The Trending Report: May Edition
By Janelle Cynthia
Podcasts and playlists to get you through the day, the double bubble travel juggle, and slack secrets to blow your coworker’s minds. All this and more was #trending in May.
Did You Hear That?
Last month we put together a list of our favorite playlists and podcasts you can listen to to turn up, turn down, or even learn a new skill.
Turn Up
Girl Power: These ultimate girl power throwback jams are the perfect anthems to get you through your 9–5.
Live at CBGB: This playlist is comprised of the most famous bands that kicked off their career at the CBGB.
Turn Down
Kick-Back Soundtrack: A laid-back, sometimes thought-provoking playlist perfect for re-centering and spending some time solo.
The Wind Down: This chill playlist will help you find your flow.
Talk to Me
Social News
Facebook has purchased the GIF platform Giphy for a reported $400 million. Facebook announced that Giphy’s library of content will soon be further integrated into Instagram and the company’s other apps.
“We see the positivity in how people use Giphy in our products today, and we know that bringing the Giphy team’s creativity and talent together with ours will only accelerate how people use visual communication to connect with each other,” Facebook said.
Twitter has begun live testing of its new DM chat window on desktop, which provides a Messenger-style, picture-in-picture display for your messaging discussions on the platform.
Tech News
Fast Company released this super helpful guide of some of Slack’s carefully tucked-away shortcuts and options that’ll save you time and make your communication easier than ever.
Mashable shared news that Google Chrome’s latest update, Chrome 83, primarily brings about a bunch of new privacy controls that may not be super exciting to most people, but could please folks who pay a lot of attention to which websites collect data on them.
Paid Media, SEO & Analytics
Bing can now return a “Yes” or “No” answer for certain queries, the company announced Tuesday. The new search feature includes the one-word answer as well as a carousel of related excerpts from various sources. Check out the full story on searchenginelands.
Google is rolling out a series of updates aimed at helping local businesses adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to serve their customers across Google Maps and Search. TechCrunch says it’s adding and expanding a set of features that will allow businesses to support themselves, including those focused on gift card sales, fundraising or by marketing their virtual services. Restaurants will also be able to point to their preferred delivery partners, so customers can choose to order through the third-party the business recommends.
Content Marketing News
Rent a Finn goes Virtual is a new social media initiative which lets people in on the Finns’ natural way of life and daily routines for feeling happier while staying at home and dreaming about our next trip. The campaign picks up from Visit Finland’s global Rent a Finn campaign in 2019.
According to Adweek, to show appreciation for its employees, invited customers to leave thank-you messages for its team members when placing an order through the company’s app. The result? A Double Whopper-sized show of respect and gratitude, assembled from more than 5,100 shout-outs gathered over the course of three days.
Travel News
Whether you call them travel bubbles or corona corridors, Condé Nast reports that countries are buddying up to keep summer vacation dreams alive. Under the suggested travel partnerships, countries that had success in limiting the impacts of the coronavirus would open their borders to other countries with few cases, allowing residents to travel freely between the two (or three) without a 14-day quarantine.
The New York Times is seeing that vacation properties are experiencing a surge of bookings. But instead of a week or two on the beach, people are looking for a month or more.
Janelle is a Project Manager at VERB Interactive — a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.
