The Scoop: 4.5.22

Three things that piqued our interests this week when thinking about programing and audience behaviors, were of course the whirlwind trend from The WSJ of “unretirement” (maybe that’s what really explains the increase in the Boomer’s digital IQ 👇🤔), how many people actually use Nextdoor [paywall] each day, and it’s subtle move to become a leader in social media, and well, this. 😵🤐

Location, Location, Location: The Latest Data Privacy Victim

Since the launch of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), the number of U.S. users who have seen the prompt and opted into tracking remains relatively low. Facebook and its parent company Meta have been particularly hard hit by the ATT tweaks, but changes to its targeting systems have helped Meta adjust to the new privacy-focused rules. Meta recently overtook TikTok to claim the top spot in an analysis of mobile media platforms following Apple's SKAN implementation, proving that its internal system for SKAN is improving and boosting results for advertisers. Location intelligence is also taking a hit from these privacy updates, with the U.S. and EU adding legal requirements around location tracking. In the near term, the FTC is increasing oversight of privacy breaches, but the big wild card is a federal privacy law. Considering both the advantages of data and the privacy challenges, businesses need to tread carefully when using location data, but they can gain key insights into their customers and generate effective messaging. Moving forward, location data will continue to be powerful but will need to be opt-in only and provide incentives for data sharing. Marketers should focus on employing different strategies to compile their own first-party data (e.g., growing email lists via newsletters, site/app visitation behavior, social media, content marketing surveys and more).

Sources: Marketing Dive, eMarketer, Location Intelligence 2022 Report

Members of Boomer Generation Step Up Their Digital IQ

For Baby Boomers, leaning into digital trends might help them avoid the stigma of “OK Boomer” from Gen Zers. Data shows that Boomers’ comfort with virtual services, including mental health care and digital health tools, is higher than ever (up 18.7% in the UK ❗). Older generations are now adapting new digital experiences from the comfort of their own homes. According to a new report, 45% of Baby Boomers said they are equally comfortable with app-based virtual therapy and in-person mental health services, and 7% said they were more comfortable with virtual. It's expected that wearable devices also will see an increased uptake (What is this 2007!? #FitBit) as Boomers aim for independence and longer life spans as they age. With these shifts, it’s up to health care providers, insurers and marketers to meet these audiences where they are and provide them with services where they want to be.

Sources: eMarketer (1)(2), Evernorth, mHealthIntelligence

TikTok Goes to Cannes

The Festival de Cannes, one of the highest impact film festivals in the world, has a new partner: TikTok. Yes, the same platform that started as a place for 15-60 second trending dance videos is an official partner of the 75th Festival de Cannes. 📱 📽 It’s not uncommon to find incredibly talented young directors, production specialists and writers on the platform, as they’re able to foster cult followings. This budding alliance between TikTok and Cannes speaks to two things:

• The viability of the platform as a hub for inspirational creators continuing to “inspire artists, filmmakers and creatives” who like to “discover, create and share stories they love.”

• Short-form, vertical video isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It will continue to grow in importance for creators, artists and brands looking to capture interest, inform and entertain audiences.

Sources: TikTok, Variety, Festival de Cannes, Meltwater

Just When We Thought We Were Past This, the Great Hashtag Debate Continues

For years, social media has relied on hashtags to “brand” campaigns, amplify SEO efforts across multiple platforms, and encourage participation in trending conversations to expand audiences. Last month we delved into hashtag use on LinkedIn, the most “professional” of social media platforms. Following a resounding YES, we were surprised to see conversation on the topic again. Instagram, a platform widely known for hashtag use, made headlines when head Adam Mosseri shared that adding hashtags to posts does not help with visibility. 😲 Even more confusing, Instagram just completed a test on social causes and increasing their visibility via hashtags. While the saying “your content is only as good as your distribution strategy” still applies here, marketers will need to be more creative with their targeting and content to get that increase in eyeballs. Luckily, other platforms still rely heavily on SEO-driven tactics (Hi TikTok! 😉), including search, hashtag use and word choice optimization.

Sources: Tech Crunch, The Independent

And In Other News… 

As the metaverse makes the leap into reality, here are considerations for brands to stay safe there.

Contributing Writers and Editors: Nick Cardillo, Carissa Dagleish, Ricki Kahn, Lauren Fernández Meihls, 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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