TeaTalk: Josh 2.0

1. ☘️ The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106 to 88 in Game 5 to clinch their first NBA championship title in 16 years… and scoring them the record of the most NBA titles in the league’s history.

2. 🧠 Pixar’s Inside Out 2 had the biggest box office debut of the year, with $155 million in North America and another $140 million internationally. Who saw it opening weekend?

3. 🐉 Season 2 of House of the Dragon premiered last Sunday, and I couldn’t be more stoked to be back in the world of Westeros. Bring on the dragons!

4. 🥽 Apple’s Vision Pro headset is not doing too hot when it comes to sales, so the tech company is pitching Hollywood on content they can collaborate on to make it a must-have device.

5. 👯 TikTok announced that it will allow creators to make deepfakes of themselves for use in advertising, with the ability to change their language. Now I’ll finally be able to speak French.

Collaborating with brands is a major way to up your exposure as a creator and turn your passion for content into a career. But which brands you choose to work with, what content you make with them, and how you stay true to your voice are crucial to making it authentic.

Here are some tips:

• Be aligned with the brand. Which brands you partner with should be an extension of the content you create. Collaboration should feel organic.

• Understand the brand’s goals. Is the brand you’re collaborating with looking to drive sales or boost visibility? Knowing their ambitions informs the content you’ll make.

• Think creatively. Boring branded videos are everywhere, so do your best to stand out by collaborating in a fun, unexpected way that gets people talking.

• Really collaborate with the brand. Don’t be afraid to invite the brand into your ideation — get their feedback and incorporate it into your work so everyone feels engaged.

And remember to listen to what your audience thinks! Ask questions, create polls, and scour your comments for feedback that will make the next collab even better.

Plus, it shows brands that your fans are truly invested in what you have to say.