TRENDING NORTH: AUG ‘22
A monthly look at the marketing and advertising industry from NORTH’s point of view.
Start Creating for TikTok
Madelyn Brennecke, Sr. Performance Marketing Manager
As users have moved away from the polished content of Instagram to the more fun and authentic TikTok feed, brands have struggled to develop content that conforms to this new aesthetic and engages users. To help, TikTok has released a new video outlining key brand and marketing tips for their platform. The top 3 recommendations in my opinion were:
- Maximize creator content by choosing creative partners that align well with your brand and then hand them the reins to create content that appeals to their audience.
- Create content that entertains. Unlike other social platforms (like Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter) users are not using TikTok to make connections or get updates from brands. They are using TikTok primarily for entertainment
- Have fun with sound and movement. Tap into music and trending sounds, and incorporate movement and transitions. Duets and Stitches can also help brands piggyback off of trending content.
Make Instagram Instagram Again
Madelyn Brennecke, Sr. Performance Marketing Manager
The rapid and continuing success of TikTok has threatened many social platforms, and Mark Zuckerberg has continually pushed for changes on Instagram to try and compete, such as introducing Reels, removing the chronological timeline, and pushing more AI suggested posts to mimic the TikTok “For You” page. Users and brands alike have complained about the changes, as Instagram has made it harder to see content from the people and brands you actually follow, filling user’s feeds with fluff and making it harder for brands to get their posts seen organically. Most recently, users have created a petition to “Make Instagram, Instagram Again” and to stop trying to be TikTok. The petition currently has almost 300K signatures and is calling for Instagram to bring back chronological timelines, put the focus back on photos, and support the brands and creators that are creating the platform’s content. So far, Instagram has defended its changes and declared they are likely here to stay. In fact, Meta announced they will be doubling the amount of AI suggested posts by the end of next year in an effort to grow Reels. Ultimately, Instagram needs to appeal to its users if it wants to remain successful, so I’ll be curious to watch how Zuckerberg versus the people unfolds.
Being Real is In
Yanet Garcia, Media Intern
A new app is gaining popularity among Gen Zers, BeReal. BeReal was created in France in 2020 and since the beginning of this year, daily users have been rising. The concept behind BeReal is to post a picture of yourself or what you are up to each day, and share it with your friends. There is no pressure in this to be more popular or any reward if you post everyday, and no filters, it is simply to be in touch with your friends without the social pressures that can often be found in other social media platforms. According to the creators of the BeReal app, this is not a space for people to become famous or for massive amounts of ads to pop up, it is simply a space to share silly moments with the people you like. The rising popularity of this app coincides with Instagram’s petition, and may offer an alternative for users who simply miss the good old days of Instagram to keep up with friends. While users are loving this idea, brands are worrying about losing followers and progress as users switch platforms.
Podcast Audience Targeting with SiriusXM and Comscore
Stephen Lawrence, Media Planner
As the conversation around podcasts continues to be top of mind for advertisers, one of the biggest questions that comes up is around effectiveness of ad placements. You can put an ad in almost any podcast, but how are we able to actually target our audience in the environments that they are already in? That’s where SiriusXM comes in. As all advertisers look towards a cookie-free future, SiriusXM has teamed up with Comscore to bring on more targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers the opportunity to truly meet their audiences in the podcast shows they are more likely to be listening to. With Comscore’s audience behavior data, advertisers can rest easy that their ad dollars are being spent towards the most targeted audience segments.
Social Media Safety Index
Stephen Lawrence, Media Planner
This month, GLAAD, an American non-governmental media monitoring organization focused on LGBTQIA+ individuals, released their findings on user safety across the five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. In the study, GLAAD found that “84% of LGBTQ adults said not enough protections are on social media to prevent discrimination, harassment or disinformation. Additionally, 40% of LGBTQ adults, as well as 49% of transgender and nonbinary people, do not feel welcomed and safe on social media.” (NPR) Across all five of the major social media platforms, all received a lower than 50 point grade, with Instagram being the highest at 48 points and TikTok being the lowest at 43 points.
In the report, GLAAD also provides key recommendations and actionable items, tailored specifically to the individual social media platform. For example, GLAAD recommends Instagram update their policies and give more freedom to users to express their gender identities, while recommending a commitment to diversity of TikTok’s workforce. Ultimately, the report is a dismal reminder of the effects of negative behavior on social media and the impacts it has on LGBTQIA+ individuals. However, GLAAD’s senior director of social media safety, Jenni Olson, reinstates that “this recommendation remains an especially high priority in our current landscape where anti-trans rhetoric and attacks are so prevalent, vicious, and harmful.”
News Viewing Continues to Peak for 55+ Viewers
Stephen Lawrence, Media Planner
When it comes to advertising, the waters get a little muddy when it comes to advertising on news channels. You never know when and where your ad will come up, especially as the news cycle runs. However, Nielsen released some extremely interesting data around viewership, especially in relation to age demographics. They found that the “55–64 demo, which, while smaller in range of years, accounts for more viewership share.. with a 16% share” compared to the 11% share of 25–34 and 15% share of 35–54. This is an important metric to keep in mind, as the older generations are still as likely to be non-brand loyal, making them much more open to “new brands within a category”. Although the difficult nature of news content persists, as advertisers, it is important to look at the full picture and see just how leaned in this demographic is, even against potentially risky content.
TikTok and Ticketmaster Team Up
Yanet Garcia, Media Intern
Recently, TikTok and Ticketmaster came together to make the purchase of tickets to events a lot easier. As a person who spends plenty of time on TikTok, this new collaboration is very convenient. With this new feature, creators can make a video and add a Ticketmaster link. This allows the viewer to purchase tickets to the events mentioned by the creator in the video without leaving the TikTok app.
This feature was successful on Snapchat when it was added in early February of this year. Ticketmaster has now decided to implement it on TikTok, one of the biggest social media platforms of the moment. This feature is already gaining traction as artists like Demi Lovato and Usher have already used it to promote their upcoming concerts.
