Two new sections make their debut in today’s Wrap: Video (which may well become a recurring section) and Instagram Stories (just because there was so much diverse reporting on the new Instagram feature). The Friday Wrap is, my weekly collection of news stories, posts, studies, and reports designed to help organizational communicators stay current on the trends and technology that affect their jobs. These may be items that flew under the radar while other stories grabbed big headlines. As always, I collect material from which I select Wrap stories (as well as stories to report on the For Immediate Release podcast, along with stuff I just want to remember to read) on my link blog, which you’re welcome to follow. If you want to make sure you never miss an edition of the Wrap, along with extra material only for subscribers, sign up for my weekly email briefing.
News
Facebook’s latest algorithm change demotes clickbait—You know the headlines: “Woman asks husband if dress makes her look fat. You won’t believe what happened next!” Okay, I made that one up, but you’ve seen tons of clickbait in recent years. Facebook’s latest change to its News Feed algorithm is designed to categorize such headlines that “withhold or distort information” as clickbait and allow them to slip through less often. It’s the first time Facebook has targeted clickbait. The takeaway: Facebook is working hard to make the News Feed a more satisfying experience in an effort to retain users. This change, at least, won’t have an effect on brands’ efforts to reach customers. Read more
Saatchi’s Roberts resigns—Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts, who was already under suspension following tone-deaf comments about gender, has resigned. Parent company Publicis put Roberts on leave after he told an interviewer that the gender debate is over. The takeaway: An IABC study from the late 1970s defined the communications industry as a “velvet ghetto” where women outnumbered men but rarely broke through into management and leadership positions. It’s amazing that this continues to be an issue nearly 40 years later. Read more
FTC crackdown on paid celebrity posts is coming—Influencer marketing includes paying celebrities to display their products in their social media channels. The FTC is not amused when those pictures, videos, and posts aren’t clearly labeled as paid ads. Use of hashtags like #ad, #sp, and #sponsored are often inadequate. An FTC spokesperson said, “We believe consumers put stock in endorsements and we want to make sure they are not being deceived.” The takeaway: Disclose, disclose, disclose. Full stop. That goes for native ads, too. Read more
Apple replaces pistol emoji with a Super Soaker—Among new emoji Apple is introducing is a replacement for the pistol emoji; it’s now a classic Super Soaker water pistol. The move comes amidst activist pressure to get rid of the gun. The new emoji also include a host of athletes in anticipation of widespread use during the Olympics. The takeaway: The move is another indicator of the move toward social activism among corporations. It also speaks to the widespread adoption of emojis. Read more
Google AMP appears in all mobile search results—Google’s mobile web initiative, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), is designed to make web pages appear quickly on mobile devices wherever they may be (as opposed to Facebook’s Instant Articles, which are also lightning-fast but only work when you’re on Facebook). Google is planning to display AMP links in all mobile search results. They’ll appear accompanied by lightning bolts. Rankings won’t be affected, but as users come to understand an AMP page won’t keep them waiting, they’re likely to click on them most. The takeaway: Talk to your web people about producing AMP versions of content if they’re not already. Read more
If you’re not a paying sponsor, steer clear of the Olympics—Newsjacking is great, but the Olympic Committee’s Rule 40 spells trouble for those attempting to leverage it at the Games that are just about to start. Non-sponsor companies have received a letter from the U.S. Olympic Committee warning them not to use Olympics intellectual property, which include obvious properties like logos, but also hashtags. “Do not create social media posts that are Olympic themed, that feature Olympic trademarks, that contain Games imagery or congratulate Olympic performance unless you are an official sponsor,” the letter read. The first response you’ll get if you violate the rules is a demand to remove the content. Legal action could follow. The takeaway: Your desire to ride on the Olympics coattails will be crushed by the negative publicity of a lawsuit. Even having to remove content will draw unwelcome attention. The best advice: Just don’t go there, even though it’s too bad the Committee isn’t just a little flexible in terms of such posts as a congratulations to a home-town athlete.. Read more
Database of Millennial opinions available for free—A database of over 130 million Millennial opinions is now available for free searching by anyone who wants insight into what this important demographic is currently thinking on a range of issues. The database is from Whatsgoodly. The takeaway: While too much focus is placed on age demographics, the data here can be invaluable—and did I mention that it’s free? Read more
Dropbox opens Paper beta to everyone—Any Dropbox user is now able to give Paper a try via an iOS or Android app. Paper goes head-to-head with Google Docs for online document creation. Designed for mobile, Paper has given rise to more than a million documents from the early beta users. The takeaway: Easy document creation via phones and tablets is increasingly important as part of the mobile shift. Being able to create documents that go straight to a Dropbox folder of your choosing is a great idea. Read more
Facebook introduces Page Sections—Marketers, beset by Facebook algorithm changes that make it harder and harder to reach customers, finally have something to cheer about. Facebook has introduced new sections for Company Pages to promote goods and services. Shop is a section available in emerging markets that allows businesses to list products that customers can buy through Messenger. Services, which will be available in all geographies, also lets companies list products and services with prices, a description, and photos. The takeaway: The Messenger connection for actual purchases speaks volumes about Facebook’s commitment to mobile. Facebook recently announced that 1 billion people access the social network via mobile on any given day. Read more
New index measures consumer attitudes toward online marketing—The Digital Satisfaction Index is a new tool that lets marketers grasp “how consumers make connections with a brand leading up to their final decision to either engage and purchase or go elsewhere.” The index was developed by Intent Lab, a partnership between the Medill School of Journalism and Performics Worldwide. Intent Labs will conduct original research linked to major brands to help those brands better understand the online behavior of their customers. The index is based on research that identified four key elements of consumer satisfaction: trust, utility, social, and privacy. The takeaway: As a measurement geek, I love the idea of an index targeting digital satisfaction. I’m curious how it’ll correlate to the long-standing reputation index. Read more
Trends
Podcast marketing gets serious—NPR went far beyond traditional podcast marketing to launch the second season of “Invisibilia.” More than 200 listening parties were held in 32 states and three countries. Videos and other sharable content was produced for social media; one video posted to Facebook got more than 700,000 views. Invisibilia was expected to top the 50 million downloads its first season produced. The takeaway: Podcasting is an increasingly important part of the content mix for media companies. If every company is a media company (as Tom Foremski postulated back in 2009), most companies are falling behind the media curve. Podcasts are hot and will only get hotter. Explore the potential for podcasting in your organization. Read more
Marriott taps into Pokeman Go frenzy—Joining a roster of brands that are capitalizing on Pokemon Go’s unprecedented popularity, Marriott is sponsoring one player’s efforts to capture the entire collection of Pokemon. Nick Johnson captured every creature available in the U.S., leading Marriott’s loyalty operation to offer to sponsor his international travel tab in his quest to get the rest. Marriott Rewards and Johnson are chronicling the quest on Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram. The takeaway: This is a smart move by Marriott and a clever way to ride the Pokemon wave without looking like just another me-too brand. The investment is small and the publicity returns are high. Read more
Kik’s Bot Shop is paying off—Kik, the mobile messaging app that was among the first to introduce chatbots via its Bot Shop, is seeing growing use among users and businesses. Some 1.8 billion messages have been communicated between users and bots from the 111 featured bots. Research also found the use of bots results in 32% more time spent on the app and that they drive greater completion rates for brands. The takeaway: Bot adoption is surging and will become routine faster than you’re probably anticipating. Read more
Organizations learning to use the right tools for the audience—If you want your message to resonate with Millennials, you should communicate with them using the kinds of tools they’re accustomed to using. A pro-fracking website funded by players in the industry is doing just that, using memes, spoof videos, emojis, quizzes, and listicles. Love fracking or hate it, you have to admire this advocacy group for understanding what it takes to get a message through to an audience that won’t sit and read reports and studies on their phones. Read more
Price Waterhouse Coopers lists blockchain among essential technologies—PWC studied some 150 emerging technologies for an executive report and settled on eight that are essential for companies to grasp, including blockchain, a technology that will disrupt more than you can imagine yet few communicators understand. The other essential technologies include Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, drones, the Internet of Things, robots, Virtual Reality, and 3D printing. The takeaway: I know I ask you to get up to speed on all kinds of different technologies, but no kidding, blockchain is coming fast and will have a profound impact on every aspect of business. It is, effectively, a new network that runs in parallel to the Internet. If you need a quick start, try “The Blockchain Revolution,” by Dan Tapscott and his son, who works in the blockchain space. I’ll be reviewing it soon for For Immediate Release’s book review podcast. Read more
Research
Most native ads are done wrong—Native advertising is clearly a savior for publishers and a boon for marketers. The greatest risk to native advertising is a perception that it is inherently deceptive. Current practices suggest that this perception could take root, leading to regulation. A study of native ads appearing on home pages of the top 100 news sites found that 71% didn’t adequately disclose that they were ads. The study identified 43 distinct terms or phrases used to label the ads. While “and” and “paid” are clear enough, others can confuse readers into thinking their looking at editorial content. These include “sponsored by,” “powered by,” “special coverage,” and “recommended for you.” The Online Trust Alliance, which conducted the study, noted that a failure to self-regulate will negatively affect “consumer trust and confidence in online advertising and the brand reputation of sites…poor transparency will backfire, driving calls for regulatory oversight.” The takeaway: It has been two years since Richard Edelman said the PR industry has a small window to become the stewards of native advertising and ensure it’s done right. I fear that window has closed and native ads are headed for government regulation. Read more
After-hours email is exhausting—The result of checking work email after-hours and on weekends is burnout, according to a new academic report. It’s not the actual checking of the email that’s so exhausting; it’s the “constant worrying about off hour email.” The study from researchers at three universities, “Exhausted but Unable to Disconnect,” found employees “are growing exhausted by the expectation that they will always be available, never knowing what kind of work requests will be asked of them off hours.” The takeaway: There’s a difference between expecting employees to answer work-related emails when they’re supposed to be on the “life” side of the work-life equation and giving them access to content they may want to consume. Rules about off-hour email should be implemented but shouldn’t restrict off-hour access to the intranet and other company content. Read more
Most companies’ customization efforts need work—Brands everywhere are trying to deliver customized products and services, but consumers say marketers “get it right” less than 30% of the time. According to Radius Global Market Research Vice President Shira Horn, the “survey shows that consumers are potentially very receptive to efforts to customize the brand experience. But if marketers don’t do the homework involved to provide and communicate highly relevant benefits to their specific audiences, they are unlikely to capitalize on the opportunity.” The takeaway: I’ve seen it. You have too. “Personalized” ads for things we already bought or have no interest in. When a marketer gets it right, though, it can be gold. Read more
Video
LinkedIn adds influencer videos—A select group of highly influential LinkedIn users is answering questions in short videos that are being aggregated in a new LinkedIn platform. The group of 500 influencers are using a proprietary app called Record to capture their answers of up to 30 seconds. The takeaway: I was skeptical when I heard about this new feature, but having seen a couple of the questions and the collection of video answers, I’m now a fan. When the program expands, it could be invaluable to have your company’s subject matter experts contributing, just as it’s useful to have them appear in Quora answers. Read more
Pinterest introduces native video player—A fully integrated native video player is under development at Pinterest The player, along with personalized video recommendations, will appear in the next few months. Video viewing has grown 60% over the last year on Pinterest. The takeaway: It’s hard to think of a platform that isn’t ripe for video. If Pinterest is part of your communication effort, consider increasing the volume of videos you pin. Read more
Marketers to increase social video ads—Most U.S. marketers will spend more on social video ads, with Facebook getting most of the attention. With 70.8% of marketers surveyed planning to invest in social ads and boosting the ads, 65.8% will do it on Facebook. The next most popular platform is YouTube, with only 42.3% planning to spend there. The takeaway: The media model to embrace is PESO—paid, earned, shared, owned. Video advertising is demonstrably effective and worth considering, even for corporate and PR messaging, as the “paid” part of the model. Read more
Marketers optimistic about digital video advertising —Forty-two percent of marketers are increasingly optimistic about digital video advertising, with B2B marketers in particular making it an investment priority: 84% plan to grow their video marketing budgets this year and 83% said video ads were effective. Across both B2B and B2C companies, Facebook and Snapchat have overtaken YouTube as the social platform of choice for video ads. The takeaway: The two studies cited in this report just add to the pile of evidence that video marketing works, even as the field gets crowded. Time to brush off your video production skills (if you haven’t already). Read more
Media companies pursue TV content—Here’s another media company trend brands aren’t following: Publishers including Vox Media, BuzzFeed, Thrillist Media Group, and Mashable are doing deals to broadcast content on TV. One example: Daily digital magazine Ozy is producing a 16-part program for PBS about an array of political candidates from American history. Vox Entertainment is developing a show for the FYI network about prefabricated homes. BuzzFeed is developing the web show “Mom vs. Chef” for NBCUniversal. The takeaway: With small cable networks hungry for new content and the ability to stream content through apps on services like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, companies that want to behave like media companies should start exploring the potential for original TV content. Read more
Facebook testing mid-roll ads on Live—If you’re live-streaming over Facebook Live, you could find your stream interrupted for 15 seconds for a commercial break as Facebook tests mid-roll video ads as part of the platform. It’s currently a small test with publishers injecting ads into their own streams. CEO Mark Zuckerberg dislikes the idea of pre-rolls; they could ruin the viewing experience, but mid-roll ads, which appear after you’ve been watching for at least five minutes, are more appealing. Some issues still need to be ironed out, such as ads appearing in the middle of coverage of a tragic news event. The takeaway: The live streaming world is maturing in a hurry. With Twitter’s sports deals and the Olympics being consumed mainly on mobile devices, viewership of live streams will only get more common. Read more
Lowe’s introduces 360-degree DIY videos—As viewing of 360-degree videos gets more popular, home improvement retailer Lowe’s—already known for being an early adopter of Vine—has introduced a new initiative titled “Made in a Minute” on its Facebook Page. The Facebook 36-degree clips provide viewers with step-by-step instructions on home improvement projects. The takeaway: 360-degree videos is another innovation that costs basically nothing to start using. Watch the videos for an idea of how Lowe’s has applied them to its marketing efforts and dream up some inspiration for your company or client. Read more
Instagram Stories
Instagram adds Snapchat-like Stories feature—The new Instagram section offers photos and videos from users that vanish after 24 hours, just like Snapchat Stories. Instagram’s version appears across the top of your feed “as a series of circles with the avatars of people and brands you follow. When you tap on a Story, it loads, begins playing, and advances from moment to moment automatically…When you finish one person’s Story, the app automatically advances to the next person or brand, and so on.” The takeaway: The collective eye-rolling over a clear copying of Snapchat Stories misses the point. After all, if brands didn’t copy best-in-class innovation, Tide would still the only marketer of laundry pods. The point here is that Instagram has done a better job of implementing the feature that will be used by a lot more people. Read more
Stories is better on Instagram than on Snapchat—While the accusations of copycatting are rampant, TNW argues that the experience is better on Instagram. While Snapchat’s interface confounds many adults, Instagram’s approach is “useful to the masses> It also has desirable features that reduce confusion, with labeled buttons instead of swipes. The takeaway: There’s no cost for a brand to start publishing Instagram Stories. Even if you’re already fully immersed in Snapchat, Instagram’s much larger base is a desirable target. As the TNW piece notes, “It’s liberating to be able to see the stories of people I’ve never met but followed on Instagram for years.” At the very least, duplicate your Snapchat efforts on Instagram. Read more
Marketers prefer Instagram Stories to Snapchat—It may be brand-spanking new and the subject of considerable derision on line as being just a Snapchat copycat, but marketers seem to like Instagram’s new Stories feature. Nike saw 800,000 views in the first day it used Instagram Stories; the best performance Nike has seen on Snapchat has been 66,000 views for a video. Marketers also like the feedback Instagram provides via its heart icon (the equivalent of a like); there is no way to like a Snap. Instagram also allows marketers to restrict viewing to people over 21, important to alcohol brands. And there are simply more people on Instagram. The takeaway: So it’s a copycat move. So what? Snapchat is going to have to move quickly to adopt features that make Instagram preferable, especially a like feature that offers some quantitative feedback to marketers. Snapchat is already under some fire for inadequate marketing metrics. Read more
Mobile and Wearables
Most Olympics viewing will happen on phones and tablets—The Summer Olympics are upon us and research finds that most people will use their smartphones and tablets as their “first screen” for watching the competitions. The reason? They can watch events in real time rather than wait for the recordings broadcast over television. The takeaway: If you’re waiting for a good reason to start broadcasting some brand or corporate content, consider the consumer desire for more control over the content they want. Rather than wait for your YouTube or Facebook video to be uploaded, a growing number of people are looking to see it live and know they can do that wherever they are on their mobile devices. Read more
Most companies don’t have a long-term mobile strategy—Everyone knows how important mobile marketing is becoming, yet 80% of brands don’t have a mobile marketing strategy that covers the next year, according to an Adobe survey of 4,000 marketers and digital decision makers. The takeaway: If your organization is part of the 80%, suggest a strategic planning session. Strategies always produce better results than flying by the seat of your pants. Read more
This week’s wrap image, titled “All Wrapped Up,” comes courtesy of Nicholas Henderson‘s Flickr account.