Hi everyone,

October kicked off with a bang - headlines, hype and a whole lot of AI chatter. So, here's what's cutting through the noise (and where I'll be while it's all happening).

AI + PR Updates We’re Watching  

ChatGPT launches shopping
Consumers in the U.S. can now discover, compare and buy products in a single ChatGPT conversation. This is a massive shift in how people shop: AI is now the storefront, not the website or the search engine. With ChatGPT processing 2.5 billion prompts a day and with 85% market share in Australia, these developments require an overhaul of the traditional marketing funnel.
Read my take on what it means for brands in this piece I wrote for Mumbrella.

AI + Trust: the next PR frontier 
We’re hitting the point where AI-generated content can no longer fly under the radar. From the Hollywood strikes over AI rights to new legislation being drafted in the EU and Australia, the conversation is shifting from “can we use this?” to “how do we disclose it?” Consumers are asking “who (or what) made this?” and regulators are catching up fast.
What it means for PR: credibility is now on the line. Businesses will need disclosure policies, clear messaging on where AI is (and isn’t) used, and trusted human voices front and centre. The companies who get ahead of transparency will earn more trust than those who scramble when regulation arrives.

What’s Making Headlines

Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman Split: Australia's golden couple call it quits after 19 years of marriage. The story's been inescapable all week - a timely reminder that celebrity moments can eclipse hard news in seconds. Brands take note: this is what audiences actually lean in for.

Taylor Swift to drop her 12th Studio album: The Life of a Showgirl is set to flip the internet on its head today. Expect chart domination, Easter egg hunts, endless brand tie-ins and wall-to-wall coverage across news, lifestyle and social feeds. Swift is poised to prove (yet again) that fandom is the most powerful distribution engine there is.

Paris Fashion Week: this season leaned into AI-inspired designs and runway moments built to go viral. Zendaya’s surprise appearance lit up TikTok, front rows were stacked with megawatt celebs, and shows were engineered for shareability, proving that even luxury is now designing for the feed first, press second.

TikTok’s “Silent Walk” trend: what started as a simple idea - leaving your headphones at home to walk in silence - has now blown up on wellness feeds, racking up millions of views. It's spilling into lifestyle media and morning TV, proving how quickly niche habits cross into mainstream culture when they tap a universal need to slow down.

Takeaway: cultural moments move faster than ever - the brands and founders who win jump in while the conversation is still hot.

Cool Campaigns Worth a Look

Anthropic “Keep Thinking”
Claude’s first brand campaign leaned away from the hype and into calm, inspiring messaging. Billboards and video spots positioned Claude as the “creative collaborator” AI, a deliberate contrast to the flashy disruption narrative we’re used to. Timely with Claude Sonnet 4.5 being unveiled this week too.
Lesson: in noisy categories, sometimes the boldest move is being quiet.

Duolingo’s “RIP Duo”
Duolingo announced their green owl mascot had “died” when too many users broke streaks. Fans freaked out, memes exploded, and days later Duo was resurrected and engagement soared.
Lesson: playful risk-taking (and knowing your community) can reignite attention around a familiar brand.

GapStudio × Gwyneth Paltrow & Apple Martin
Gap tapped Gwyneth and her daughter Apple for its premium line, merging nostalgic 90s credibility with Gen Z cool. The mother-daughter duo gave the campaign cross-generational pull and plenty of media coverage.
Lesson: authentic family storytelling how the power to connect across multi-generations.

Katseye × Gap Denim
Leveraging the K-Pop Demon Hunters craze, Gap partnered with K-pop girl group Katseye on a denim collab that racked up 400M+ TikTok views. By plugging into music + fandom culture, Gap gained relevance with a new generation.
Lesson: the right cultural partner can unlock audiences money can’t buy.

Vita Coco “Everyday Pop-Up” 
Instead of one flashy activation, Vita Coco turned up in everyday spaces - parks, beaches, even train stations. Small, consistent moments made the brand feel everywhere.
Lesson: smart, low-lift placement can sometimes beat big-budget spectacle.

Where to Find Me This Month 

On the ground:

SXSW (13–17 Oct, Sydney)
I’ll be bouncing around SXSW this year - talks, panels, activations, and soaking up a whole lot of inspiration. If you’re there, let’s grab a coffee (or something stronger!).

Global Women in PR C-Suite Conversations (13 Oct, Sydney)
I’m excited to be attending the upcoming Global Women in PR C-Suite Conversation later this month. A great chance to connect with powerhouse women shaping the comms industry. It’s always good to zoom out and talk leadership, not just tactics!

Brighton SEO (23 Oct, Brighton UK)
Then it’s straight from Sydney to London for Brighton SEO. Always a good one for sharpening the toolkit and spotting what’s coming next in the search/content space.

On the stage:

HospoFuture Expo 2025 (15 Oct, Melbourne MCG)
In between SWSW, I’m heading down to Melbourne to speak at the HospoFuture Expo. I’ll be talking about how AI is changing where people eat, drink, stay and spend (spoiler: it’s changing everything!). Excited to speak alongside legends from Diageo, Treasury Wine Estate, and Now Book It.

Mumbrella Publish (30 Oct, Sydney)
Then to close out the month, I’ll be diving into the future of media and publishing and what that means for brands trying to cut through with Mumbrella, alongside some of the biggest names in media - News Corp Australia, Nine, The Guardian, Man of Many, LBBonline - Little Black Book, Mamamia and Tim Duggan.

London calling!

I’ll be in London from 18–26 October. If you’re around, let’s connect - whether it’s for a pint, a walk along the Thames, or a nerdy chat about AI and the future of PR - a few windows of opportunity currently available for in-person conversations. 

Mix of the month

If T.Swizzle isn’t your thing, here’s an essential mix to keep the vibes high.

Listen on Soundcloud.

C x