The Scoop: 10.26.21

Speaking of “metaverse” ⬇️, NYU Langone successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a human this week. And get this: Paris Hilton took to the Hill to advocate for a bill of rights for children in treatment and behavior centers. Are we already living in an extended reality? Either way our digital world will always impress us, especially now that there’s an influencer for Excel…or wait…perhaps she’s a fictional influencer? 😵

Should We Be on Facebook? The Question Has Never Felt More Relevant

For six hours, those who once waxed poetic about a world without Facebook finally experienced their truth. We saw some patients unable to access their doctors, social media managers celebrate their social media “snow day” and Twitter bask in the glory of its usership surge. But perhaps most striking to us as healthcare marketers was the question we found ourselves discussing with many Real Chemistry clients: should we be on Facebook at all? The platform’s political polarization, well-documented privacy concerns and recent downtime had us seeking a marketer’s crystal ball. We’re not clairvoyants, but platforms that can entertain and inform in bite-sized formats are going to have the edge. As one RCer put it, “It's almost like TikTok is the new Facebook and YouTube is the new website.”

Sources: MARKETING BREW, HEALTHCARE IT TODAY, BBC, TWITTER

Hispanic Heritage Month Merely a Springboard for Year-Round Representation

From September 15-October 15, social users joined a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, igniting a conversation that accompanies most heritage awareness events: it can’t end here. LA Times culture journalist, Daniel Hernandez, shared his frustration with the emoji generation, who have turned to ironic or lol-worthy “happy Hispanic Heritage Month” memes instead of joining the “celebration” seemingly driven by corporations. A Snapchat survey found that users want to see brands creating content “that reflects the diversity of Hispanic and Latino communities year-round.” While there’s always an opportunity for us all to do better, here are a few campaigns that amplify and celebrate Hispanic and Latinx creators and that integrate Hispanic culture truths:

• Procter & Gamble’s film “Powering Progress” demonstrates how US-Hispanic progress is a net-positive for the US

• Lilly tapped Olympic athlete Laurie Hernandez to raise awareness of the health challenges faced by people living with type 2 diabetes, which disproportionately affects ethnic minorities, such as Hispanics

• And our personal favorite, Uber recognized a common milestone affected by the pandemic in their quinceañera-themed spot

Sources: LOS ANGELES TIMES, SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY, eMARKETER

What is the metaverse anyway?

It’s been an in the know buzzword in tech for some time, and now thanks to Facebook's name change announcement, we’re wondering what it means in real life (IRL). Quite literally—the metaverse is everywhere—referring to digital spaces that use virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) to appear more lifelike. And IRL, that means brands can create more immersive experiences. For NASCAR, that means AR spaces at its in-person events and virtual watch parties, with a goal of “stitching together” the virtual and physical worlds in ways that benefit NASCAR fans. The potential is endless. In healthcare, VR, AR and Extended Reality (XR) are making waves. One hundred percent of patients at St. George’s Hospital in London said using VR headsets improved their hospital experience, noting the technology made them feel more relaxed. Consumers will come to expect these experiences as they become more common. To adapt we’ll need to start incorporating the metaverse into our strategies.

Sources: THE VERGE, DIGIDAY, FORBES, NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

Healthcare and Technology—Now and Later

ICYMI: Since the start of the pandemic, government and healthcare regulators have loosened restrictions on telehealth services to serve patients better with the hope of preventing viral spread. We’ve also seen similar adoption in the mental health sphere, with companies building mobile apps to provide virtual treatment. And now consumers demand even more ease of access and continuous care, often in the form of wearables that offer ongoing touchpoints rather than a yearly physical or a trip to the lab for each test. Companies have created the ability to test for food sensitivities, glucose levels and even potential COVID-exposure—all from home. With discussion of blockchain in our healthcare data, records and payments with tools like SmartContracts or Ethereum, and HCPs using tools like WhatsApp to communicate with each other and in some cases with their patients—the question that remains is how quickly can traditional healthcare companies and regulators adapt?

Sources: STAT NEWS, PROF G PODCAST, BBC, THE VERGE, SPRINGERLINK

In Other News… 

Pinterest announces new features at its Creators' Festival, including a 'Watch' tab, 'Takes' and more.

Netflix employees take a stand against arguably one of the biggest comics.

And Reddit Radar is here to help us navigate key content trends that it’s seeing on its platform.

Contributing Writers & Editors: Tiffany Bullock, Nick Cardillo, Jessica Blondell Holzapfel, Ricki Kahn, Lauren Meihls, Stephen O’Neil, 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. 

Get the latest marcom news directly to your inbox! Sign up to receive The Scoop updates here.