When it’s 6:59 PM on a Sunday:
Hello and Happy Sunday. Welcome to another edition of Doomscroll! Anything interesting happen this week??
I jest.
What a whirlwind, huh? From the inauguration, to the snow storms in the south, to all the craziness that’s happening with our social media world right now… And can I just say this: Usha Vance’s blue dress was HANDS DOWN my favorite lewk from the entire slate inauguration festivities. Absolutely stunning. Truly fitting for this new Golden Age.
Anywho, let’s get to some doomscrolling, shall we?
One Question
Thanks to everyone who answered last week’s One Question about what digital hill you’re willing to die on. Here are some of the responses:
Inboxing is our greatest disadvantage and the Dems greatest advantage in digital. (I could buy into this)
You should have experienced digital teams run your entire paid media operation, including linear! (Interesting…)
If Gmail inboxed, then Republicans would raise as much as Democrats. The Hill staff who have no idea how digital works are the biggest hang up. If you don't talk about Gmail inboxing bias against Republicans, then you aren't talking about fundraising (This is probably an issue that goes way overlooked. We should talk about this more)
TikTok is awesome (Booooo)
I will die screaming on the hill that linear buyers placing ctv buys is a desperate cash grab by a dying advertising platform. Place your buys properly for streaming through your digital team who knows how to make it work FOR you/your campaign, or light your money on fire via linear buyers who only want your cash. I said what I said. (Nothing to add here!)
My takeaway? Maybe we should be talking more about inboxing. Or is blaming it for our fundraising problems a cop-out? Idk yet. We’ll see.
This week’s One Question is one I’m doing purely for selfish reasons. I broke my foot a week ago (stairs were involved) and I’m pretty immobile. Therefore I need podcast and book recs. What are you all listening to right now? Or reading? Share them with me and I’ll share them with everyone else next week! Muchas gracias.
One Quote
One Thought
For starters, going outside to touch grass is probably a good idea no matter what. That said, Mr. Bradley here makes a good point after being jerked around by the on-again-off-again TikTok ban. It’s a lesson that a lot of us in the digital biz learned a long time ago, but the youths are just beginning to grasp. You gotta own your shit. In other words: Betting/building your entire income and business on a platform YOU DON’T OWN AND DON’T CONTROL is risky - especially if you hate the alternatives. Why do you think we always harp on building email lists? Because a long time ago, we (us digital operatives over the age of 30) learned that social media platforms are fickle things and it’s important to “own” your audience and be able to communicate to them no matter what the Zuckerbergs of the world or Congress decide to do.
So yes, I do actually sympathize with all the creators and influencers who are suffering through the TikTok ban back-and-forth, but at the same time: 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Just a thought!
Who’s Doing What
—Perfect Timing
Lefty online agitators knocking this video proved one thing and one thing only: Straws. They had nothing but to do this week but grasp at straws. I love content like this. A couple things stand out: From what I can tell, it wasn’t planned. It’s good, pure, authentic content. What’s more, kudos to the Speaker (or staffer?) for recognizing the opportunity and pulling out a phone to record the moment! Love it.
—Speaking of Content…
Dave Yost is running for Governor of Ohio (watch out, Vivek!). The state’s AG made it official on Thursday with this post on X:
Let’s talk about the announcement video (can we call it that?). It’s 12 seconds of Yost walking through a building, ending up at a door with “Governor” at the top, and then looking back at the camera. Then we see it end with “Today is the Day. I’m running.” I think I *get* what his team is trying to achieve with this. They’re trying to build up a sense of anticipation. Excitement. Etc, etc. I’m just not sure they pulled it off. It’s not Yost. I think the look he gives the camera at the end is better than most actors can pull off these days.
But what does it actually convey? That he’s literally opening a new door and starting this campaign? Ok… Is it just something different for the sake of doing something different? Do they know they’re going to be up against King of Content Vivek Ramaswamy and so they’re trying desperately to outdo him in the creativity category right out of the gate?
It’s 100% possible that I’m over-analyzing this, but I think different text at the end - or no text and just the logo flashing on screen would have helped. I also think inserting at least one or two “easter eggs” throughout the 12 seconds of walking would have helped with giving us more of a picture of who Yost is and what kind of campaign he’ll run. Every piece of *official* campaign content should, in my opinion, communicate something about who the candidate is and what he/she stands for. Branding. Storytelling. I’m not sure what story this video tells. Or how it brands Yost. I will say this: I’m so perplexed that it DOES leave me wanting to see what comes next…so maybe that’s a win?
Other positives: I like his logo, and I like his website. A lot. Both rely on the tried-and-true red and blue scheme, but they’re fresh versions of both. They work. The only thing that would make his website better is if it had a merch store! But you know me and my love of merch! Anyway, I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever else Team Yost does next!
UPDATE: Since I wrote the above screed, Yost posted another video. Maybe he’s gonna do a whole series like this?
—Friends, now Foes
Advancing American Freedom, the group founded by Trump’s former VP Mike Pence, has launched a campaign opposing RFK’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Here’s more from The Hill:
The ad campaign from Advancing American Freedom, details of which were shared first with The Hill, includes digital ads that will run through the next couple of weeks in the nation’s capital as Kennedy awaits his confirmation hearing.
The ad spend also includes a mobile billboard that will travel around Capitol Hill and the March for Life, an annual anti-abortion event that will take place Friday on the National Mall.
The ads highlight various controversial comments Kennedy has made.
It’s a “six-figure ad buy,” so that could mean $100,000 or $900,000. We just don’t know. Given that it looks like it’s just some display geo-targeting D.C. plus the mobile billboard for a day or two, I’d say the figure is closer to the low end of the spectrum. The url on the ads, RFKQuestions.com, just links to a page on the AAF website that hosts a couple letters the group sent Senators urging them to oppose the nomination.
Who’s Spending Where
P2P
I swear I really do want to get back to highlighting GOOD p2p texts. But like last week, this is another example of a scammy text that tries to fundraise off one thing (Defend Melania! Help her uncover the truth!), when it’s actually going to some guy named Eric Burlison. And donors will have no clue until they get to the end of the WinRed form.
Industry Watch
Some quick hits!
📱 Meta enhances lead ads with new SMS verification feature (Swipe Insight)
🕺 Instagram extends reels duration to three minutes (Swipe Insight)
👀 Am I being censored? Some US TikTok users say app feels different after ban lifted (Reuters)
2025-2026 Watch
Nancy Mace confirmed that she is, indeed, considering a run for Governor of South Carolina. See the tweet here. …And this is why she’ll probably lose. (See: Kari Lake, 2022, 2024). Only Trump can be Trump.
Rep. Andy Biggs is exploring a run for Governor of Arizona. See his post here.
Looks like Scott Brown might be eyeing a run for Senate in New Hampshire? See more here.
The Grapevine
In the 2024 cycle, WinRed processed $1.8 billion from 4.5 million donors. Read more here.
NOTUS published an interesting piece about Karoline Leavitt’s campaign debt. Read it here.
Push Digital’s Wes Donehue has an op-ed in The Hill that’s worth a read.
Kyle Yadon-Smith has joined Flexpoint Media as VP. Congrats!
And congrats to Billy McLaughlin for being named White House Director of Digital Content!
Katie Harbath published an essay this week on her Anchor Change Substack that I think is also worth reading! We can all have our own opinions about what Zuck is doing at Meta right now, but I appreciate reading different perspectives. And this quote, right here, is $$:
But here’s the thing: we all have a choice. We get to decide what energy we will put into the world. We get to choose how we show up—not reacting to the noise but in alignment with our values.
Got a tip for The Grapevine? Job announcement? Job opening? Email ‘em to me at itsthedoomscroll@gmail.com
Last But Not Least
From the other side of the aisle:
It’s no secret that Democrats have spent the last couple of months wandering through the wilderness, trying to figure out their level of resistance or plan of attack for a second Trump presidency. This snippet, from a CNN piece this week about a recent Democratic struggle session, made me LOL:
In a private Senate Democratic luncheon last week, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey led colleagues through the shifting dynamics of a media echo chamber that conservatives are thriving in…
One of the bright spots Democrats highlighted, according to a source familiar, was a viral video from the pandemic of Warner making a tuna melt in his kitchen that led to the lawmaker being cheered and jeered by people who questioned his culinary leanings….Senators talked about the need to repost each other’s social media posts to try and organically get their message out. But they also argued they can’t abandon traditional media altogether.
At one point, a Democrat in the meeting asked if their party had their version of conservative influencers, according to a person who attended. Booker responded that the party didn’t have one.
“They have a permanent information ecosystem. We don’t,” Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said following the lunch. “They define us and we don’t get to define them. No matter how good our messaging is here, it doesn’t get reflected, reverberated and amplified like theirs does.”
Sorry, senator. I don’t think your problem is that the left lacks an echo chamber. I think it’s more that your candidates suck and your messaging is even worse. But yes, let’s get some more videos of tuna melts! #winning
From the other side of the tracks:
Target is the latest company to end its DEI program. Per the NYT:
“As a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape,” wrote Kiera Fernandez, chief community impact and equity officer for Target, in a memo.
Target joins a fast-growing group of companies dropping diversity commitments and policies, as Mr. Trump makes clear his intent to fight D.E.I., in the federal government and beyond. Last summer, Tractor Supply, John Deere and Harley-Davidson ditched D.E.I. programs, in part in response to threats of boycotts led by the conservative activist Robby Starbuck. More recently, other companies have rolled back diversity programs too, including Meta, Walmart and Amazon.
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! Did you like it? Consider forwarding to your friends!