Big Things Podcast

Thanks for tuning in! After this episode we will be taking a hiatus and will be back again in the late spring. Be sure to catch up on old episodes in the meantime! This week we’re talking about the Severance season finale, March Madness, Puma’s new running ad, Tower 28’s YouTube Shorts series, and more!

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:00 – Spoiler alert! Thoughts on the season finale of Severance. 
• 10:00 – March Madness continues. Also, realizing we aren’t 20 anymore. 
• 19:00 – Do we need a consolation bracket?
• 21:15 – Big Thing 1: Tower 28 launched a cool scripted series on YouTube Shorts. 
• 28:00 – Mitzi is loving Puma’s running ad.
• 31:00 – Thing 2: Disney appoints Bobby Kim as VP of Creative. Is Downtown Disney about to be lit?
• 37:00 – Thing 3: TikTok has declared March 2025 as the start of The Great Meme Depression. What is going on? And why are we reporting on this?

Show notes:

• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025
• Shoutout to Carmen for your kind email!

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

This week Mitzi is leaving everyone behind. Plus, White Lotus feels like a build that will never drop, Set Active embraces realness, and YouTube creators are doing something that could revolutionize the industry. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:00 – Mitzi is leaving everyone behind.
• 05:00 – Is White Lotus building to a drop that will never come?
• 13:30 – Set Active is embracing realness with their “bloopers” campaign. 
• 20:00 – YouTube creators are hosting the first ever YouTube upfronts. The importance of upsetting the social ads spectrum.
• 27:10 – PepsiCo is acquiring Poppi for nearly $2 billion (despite their recent scandal). 
• 37:00 – We’re ready for more brand rivalry. 

Show notes:

1. The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025

2. Shoutout to @brettburns6009!

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

We’re unpacking the latest in sports and social media: Unwell Hydration signs a deal with the NWSL, and Instagram is testing a new algorithm. Plus, we explore the frenzy of NFL free agency and what happened when X went down. Is it too soon to be talking about football? 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 03:40 – Decision fatigue: It’s real, let’s talk about it. 
• 08:30 – Mitzi is making her 17-year-old self proud. 
• 10:00 - Thing 1: NWSL signs a sponsorship deal with Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hydration. 
• 13:50 – Can makeup brands and NWSL athlete relationships be authentic? 
• 23:10 – Thing 2: Instagram is testing a new blend algorithm creating a shared feed for you and your friends. 
• 36:30 – Is LinkedIn the hottest social media platform? 
• 38:00 – Thing 3: X went down on the first day of NFL free agency causing chaos.

Show notes:

• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

From the unexpected launch of Domino’s pizza-scented perfume to Instagram exploring a Reels app,  we’ve got a lot to unpack this week. We also dive into Timothée Chalamet’s epic poker night with Cartier, the end of award season, and how we’re feeling about the current state of the world. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:05 – Timothée Chalamet’s SAG acceptance speech 
• 06:23 – Kieran Culkin’s Oscars speech (You’re rich rich if you have 3 kids!) 
• 10:30 – Award season is behind us. How we’re feeling about it.
• 12:56 – Thing 1: Dream of smelling like pizza? Domino’s just dropped a pepperoni pizza-scented fragrance. 
• 15:40 – Mike shares his experience as Domino’s delivery driver: “Out on time, out to impress!” 
• 20:10 – Mitzi’s dream sensory products, thoughts & ideas.
• 24:45 – Thing 2: Instagram may be exploring a separate Reels app. What does this mean for content creators? 
• 35:50 – Thing 3: Timothée Chalamet hosts a poker night with Cartier. If we hosted our own games night, here’s what it would look like. 

Show notes:

• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

It’s been a busy week on and offline: From Gen Z collectively losing it over the death of an angler fish, to landline phones making a comeback, we’re not sure if we’re okay. In this episode we also dive into Canada’s huge win at the 4 Nations Face-Off, IKEA’s creative social media campaign, and key moments from the SAG awards. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – The 4 Nations Face-Off and Canada’s big win. 
• 07:00 – Mike was right about this year’s Super Bowl ads. Also, why were there so many celebrities in random ads?
• 11:40 – Thing 1: Gen Z is losing it over the lone angler fish that swam up to the surface of the ocean. 
• 18:45 – Thing 2: Landline phones are back and kids are loving it. 
• 25:25 – Thing 3: IKEA is sliding into the DMs. U Up?
• 31:00 – Some key moments from the SAG awards. 

Show notes:

- The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

Welcome back! We have a lot to cover this week. Between Love Is Blind drama, NikeSKIMS, and new signals around emotional-impact marketing, this is a jam packed episode. We also share a quick Super Bowl recap, thoughts around Mitzi’s first season diving deep into the NFL, the death of Duolingo’s beloved owl, and the end of personal style. Let’s get into it.

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:00 – Hockey fights are on the rise lately. Does it create more camaraderie?
• 03:45 – The Drake and Kendrick beef continues. Are we over it or ready to lean into our hater side?
• 05:30 – Love Is Blind drama. 
• 08:20 – We missed our Super Bowl recap, so here are some key moments we wanted to talk (and complain) about. 
• 15:00 – Thoughts around the Super Bowl ads. Did they actually perform well this year?
• 18:00 – Mitzi’s recap of her first big NFL year and her favorite team.  
• 27:00 – Thing 1: Duolingo’s owl is dead? What’s going on with this campaign? 
• 33:30 – Thing 2: NikeSKIMS; what’s going on here? And why don’t we love it yet?
• 46:00 – Thing 3: Have algorithms completely cooked our personal style? Addressing a larger conversation around what influences us. 

Show notes:

- The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

What a week: The Grammys delivered, Super Bowl campaigns are gearing up, and the White House is inviting “new media” (content creators) to press briefings. Meanwhile, Netflix is coming for everyone. Let’s get into it. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 00:30 – This past weekend the Grammys happened and there were some amazing, well deserved wins. 
• 07:30 – Some of our favorite performances from the Grammys. 
• 10:00 – Was this shade against Drake?
• 14:00 – Super Bowl predictions and stories we’re following.
• 19:20 – The White House is inviting “new media” (aka content creators) to ask questions during press briefings. 
• 25:00 – Media literacy, independent journalism and sourcing content from outside of your algorithm. 
• 31:00 – Netflix is coming for… Everything. Everyone. 
• 34:40 – What would pull us further into Netflix.

Show notes:

The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

What a weird week it has been online. TikTok was banned.. And then it wasn’t. Meta got rid of fact-checking (we dive into that) and things heat up in the football world. Let’s dive in. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – TikTok was banned in the US… and then it wasn’t.
• 09:00 – While it was going down with TikTok, Meta launched a ton of updates (including a new grid, editing app, and more). 
• 18:00 – Meanwhile, Meta is getting rid of fact-checking. Why it isn’t as bad as you might think. 
• 24:20 – Drama from recent football games. 
• 39:00 – Updates from the WAGs of the NFL. 
• 42:00 – Check out our 2025 Trend Report! Linked in the show notes below. 

Show notes:

• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

This week, we welcome our first guest speaker, Alyssa Yuhas, Arcade’s Creative Director and resident Futurist. With a background working with online creators to Nike and the United Nations (Canada), Alyssa brings the experience and mindset for compelling results. Together, we break down the 2025 Trend Report and discuss 5 trends, revealing what digital audiences REALLY want this year. From authenticity to shared moments, here’s how creators and brands can meet the evolving demands. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:05 – What exactly is a futurist? 
• 05:40 – Scan club & Signals: Current, surprising and specific trends.
• 15:08 – Breaking down the 2025 Trend Report.
• 19:25 – Trend 1: People want to be seen.
• 24:15 – Trend 2: People crave realness. How do we keep it real?
• 29:07 – Trend 3: People want shared moments.
• 36:40 – Trend 4: People want to (parallel) play — being alone, together.
• 46:10 – Trend 5: People want ease. Making life more manageable.

Show notes:

• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2025 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2025 
• The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2024 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2024 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.

New year, new us? Nah. We’re about practical goals that help us take the things we’ve worked hard on to the next level. On today’s episode, we break down the 4-step process we use each year to set goals we can’t wait to achieve. We start by sharing our theme for the year, and then we break it down from setting a focus to identifying milestones. Hint: It might be the start of Mitzi’s running era and Mike is taking a page from Bruno Mars’ book. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 00:15 – How we approach setting goals and themes for 2025 as business and life partners. 
• 02:50 – Mike’s theme for the year. 
• 05:40 – Mitzi’s theme for the year. 
• 08:00 – After we’ve set our focus, how do we make this practical?
• 12:00 – Why we missed goals in previous years. 
• 16:00 – Goals for 2025: sleep hygiene, writing, reading, and more.  
• 21:00 – Identifying milestones to hit our goals. 
• 29:10 – The last step: Talking about it (with the right people). 

Show notes:

1. The SCAN 👀 CLUB 2024 Trend Report: https://scanclub.substack.com/p/what-digital-audiences-want-in-2024 

Big Things with Mitzi (@mmmitzi) and Mike (@mmmiiike).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Oliver Banyard.