Society

Hello, welcome to Society. We're a different kind of social agency, creating brand stories that flow through society. 

[societysocialaus]

Get ready to have some fun. Snapchat Spectacles give you a totally unique first-person perspective for highly sharable video. However, much like the Snapchat app itself, their deceptively simple interface can make it a challenge to get the most out of the Spectacles.

What’s so cool about the Spectacles anyway?

Once you’ve got the hang of them, the Specs are super simple to use. One tap of the record button gives you 10 seconds of first-person footage, and it’s refreshing to not be looking through a viewfinder or staring at a screen to line up your shot.

Here’s the hook: the videos you’re recording are actually circles. This means when you watch them back on Snapchat, you can spin your phone around to see more of the video. It’s a really cool effect that makes videos way more immersive.

At the time of writing, Snapchat Spectacles are still not directly sold in Australia, but online resellers have made it a lot easier to get these wearables shipped down under. They were first sold at pop-up vending machines across mystery locations in the US, which made the challenge of buying them another part of the cheeky Snapchat experience.

So, if you’ve managed to snag a pair of these Spectacles, we’ve put together a guide for nailing your videos. Here’s 5 steps for getting started and 5 tips for awesome, friendship-winning Snaps.

5 steps for getting started with your Spectacles

1. Switch on Bluetooth and sync your Spectacles

Inside, you’ll find a few things: a big yellow charging case, the Spectacles and a USB charging cord.

Switch on the Spectacles by pressing the button on the left arm of the frame and a circle of LEDs will light up around the lens.

With the Spectacles armed, make sure your phone’s Bluetooth is switched on. Open up the Snapchat app and it should show you a Snapcode prompt. Follow the directions on-screen and point your Spectacles towards this Snapcode, then press the button on the frame.

If you’ve waited 60 seconds and the app doesn’t seem to recognise the Spectacles, swipe up to your profile in Snapchat and tap the Settings cog in the top right. There’s a Spectacles option that has a guide for getting started and helping out if anything goes wrong.

2. Shoot your first video

After syncing your frames with the Snapchat app, you should have seen some simple instructions for recording. One press of the button on your Spectacles records a 10-second video. A second press will extend the recording to 20 seconds, and a third press will record a maximum of 30 seconds. To stop this at any time, just hold the button while recording.

If you can’t see the LED in your peripheral vision while recording, take off the Spectacles and take a squiz. A spinning LED pattern lets you, and anyone around you, know when you’re recording. 

3. Preparing your story for the world

When you’ve recorded some first-person footage, open up the Snapchat app on your connected phone. From the camera view, swipe up or tap the circle below the shoot button to open up your Memories section. If the app was open in the background, your Spectacles videos should already be synced (or in the process of syncing, as indicated by the greyed out thumbnail and loading bar).

Your Spectacles videos are not automatically published to Snapchat, to your phone or anywhere else. They sit solely inside the Memories section until you decide to share them.

All of your recorded videos are condensed into a daily story. You might have taken a few videos on the one day, but they’ll all appear under a single thumbnail, which will animate through previews of your videos. You can tap through them (like other Snapchat stories) and swipe up on entries you’d like to edit, or you can tap and hold the main thumbnail to see other management options.

Of course, you can add all of the usual Snapchat effects to these videos – stickers, scribbles, filters, captions and more – before sharing them. Go as crazy as you’d like with effects, because you can still make changes to these videos after you hit save.

4. Going into high-definition and sharing your snap

The videos that sync automatically over Bluetooth are standard definition, but high definition will let people really experience your story. So, under the Specs tab of Memories on the Snapchat app, there’s a prompt to ‘get HD’. Tap this and select which videos you want to sync in HD. As per the prompts, the glasses will now start a WiFi network to sync with your Snapchat app. Open your phone’s settings and join this new WiFi network. Once you’ve successfully connected, re-open the Snapchat app to sync up the HD videos (they’ll take a little bit longer than the SD videos).

Now you’re ready to share! To publish your circular Spectacles video on Snapchat, use the Memories section to publish your recordings to your story, just like you would for non-Spectacles shots. If you want to share the video elsewhere, tap the share icon (the square with an arrow pointing up) to save them to your phone. Note that these versions of the video will have a white circular border, and that the cool spinning video effect only works inside the Snapchat app.

5. Battery life and charging

To check on the battery life of the specs, tap the front left of the frame (around the corner from the button). The more LEDs that light up, the more battery you have. You can also check the percentage remaining from inside the Snapchat app in the Memories and Settings sections.

As for charging the Spectacles? You simply put them back in the case (again, the LEDs will light up when you’ve lined up the charging point on the frame). The yellow cases carry four full charges for the Spectacles. To check how many charges you’ve got left, press the button on the side of the case. If you need to charge the case, plug the USB charging cord into the back. Now you’re ready to go and start your story.

5 tips for awesome snaps

Capture close-up action. The Spectacles have a really wide field-of-view and give you hands-free access to your surroundings. Make the most of these unique views by getting involved in your videos (your hands make great props).

Remember to apply your best photography practices. If you’re doing something active, you might need to keep a hand on the specs to keep them stable. The specs function in low-light, but they’ll excel in bright daylight. As for audio, the microphone is hit-and-miss, so don’t rely on talking to your audience.

Don’t forget to take a selfie! Your audience is probably used to seeing your face, so don’t forget to include it in some of your Spectacles videos. You can stand in front of a mirror, or even take the specs off and point them at yourself.

Keep the subject centered. While the wide field-of-view of the Spectacles captures more action, remember you’ll actually need to focus your head towards your subject to keep it central in the video. This will also make it easier if you want to crop your circles into a different video shape.

Think of the snap in the series. By now, you’re probably a fully-fledged Spectacles professional. The videos might look great, but remember to tell a story when you starting to capture longer videos or if you’re sharing a series.

Written by Tim Bennett [email protected]

[societysocialaus]

The Australian podcast industry has grown exponentially in the past year. 2016 was dubbed “the year the podcast business came of age”. There’s never been a better time to get involved.

Podcasting Has Serious Momentum

According to the Edison Infinite Dial Australian Research:

-          72% of Australians are familiar with podcasting

-          29% Australians have listened to podcasts

-          Australian podcast listeners hear an average of 6 podcasts per week

-          87% consume most or all of the show, mostly at home (75%) but increasing in the car (30%)

These trends don’t look like they’re stopping anytime soon either. A study by the ABC found 79% of respondents were listening to more or about the same number of podcasts as they did the previous year.

This rise in popularity is, of course, directly linked to the great content being produced locally (59%). ABC’s latest true crime show, Trace, is dominating the charts at the moment. The Mamamia Podcast Network has already achieved 20 million downloads in 2017 and Whooshkaa boasts over 300 shows produced by the likes of News Corp, Fox Sports, The Huffington Post, Fairfax, Channel 7.

Australians are loving the stories told through podcasts and marketers are starting to tune in. A recent study by the IAB found:

-          38% of marketers have already incorporated podcast advertising into their buys

-          3 in 10 marketers are planning to trial podcast advertising in 2017

But what is podcast advertising, and how can a brand fully leverage this new medium?

There are three key ways brands can get involved, ranging from light to heavy involvement:

1. A Quick Dip in the Waters: Ad Insertions

Thanks to technology provided by the likes of Whooshkaa, ads can be delivered dynamically to listeners of a network of podcasts. Ads are served at three key points of the podcasts – Start (Pre-Roll), Middle (Mid-Roll) and near the end (Post-Roll).

Not unlike a radio ad, this is the easiest point of entry to podcast advertising, as the advertiser has full control over how the ad is delivered. This approach is best suited for advertisers who want to dip their toe in the waters, but this execution can be quite jarring to the listening experience.

2. Waist-High: Host Reads

Host Reads leverage the trust the host or podcast has built with their listeners and is executed through conversation either between the hosts or with the listener. When done well, a Host Read can transition seamlessly from Podcast Content to Advertiser Message.

Unlike Ad Insertions, Host Reads are usually held in the middle of the podcast with the host first informing the listener an ad is coming up, and then delivering a read incorporating the brand into their own personal experiences, either with the key message or with the brand.

Host Reads are an effective way to integrate into popular podcasts while receiving an endorsement from the host. Mamamia boasts an impressive 82% unaided recall of podcast sponsors. However, key watch outs are ensuring the alignment between the podcast, host and brand is authentic.

3. The Full Dive: Branded Audio Shows

As Branded Audio Shows require significant investment and time, the barrier to entry for brands can be staggeringly high. However, for brands who are willing to commit to custom content, the benefits are theirs for reaping.

eBay’s Open For Business podcast, produced in partnership with Gimlet Creative, is the shining gold standard for this approach. The podcast explores how to build a business from the ground up and each episode follows a ‘curriculum-style’ approach with interviews with business owners providing practical advice.

The series raced to the top of iTunes charts and more than doubled the number of downloads from their original expected numbers. However, it’s not all about the downloads – eBay saw a 16% lift in unaided favourability of the eBay brand. In fact, the 6-part series was so successful that eBay has now embarked on a second season.

Join the Golden Age of Podcasting 

The interest in podcasting is only going to grow as consumers choose what content experiences they want and when they want to participate. Locally, content creators are catching up to our voracious appetite for good audio content, and accessible technology is allowing brands to get involved in this medium – even if they have a small budget.

Indeed, now’s the time to put on your headphones and listen in.

[societysocialaus]

A few months ago, the Australian Association of National Advertisers handed down a new guideline for disclosing sponsored and native advertising on social media, stating that “advertising or marketing communication must be clearly distinguishable as such to the relevant audience”. They recommended the use of #ad, #sponsored or any identifying label that separates paid or sponsored content from editorial.

While these new guidelines are just that – guidelines, with no formal rules in place - they are indicative of the AANA’s move to bring Australia in line with the stricter regulations of the US and UK.

The Potential Impact on Native Advertising & Influencer Marketing

We shouldn’t view these new disclosure stipulations as barriers to resonating with or reaching our audiences, because when native and influencer content is working to its true potential, a label like #ad shouldn’t stand in the way of success.

Native advertising or influencer marketing is defined as a piece of content that follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed. This means that native content should match the quality, aesthetic and relevance of the non-branded (or editorial) content that lives alongside it.

As an industry, our priority remains the same: creating interesting, relevant and useful native content that engages our target demographic first and foremost, and acts like an #ad second.  

Howard Gossage made this point in the 60s, saying “People don’t read ads. They read what interests them, and sometimes that’s an ad.”

Facebook & Instagram Catch Up  

According to Facebook, 50% of millennials are more likely to recommend brands that share ‘good’ content on social platforms - and the social media giant is very aware that more and more brands are leveraging native advertising (via influencers and publishers) to do just this.

In order to encourage brands to align themselves with content that actually drives value for their audience - in turn improving the all-important News Feed - Facebook has introduced a ‘branded content’ solution to assist influencers, publishers and brands to better track and disclose native content on the platform.

The tool aims to solve the issue of visibility of performance and disclosure in two ways:

1)      Co-Ownership & Disclosure: Making it easy for publishers and influencers to tag a marketer when they publish branded content.

2)      Transparency: Marketers will be able to see insights on tagged posts and have the option to share and boost the post.

This is also being rolled out across Instagram - and while still in Alpha - will allow influencers to clearly disclose their relationship in brands in a way that is clickable and trackable, without resorting to #ad.  

Tips for Brand Managers

Putting the issue of disclosure aside, successful native content focuses on creating brand stories that flow through society, rather than disrupt the user experience. Content should work as a natural connection between a brand and their audience, at a time and place that makes sense to them.

To ensure this is the case, it’s critical to consider the partners you work with:

Authenticity: The (justifiable) concern that is currently fuelling the need for full disclosure is a lack of authenticity, as some influencers chase money and spruik anything from detox tea to medical procedures. But disclosing sponsorship becomes less of an issue when you are working with an influencer who is a true brand advocate.

Alignment: When working with influencers, we need to ensure they are right for the brand and will carry the highest impact for our audience (which doesn’t always mean recruiting the influencer with the highest reach). Their primary role, after all, is to drive trust, credibility and engagement with a brand – and scale can be achieved through smart distribution.

Advocacy: As we see a backlash against ‘celebrity’ influencer endorsement, this has left space for the rise of the ‘micro’ or peer-to-peer influencer. As a result, brands should consider activating their existing consumer database, turning them into loyal advocates using an incentivised system of briefs and rewards. There is huge potential to be tapped here, as recommendations from friends, family and trusted consumers have been shown to carry the most weight in driving purchase intent.

But regardless of whether you are working with a publisher, celebrity style influencer or brand advocate, it’s all about nailing the craft.

We never want to trick our audience into reading an ad; we want them to want to read the ad.

Written by Natasha Guterres [email protected]

[societysocialaus]

Audiences are switching off. Agencies are changing course. Marketers are questioning the traditional advertising model. Is it finally time to embark on customer-centric advertising?

In 2017, native ad spend is estimated to break 50% of digital display (eMarketer), driven largely by social. The pressure has been mounting against the digital ad economy from multiple angles, accelerating the pace of this change and uncovering deeper questions.

-          1 in 4 Australians use ad blocking, questioning the ad-funded content model (IAB, June 2017)

-          2 in 3 consumers trust branded content more than traditional ads (MediaPost)

-          Audiences are declining through the digitisation of traditional channels (Roy Morgan)

o   Time spent with newspapers has fallen 50% since 2010

o   Radio remains steady, but podcasts and streaming are on the rise

o   Time spent watching TV has dropped 17% since 2010.

-          20% of the media revenue ecosystem is held by two players; Facebook and Google (Guardian 2017)

-          Traditionally, the average marketer would spend 5x more budget on distribution than creative - in content marketing, we often see almost the exact reverse.

All these forces are compounding and leading marketers to address three key challenges;

-          How do I meet customers with the digitalisation of offline channels?

-          How does my brand find its voice in this ecosystem?

-          How do I reset the balance of creating versus distribution?

Native can solve these problems; it’s the glue that connects digital and offline worlds. Good native binds effective advertising with storytelling and breaks the traditional creative model.

Native is not “a” channel

There’s no playbook for defining where and how content is brought to life within an organisational structure. Is it led by brand teams? Isn’t PR in charge of writing? Is its role growing customer base? Content for existing customers seems to solve itself… Does the channel link to corporate communications strategy?

The reality is that content is critical at all phases in the consumer experience, and being able to publish in a consistent and efficient manner is one domain. When done well, native spans channels, creating a branded moment that feeds a broader ecosystem beyond social, and beyond digital.

The craft of native is being able to adapt a single idea and tailor it to the environment in which it’s being consumed – from a news article, podcast or Instagram Story, all the way to a TV show integration.

Native advertising is any paid advertising where the ad matches the form, feel, and function of the content of the media on which it appears, from publishers to social platforms.

Native requires platform-led production

These factors are all creating an opportunity for brands to re-think the production model, re-tooling it to be both noticed and remembered, and not just chasing the latest thing. In traditional channels, the average marketer spends $1 on creation for every $5 on distribution. In the rush to “do” social-content, we have seen too many cases wherein this rule is reversed at the expense of effectiveness.

Smart marketers have seen that platforms are what link channels to audiences, and a story that’s been crafted to be responsive to the ecosystem is a must-have not a nice-to-have. We are in a shift away from brand-led to platform-led creation.

At its simplest, marketers are transitioning from “matching luggage” to the “travel-kit” as one format now has a dramatically different set of requirements across different platforms.

Native = Advertising + Storytelling

A major difference between native content and traditional advertising is the route creation takes. Ideas are born from customer data like website analytics, search trends and social listening; the starting point isn’t a persona of the “core target” – it’s democratic. From that point, stories are crafted to answer the real questions that customers are asking. The format is tailored to what is most consumed and shared, and will convert with least friction.

Ultimately, intent is honed every time a story is told. It creates more authentic and more relevant brand experiences that deliver the holy trinity of reach, authenticity and credibility.

Enlisting creators (publishers or personalities) to tell the story when creating content has a two-fold impact:

-          It protects against potential impact of ad-free/blocked content

-          It ensures the lens of platform distribution is embedded into the production process, not added as an afterthought.

The future of advertising is native; where brands exist within platforms, not interrupt them.

Written by Brett Nicholson [email protected]

[societysocialaus]

More and more brands are turning towards influencers as major channels in their marketing mix, and why wouldn’t they? Influencers connect brands to thousands of people, daily, on an intimate level – leveraging a trusted voice to help those brands to influence opinion.

In fact, recent data from influencer marketing platform MuseFind shows that 92% of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement. Providing reach, credibility and authenticity – a hard trio to crack in the marketing game – influencers can be a bridge between a brand and their consumers.

Choosing the Right Influencer

“Can we just use the one with the highest followers?” is a comment we hear all too often. Influencer marketing is often seen as a simple numbers game. Really, it should be measured on brand uplift and positive sentiment. Even though some influencers reach hundreds of thousands of people, a ‘the more the merrier’ approach won’t always deliver the impact and return on investment that brands are after.

While reach is certainly a factor when assessing an influencer’s suitability, it’s not always the case that the more followers one has, the stronger their influence is.  

The problem is that while some influencers may have a huge following, they may not necessarily be human.

The Problem with Bots – And How to Combat Them

Influencers – indeed, anyone with a social media handle – have the ability to use services to increase their audience size. These services are better known as bots.

Bot’s aren’t a new development. Instagram had a well-publicised ‘clean up’ at the end of 2014 which saw followings drop dramatically, by 3.5 million followers in Justin Bieber’s case. There was even a user named chiragchirag78, who went from 3.66 million all the way down to just 8 followers – the account has since been deleted.

As a result, brands and agencies need to put safeguards in place that ensure they are protected from fake followers and are seeing significant engagement with their influencer content.

Social Magnetism in Action

Since influencer selection is essential to a campaign’s success, Society’s native and influencer management team has created Social Magnetism, a proprietary tool that assesses influencers against four key criteria:

·         Alignment to brand, brief and audience

·         Quality of content

·         Engagement rate

·         Social footprint and reach

Through a combination of social listening tools, quantitative data and specialist experience, Social Magnetism can identify and evaluate the best influencers against a campaign’s unique KPIs. We can also pinpoint an influencer’s best performing content, most engaging channel, and target audience, allowing us to design bespoke content frameworks to get the best out of our influencers.

Why Engagement Matters

The single most important metric to analyse when protecting yourself against bots is engagement rate. Influencers with fake fans may have the numbers, but they don’t have followers who are interested or willing to engage with their content. By analysing engagement rates in line with an influencer’s content and audience size, we can determine whether or not they’ll generate a significant ROI in engagement.

Therefore, for any brand wanting to achieve reach, credibility and authenticity, influencer marketing can be a hugely powerful tool. We just need to remember that numbers are not necessarily the key to success and there are other factors at play that will result in an effective influencer partnership.

Written by Alice Davidson [email protected]

[societysocialaus]

Every year, we excitedly await the arrival of a very special document: the Sensis Social Media Report. Chapter 1 of the 2017 edition has landed and it contains some gobsmacking stats on how Australians are using social media. Here are the points that we think are the most important.

1. Social media isn’t just for “millennials”

In recent years, the general rule was if you wanted to talk to young people you’d go through social media. Want to speak to older generations? Maybe radio or TV. Well, those days are over. In 2017 96% of the 30-39 demographic are using social media as well as 86% of the 40-49 demographic. When we say “social media” you’d be forgiven for thinking of Facebook first because 94% of Australians are using it (even 91% of ages 65+).

What does this mean?

Social media now has the potential to reach any age group. Instead of investing in traditional TV buys the reactivity and customisation of content equate to some serious gravitas being afforded to social media. Simply put: Social Media is growing and it demands attention and investment. Make the time for social media: consider your audience and the sort of content you make for them.

2. Smartphones have become social phones

As the iPhone prepares to turn 10 years old in 2017 smartphones continue their stalwart march to take over the world. For some Australians they’ve become the primary device for getting online. When accessing social media 81% of Australians prefer sharing on their smartphone rather than a laptop (30%) or desktop (28%). This doesn’t come as much of a surprise as 81% of Australians own a smartphone (that’s 99% of 18-29 year olds, 96% of 30-39 year olds and 88% of 40-49 year olds).

What does this mean?

Checking social media isn’t an intimate, sit-down experience. Australians like the convenience of a smartphone and they ‘snack’ on their media in little bites throughout the day. This means attention spans are short, screens are staying vertical and it’s the reason why we keep telling our clients that vertical video is here to stay.

3. 18-29 year olds will use social media everywhere (even on the loo)

Hate to break it to you: one in three 18-29 year old’s you know uses their phone on the loo. We might have an addiction. Social media is so important to Australians in 2017 that 71% check it in the evening and 57% check it first thing in the morning. And – get ready for this –14% of Australians will check it in the toilet. Yeah, the toilet. A huge majority of 18-29 year olds (89%) are checking social media at least once per day, with 29% of them willing to do it in the toilet.

What does this mean?

Australians really dig social media. Putting together an advertising campaign? Not including plans for social media from the start would be a huge mistake. Often an afterthought, but (we’re calling it now) soon to be a central part of any comms planning. We are checking more often and at times of the day when we wouldn’t traditionally consume media (we’d like to see TV networks try to capture the toilet crowd.)

4. Social media is becoming highly-visual media

Social media is less about words and more about images, videos, GIFs, virtual reality and live video. This trend has helped Instagram (up from 31% to 46%) and Snapchat (up from 22% to 40%) in particular. When Australians aren’t using social media to catch up with family and friends (89% of users) they’re likely sharing photographs or videos (57%), or simply watching videos (43%). Any guesses as to what type of photos we’re sharing? No surprises here: 45% of Australians have posted a selfie and 40% have shared a photo of their food.

What does this mean?

Words are still important on social media but photos and videos are taking the lead. Australians are even embracing new ways to share visuals with more than half of users trying the story functions on Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. Let’s all say this together at once: Dynamic Content is king.

5. Australians have a mixed relationship with businesses on social media

If you work for an Australian business on social media this is important: people claiming to follow a brand or business’ social media account fell from 36% to 24% despite social media use continuing to grow. Factors for unfollowing include: irrelevant or unappealing content, excessive content and too many ads. A third of users do like seeing sponsored posts from businesses they follow on social media. More Australians are shopping via social media too. In more than half the cases where someone researched an item online, it was subsequently purchased (52%).

What does this mean?

It takes a strong strategy for Australian brands and businesses to truly engage an audience on social media. If you get it wrong, users won’t hesitate to unlike or unfollow you. Keep a focus on quality over quantity and make sure you always consider what your audience wants and needs from you on social media.

A final thought

In summary there is no reinventing the wheel with the 2017 report: the trend towards deeper integration of social into our lives and the requirement for quality content continues to grow. For us as an agency we continue to emphasise the importance of creating authentic stories for brands. We know your audience yearns for compelling content and we’re here to bring them that.

If you want to know more about how this will impact Australian businesses, a second part of this report will be released on 29 June 2017.

Written by Tim Bennett [email protected]

[societysocialaus]

We’re incredibly proud to have won a Bronze Pencil at The AWARD Awards, for our Stoneleigh No.50 campaign.  Well done to the team, and to all who visited and shared! 

[societysocialaus]

On the 1st of June, Society gathered clients and partners alike for a free breakfast session on why Vertical Video should be an integral part of a brand’s marketing mix.

Along with strategists from Snapchat and Vice, Joel West (Social Director), JP Polito (Strategic Advisor) and Alex Erasmus (GM, Sydney), shared their insights on this new and exciting format, along with how and why your brand should be using vertical video.

The video below summarises the key takeaways from the event and includes recent Society work.

To get the true vertical experience, open this video on your mobile and don't forget to click full screen.

[societysocialaus]

It’s happened: F8. Facebook’s yearly update on where the future of the world’s  most powerful social media network lies. Strap yourself in folks, prepare for the future.

Led by Mark Zuckerberg and his team of product leads - and looking more like an Apple conference with every yearly iteration (as it probably should).

There’s plenty of hype out there, but there’s also a lot to be excited about. Want to know what we’re digging or what we think some of the implications could be for businesses? The answers below are yours to discover.

1. We’re going to be even more obsessed with our cameras

With the market consistently pushing for unique and ‘enhanced’ experiences, Facebook has wisely chosen to embrace the burgeoning trend towards Augmented Reality. AR will unlock the ability for you to filter the real world through your phone’s camera. Soon you’ll have the ability to play games that are utilising the same sort of AR tech as Pokémon Go. There’s even talk of being able to see enhanced metadata through Facebook’s platform giving you insight to the world around you. Imagine a world where emotive, interesting or exciting experiences can be unlocked for your consumers? Think: Virtual footprints on the ground leading to exciting brand experiences. Think: Replacing, modifying or introducing creative elements to well-known city locations to excite and engage consumers. The possibilities are truly staggering.

2. VR is still a thing and it’s got a big future

As the owner of Virtual Reality platform Oculus, there’s no surprise that Facebook still sees a big future in VR technologies. With that in mind they’ve announced a beta on Facebook Spaces, a social VR app that enables you to hang out with your friends through a VR headset. Imagine: Enabling your customers to explore a world of your own making with their friends.

3. Slack is still under threat with Facebook Workplace

Launched last year, Facebook’s attempt at integrating with the workplace continues to develop. Facebook Workplace is now deepening its integration with common workplace requirements such as: file sharing, bots, compliance and governance tools and third-party software. This should help bring it closer to Slack which has used this technology for some time. With time you might find your workplace finally being encouraged to use Facebook in the office.

4. Messenger is making beautiful music

Though owner of both WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it’s clear that Facebook views Messenger as the platform for chatting with your friends. They like to use the word ‘rich’ a lot for the experiences they are going to offer. With new integrations including gaming and streaming music services it will be even harder to leave the platform. This is an extremely fertile area for brands, with consumers historically engaging very well with branded games and musical content.

5. Bots are becoming more intelligent

Speaking of Messenger, Facebook’s VP of Messenger products David Marcus is dreaming of how you’re going to want to use bots in the future. Picture it this way: You’re out and about to meet up with your buddies. The topic of a succulent Chinese dinner is approached and Facebook’s integrated bots will be able to quickly react and serve you up the best place to meet at. If this is just a starting point, we can only imagine what sort of answers the bot will be able to give in the future. Everything from places to eat, drink, or how to deal with vexing situations. Exciting times ahead.

6. M to give Alexa, Siri, Assistant a run for their money

You may have heard about Facebook’s AI Platform known as M; a competitor designed to take on the might of Google’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa. In truth it has been a little overshadowed by its competitors however this may be set to change. Facebook is turning their attention back on to M and working their AI harder into their products such as Messenger. Leveraging partnerships with companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Intel there are big plans to help brands integrate this technology to help automate customer interactions streamlining many customer processes along the way. 

7. Developers get some love

Facebook has been known for some time by developers to be somewhat US-centric in it’s ability to support them. This year Facebook announced a program known as developers circle to help the 80% of it’s international developer base with resources and structures to assist them. This should prove to be beneficial to businesses here in Australia; this will allow local suppliers and developers to ensure they’re always up-to-date with the latest tech and developments on Facebook.

8. Facebook is turning into a technological leader

With developments in the VR space, Facebook is looking to help brands and businesses make use of this technology with new 360° camera rigs. These rigs should help brands unlock higher-quality 360° video production abilities.

In addition to the visual tech DARPA alumnus Regina Dugan who - among other things - has overseen development of a technology that will allow people to one day experience content through audio waves reacting with skin.

In short, we’re absolutely energised by these announcements. For us, the creative opportunities that these technologies can unlock could mean an entirely new world of possibilities for our clients. As these technologies slowly develop, we will be chomping at the bit to find unique ways to use them. Facebook has proven consistently that they have a dream and a vision for the future, and so do we.

[societysocialaus]

Steve Harrison has won more Cannes Lions than any other Creative Director in the world. He’s such an accomplished copywriter that, as a junior copywriter writing this blog post, I’m feeling a bit nervous. No typos, no typos, no typos!

Yesterday, Society was lucky enough to host the man himself. Steve is currently touring Australia presenting a day-long Creative Thinking Masterclass, and we were treated to the condensed version.  

Over two hours, Steve shared a number of lessons learned during his storied career, from the weakness of flowery language to the power of ‘relevant abruptions’ – copy that’s both informative and surprising:

A clear thinker and confident speaker, Steve kept us entertained and engaged for the duration of his lecture. He encouraged us to read widely, think simply, and trust in the power of strong copywriting.

And he practiced what he preached. Every one of the slides in Steve’s deck was plain black text on a white background – that’s a man with confidence in his writing!

As Society heads into a busy couple of months, Steve’s visit was a well-timed creative booster shot. Thanks again, Steve – you’re welcome back any time!

[societysocialaus]

What’s next for social and marketing? 2017 will likely be as frenetic, chaotic and thrilling as 2016, so we’ve jotted down the key agenda items for your new year planning sessions.

With the year coming to a close, marketers’ New Year jitters will now be in full swing as we all embark on the necessary existential introspection and ask the important questions, like "What's next?" and "Where is there space for my brand in 2017?"

And as the year ahead promises to be especially frenetic, we’ve kindly gathered some of the key topics that need to be top of your agenda come the fresh start in Jan.

1. First up, you shouldn’t just be developing a social media strategy.

In 2017, your strategic efforts are best placed developing strategies that build social brands, which you can then optimize with operational smarts.

Now, this isn’t me suggesting your businesses operations in social media don’t need strategic guidance; rather, that instead of commissioning a social strategy in silo, separate from communications, you need to be ensuring you have one strategy so everyone’s singing from the same hymn sheet.

The value of strategic thinking comes in two areas: one being in the form of ‘optimisation,’ i.e. improvement of ongoing performance of a brand or business through fine-tuning activities, and the other in the area of resolving the fundamental questions that a brand or business faces - questions about direction rather than progress. You can’t have multiple strategies pushing you in different directions.

Simply, businesses in 2017 should be focusing on building brands that are social, rather than social sides to brands.   

2. Content noise – how to stand out in the clutter. 

Moving to one of the questions that strategy needs to answer in 2017; how can content facilitate better connections between people, brands, products and services?

To put it simply, consumers are bombarded with content every day. In 2005 we were reportedly exposed to over 3,500 brand messages per day – a figure likely to be considerably higher in 2017.

Brands have been told by agencies over the past decade to behave like publishers, utilizing the many apps and social platforms available to reach, engage, service, advise and sell to customers. However, in such a saturated space, with annually dwindling consumer attention, brands need to move away from simply creating content and focus more on enhancing consumers’ lives, using their interests as a bridge to increase proximity.

Experiential content is one clear way to cut through the noise e.g. our very own Stoneleigh Hotel. Connected experiences with the consumer at the heart, enabled by technology, will remain among the best platforms for conversation and content in 2017.

3. Hybrid interfaces.

Thinking about connection points with consumers, it’s hard to ignore the fact that 2016 has been the year of everything conversational, with the meteoric rise of messenger apps, bots and messaging functionality unveiling a number of implications for UI and the way we communicate.

2017’s consumer is more connected than ever, meaning new frontiers for commerce opportunities and moments when brands can connect to consumers.

We’ve moved from messenger services facilitating two-way dialogue, to housing in app game experiences. You can already transfer cash to friends on Snapchat, how long before you can pay for something directly on your phone in Facebook Messenger, or organize a home delivery in IG messenger after clicking purchase on an item in your feed?

Maybe things for the future for now, but certainly not a too distant one, especially if you look to China’s WeChat. Brands need to invest in messenger platforms and develop new interfaces for consumers to interact with them on social.

4. Measurement and maturing approaches to the use of social data.

Naturally, after thinking about your strategy, the connection points with consumers and your content investment, measurement is always going to be a priority.

Here at Society, we’ve using insights derived from social data and robust measurement solutions to drive strategy across the organisations and brands we represent for some time. Whether it’s using the 850,000,000,000+ social posts that we ingest and index from a torrent of data-points to create bespoke industry reports for clients, or tracking campaign effectiveness from news feed to shopping cart through footfall attribution studies, the takeaway is the same – data is improving marketing smarts and effectiveness.

Even in the Native space, we’re now seeing better ways to measure campaigns, as the industry progresses towards better accountability. 2016 saw the first influencer marketing company partner with data analytics organization Quantium, offering in store sales management of its campaigns.

In 2017, social should absolutely be 100% measurable and marketers who aren’t tying social activity back to commercial objectives need to rethink their approach. The digital economy allows us to be scientific, data-led and outcome-focused with our marketing – so there’s no room for fluff next year.

 And there you have it; social media is likely going to be just as much of a rollercoaster in 2017 as the year prior. But armed with some of the above thinking, hopefully you’re ready for the ride – or at least poised to ask the right questions come the start of the year.

[societysocialaus]

As forecasters, working in the industry that we do, it’s only appropriate that we make the most of December’s temporal significance and look ahead to the macro trends shaping consumer behaviour in 2017.

In reaction to culture, technology and innovation all moving at breakneck speed, 21st century businesses and brands are perpetually in a state of re-calibration - start-up mode, turn-around mode, or failing.

With this in mind, and considering December’s temporal significance, we’re donning our forecasting hats and embracing this wonderful world of change with a view to the trends shaping consumer behaviour in the coming year.

Here’s to 2017 and beyond…

A HUMAN TREND: Redundancy and the automation paradox

Technological progress and the fear of human redundancy tend to go hand in hand, but thanks to accelerating developments in artificial intelligence and autonomous machines, those concerns are more prevalent than they’ve been for decades. This is largely due to the human race no longer holding its monopoly on creativity, intelligence or labour.

On one side of the fence, we’re becoming increasingly comfortable with technology that knows us, is cognitive, intuitive, adaptive and self-learning - and we’re readily outsourcing our lives to AI-fueled digital services.

The upside of this facilitated mindlessness is the fact that we can better know our bodies through biometric wearable tech, or better achieve our goals through AI enabled personal coaches. In 10 years’ time, congestion could be a thing of the past with autonomous car sharing and we might all have intelligent, hyper-connected personal assistants guiding us through each and every daily task.

However, with 5.1 million jobs potentially lost in the next five years in the leading 15 global economies from disruptive labour market changes such as robots and artificial intelligence1, the same technology that’s bettering our lives in a personal capacity is also putting livelihoods at risk.

This complex tension between progress and human redundancy will only become more prevalent in 2017, with consumers eager to cling on to that human touch and authenticity, especially when they engage with brands.

In the world of social, this is particularly prevalent as brands look to automate more of their touchpoints through consumers with mechanisms such as chat-bots. Smart companies will look to use technologies to enhance, rather than replace, the direct human touchpoints between brand and consumer – a balancing act we’re advising our clients on in 2017.

A CULTURAL TREND: The need for deeper connections

In a similar vein, the human need for authenticity is also manifesting in a cultural yearning for deeper connections with those we care about most. On the surface of things, 21st century technology has brought the world closer together, but dig deeper and new lines of separation have been drawn. Take the example of the recent US election and BREXIT vote – one can argue that consumers, trapped in their walled gardens of content, were possibly unaware of the opposing viewpoints and perspectives that existed outside of their news feeds. Certainly, critical thinking is more important than ever, we shouldn’t believe everything we read or see in our algorithmic echo chambers.

Fundamentally, technology has so far brought about better connections with strangers and the fact that we can swipe left in the search for potential partners epitomises the uncomfortable truth that we’re all disposable as humans in this context. It’s no wonder really that the first generation of digital natives are keenly seeking out services and products that better connect them with the people they care about most.

2016 saw the likes of music streaming service Spotify create playlists that help parents bond with and educate their children. Similarly, with our very own Stoneleigh Hotel, we’ve decked out a hotel with overgrown plants, vines and nature in Chippendale, Sydney, where people can meet, enjoy a drink and host events. The hotel has become a platform for cultural experiences and conversations.

Other brands that find ways to facilitate deeper connections between people in 2017 will be riding this zeitgeist and find themselves with a place in the hearts of consumers.

A TECHNOLOGY TREND: The internet of experiences

One way of fostering deeper connections with people will be through technology – specifically AR and VR.

Well known technologist Kevin Kelly talks about the maturing of VR and AR technologies triggering a seismic shift that will transition the internet from being run on a currency of information to a currency of experiences.

Kelly postulates on how the internet has become so oppressive because of information overload and all experiences have been flattened into one singular experience: the consumption and response to information, be it in news feeds, search results, forums or publisher sites. And the more efficient the information exchange the more we seek, and then the more overwhelmed we become and the more we yearn for experiences.

The phenomenon of Pokémon Go has already paved the way for more VR/AR enabled experiences to quench our collective thirst for cultural currency, and brands that adopt this mindset shift and stop thinking about digital experiences as just content for entertainment or utility will unlock innovation opportunities.

We’re working with platforms across Australia and seeing the entry costs for creators to develop more immersive experiences drop, meaning these experiences can become more accessible to the masses. Brands that invest their media and content budgets with platforms offering up more immersive opportunities via 360 video, VR and AR will outpace the competition in 2017 and capitalise on the innovation opportunities through beta programs the tech presents.

A BRAND TREND: Purposefulness

It’s not a new concept, brands needing to have a higher order purpose to be relevant, but in an age that’s seen start-ups destroy and disrupt, consumers become producers and attentions reach saturation point, this purposefulness is now essential for survival.

We can attribute much of this to the democratising of information and rise of transparency that the internet and social media has provided – consumers can see through brands that don’t walk the walk.

We live in a world where news breaks faster about a brand’s actions or positions on causes than it ever really would regarding a product launch – just look at the numerous brands who’ve looked to represent same-sex relationships in their comms this year.

Yes, brands are generally mired in sin in the eyes of consumers, especially the larger ones, but cynicism aside, we’re predicting redemption is on offer for those that use their voice or resource for good and adopt a higher order purpose or mission to better connect with customers.

Right now consumers will struggle to tell you why a brand matters to them. A recent Harvard Business Review found that only 23% of consumers actually feel that they actually have a meaningful relationship with a brand2. It’s simple, if your customer feels they have no real connection to your company, they will move on to a competitor.

We use a suite of tools to accurately analyse the torrents of social data available in real-time and it can paint a very accurate picture of consumer sentiment and feeling when it comes to defining brand purposefulness. We’re expecting these insights to trigger re-evaluation among companies next year and for there to be plenty of renewed brands, founded on social listening insights, resulting in dynamic strategies made for a social world where actions truly trump what you say.

 So, some big thinking for the year ahead. But whilst the above macro trends are absolutely relevant to all marketers heading into 2017, with social moving at the dizzying pace it is currently - new platforms, behaviours, memes and audiences are born and die every minute – the year ahead promises to be especially frenetic from a more operational point of view too. So kindly, we’ve supplemented the above with some more pointy questions on the key topics and questions that need to be top of your agenda come the fresh start in January 2017.

1 World Economic Forum, January 2016

2 HBR, 2015

[societysocialaus]

Congratulations to Naomi Martin, Cat Pitts-Tucker, Rhian Mason, Tim Collier, The Feds, and the rest of the team who worked so hard on Stoneleigh No. 50! We’re stoked to bring home the ADMA AC&E award for Best Art Direction: http://bit.ly/2dQQSZz 

[societysocialaus]

Congratulations to Society’s Laura, Amanda, Eugenia and Jake for winning Best Headline at the annual Fairfax Media Editorial Challenge!  (Shout out to Max and Cameron from UM for their help!)

[societysocialaus]

We’re very proud of our whole team for being shortlisted in three categories at the 2016 ADMA AC&E Awards.  This is our campaign for Stoneleigh Wine, which saw nature takeover an abandoned house in the heart of Sydney, inspiring people to share the brand story as a ‘wonder of nature.’ Take a look, while we get shopping for our award night outfits! 

[societysocialaus]

Native advertising has grown up. It’s gone from being the icing on the cake to a crucial part of any campaign architecture, driving scale and measurable results for businesses.

This post is a recap of the Native Advertising Event held in Melbourne. To read what was discussed in Sydney, click here.

There has been a fair bit of hype around “native advertising” in recent years. While the renewed focus on Native is not necessarily bad, the various ways the term is used and defined causes confusion.

For some, Native is defined as an ad placement where the user experience matches the natural form and function of the platform. This definition would include Facebook and Twitter sponsored posts. For others, Native is sponsored content published in a third party environment.

Recognising the need for clarity and the opportunity for a robust debate, we held an event inviting our publisher partners and clients to help demystify native advertising and discuss key challenges around the topic.

Speakers included:

Sharyn Smith (Founder and CEO, Social Soup)

Chris Morfis (Managing Director, Nuffnang Australia)

Rene L’Estrange-Nickson (Sales Director, Broadsheet)

Ayal Steiner (Managing Director, Outbrain APAC)

Danika Johnston (National Sales Director, Mamamia)

Vanessa Wong (Native Director, Society)

One of the biggest discussions on the day was focused around the power of earned formats. This is backed up by Magna Global’s recent research which found brand websites to still be highly trusted, but earned formats such as recommendations from friends and family, customer reviews and editorial content make up three of the four most trusted ad formats.

This demonstrates the importance of leveraging influential voices. While there will be times when a brand needs to speak from their own voice, there are other times when we need to leverage the power of someone else’s voice to create permissibility, relevance and authenticity.

Along with the importance of the channel within the modern marketing mix, measurement and distribution were also hotly debated. Our speakers agreed native success does not stop at simply finding the right partner and sharing the right message.

Native content distribution not only provides us with the ability to attract new audiences, but also drive real business results, allowing us to extend the story with our audience making content work harder and longer.

To share a simple example of how this could work on a platform such as Outbrain, we first amplify a review of a car across the platform. Once we have attracted a large audience pool, we are able to follow up with a Request A Test Drive message on a different platform.

Distribution offers us scale and reach for our content but we need to look beyond just the click. What is our target audience doing on page? How long are they spending with the content? Are they sharing and tagging their friends? And most importantly, what actions have they taken after reading the content?

Native success can be evaluated through a variety of metrics and it changes based on specific business goals and channel objectives.

There have been increasingly more and more success stories with impact research studies demonstrating native success. Social Soup have recently partnered with Quantium to track the behaviour of their advocates and how it correlates to sales.

Our speakers concluded the morning agreeing Native Advertising has really grown up. As demonstrated by the above, there has never been a better time to discuss all things Native. While Native Advertising and Advocacy Marketing currently still within the Trough of Disillusionment, advertisers who continue to experiment will reap the full benefits of using Native within their marketing mix.

Further reading:

Outbrain Amplify Forrester Study

Gartner Hype Cycle 2016

Written by Vanessa Wong, Native Director

[email protected]

[societysocialaus]

Event Recap Sydney - ‘Your Customers are Switching Off and Turning to Native Advertising’ By Rhian Mason

Last week, Society held a national event in Sydney that invited leading pioneers in advocacy, influencer marketing, and native advertising to join our clients for an informative and insightful session.

Speakers included:

Sharyn Smith (Founder and CEO of Social Soup)

Lorraine Murphy (Founder and Managing Director of Remarkables Group)

Tim Duggan (Founder and publisher of Junkee Media)

Ayal Steiner (Managing Director of Outbrain APAC)

Danika Johnston (National Sales Director of Mamamia)

Rhian Mason (National Head of Native, Society)

Here are our key take-outs from the morning:

1. Authentic connections matter.

Our consumers are more informed than ever before. As they become increasingly empowered, traditional advertising is no longer as effective. With a backlash against celebrity endorsements and a growing demand for disclosure and honesty, there has been a shift towards micro-influencers – this means real people talking to real people through content that has authenticity at its heart.

Today’s savvy audience doesn’t want to feel overtly ‘influenced’ by branded influencer content. Instead, the value exchange comes from content being “authentic, trustworthy, and relatable”. This peer-to-peer dynamic is key for brands wanting to connect with consumers in meaningful ways. We need to make audiences feel like they’ve received a recommendation from a friend – within a trusted, credible environment and authentic message.

2. Treat influencers as an extension of your brand.

When working with influencers, the best results come from prioritising relationships over automation to ensure a collaborative effort. An effective balance is achieved when the brand maintains an element of output control without compromising the authenticity of the influencer’s voice. Treat influencers as content creators and producers, rather than mere mouthpieces broadcasting your message. It’s when you move away from this commoditised approach that you can craft something truly effective.

3. Your target audience is not just a demographic.

With the rise of ad-blocking, consumers have become desensitised and frustrated by too much interruptive display advertising. This signals a need to rethink how we communicate, engage and reach audiences. Native content offers an opportunity to be creative again – treating audiences with complete intelligence and creating meaningful brand experiences that are served on their terms.

The Society solution - A framework for influence.

To understand the complex world of peer-to-peer advocates, bloggers and native content, we need to position them within layers of influence. Each layer offers unique opportunities to either drive scale or deepen engagement from an audience-first perspective, building a relationship with your consumer.

Advocacy involves working with audiences at a peer-to-peer level (so you, me, friends, family). This niche approach relies on the trust of social circles to drive positive word of mouth for a brand.

Influencers and bloggers have a wider network of engaged social communities, but a targeted approach can still be achieved by identifying relevant influencers who reach the right audience and have a natural affinity for the brand message.

Publisher native advertising allows brands to reach engaged readerships with messages that fit naturally within the publisher site. Each publisher has a different format, definition, and perspective – but with the united purpose of creating valuable advertising experiences for their audiences at scale.

Finally, the most crucial layer - Distribution. Whether this involves syndication, paid social media, content seeding or recommendation widgets, these amplification methods enable content to work harder, which is almost as important as the content itself!

Helping you achieve success with native:

Native success can be defined by a variety of metrics. Unlocking the ROI equation remains one of the biggest challenges holding clients back from investing in the native space. However, we need to start looking beyond the click and towards engagement time, scroll behaviours, and actions on the page. Mutual respect is needed from brands and native partners, and definitions of success should be identified up front.

Creating smart content strategies is essential. Brands should also factor in how content is scaled and targeted. Ultimately, how we follow and track the journey of those who consume content will play a big role in enriching their digital experiences.

To find out more about how Society’s unique blended offering, exclusive partnerships, and why we’re the largest native specialist offering in Australia, please contact Sydney’s General Manager Alex Erasmus: [email protected] or call us on: 0455 899 584.