So-Called Social: Week of May 7 – Info UI

Hoo-ey! It’s Friday, everybody, and I’m feeling really great about it. I’ve got some good stuff for you this week. Facebook is testing a subscription model, our Teacher Appreciation Day video will make you cry, and how the Fresh Prince of Bel Air really came to be. All this and more below!

Social nets update stuff

Not that this comes as much of a surprise, but Facebook has been conducting market research the past few weeks to determine whether an ad-free version paid by subscriptions would spur more people to join the social network. The exploration of the option, which FB had previously ruled out because it didn’t think users would be receptive, is now back on the table thanks to the platform’s data crises and the revelations of how users are being tracked by advertisers. We shall see.

At F8 last week, Zuck announced a bunch of updates to WhatsApp. One of those updates is the ability for users to watch Instagram and Facebook videos without leaving the iOS app. Users can already watch YouTube vids within the app, and the update will include a picture-in-picture mode for Insta and FB videos allowing users to continue navigating through WhatsApp while watching. Multitasking at its finest.

Based on some serious sleuthing, it appears as if Instagram is preparing to let you add music to your Insta Stories. “Music stickers” could allow you to search for and add a song to your posts, thanks to licensing deals with the major record labels recently struck by Facebook. Insta is also testing a way to automagically detect a song you’re listening to and display the artist and song title as just a visual label. Suh-weet.

Snapchat really wants Spectacles to be a thing. Again. But this time, Snap’s retail strategy involves a lot less hype, and a lot more traditional tactics. The second generation Spectacles are available to buy on Spectacles.com, within the Snapchat app, and through Lensabl. That’s it. No fancy vending machines. Maybe the second time’s the charm?

Adobe does stuff

Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) has been making headlines this week and it’s as if we timed our campaign with his show, Atlanta, intentionally. I mean, of course we did. Anyway, if you haven’t watched Atlanta, you’re missing out. But did you know… the Emmy-award-winning FX series is edited entirely with Adobe Premiere Pro CC? We’re celebrating this customer story with a video, a livestream, and a fun social meme activation.

If you’re looking for a good cry today, this video should do the trick. For Teacher Appreciation Day, the Adobe Education channels shared an emotional video that documents a group of high school students as they surprise their teacher with the ultimate thank you gift. Who’s cutting onions in here?!

We have a new group of Creative Residents! I’m personally pumped to work with them on developing their social brands. Check them out and give ‘em some love.

Other brands do stuff

Tiffany is making moves redefining luxury online. This week, the company launched a new jewelry collection under its new creative director, Reed Krakoff. But that’s not what’s interesting. Elle Fanning and A$AP Ferg kicked off the launch with a concert (including a cover of “Moon River,” the ballad famously sung by Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”). The duet was part of a larger partnership with Spotify, which Tiffany teamed with to grant exclusive streaming rights for the debut of the song. The show was also streamed on Facebook Live and served as the culmination of a series of events and a strategic social media revamp intended to tease the new collection. They also deleted all of their Instagram photos and restarted publishing in black and white. Definitely keeping my eye on them…

Interesting stuff

Algorithms, algorithms, algorithms. Social platforms are full of them and it’s hard to really know which is doing what. Well, here’s a super handy rundown of how each social platform prioritizes content.

In January, when Facebook changed its algorithm (again) to prioritize user content over publisher or branded content, ad buyers were quick to pitch Facebook groups as a way for marketers to target customers. Facebook is making it easier to find groups, but growth is prettttttyyyyyy slow.

Fun stuff