Tuesday Tune-Up #256
In what we can only assume was the classic case of a pun that spiralled out of control, Snap.Inc (fka. Snapchat) recently released literal Snapchat lenses known as ‘Spectacles’. A snap fanatic’s dream hardware (and Black Mirror fan’s nightmare), the snazzy looking sunglasses can record video that syncs straight to your smartphone.
So what exactly do we know about this latest hardware? Spectacles can record video in 10-second bursts, and the camera has a 115-degree lens that mimics how humans see. The footage is shot in a circular format to help distinguish it from those squares on other platforms such as Facebook. The battery will last for around a day, and you can charge your specs in a dedicated case. They look sleek. They look flamboyant. They look like a chameleon trying to stare at both its ears at the same time. We can’t wait to see if they take off!
‘Snap to Unlock’ ads go live IRL
Snapchat marketing codes – ‘Snapcodes’ – have started appearing IRL, inviting people to scan them for promotional in-app add-ons. They are DEFINITELY NOT QR codes (they are pretty much QR codes). Can you guess which brand the above is from? No, not Smirnoff, it’s actually Universal Pictures promoting Girl On The Train.
Rumour has it that Twitter could be up for sale
Twitter shares have soared after it was reported that the company may be receiving formal bids from potential buyers including Google and Salesforce.com. It was the biggest rise since Twitter’s stock market launch in 2013, and while there has been no formal commentary from any of the companies, Salesforce.com chief digital evangelist Vala Afshar tweeted:
tl;dr: Vala really likes Twitter you guys.
Facebook admits miscalculating key video metric for two years
Whoops! Facebook made a boo-boo and the world is not happy about it. The platform has admitted to over-estimating the average time users spend watching video on its platform by only counting users that watched at least three seconds. A media agency was told by Facebook that this resulted in an over-inflation of figures by between 60% and 80%.
*Quick pan to Mark Zuckeberg Scrooge McDuckin-ing through a huge pile of money with carefree abandon*
So what’s the big deal? Well, it’s estimated that 85% of new digital ad spending goes to Facebook and Google because of their impressive metrics. Now it seems that this spend was allocated based on incorrect data. As a result, the industry is calling for third-party measurement across all social platforms for added transparency.
As if by magic! Facebook rolls out new third-party measurement tools
Facebook recently announced a handful of partnerships with companies including Nielsen Catalina Solutions, Oracle Data Cloud, Visual IQ and Neustar MarketShare. The deals aim to help marketers see how effective cross-channel campaigns are in terms of return on investment. Brad Smallwood, VP of marketing science at Facebook, said the “people-based measurement” approach using third parties will give brands more accurate results.
… and adds new features to its dynamic ads
Facebook will now incorporate data about local product availability, pricing and special offers into its dynamic ads. The development is designed to make the format more appealing to businesses with brick-and-mortar stores. The idea is that instead of just showing you the product, the ad will direct you to a specific store where said product is available at a specific price. If the product sells out, the ad will start featuring something else from the store’s catalogue.
Google launches chat app Allo
Google has smashed onto the chat app scene with its new app Allo. Allo is different from the current market leaders WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger because it integrates AI capabilities into your chat, which means you can search for a delicious Taco or your favourite YouTube vid while staying in the app and chatting with your pals.
We Are Social’s favourite British innovator (after MI6’s Q of course) Tom Ollerton thinks Allo’s features are “ahead of the game” saying:
“In the future, it will be commonplace for automated assistants to be present in our conversations, and Allo is the first example for consumers to try out”.
Spotify and Tinder pair up to find your music match
Spotify is teaming up with Tinder to integrate your music preferences with your profile by letting you choose a “personal anthem” that tells your story in the hope that this will lure your next victim into swiping right for you. It is expected, with the sheer number of people who will submit Shannon Noll’s heart-stirring classic ‘What About Me?’, that Australia’s population will double in the next two years (probably).
Luxbet takes a gamble with #DaveGetsFired
There are few things people love more than a fired employee let loose with the company’s Twitter handle. So, when Dave got fired from his job at Luxbet, Twitter tuned in with glee.
The event, which sent #DaveGetsFired and #SaveDave trending, turned out to be a hoax to promote Luxbet’s new app. The stunt, along with showing Australian’s soft spot for anyone called Dave, was an interesting case study in how a brand page behaving so drastically outside of the norm can drive such sharp spike in interest. Whether that short window of interest is beneficial overall is open to debate, personally, I’m just bummed out I missed out on the pizza run.
This week’s Tune-Up courtesy of @MaxMills