Lab Weekly - 09/29/2023
Meta Connect event recap; plus, the latest news about the TikTok’s search partnership, fashion bands on Discord, and the WGA deal, along with some must-know stats
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Meta Connect 2023 Recap: Everything Brand Marketers Need To Know
On Wednesday, Meta hosted its annual Connect conference and unveiled a slew of interesting new products and features. Besides the expected hardware upgrades, Meta offered crucial updates regarding its AI and metaverse strategies, signaling another attempt at consumer attention land-grabbing
In case you missed it…
Three Takeaways from Apple’s iPhone 15 Launch Event
Like clockwork, Apple has introduced its new iPhone and Apple Watch lineups. While it may mostly seem like business-as-usual for Apple — faster chips, better cameras, etc. — looking beyond the surface, there are still some interesting insights to be gleaned.
The End of the Anti-Amazon Alliance
Three key takeaways from the surprising Amazon-Shopify deal last week: While logistics continues to be Amazon’s biggest competitive moat, and ease of payment still matters a lot to online shoppers, in the end, scales always win out.
The End Is (Finally) Here For Cable TV — What Comes Next?
The recent Disney-Charter dispute laid bare a heightened conflict between the content providers and distributors that has simmered beneath the surface for years. Add in WBD’s decision to bring some live sports content into Max, the long-waited end of cable TV finally seems to be near — but is this just the beginning for another round of re-bundling?
TikTok Testing Partnership With Google To Beef Up Its Search Features [Insider Intel]
This is a fascinating development in search. We’ve observed for years that younger generations, especially Gen Z, prefer to search on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok for tips and recommendations from influencers and their peers, rather than going straight to Google. The latest survey from Her Campus Media, a Gen Z-focused marketing firm, found that TikTok is now the No. 1 search engine for more than half of Gen Z in the U.S., and influences their purchase decisions more than any other platform.
However, relying on unverified user-generated content to substitute search results would certainly seem far less reliable than traditional web results from reputable publishers. Therefore, it makes sense for TikTok to improve its search results and avoid misinformation. Earlier this month, TikTok had reportedly started adding Wikipedia snippets that link directly to the site. Snippets didn’t appear for every search but seem to be appearing for some locations, companies, and individuals. Still, it is rather unexpected to see TikTok make nice with Google, the dominant player in search, and work together to pull Google search results into its app.
Search might be more important to TikTok’s future now that its efforts to popularize Douyin-style social commerce features are met with lukewarm user interest in the U.S. and exacerbated by regulatory pushback. Earlier this week, the Indonesian government issued a ban on all ecommerce transactions on social media, dealing a heavy blow to TikTok as Indonesia has been a huge market for TikTok Shop. Meanwhile, Google is facing some serious antitrust probes in the U.S. and in Europe, so perhaps openly working with a perceived competitor is simply good PR optics.
Related: TikTok has quietly been inserting Wikipedia snippets into search results [The Verge]; TikTok debuts new tools and technology to label AI content [TechCrunch]
Louis Vuitton Lands On Discord [Vogue Business]
Messaging platform Discord is increasingly being used by brands to connect with their customers, and even high fashion brands are jumping in. This new initiative shows that Louis Vuitton recognizes Discord as a key platform to build a connected community among its biggest fans, as it plans to use the popular chat app to share exclusive content and give its community a voice in its decision-making. In addition, getting on Discord also opens a channel for LV to reach the niche but dedicated community of NFT holders, and engage with them directly for web3-based loyalty projects.
As the social media landscape continues to shift, more and more marketers are modernizing their communication strategies to meet the growing consumer demand for community-centric brands. This means choosing the right platforms that can facilitate honest, intimate conversations within an audience that is eager to be heard and rewarded for their loyalty. While Discord is a relatively new platform for fashion brands like LV, smart marketers can see its potential to be a great tool for connecting with their best customers and building brand loyalty.
Related: Reddit’s new Contributor Program will let you cash out gold given to your posts by other users in real money [The Verge]; Patreon is adding a Discord-like chat feature for creators and fans [The Verge]
The New WGA Contract Will Change How Hollywood Works [The Verge]
Following nearly five months of strikes, Hollywood writers and studios have reached a new agreement that calls for streaming data transparency and guarantees on AI use. Some say this new three-year contract is merely a temporary band-aid while the studios wait and see how the capability of generative AI tools will evolve over the next few years. Nevertheless, this deal does set significant precedents on the creative and labor norms around AI use for the entertainment industry.
For one, the new agreement says that AI "can't write or rewrite literary material," and that AI-generated material "can't be used to undermine a writer's credit.” Studios are also required to disclose to writers if any materials given to them have been generated by AI or incorporate AI-generated material. Writers can choose to seek AI’s assistance when writing with consent from the producers, but they can't be forced to use AI. Overall, the new deal protects writer’s right to use AI tools while offering guardrails that prevent writers from being wholly replaced by AI.
Related: Biggest streaming companies join first official trade group [Axios]; CNN Max launches with schedule that mirrors much of its linear lineup [Deadline]
Snapchat’s paid subscription plan, which offers early access to new features and other perks for $3.99 per month, is gaining traction among its Gen Z-skewing user base. Snap says Snapchat+ now has over 5 million subscribers, up from 3 million in April 2023.
Threads still poses a threat to X despite its slowed growth, analysis by Insider Intelligence finds. Threads is expected to have 23.7 million users in the U.S. by the end of 2023, amounting to less than half of the user base of X (56.1 million). Threads is forecast to grow its user base by 26.4% in 2024 and 13.1% in 2025 for a total of 34 million users.
57% of enterprise marketers are using AI in email campaigns, according to a new report from Ascend2 and RPE Origin. The report also found that, when asked about the most valuable AI features in an email marketing platform, 55% of marketers pointed to enhanced personalization algorithms and recommendation engines, while 55% indicated predictive analytics would be valuable.
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