We Are Social Asia Tuesday Tune-Up #201

News
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Garena’s Shopee: Potential challenger to Carousell?
Besides having its own secure payment system that would only release payment to buyers when delivery is completed, Singapore-based Shopee has a native social ecosystem within its app, allowing users to have a “Facebook-like” newsfeed, ability to “follow” their favourite sellers, get notifications on new products etc. With a popularity and usage rate similar to Carousell in parts of Asia already (according to App Annie), it seems like Shopee is on the ascendency and offers a serious alternative to Carousell.

Facebook, Whatsapp and Viber blocked ‘indefinitely’ in
Bangladesh
The Bangladeshi government has banned six social media apps – Facebook, Messenger, Line, WhatsApp, Viber, and Tango. Similar to the 2010 incident where satirical images of Prophet Muhammad were uploaded and shared, the government cited security reasons for this ban following the death penalty of two opposition leaders.


You can now order Domino’s pizza with a push of a button, literally
With “The Easy Order” button, ordering pizza would be a breeze. Paired via bluetooth with an app, a push of the button will place an order based on your previously saved payment details, address and favourite order. Although only available in UK currently, Domino’s has been introducing a series of ‘social payments’ in other countries (e.g. US) where users can pay via a text or tweet and order using emoji.

Domino's launches The Limited Edition Easy Order button allowing pizza lovers to order their favourite pizza straight to their door at the touch of a button.
Teens prefer YouTube to TV
According to a report by Ofcom, young teens in the UK prefer YouTube content to TV. Of the 12-15 year olds questioned, 29% said they would rather watch YouTube videos compared to the 25% who chose TV first. However, although they may be the proclaimed digital natives, this age group in fact appears to less savvy than we once thought. It was found that only 52% of 12-15s were aware that advertising is YouTube’s main source of funding, and around half (47%) were aware that vloggers were paid for endorsements. Schoolboy error.

Google to show Facebook content in mobile search results
Google will now start showing Facebook content in search results on smartphones, including public profile information. According to a Facebook spokesperson, the listings will appear as “deep links” that will take users to the relevant part of the Facebook app. The move is a big boost for Google, further increasing its dominance in the search space.

Facebook gears up for non-profits
Facebook; typically a place to share your ‘Tenerife 2015’ photos, stalk the office crush and play Candy Crush into the early morning. However, more recently, Facebook has introduced a new feature in a hope to ‘make the world a better place’ (n’aww). The fundraising tool allows users to donate without having to leave Facebook whilst also allowing campaigners to tell their story and rally support. It is currently being tested with 37 partner organisations such as National Multiple Sclerosis Society and World Wildlife Fund, but they hope to expand to further organisations in the future.

Twitter is reportedly testing emoji reactions in addition to hearts
If you’re not up to speed with your social media news, Twitter users were recently left bemused when their star-shaped favourite button experienced a heart-like revamp. More recently, it’s been leaked that the heart was merely the beginning. Twitter is apparently set to introduce a wide variety of Twitter reactions (OMG 😱). It appears that users will be spoilt for choice with 36 iPhone emojis, allowing a new era of content engagement. Twitter’s official statement on the matter?

speak-no-evil-monkey

Twitter expands polling feature
It’s been a busy month for the folks at Twitter. Last month it introduced a polling feature where users could express their opinions either by answering or asking questions. This month, Twitter decided to two options is merely not enough, and introduced an update where more options can be selected, making our tiny brains implode with the array of choices. Twitter believes that more options will lead to a more opportunities to understand the nuances of the their audience, providing a comprehensive collection of data. You’ve got my vote, Twitter.

Google revamps Google+
Earlier this year, Google+ set out to improve its user experience. After listening to its users, it identified that Communities and Collections were its key selling points, so it has now responded by locating these front and centre on the platform. Moving forward, Google+ says it’s still opposed to being a social network but rather a “purposeful hub of passionate people helping one another”. And the cherry on the top? Google+ is now much more mobile friendly so you can now monitor the Cute Pictures of Cats Community on the move! If you want to, that is.

Tumbr gets awesome Gif tool
Breaking news. Using Tumblr, you can now make your own gifs and it’s so easy. Here’s how:

  1. Grab your iPhone (sorry, Android – watch this space!)
  2. Open the Tumblr app
  3. Open a new photo post
  4. Choose a video (or burst)
  5. Hey presto! You’ve got yourself a gif

Using the #made with tumblr search, you can see what masterpieces are out there. Happy giffing!

Soccer clubs look to Snapchat
It’s been a busy week for a couple of the world’s top soccer clubs. Snapchat has been high on the agenda, with Real Madrid brokering a deal to become the platform’s first individual sports team with an “Official Story” ahead of its much-anticipated#ElClásico clash with FC Barcelona. Not to be left out of the off-pitch action, FC Barcelona launched its own official Snapchat account for fans to see timely videos and pictures from the club, and get behind-the-scenes access. And if all this snapping wasn’t enough for each club’s huge global following, Twitter added further social media hype to the big match by allowing fans to show their unconditional support for their favourite team with custom emojis, as well as being able to watch replays, and join the convo before, during, and after the game.

Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 16.54.14

P&G turns to Snapchat for sales-focused campaign
P&G has been experimenting with using Snapchat to generate sales, as well as increase its brand awareness. When launching its CoverGirl limited-edition Star Wars collection, the brand used Snapchat’s geofilters so that when people went to post a photo or video to Snapchat within a certain proximity of a store stocking the products, they could place a branded overlay or filter on their content. While P&G hasn’t revealed the nitty gritty details of the campaign’s success, it has said that by comparing the Star Wars collection’s sales that of its Hunger Games collection back in 2013 (where the ad campaign included TV spots and a branded Tumblr blog) Star Wars was more cost-efficient and had more of an impact. Eric Rose, brand manager at Procter & Gamble told Ad Age:

As marketers continue to look for ways to drive sales by integrating social media, digital media and mobile media, the closer we get to the end of that purchase funnel in a way that Snapchat allows us to, and I think we have that much higher probability of having success.

Brands experiment with ScratchReel
Fancy yourself a bit of a David Guetta, but absolutely awful at scratching? Me too. Fear not, instead you can just play with Twitter’s latest toy: ScratchReel. Brands like Dior, Ford and the PGA Tour have already started using the format, which allows you to move forward and backwards in the video by using a scratching motion with your mouse. You’ll need to click on the tweet below and view it on Twitter for it to work. Still – pretty cool, huh?

Friendsgiving campaign launches on Instagram, Amazon and Pinterest
Friendsgiving is the fun version of Thanksgiving, where you celebrate with your mates ahead of the traditional version with your family. Juice company Izze spotted that sharing #Friendsgiving content was huge on social, and has launched a campaign to tap into this on Instagram, Amazon and Pinterest as well as its own website. On Instagram, Izze asks social media users a series of questions, which then directs them to a page where they can pick from three holiday recipe themes—”Home away from home-cooked,” “Throwback Thursday” and “Bon Appetizer.”  A link in the account for each theme is connected to Amazon and Pinterest, where people can buy soda and kitchen goods, and find the corresponding recipes.