Good morning. For anyone who thought “Hawk Tuah Girl” was a flash in the pan, recent trademark filings may suggest otherwise. According to TMZ, a company owned by Haliey Welch (the creator behind the meme) is eyeing business ventures including a sports betting service, BBQ sauce, and…mouthwash.

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Nick DiGiovanni Launches ‘Coffee Mixology’ Drinks at Dunkin’

Food creator and chef Nick DiGiovanni has worked extensively with coffee brand Dunkin’ in ads and a TV commercial over the last year. Now, DiGiovanni and Dunkin’ are doubling down with “The Chef Nick Menu” featuring four new coffee drinks available nationwide as of July 31.

We spoke with Zach Blank, DiGiovanni’s head of operations, about what they’ve learned turning a partnership with a major brand into a multi-faceted, lasting relationship →

Dunkin’ isn’t new to creators. When Charli D’Amelio partnered with the coffee chain in 2020, Dunkin’ sold hundreds of thousands of her signature drink in its first five days and registered a 57% increase in app downloads.

Blank said that this success has made Dunkin’ eager to invest in longer-term campaigns with creators. “They’ve really allowed us to take a lot of creative freedom and control with the direction of the campaign,” he told us.

Subtle mentions can create a big moment. To make the partnership feel more “natural,” DiGiovanni has teased his Dunkin’ drinks with Instagram stories and short videos over the last year.

Blank said this strategy created buzz—fans had already tried the drinks and tagged DiGiovanni in photos before he released an official launch video (which rolls out Wednesday).

There’s value in going off-platform. DiGiovanni has over 35 million followers across his channels, but appearances in the Dunkin’ app and national TV commercials (which aired during the NBA Finals in June) have increased his visibility to wider audiences.

“I think it really legitimizes a creator brand…it’s totally out of our zone of the ‘social media sphere,’ and now into the traditional world,” Blank told us.

The Sorry Girls Invest in On-Camera Talent

DIY and home decor channel The Sorry Girls launched a new series last week following cast member Rachael Nyhuus as she transforms her new apartment. 

It’s part of The Sorry Girls’ ongoing plan to expand their brand beyond founders Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright and show more people on camera—including producers Nina Pikula and Rochelle Gracey, among others.

Context: The Sorry Girls joined Mythical’s Creator Accelerator last year, 13 years after MacDermaid and Wright started the channel. Since joining the program, The Sorry Girls have grown their audience by 1 million across social channels, expanded their team, and launched a design course. 

Now they’re taking a page from Mythical’s book by expanding on-camera talent with their From The Workshop Floor series and more videos following cast members.

“This day and age, [growing a channel beyond its founders] is a big problem to solve for, so we love getting together with our talent. And we like to swap it up a little bit with guests. It’s a really nice way to play with the format,” Wright told us about From The Workshop Floor earlier this summer.

Looking ahead: The Sorry Girls plan to continue investing more in makeover video series and finding ways to simultaneously connect with their audience and expand their business.

“Our audience has grown up with us. They are the same age as us, and anytime we’ve wanted to shift, our audience has gone with us,” Wright told us. “At the end of the day, I trust our gut because I am our audience,” MacDermaid added.

Twitch Loses Market Share to Competitors

Twitch, the world’s most popular live streaming platform, lost 10% of its market share in Q2, dropping to 60%, according to new data from Streams Charts and Stream Hatchet.  

Meanwhile, competitors Kick and YouTube both increased their market share by 5% each.

Read the room: Some creators and news outlets are speculating that the loss coincides with Twitch’s decision to end its ban on simulcasting, which allows Twitch creators to stream on multiple platforms at the same time.

Big picture: After being acquired by Amazon in 2014, Twitch is still not profitable. Some Twitch employees have expressed concern that Amazon won’t invest in future development to keep the company competitive.

👀 Creator Moves

• Jesser’s BucketSquad is hiring a production assistant and personal assistant to the CEO.

• Frank Michael Smith is looking for a sports script writer to help with longform video.

• Fix This Build That is hiring a production assistant to support their DIY projects and videos.

Looking to bring on new team members? You can post opportunities on our (free) job board here.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Elyse Meyers celebrates 1 million subscribers on YouTube.

• ESPN releases a 30 for 30 episode on Dude Perfect.

• Vimeo launches an AI-powered video translator tool.

• The US Department of Justice sues TikTok for violating children’s online privacy law.

• Meta is working with actors and creators to incorporate their voices into a digital assistant called “MetaAI.”

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