New York, New York: The City that Never Stops Trending

The Big Apple: land of the Knicks, Taylor Swift’s wedding venue and…Empire State Building climbers? New York City is no stranger to publicity stunts, and we’re both intrigued and slightly concerned by the events of the last week. Listen as we dissect the most recent shocking moments in the city and explore who is the most impacted when it comes to responsive marketing campaigns.

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Welcome to the For What It’s Worth Podcast, where two highly opinionated marketing professionals offer some commentary on the current events that have people talking: in the moment stories, news, controversies, and more — we’ll dissect it all. We’re Jessica and Kayla, here to offer some culture conversations with a dash of media and marketing perspective — for whatever it’s worth. 

“For What It’s Worth” is brought to you by Evermore Co, a full-service marketing agency. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Hello and welcome to another episode of For What It's Worth with Jessica and Kayla. We're here giving you our two cents on pop culture, media, marketing, everything in between. And today we have a very exciting one. We're gonna talk about all the crazy publicity marketing stunts that are going on in New York. Um, as we were talking, there's not just one, so we'll we'll cover several. Um, so if you haven't been paying attention, some of the things going on um within New York, we have the World Cup going on, so they're busy with that. They're actually experiencing um like an excessive heat wave. So they're they're trying to combat that. We have Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's weddings coming up, so that's exciting. And then yesterday we had the crazy Empire State Building climbers stunt thing that happened. So um it's really interesting because a lot of times we talk about that brands and stuff can belong to people, companies, but it actually belongs to cities as well. Um, and so it's been really interesting watching uh New York in the news. So um, I'll just start like thoughts, thoughts on the biggest thing and what's happening there from your perspective.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

I think the Taylor Swift thing is crazy. I thought that it was fake when people first started talking about her getting married in Madison Square Girl, and I was like, she would never do that. She's a very like, I she's private, but she's not.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

So she used to have that big compound out in Rhode Island. I think it was that I was like, forever, I was like, she's totally gonna get married there. Like, that's why she kept that house. I don't know if she still has it or not. Um, but yeah, I thought it was a joke. It was like, there's no way. And then people started getting permits to shut stuff down, and I was like, there's no real. Yeah. And we were just talking in the office that I'm like, if anyone's got the money to make it cute, like she does, yeah. Like, I feel like in my head, I'm imagining them like getting married with all the scaffolding and all that crap and the Knicks jerseys everywhere, but like it's not gonna be that way. But like in my head, that's the way it was gonna go. Yeah, um, but yeah, I thought it was a joke. I thought it was a little out of character for her, but we've been talking about like it's secure, there's no windows, no one's gonna be able to get in. Like, so all in all, it kind of does make sense. And she's always had a tie to New York as a city. Um, but yeah, just very interesting. Um, and at the moment that we're filming this, like it hasn't happened yet. So it's set to be tomorrow. The Associated Press just confirmed it this morning. Like, I almost was like, I don't believe it until someone tells me for sure. Yeah, um yeah, no, I think it's really it's gonna be interesting to see how they handle it because I mean you have to shut down an entire city block for this. How many guests did they say?

SPEAKER_02 2:54

I think tomorrow at the actual it's about a thousand they're expecting. So, like, it's it's not small. I did hear rumors too that they were building a castle inside, but that has been really debunked, like there's no castle. But but I also read something that an employee of Madison Square Garden said they've never seen anything like it. They've never seen it transform because I mean it has been transformed for many different events and many different things, but never to this extent, and that you basically won't be able to tell that it's kind of like a stadium sort of thing. So, and I think I think to your point, like her brand is so iconic, and Madison Square Garden is so iconic, and New York is so iconic for her. Um, so it kind of does fit, and the secrecy fits. I guess her wedding planner, too. Um, it's really interesting, basically doesn't even have a profile online and stuff. Like it's only like referrals, things like that to just keep things under wrap, like the big celebrity wedding planners and stuff. You know, everybody's thinking she'd use that. But, you know, her kind of picking this under the radar one kind of fits her brand. So yeah, it's been that's been kind of fun to watch and really interesting. And and just the little comments from people here and there, and yeah, it's been fun.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I'll be interested to see how much she actually like posts about it. Yeah. Um, because I know her engagement, like the photos were very like I almost had this vibe where I was like, is this actually the moment that she got engaged? A lot of the things that she does are very I like calculated is not the right word because I feel like that's got a bit of a negative connotation to it, but she's very measured in the way that she does things. And so even her engagement photos, I was like, oh dear god, staging and everything. Like it's very um meticulous in that way. And so I do I'm interested to see if she'll like post anything where we just get leaks of stuff and nothing.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Well, and of course, there's a no no phone policy, and they have to basically give up their phone at the door when they walk in, which again is I think more common for a lot of weddings nowadays. Um, but yeah, I think it will be interesting to watch. And I think from a marketing perspective, it is smart. Like we always, you know, it's like plan for everything. And I love that about her brand is like, let's plan for everything, let's think through everything because every move you make, especially when I mean, basically she's one of the most iconic brands in the world. Because, like I said, as we talk about people can be a brand. Um, but she's gotta be prepared and she's gotta know that literally a a bite of food she takes has consequences for her brand and things like that. So it's really interesting. But um, so that one's coming up. Like, like you said, it's actually tomorrow. And then we had yesterday, the Empire State Building. Um, it was really interesting because I was uh working and all of a sudden I got a breaking news email that someone was climbing it, and it was kind of weird, but fun that you could watch it in the moment because they were still up at the top. I think they were at the top for like 36 minutes or something. Um, and then nobody knew it was very cryptic what was going on and who they were and and stuff like that. That was that was kind of an interesting play on a brand and and putting New York front and center again.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Yeah, and that couple are the like center point of this Netflix series about like these kind of stunts and things like that. And it's also kind of about like their love story because they did get engaged yesterday, right? Which is crazy. Like you're all the way up there and you pull out a ring.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

I think you can't top that proposal. I'm sorry, like talking about the Taylor Swift proposal. We I mean, I don't know, that might trumpet the top of the Empire State building, like the top.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Didn't she post a picture of her with the ring, like sticking her hand in the room? Like holding it up. That's insane. It's crazy. It's insane to me. Um, yeah, so they've done stuff like this before. Um, we were saying that we think they might have been like paid to do this by somebody.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

Yeah, that there might be something that comes up.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

No, it'll be really interesting. I remember seeing all of the um I saw this like NYPD, like they were talking about it and being like, oh, and he's proposing. And even the cops were kind of like, oh I mean, we gotta arrest them when they come down, but this is really sweet. And they're dressed up, they've got the masks, like they look like Batman and Catwoman. Like it was really interesting. Yeah, it's just like I see stuff like this, and I was saying that I just I'm so the opposite of an adrenaline junkie. Like, I just don't like I see people doing this, and I'm like, I don't even want to watch you. I'll watch it when you get down and I know that you're done. But like I can't watch it in the moment. Like, I just can't do that. But really interesting. And then they flew that big flag with a message on it, and I'm just like, I just sometimes I'm like, why? But I get that's the whole point of their shock and awe, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Marketing, and that's what's really interesting because it's like, why? We're asking why, but we're talking about it, you know, and especially if they've already been on Netflix and they have a brand um already out there and followers and things like that. It's like what's crazy about marketing nowadays is how do you one up it? You know, and I'm sure that was part of their thought process of how do we make this bigger, how do we how do we do this? How do we skate the line of then being arrested and have felonies on our you know, record, but um still get the views. We were laughing yesterday in the moment we were talking about it, and um obviously they'll have huge fines, um, if not jail time. But the fines we were laughing because their social media posts will probably garner more money to pay for their fines.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Right, right. Like they're gonna be just fine if we're not worried about that.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

And I'm curious, like, if if we end up hearing the story afterwards from them or whoever, like if that was a calculated thing, right, of obviously what the consequences were, what this could mean for their brand, why are they doing this? It'll be really interesting to see this come out.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

And also I think it's just like making everyone sit there and be like, what compels you to wake up on a Wednesday morning and be like, this is what we're gonna do today? How much planning went into this, that sort of thing? Um, because they seem very like, well, here we go, we're gonna do it. Like it's just like it doesn't make much sense. But I also I think it's just really funny because we've been talking a lot lately about New York, especially with the Knicks historic win um and what's going on in the city as a whole. I mean, New York always has a lot of stuff going on, but this is so funny to have like one of the most iconic symbols of New York as a city, and then these people are just standing on top of it doing like what I would it's kind of like when people say, like, oh, Florida man does this. It's kind of funny to be like New York man and woman are up on the top of the Empire State Building. Like it's really weird. Right. Yeah. I think it's just turned into this kind of like bizarre MO, you know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

And I think, you know, to kind of full full circle moment to wrap our thoughts back around, it's it's been interesting with the NYPD and and what does that look like, as well as the security, because of course the security at the Empire State Building is under huge scrutiny. Like, how did they get through? How'd they get there? And then the NYPD, what they had to do at the bottom and arrest them, and and and then their helicopter was going up there and not getting too close and communicating with them. And then, like I said, full circle moment, they've kind of been under fire a little bit. The NYPD of like I mentioned, the heat wave where they have a higher presence, and a lot of people were pushing back on the the Taylor Travis wedding because they were saying they hired additional NYPD because of their wedding. But really, what's happening is when there's a heat wave, they have to have additional police force out for um the people experiencing homelessness and that sort of thing to help them out during these heat waves of a hundred plus degrees. And so it's interesting to watch the different brands and how even an act of God weather can affect, you know. And they were bringing up the weather with the Empire State Building thing, you know, the heat of how they're at the top and how you're not sweating to death because it's so humid and a hundred degrees. And your corset and you're yeah, you're black, every like masked on. Um, so it's even, you know, you think about entities even like that, like the NYPD of having publicity and then the the wedding thing, having that fallback on them of the NYPD being out and it giving negative publicity to them, saying they asked for that and they really didn't. Right. Um, so it's interesting to watch some of that stuff as well.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Yeah, absolutely. And like I think everything just triggers some sort of campaign because I it's so interesting to look at the city as a whole. I mean, they have a new mayor who won his election essentially because he had really, really great marketing, truly. Like the biggest Gen Z turnout of all time. Right. Um so I think that was a really interesting point. And now we're into this whole every single time something happens with the NYPD, they need some sort of crisis campaign to deal with that. Like it's all just triggering these little things. And I'll be interested to see like if anything happens with the wedding tomorrow. So, like if someone gets into a car accident because they're everything's so blocked off, like that's all gonna trigger to it.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Because they cause this.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

And yeah, and that affects both the NYPD and Taylor and all this stuff. I mean, she's already under fire for this to begin with because I mean it's gonna be a millions of millions of dollars sunk into this wedding. Yeah. Um, so and I mean, she's always like that. She's got a jet that she takes to like hop a city over. So, you know, that's pretty typical for her, I think. Yeah. Um, but yeah, very interesting to see how that's gonna turn out. And I think it's just gonna be kind of this endless cycle because there's so much going on in that city at all times. You're just gonna keep in that loop forever, to be honest. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

So um, yeah, that's our thoughts. That's that's our thoughts on New York and the craziness that's happening. We want to hear about your thoughts and and to always keep in mind that everything is marketing, everything is your brand, whether you're the NYPD, whether you're skyscraper climbers, whether you're a celebrity, whether you're, you know, anything, a city. Um, it's always something to keep in mind. What are the consequences? What could happen and be planning for it? Like you said, crisis communication. Um, and so that's something we're always watching and we're interested in, and um, just our thoughts of be prepared, right? You know, like all these things are, you know, have you thought through the consequences of your PR and things like that through all these things? So um, that's our two cents on what's what's going on there, what's live, what's in the media, what's happening. So um, please drop your thoughts in the comments. Um, make sure you're following us, subscribe to our channel so that you can continue to hear our thoughts and share yours because we want to see them. So thank you so much. Stay tuned. We'll be back with another episode.