We haven't sent this in months. Here's why.

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Explore fresh video insights and share your thoughts with us.
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Newsletter · #01

This newsletter was broken.

We're fixing it.

Hello There

We haven't sent this newsletter in months. If you missed it, great. If you didn't notice, that's fine too. It just means it needed a change.

Here's a quick intro for you: I'm Melissa. I run Brand & Content at PlayPlay. Four years in, still weirdly obsessed with what our customers pull off with video. Also: I live in Bristol, I love cold water swimming, and I have a genuine soft spot for terrible horror movies.

Moving back to the relaunch of this newsletter: As marketers I feel like we keep doing things simply because we've always done them, right up until we quietly can't stand them anymore. This monthly email was a textbook case which is probably why we didn’t send it in a long time.

So here we go, new format, same desire to share all the coolest video tips out there. And this time, I’m also asking for your opinion, so please reply.

Let's get into it.

The Breakdown

Qonto gave us a tour of its new office. It’ll make you want to send your CV.

French Bank Qonto just moved into its new Paris HQ, "Qonto Bonne Nouvelle". 11,000 sqm, nine floors, in a building that housed one of Paris's first department stores back in the 1830s. Quite the setting.

To mark the move, they posted a simple video: a walk through the new space. Drone shots, the atrium, the cafeteria, the yoga rooms. It's gorgeous.

Regarder la vidéo (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_db3lcq-W7Y8-PT6lZ3mHF1Cc9C1gC17W7NqPg359pd3mW4wz4df3pwDR3V5CQ1M1t8TL_W2W0Mkt3Y6RdMW62NPP_1JSx9yVYyPXj6wzj-hW7dDfTc6gWgLrW9h8j_v35kC0DW2xyrD_7QyxVPW5w4F0-5-vPc9VjWfpJ8H2BMgW63n3vw96r20CW2VD36K4y1TmdF8ZqkRlLnQvW7qWtrg6mRQPKW1bcqNc4_RspxW6G12Tv3_5S1fW90C7lT6X01_JW7-vXnp8CGX9ZW1yslg07CZlnsW8vzRNz1R4ZjLW6dMdQh2R0-2FW1BWfs_22m7MtN8lXKjZ9KvF_McbWYvHqkN4f2mJ-Fx04 )

▶ Regarder la vidéo (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_db3lcq-W7Y8-PT6lZ3mHF1Cc9C1gC17W7NqPg359pd3mW4wz4df3pwDR3V5CQ1M1t8TL_W2W0Mkt3Y6RdMW62NPP_1JSx9yVYyPXj6wzj-hW7dDfTc6gWgLrW9h8j_v35kC0DW2xyrD_7QyxVPW5w4F0-5-vPc9VjWfpJ8H2BMgW63n3vw96r20CW2VD36K4y1TmdF8ZqkRlLnQvW7qWtrg6mRQPKW1bcqNc4_RspxW6G12Tv3_5S1fW90C7lT6X01_JW7-vXnp8CGX9ZW1yslg07CZlnsW8vzRNz1R4ZjLW6dMdQh2R0-2FW1BWfs_22m7MtN8lXKjZ9KvF_McbWYvHqkN4f2mJ-Fx04 )

But what stuck with me in the video were the small details. Portraits of European entrepreneurs on the walls. A meeting room named after their very first customer. A listening point where staff can hear real customer recordings.

Every one of those details says the same thing: this is an office that backs up what the brand says.

If you’re thinking of your next employer brand video, you might not have 11,000 shiny new sqm to show off. That’s fine. A remote team, an office detail, people out in the field: all of that can be filmed, and it's usually what a candidate wants to see before they hit "apply".

What I'd steal from Qonto:

1
Two or three details that prove your values. For Qonto, it's the listening point. For you, it might be your onboarding kit, or the thing your team does every Friday.

2
People in the frame. An empty office, however pretty, starts to look like a property listing.

3
If you're remote, film a colleague's desk setup, the offsite, someone's first day. Nobody will mind that you don't own a drone.

Quick Hits

Goodbye, stock photos (Medium (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_dP3lcq-W95jsWP6lZ3pvW7K2Fm22vn3JNW4zyjrP4k15QVW6WxpPD7wCnHcW7lPWRN6RRMXCW5svghr5xTLBgW4cQBMp7KKBSWV9T_X487gC8sW2_r_Dz524-DjW45wm7n4BgGpbV9TFJ-3q8K9HW2-bSjT8Cf9dYW1nMJ7G3ptC8-W4_4Rg05Yycr8W1fDbR95SW2VvW6xdM9p6PvkJgW8GFwVR1Z4hSDW9cvWDV9k8dYHW2KPxHp4RxJ_yW5nRhCp9l3LwTW7h9kQd97X_dqVLlZSH48xJqtW1QR4Vs4T0qwMVQ1BVt50zsHDW3F-VL58GQG0XW6CRvky27n5LKW7Knngf2vz46VN9m2pgQG4gJDW5xv--K1bJkFhW1DgBH96QwK0zW3Sc3H22GXSbKf7Xtrxn04 ) )

Handshakes on white backgrounds. Stiff suits and forced smiles. Stock images were always the last resort. Well, they used to be. With AI, you can now build your own art direction and high-quality, on-brand visuals in a few prompts. We know because we tried it ourselves. Arnold Le Bris, our brand designer, shares the full playbook. It'll change your life. Read the article.  (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_dP3lcq-W95jsWP6lZ3pvW7K2Fm22vn3JNW4zyjrP4k15QVW6WxpPD7wCnHcW7lPWRN6RRMXCW5svghr5xTLBgW4cQBMp7KKBSWV9T_X487gC8sW2_r_Dz524-DjW45wm7n4BgGpbV9TFJ-3q8K9HW2-bSjT8Cf9dYW1nMJ7G3ptC8-W4_4Rg05Yycr8W1fDbR95SW2VvW6xdM9p6PvkJgW8GFwVR1Z4hSDW9cvWDV9k8dYHW2KPxHp4RxJ_yW5nRhCp9l3LwTW7h9kQd97X_dqVLlZSH48xJqtW1QR4Vs4T0qwMVQ1BVt50zsHDW3F-VL58GQG0XW6CRvky27n5LKW7Knngf2vz46VN9m2pgQG4gJDW5xv--K1bJkFhW1DgBH96QwK0zW3Sc3H22GXSbKf7Xtrxn04 )

LinkedIn would like your card details (State of Brand (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_dP3lcq-W95jsWP6lZ3nLN1yHFTC1sBN5W89kVj05JY_kRW62Spqf2N6x5tW6yWzxD8-87WhW5m7BwX3pVBMZW8RfzXq1R5L_8W8g9FCl2N6NHlV42Sch6pSdM5VB7Zgq3z9J54W48W9Yc4X3nJvV6dc127XHH3PW5bSHh923jFf9MmsNtsD5wR2W1cR0yT8h2NLfW5hzsRf97DyqYVjCcPh2NrFV4W86lgY998pL9HW4xPvrN4SD_cHW2N-T7S7sQqbdW3nMFM73d_N7TV6dVyW7XrS7LW1Cb6l53Q6swSW2T3dr44H1-cHVqZzgX776fZwW5B4J6v6vHvvkW5ZtVMj3NTsT1W8D6dkZ7v1nWPW1BJcxq5FfywQW1NPmj93DdGdJVsTv6g30zQ32f313Rtl04 ) )

According to State of Brand, since LinkedIn handed its feed to an LLM in March, overall reach is down 47% year on year, and video is down 72%. Meanwhile, "boost" buttons keep popping up everywhere. Their tip #4: build audiences you own, like a newsletter. Which, as it happens, you're reading right now. Just saying. Read the article.  (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_dP3lcq-W95jsWP6lZ3nLN1yHFTC1sBN5W89kVj05JY_kRW62Spqf2N6x5tW6yWzxD8-87WhW5m7BwX3pVBMZW8RfzXq1R5L_8W8g9FCl2N6NHlV42Sch6pSdM5VB7Zgq3z9J54W48W9Yc4X3nJvV6dc127XHH3PW5bSHh923jFf9MmsNtsD5wR2W1cR0yT8h2NLfW5hzsRf97DyqYVjCcPh2NrFV4W86lgY998pL9HW4xPvrN4SD_cHW2N-T7S7sQqbdW3nMFM73d_N7TV6dVyW7XrS7LW1Cb6l53Q6swSW2T3dr44H1-cHVqZzgX776fZwW5B4J6v6vHvvkW5ZtVMj3NTsT1W8D6dkZ7v1nWPW1BJcxq5FfywQW1NPmj93DdGdJVsTv6g30zQ32f313Rtl04 )

Starbucks is paying baristas to post (Forbes (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_c05jMY8W5BWr2F6lZ3mSW3bfWYk5Q7l05W6RTf6m2Bm_mdW1gYMZz2YGr2gW26cnNp5ltJP8W7pNzYy34CNMSW27DPfL2S74RbW2x4dyK2vhRkXW8h20f83TCLJ0W89Z7Gh8Mnmq0W7Dn68y4lJjGkN76Jgj9D5QFhW19GvS05m6-P5W7-WKkf4wSJD-Vrd6Pm4FkGyCW2-9ngY59yHqVVZ4HfH4H8w2pN2QGcbMDJzJ_W6GhHxD5F-rpXW8kTNkH7zN1Y_W60FCHW8zl_TWW1GTZbc5RSTMwW8gvwRx861tYNW5dwJ-04lRPClW8VW1Sn6MxtRbW6c-qvf4QkbrxW8RT7zw6swMfLW6hNhPn5bhDKbW55LTkc2Mlb6_W7wTPQk6m-kW0W2L7qmj2K7K-wN77B9Fv3zYqMW3-sH6c408sDJW562Wwy1j11RGW8t3_9M7--L0Rf5mXRW804 ) )

Starbucks is piloting a TikTok creator network made up of its own staff, paid through a share of ad revenue. Its baristas were already posting three times more than staff at comparable chains, for free. Now they get paid. That's the bit I'd copy: if your team is doing your comms, pay them. Read the article.  (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_c05jMY8W5BWr2F6lZ3mSW3bfWYk5Q7l05W6RTf6m2Bm_mdW1gYMZz2YGr2gW26cnNp5ltJP8W7pNzYy34CNMSW27DPfL2S74RbW2x4dyK2vhRkXW8h20f83TCLJ0W89Z7Gh8Mnmq0W7Dn68y4lJjGkN76Jgj9D5QFhW19GvS05m6-P5W7-WKkf4wSJD-Vrd6Pm4FkGyCW2-9ngY59yHqVVZ4HfH4H8w2pN2QGcbMDJzJ_W6GhHxD5F-rpXW8kTNkH7zN1Y_W60FCHW8zl_TWW1GTZbc5RSTMwW8gvwRx861tYNW5dwJ-04lRPClW8VW1Sn6MxtRbW6c-qvf4QkbrxW8RT7zw6swMfLW6hNhPn5bhDKbW55LTkc2Mlb6_W7wTPQk6m-kW0W2L7qmj2K7K-wN77B9Fv3zYqMW3-sH6c408sDJW562Wwy1j11RGW8t3_9M7--L0Rf5mXRW804 )

Reply All

Here's the weird thing about a newsletter: you're mostly just talking into the void, hoping someone's actually reading. So we're trying something. Every issue, we open a question, you reply, and we talk about it here. Like teen magazine columns but about your actual marketing problems.

I'll go first. This newsletter is the thing I couldn't stand anymore, so I relaunched it. Your turn:

The 1M dollar question

Is there something in your marketing you can't stand anymore, and would love to relaunch?

Reply here →
(mailto:melissa@playplay.com)

Hit reply and tell me. Got advice for someone going through the same thing? Even better. I'll keep it anonymous unless you say otherwise, and I'll feature the best replies (and the best advice) next issue.

See you in two weeks!

in (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_db3lcq-W7Y8-PT6lZ3kMW5rwht32mXfCpW9ldMmz8V2nv_MS3VYkgm1jhW5hd-Dk12zYgjW2Nz0pf1nw7c4W7-blnr7QBBkbW3Vmlzl4QT-BbW54TCPf3m6HlZW5lKGX-2S49S8N4gz1Htc9vtfW3S-1bx7vDlXxN52pm83rmg76W7b-dVp4cKR1_W3FwVVD6YLNLvW1XWKMJ2zMhsFW6_lBvr3sSG6pW2j0y_01zc31pW4tS10P47ln7RW4lbc5w85CLYTW7zqlcN4RH-LCW78hWKG7nK7G3W6sLX8N8SFxd6W222jlj5c3gCcW4G8Wl84R0lV7W5kS4hl5J1KpRW2h9xF45KFKfmf5NvPNl04 ) Melissa Francois

Head of Brand & Content, PlayPlay

Probably cold water swimming as you read this.

playplay_logotype__dark__960 (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_cW3lcq-W7lCdLW6lZ3n6W39SfBd3Zh5xYDHXPJh-BQ4W67QLWB6gcCyRW5x86jJ72VxPQVl9ygz2YfMwXN1GmSlZJ9sFTW27zn603yFPRCW148kb67VQ9wJW8JRCLL7GZtcpW7sgByh1Ppb7wW2DHTkK1KD8SSW7mzzdK7x4tTVW2cTyCF7mH-CmW2TyFsL2gLp-nN8YhYNpdgV_FW2vr0dN99RWN7N5bGfqfxqxcxN2-Q0tbg0dNNW3XyzSm2s55BTW6TsbZD5T2bj6W3BvH8V446KC5W2_RtKB38c9YXW2PrpmP8L3V1nW3vDg7H4ldBR6f34_KCj04 )

PlayPlay, 128 rue de Rivoli,  Paris, France

Se désabonner (https://hs-4746090.s.hubspotemail.net/hs/preferences-center/en/page?data=W2nXS-N30h-FSW32wVLp2p1fJRW47zJ-52TK4zGW1X7Fgg3NWDW0W30l2vZ4kwglxW327Xy51Q4Z9VW2RxhWT41J9CvW4cGkR738jp9QW2zYt_k2qGZJBW2zHlKJ3jsKmdW32yXLH34G9DLW2YpTRW34gnl1W4pJbW43b8Lq7W3QRdvJ3M16_3W2zw8Vk3bd0nBW2RR4Wt4chR7GW2WqvLH2KJfHDW2TM4WX2CtPqZW4kx2nw3P2wkGW2FDVrD43XtK-W3W0dMS1VhS4CW2YHT5H1W_KQdW32nmZ52YD3QZW3QBjp34cBGd3W2THLCZ41S5vmW2KCfy84kls3XW3z0tz_2zNpSLW49vnJm49RMzWW38sHzh47nJPQW4kDs0W3H3-h_W3jcTyh1NcVQcW32xdkQ41zYGVW3GSvkg2nT55BW1Btj2g2RKKzcW233ZDx3VKnZGW1ZdX762Pt5jBW2PBn1s2nXS-dW2FG8D51QDD-TW3SQggn3SYdxrW47zM063ZwC40W3dkg612nTXDfW3_YJpS38xThcW41QQDt4pzCFzW2r90nR2r2g7qW30sNPJ325nTrW2vyL9k3NzfvMW1Xmprx2PC8lRW4rvGRr2KHPjSW2xxHVP38ncRzW2Rvd7R386PBDW2RyvDd43PQTqW3bzLp-3gy8k3W41YZLk2Hqp0fW1QbkHy2-rKnYW41v0FQ30cmZ1W30n7Gq4kGvXgW36jGSL2WF3LBW3zbp-s24SD_bW1Z5Rh61XfZ2YW47MKJf3QD3yWW47Wd5G49t6cLW4fPHxT1ZtpmVW41Drkz3jdGz5W3M7hmR2nXnNV0&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--dP_vn3VZmyUpFweJjjzZ_hXsmbj2GqzwKB8Xo_Zg0OcrGAHWxwjKy-ZNGkhA0WiTCOK_Hjdpv4rGmY1pPIaefvpOTo6SnTmu38aWeaY6oGS9XZekHUdJuuEyWnQmcdJ6vT1SZ&_hsmi=444064608 )  ·
Gérer mes préférences (https://hs-4746090.s.hubspotemail.net/hs/preferences-center/en/direct?data=W2nXS-N30h-FSW32wVLp2p1fJRW47zJ-52TK4zGW1X7Fgg3NWDW0W30l2vZ4kwglxW327Xy51Q4Z9VW2RxhWT41J9CvW4cGkR738jp9QW2zYt_k2qGZJBW2zHlKJ3jsKmdW32yXLH34G9DLW2YpTRW34gnl1W4pJbW43b8Lq7W3QRdvJ3M16_3W2zw8Vk3bd0nBW2RR4Wt4chR7GW2WqvLH2KJfHDW2TM4WX2CtPqZW4kx2nw3P2wkGW2FDVrD43XtK-W3W0dMS1VhS4CW2YHT5H1W_KQdW32nmZ52YD3QZW3QBjp34cBGd3W2THLCZ41S5vmW2KCfy84kls3XW3z0tz_2zNpSLW49vnJm49RMzWW38sHzh47nJPQW4kDs0W3H3-h_W3jcTyh1NcVQcW32xdkQ41zYGVW3GSvkg2nT55BW1Btj2g2RKKzcW233ZDx3VKnZGW1ZdX762Pt5jBW2PBn1s2nXS-dW2FG8D51QDD-TW3SQggn3SYdxrW47zM063ZwC40W3dkg612nTXDfW3_YJpS38xThcW41QQDt4pzCFzW2r90nR2r2g7qW30sNPJ325nTrW2vyL9k3NzfvMW1Xmprx2PC8lRW4rvGRr2KHPjSW2xxHVP38ncRzW2Rvd7R386PBDW2RyvDd43PQTqW3bzLp-3gy8k3W41YZLk2Hqp0fW1QbkHy2-rKnYW41v0FQ30cmZ1W30n7Gq4kGvXgW36jGSL2WF3LBW3zbp-s24SD_bW1Z5Rh61XfZ2YW47MKJf3QD3yWW47Wd5G49t6cLW4fPHxT1ZtpmVW41Drkz3jdGz5W3M7hmR2nXnNV0&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--dP_vn3VZmyUpFweJjjzZ_hXsmbj2GqzwKB8Xo_Zg0OcrGAHWxwjKy-ZNGkhA0WiTCOK_Hjdpv4rGmY1pPIaefvpOTo6SnTmu38aWeaY6oGS9XZekHUdJuuEyWnQmcdJ6vT1SZ&_hsmi=444064608 )  ·
Voir dans le navigateur (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_dv5jMY8W8wM7ks6lZ3pBM_fts3bgtnfW7n0Hkc15Rcf5W8VcTST6xMR-pW3lyRzQ1VVfNlN35QxNhzB3NCW6yDllf13GwGkW27-V_b3sxm-wW4ZKrVj4rbV_lW3K4f_16Pb1xdW8J-V9p4T42nMW3Bz3Sb3ThnZyW5VF5rV1RjsR4W33NttR28g2FyW10bC1j6Qvd3QW25_Hf52ZcGQxW390Bwd3bJNrSW8Fd9Js5R99KyW9c0tpj2n2sknW6NYc8K6SKFxFV6QQW335qhhJW1crPK71T7-2KW1MmVgn4qxMb0W5bdjjQ5w6c-WW7RTWss26CBnpW1szlwq4Xj84-W1Lzzbw9bbY8cW8SvgWt2SkfdzW2QBtnV73dnrHVm2LPC2xcQJPW3YwGWt5CvhC6W2StswM7PWgPxW1GXmwN4m65tlW6Q13X95J-RRCW7YSxSv7-DhL-W1ND1Y29m4pp3F5NSyj4mDy1W6qY4jk2l3FXLW7_4CPw87Nc4-W6x1t6_5bZmDBW796H1q5sqv-_W1BXPHl8mJMmlW4PDrmp4SV8mFW6glz0R8fBZ-QN80CcF6KBwsFf575sq-04 )

in (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_db3lcq-W7Y8-PT6lZ3n3W3nKzR87q63tRW1ndC4c8f7PMVM5DhDdkyLRxW6Q9hlQ21kN-9W3MzyDQ5LsqqvN5pJ5SgbLMkXW5wVk9J5_KHNmW1NDX361sr5YlN4lPn2QNgMZ_W6j-k7-15hC26W5J8r746XhCQwW55FgfL2nSGcJW7NxW6m5D4MhlW3mvKTr8hsrXLW31P4Zv10KfWDV5SHc71cH-fkW8ly7Jy8FXwKhW2LXZt04sfg8DN17Wh9tgSQzyW7r0C6T85QMqjW700D9M1d6gfQW4sp9p43ptQxkW5YgVth2J1kK5VzVQnx1_HnSPVtqVCg8vzCNQW2L9mKk33BbTtf866hbs04 )

playplay_favicon_480 (https://cz7Cz04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/cz7Cz04/VVp_n64Xm2WbW4y-vWD3XQMv6W3Bmyl95W67RbN4nN_cW3lcq-W7lCdLW6lZ3n6W39SfBd3Zh5xYDHXPJh-BQ4W67QLWB6gcCyRW5x86jJ72VxPQVl9ygz2YfMwXN1GmSlZJ9sFTW27zn603yFPRCW148kb67VQ9wJW8JRCLL7GZtcpW7sgByh1Ppb7wW2DHTkK1KD8SSW7mzzdK7x4tTVW2cTyCF7mH-CmW2TyFsL2gLp-nN8YhYNpdgV_FW2vr0dN99RWN7N5bGfqfxqxcxN2-Q0tbg0dNNW3XyzSm2s55BTW6TsbZD5T2bj6W3BvH8V446KC5W2_RtKB38c9YXW2PrpmP8L3V1nW3vDg7H4ldBR6f34_KCj04 )

Accession

nse/playplay/2026-10-14/4098

From

Melissa Francois · melissa@playplay.com

Sent

14 October 2026 · 11:00 UTC