted UMG as the antagonist, accusing the music giant of prioritising "greed" over artist welfare.  As a result of it all, any video accompanied by UMG-owned music has effectively gone mute.

Backstage, the industry is questioning why these two titans have let it get so messy. Is UMG leveraging the standoff to renegotiate terms with other streaming platforms? Or is it a strategic move to curtail TikTok's burgeoning influence and bolster UMG's own streaming services?

Whatever the rationale, the biggest losers here are arguably the UMG artists. While a better deal would clearly be groundbreaking, many rely on TikTok as a springboard for their careers, and losing access to this platform could dampen their prospects, particularly for emerging talents reliant on viral trends. As the stalemate continues, it seems there are no immediate winners.

Japan’s ‘Cute Tech’ shaking up the Space Race

The trials and tribulations of Japan’s fantastically named ‘moon sniper’ probe have proved that the public’s parasocial relationship with space tech is alive and well. After a nail biting launch, the pleasingly yellow machine made it further than the doomed Peregrine lander and managed a spectacularly precise landing. Unfortunately, it also landed upside down, in what the Guardian dubbed an “undignified position” on its nose. But ten days later, the machine “woke up,” and adorably got to work sorting out moon rocks and assigning them names, with each rock given a dog breed corresponding to its size. 

Its notable that even the most serious of news outlets have employed such humanising language in describing the adventures of the moon sniper. For a generation raised on Wallace and Gromit and, later Wall-E, it’s appealing to anthropomorphise the robots that we send out to explore our solar system. It brings a bit of levity to an endeavour that could be otherwise existential crisis inducing in its unavoidable reminder of our relative insignificance. It also creates appeal on social media for millennial and gen Z audiences who missed out on the romanticism of the 1969 moon landing experienced by their parents and grandparents.

But of course, the cuter the robot, the more tragic its ending. While the space exploration sector tends to view even failed missions as a successful step forward, it’s harder to bid farewell to tech once it has been given a personality. So sensitive trend readers stop reading here – the Japanese moon lander is entering a “sleep” during a period of lunar night from which it “may not wake up”…*sob*.