The Scoop: 6.2.22

It’s been an interesting few weeks in the digital world. From marketing agencies bringing VR to simulate in-person work experiences to those that WFH ⛔, to the supreme court being split (shocking! 😕) on the confusing social media HB 20 law, which could ban moderation on Texan users “viewpoints,” to the weird celebrity influencers emerging from the Heard-Depp trial. Who doesn’t like a celebrity lawyer?! 🙈

Is the Metaverse Shift Going to be Slower than Anticipated?

Metaverse, metaverse, metaverse. It’s become quite the buzzword, hasn’t it? The future shift to the metaverse has been dominating headlines over the past couple of months, but new insights from Meta hint that a full shift toward this new virtual space isn’t going to happen as quickly as news coverage indicates. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg anticipates losing “significant” amounts of money over the next three to five years to get it right. 💸 That’s not to say that we shouldn’t pay attention to the metaverse – we most certainly should. But companies that are shifting their marketing strategies to prepare for the new interconnected metaverse may want to pump the brakes and continue to leverage tried-and-true digital tactics to engage audiences.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Social Media Today

Pop Culture Blurs the Lines of Reality

It’s not Super Bowl season, but we’re seeing brands take their creativity to the next level, creating ads that straddle the line of reality and augment reality (AR). Chipotle played within the two realities with an NHL game ad, creating a virtual jumbo burrito on the ice. Cheez-Its partnered with Pandora to bring a playlist together that helps consumers better enjoy the taste of its crackers. (Fun fact: Some research found aging cheese with hop-hop music affected the final product’s taste and smell. 😲Talk about connecting the brain waves for a unique end-user experience! 😉) And Domino’s developed a first-of- its-kind “mind-ordering” app as part of its promotion for season four of Stranger Things. The company applied facial recognition and eye-tracking features to let consumers complete their orders by making certain expressions and head movements. It’s obvious that the sky is the limit, and it continues to be important to draw inspiration from other industries to make waves in health care marketing, both in person and virtually.

Sources: Ad Age, Marketing Dive, Fast Company

Do You Duo or Should You Be More Intentional With Trends?

There have always been brands engaging online during pop culture moments. In fact, a classic trend we love is when brands engage with other brands online. While these moments past and present look spontaneous, they are often planned, coordinated and thoughtful. But what was one of our favorite social handles thinking when it engaged with a high-profile court case?! Duolingo’s social credibility has taken a step back and has become a case study in “what not to do” when angling to participate in a buzzworthy cultural moment. While you might be eager to join in on the fun, it’s critical to keep your audience strategy in mind when engaging on behalf of a brand. Where is the authenticity for your brand? What commentary will your audience care about? And will that perspective resonate positively or negatively? If you can’t align those pillars with the trend, perhaps its best to avoid the shock and awe.

Sources: Later, The Daily Dot, NY Post

Will We Ever Conquer Misinformation?

Deep fakes, bots, “cheap speech” – oh my! Each time we take a step forward against misinformation, something happens in another corner of the internet that’s seemingly a step backward. The discrepancy was glaring in May. As part of Twitter’s ongoing response to this issue, the platform announced a new crisis misinformation policy that will elevate credible, authoritative information during periods of crisis such as armed conflict, public health emergencies and large-scale natural disasters. Tweets with content that violate the crisis misinformation policy will be placed behind a warning notice. Content moderation is more than just leaving up or taking down content, Twitter notes, and additional actions such as disabling engagements with misinformation is one more way to help stop the amplification. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling to advance its disinformation efforts. As soon as the Department of Homeland Security and the White House announced a new initiative to help target misinformation threatening homeland security, the online attacks began. After only three weeks, the DHS was forced to pause the work.

Sources: Twitter, The Washington Post, NPR, Forrester [paywall]

And In Case You Missed It… Hot Takes from Social Media Week 2022

• We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Content creation is not only about the right data and right technology but also the right people and influencers. Creators should be a core part of your content strategy, from employees and executive leadership to influencers and celebrities.

• People trust people before they trust brands: That’s why user-generated content continues to outlast any other content trends for building brands online.

• Stop, listen and then act: The adoption of the metaverse and web3 (and NFTs) is a learning curve for us all. Taking the time to understand the mechanics of each will lead to richer content experiences for audiences. Stella Artois, Pepsi Co and Anheuser Busch understood the assignment.

• There’s always more to say about video: It’s time to re-adapt the era of short form video. Take stock of your content hauls to create even more engaging snackable bits to customize across platforms.

Contributing Writers and Editors: Mary-Catherine Canavan, Carissa Dagleish, Ricki Kahn, Lauren Fernández Meihls, Amanda Oberstein, Jack Smith, Jennie Szink and Bre Thomlison

Real Chemistry’s The Scoop is brought to you by an editorial collective, featuring industry updates and insights from subject matter experts across social media, digital and influencer activation teams.

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