The Scoop: 8.24.21

Influencer marketing is no longer seen as a passing fad. Influencers across all platforms have gained popularity and demanding more dough. This is in large part due to surging internet usage over the past year.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. A new wave of influencers is stepping up to the plate, using their clout to inform and educate. While influencers typically
promote products, these “genuinfluencers” are partnering with brands, governments and other large organizations who recognize the power of social media platforms to reach the masses, spread information and build trust.  A charge that has been of particularly important over the past year and continues to be as concerns about the COVID-19 Delta Variant rise and users turn to online channels for information.

What Are the Implications of the Surging Delta Variant on Healthcare Marketers?

The surging Delta variant has led to what the New York Times describes as a
painful truth about COVID-19: “It’s not going away.” With this truth comes major communications challenges, such as the CDC’s reversal on indoor mask guidance. Additionally, some of the nation’s most recognized brands rolled the dice on media strategies, acknowledging what was presumed to be a return to a “new normal.” Suddenly, nothing feels normal, and marketers are left wondering how to adapt to such an unpredictable narrative. We’ve found most, including Thom Binding, head of creative strategy at GroupM’s Essence, agree that brands can be distinctive without mentioning the pandemic. Brands requiring months of runway for content development, like many in the
healthcare industry, will benefit most from this approach until a more flexible strategy, or a more predictable outcome, is available.

Sources: ADAGE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, MARKETING BREW, NPR

Twitter Address Misinformation Head-On with AP and Reuters Partnership

Twitter announced it is partnering with the Associated Press and Reuters to identify and elevate credible information. This program will help expand the efforts of Twitter’s current Curation team by adding accurate context during breaking news events – such as a label attached to tweets about the event or a “Moment,” which curates information about trending topics. This partnership is the first in which Twitter will formally collaborate with news organizations to elevate accurate information and is occurring at the same time as ongoing efforts in the tech and social world to address misinformation. In the first phase of the partnership, the focus will be only on English-language content. 

Sources: REUTERS, BLOG.TWITTER.COM 

Disappearing Content Is Here to Stay

Twitter may have said goodbye to its Fleets seemingly as quick as it introduced the feature, but that doesn’t mean we should write off ephemeral content just yet. Several other social platforms are hedging their bets on “Story” type formats, videos and graphics disappearing in 24 hours.

• TikTok confirmed it is piloting TikTok Stories, which will expire in 24 hours.
  This new feature is currently available in a few non-U.S. markets.

• YouTube Shorts, announced nearly a year ago, is now available in over 100 countries.
  The platform recently launched a global ad campaign to promote Shorts to Gen Z
  fans and creators on competitor social platforms, including TikTok, Instagram,
  Snapchat and Twitter.

• Even WhatsApp, a free, multiplatform messaging app that lets users
  make video and voice calls, rolled out the View Once feature this month as a
  way to give users more control over their privacy. Users can send photos and
  videos that disappear from the chat after they have been opened.

Sources: TECHCRUNCH, 9TO5GLOGBAL, BLOG.WHATSAPP

In Other News… 

Reddit, like most social platforms, is taking notes from TikTok and testing a new feed for short form videos.

Also, Twitter has taken another step to allow users to customize their experience on the platform and curtail unwanted engagement. “Leave this Conversation” is an update to the previously rolled out “Unmention Yourself” feature, making it clearer what “unmentioning” yourself entails.

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. 

Contributing Writers: Tiffany Bullock, Mary-Catherine Canavan, Stephen O’Neil and Jennie Szink

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