Big Things Podcast

Mitzi Payne & Mike Payne

4.9 (10)
MARKETING
UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly show where we talk about the big things we're watching in marketing, social media, pop culture and sports. We also talk through signals we’re seeing that could inform the future of digital marketing. You can catch the podcast every Friday wherever you listen or watch it on YouTube. Be sure to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for updates on every episode.

MAR 28

It’s the Great Meme Depression and We’re Confused (E23)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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-2025Shoutout 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.

46 min
MAR 21

Treat Your Brand Like An Athlete (E22)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

42 min
MAR 17

Is It Too Soon to Talk About Football? X Causes Chaos (E21)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

51 min
MAR 10

You Can Throw Your Gum at Me (E20)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

45 min
FEB 28

Why Are We Crying Over An Ugly Fish? (E19)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

36 min
FEB 24

Why We Aren’t Loving NikeSKIMS Yet (E18)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

56 min
FEB 7

Netflix vs. Everyone (E17)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

43 min
JAN 24

WAGS, Football Drama, and Meta Updates (E16)

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 @mmmiiikeTimestamps: 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.

44 min

See All (104)

4.9

out of 5

10 Ratings

Big on boundaries!!

11/27/2023

beccabooker

I’m a social media agency owner and I loved the episode where they discuss non negotiable. I relate so much to needing to change habits after seeing success in business! Definitely going to implement these into my routines to improve my work-life balance, productivity, and boundaries.
Amazing

03/04/2020

dwsdrewscaddd

Honestly incredible! This podcast has been incredibly helpful for me. THANK YOU!!!!
Excellent content

02/28/2020

k📱

I loved listening to the episode with Taylor from Later. The content is so timely, I love the discussions that are had and also enjoy learning as I listen! As an entrepreneur and digital marketer this show is amazing to glean what’s new and relevant in an ever changing industry
New Fav

02/27/2020

MeowCat99

I like the variety . Not all podcast can hook up in . I truly enjoy listening . While just driving down the highway it’s a good way to feel the breeze and listen.

Creator

Mitzi Payne & Mike Payne
Years Active

2019 - 2025
Episodes

104
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Big Things Podcast

Big Things Podcast

Episodes

It’s the Great Meme Depression and We’re Confused (E23)

Treat Your Brand Like An Athlete (E22)

Is It Too Soon to Talk About Football? X Causes Chaos (E21)

You Can Throw Your Gum at Me (E20)

Why Are We Crying Over An Ugly Fish? (E19)

Why We Aren’t Loving NikeSKIMS Yet (E18)

Netflix vs. Everyone (E17)

WAGS, Football Drama, and Meta Updates (E16)

Ratings & Reviews

Big on boundaries!!

Amazing

Excellent content

New Fav

About

Information