Media and Trends

Musings on marketing trends

[myuse10]

Riverdale, A Series of Unfortunate Events... Driving MAU via Millennial Nostalgia

Hi friends, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but I have decided to take up my pen (keyboard) again due to a series of very fortunate events. As you may already know, two new shows have recently been released, and have been much #trending on social media- A Series of Unfortunate Events (a Netflix original), and of course, the much hyped Riverdale. After succumbing to the temptation of the release of new shows based on TWO of my childhood favorite series, I re-signed up with Netflix, and can’t help wondering how many millennials did the same. 

In the media and tech sector, MAU (monthly active users) is king. Could looking back into the childhoods of now-salaried millennials be the key to maintaining and driving MAU growth? After all, tapping into existing resources, and turning already successful text/comic publications into motion series is a lot more efficient than constantly trying to generate new ideas. As long as producers can stay true to the spirit of the text and deliver new dimensions to old classics, these motion spin-offs are bound to be successful. 

In the words of Don Draper, “[Nostalgia is] a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone... it's a time machine... It takes us to a place where we ache to go again... It let's us travel the way a child travels - around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know are loved. “

Thank for taking me back, @netflix and the @thecworiginals. 

[myuse10]

Social Media Summary

Throughout this course, I have learned many things not just about social media marketing, but also about how social media marketing applies to every area of our lives. 

What stood out especially was the personal branding and how that we as millennials will leave a trail of digital bread crumbs not previously thought possible. It was also interesting to note the interaction between social communities and how that a single person can have a huge impact and widespread influence just through his or her network.  

Finally, it was interesting to learn about the different social media zones and how important is it for companies to have a unified strategy to advance their business. 

[myuse10]

I was just browsing through Instagram when I stumbled across a water drinking challenge hosted by a mineral water company named Gerolsteiner. Participants can enter a sweepstakes held by the company in order to earn enough water to keep them hydrated for a month. The only catch is that they can drink ONLY Gerolsteiner mineral water, (which means no juice or soda or coffee!) and post their progress on Instagram, Facebook or other social media platforms every day. It sounds like a pretty sweet deal, though unfortunately, it’s probably only open to Germany at this time since the whole website is in Germany… What an awesome idea to drive brand awareness though!

[myuse10]

Professor live-tweets her son's abstinence-only sex ed class

We have all heard of live tweeting by celebs during TV shows or events, but what about live tweeting during an abstinence class? One professor decided to live-tweet her son’s abstinence based sex-ed class and created resulting hilarity for her followers.

Maybe colleges should try have live tweeters at some their more interesting classes to lure in possible applicants, but then again, that’s just a thought. 

[myuse10]

Tinder Much? Tinder Plus!

Single? Not single but just want to mingle? You have probably heard of an app called Tinder, a mobile app that matches you to prospective dates based on appearances. Even though it might sound a bit shallow, it has been wildly popular. Recent news states that Tinder will now roll out Tinder Plus, with new features that allows you to review and get back an errant match while also allowing you to match outside your geographic region. The catch is that it will cost $6.99 a month in the US. Are you willing to pay a premium to get a second look at a possible love connection? The call is yours! 

https://www.gotinder.com/blog/plus Click for more info!

[myuse10]

Superbowl Fiat commercial, success or fail? As most of you have already seen, Fiat launched a commercial for the Superbowl. Set against the scenic backdrop of Italy, the commercial features an elderly man about to do get into his bed with his wife, only to have the moment ruined when he drops his Viagra pill out the window. Instead of enhancing his own sexual prowess, the Viagra pill instead lands in the gas tank of a a little Fiat, which then becomes engorged and turns into Fiat's newer, larger model. 

This was actually one of my favorite commercials from the game, but it does make me question the success of the commercial. When I thought back to the commercial, instead of thinking it as a Fiat commercial, I automatically associated it with a Viagra commercial instead. Maybe that's just me, but there seems to be other issues with it as well. Netizens seem to be disgusted by the commercial and doesn't seem to eager to own a "Fiat erection." I personally though this commercial was whimsical. What do you think?

[myuse10]

Have a Crush? Facebook Already Knows

In light of Valentine's Day, I want to comment on a hidden feature of Facebook. According to an article on Mashable, Facebook can predict a relationship status change up to 100 days before the change happens. This is due to a rise in posting activity between two potential lovebirds' walls, only to have the activity decrease after the onset o the relationship. 

This finding was released in a series of posts and studies that were published on Facebook in honor of the romantic holiday. Click here to see the full list of posts. 

It seems that Facebook has already grown from merely a social networking platform to a medium that holds a wealth of information. Privacy concerns aside, this data will be beneficial for marketers to specifically target couples with ads regarding products for those in the throes of love, and those who are in relationships. 

[myuse10]

By now, you're probably all tired of seeing this dress floating around the internet. But I just wanted to use this dress to write a meta post that comments on the platforms that talked about this dress. On Friday, a user posted a picture of a dress that caused mass controversy on Tumblr. Within less than 24 hours, the post spread like wildfire and because the most trended search. 

After debating with my friend for hours on the color of the dress (yes, I'm guilty), and witnessing the dress change color with my own eyes, I scoured the internet for a satisfactory scientific explanation. To my chagrin, I found nothing satisfactory, and resigned to piecing together my own explanation with some piecemeal research regarding light and physics. The next morning, as I was scrolling through my Facebook front page, I noticed that a blog I follow, IFLS (I F*cking Love Science), had already posted an explanation of this on Facebook, citing field experts and everything. Buzzfeed was even more efficient in creating their posts, since a post about the dress was already available during the height of the trend. 

This was the not the first time that Buzzfeed shocked me with its efficient use of internet trends. After seeing the Superbowl commercials and the halftime, my head was filled with some opinions of my own, so of course I took to the internet in order to see if anyone else shared my sentiments. However, my search produced a set of different results, and Buzzfeed had already posted a listicle commenting on the "awesomeness" of the Katy Perry sharks. After browsing Ad Age today, I realized that since Buzzfeed generates most of its revenue from advertising, it would only make sense for it to jump onto the hottest trend. This has in turn, make Buzzfeed extremely efficient in using the proper algorithms to create viral hits. Buzzfeed, then, no longer seems to be so unrespectable. 

[myuse10]

Twitter: Global Radio

In the face of sorrow or disaster, one of our first responses is to reach out to our friends. In an increasingly global age, there are more and more platforms to aid us in bringing people closer and creating a giant community. 

Twitter has inspired numerous political events and acted as platform for protesters and sympathizers to gather. In December, 2014, a hashtag  called #illridewithyouwas created by an Australian woman in light of a terrorist event in Sydney in which a cafe was held up at gunpoint. In order to provide solidarity, and to prevent Islamphobia in the light of the attack. Rachael Jacobs , the "spark" behind this hashtag, saw a Muslim woman sitting alone on a subway, silently removing her hijab, she ran after the woman after she left the train, and said, please put it back on, I will walk with you if you don't feel safe, only to see the woman break down and cry. Jacobs later posted a Facebook status of her experience and inspired a hashtag by a Twitter user named Tessa Kum, who tweeted that she will ride on the subway with anyone who felt unsafe while riding public transportation while wearing religious garb. Another hashtag, #WeAreAllAustralian, was later added onto the initial hashtag, inspiring thousands.

However, this isn't the only instance when Twitter inspired activism and solidarity. A few days ago, the hastag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy began trending. This hashtag was tweeted and retweeted by Turkish men who wore mini-skirts in solidarity in order to protest against violence against women in light of Ogezecan Aslan's tragic death. 

Aslan was a twenty year old student who was brutally murdered after defending her self against attempted rape on a minibus heading home. Her death sparked protests in Turkey, since people expressed rage at the injustice of the situation. 

In this sense, Twitter users chose to use Twitter as a social community and rose to the occasion to stand in solidarity and defend justice. 

[myuse10]

Mark Zuckerberg Wishes You a Happy Lunar New Year

A few days ago, many people celebrated Chinese New Year across the world, and welcomed in the Year of the Ram. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and creator of Facebook posted a video of him wishing viewers a Happy Chinese New Year on his own platform, Facebook. This may seem pretty innocuous, but the catch is that the whole greeting was done in Mandarin. According to Mashable, he also conducted an impressive interview with students from Tsinghua University (the Harvard of China) entirely in Mandarin. 

Is this a marketing move to gain favor with the Chinese market and gain a demand for Facebook despite the Chinese government regulations? Or is his inclination or learning Chinese based solely in his desire to communicate better with Priscilla's Mandarin speaking relatives. No matter what his reason, his Mandarin skills are commendable... but the question is whether it too, is a key strategic move?

Click here to see the video!

[myuse10]

Burrito Haikus, I Love You

Twitter campaigns for fast fast food restaurants have been notorious for being flops. Some years ago, McDonalds launched a campaign that allowed customers to share their McDonald stories, only find that they have instead given consumers just another tool to bash their own company. 

A few days ago, Chipotle, the fast food giant marketed towards the socially conscious, launched a haiku contest. Tweeters must create haikus to express their great love for burritos in 140 characters or less while still maintaining their creativity. Winners are given the chance to win prizes or a dinner for two. As for the success of the campaign? We can only speculate. 

Click here for more information. 

[myuse10]

In 2014, a Korean agency, Innored, created a stunt campaign to show off North Face's spirit of exploration. Titled "Never Stop Exploring," customers are shown into a North Face store only to have the floor gradually disappear beneath them. Coincidentally, the walls are perfect for climbing. The customers are then shown a screen telling them that they have 30 seconds to jump and grab the North Face jacket. This is geared to give their market a real taste of alpinism and the personality of the brand. 

This video posted by North Face Korean on YouTube has been viewed more than 11 million times and has garnered the envious attention of shoppers worldwide. Even though people have speculated that the customers must be actors in order to avoid legal liabilities, this video was doubtlessly successful in gaining old and new consumer interest. 

[myuse10]

HONY and Indiegogo

As most of you may have already know, there exists a site called Humans of New York. For those of you who don't know, Humans of New York (HONY) is a site that showcases pictures of ordinary people in New York City and their extraordinary stories. The genius and photographer behind the site is a man known simply as Brandon. Even though he doesn't like to show his own face much, his HONY Facebook page boasts 11,967,792 likes and 3,603,576 mentions. HONY has inspired dozens of spin-offs and seemed to connect people to total strangers, creating a sense of warmth in a giant city. 

Recently, I saw a post on the HONY Facebook page about a principal in Brooklyn trying to create a fund to send her scholars (students) on a trip to Harvard. Why? Because she wants to inspire these kids that they can achieve anything, and that their situations are not the definitions of them.  People say that when you meet Brandon on the streets of NYC, sometimes miracles happen. On January 22, HONY created a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo, a social media crowdfunding platform. The fundraiser has taken off, and the Vidal Scholarship has received 1,098% of its desired funds. 

Often it is not that people don't care, it's how they're brought together to act. Through a combination of inspiration, human goodness and a dash of social pressure and the promise of social recognition, initiatives such as the Vidal Scholarship Fund take off. Maybe that's why so many crowdfunding sites are linked to social media... It is powerful to see the impact social media can have on people and society, yet with any great power comes great responsibility, and with any tool of influence, a responsibility to use it for good...

Click here to see the Vidal story and/or donate! 

[myuse10]

Uptown Funk is taking over the web by storm; its catchy lyrics and fun, laid back, retro vibe has inspired dozens of adaptations. One of which is led by high school drama teacher, Scot Pankey. Do you think this is here to stay? Is this the Gangnam Style of the season? Let us know what you think! 

P.S.: Don't you wish you had a teacher like him?