We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #238

Mashup
hannah.jones

Facebook launches new ‘Groups’ app
If there is one thing we all need, it’s another Facebook branded mobile app. So we’re happy to introduce to you the new Facebook Groups app, which launched earlier this week for iOS and Android. In a similar style to the messenger app, it consolidates all your current Facebook groups into one place, allowing for faster sharing within groups, whilst making it easier to find other communities relevant to you.

1

Facebook adds structured status feature to pages
Ever wondered if your favourite brands were feeling blessed, loved or sleepy at any given moment? Well, with the introduction of structured status updates for Facebook pages, now you’ll know. The feature provides brands with a drop-down menu of automated emoji-style status updates that can be shared with their page’s fans.

Screen Shot 2014-11-24 at 16.29.42

Snapchat introduces ‘SnapCash’
A selfie AND money? Yes please! Snapchat brings peer to peer bank transfers into the social age. The photo messaging app has partnered with Square Cash to create a new money sending feature. It allows users to link their bank accounts to the app to send and receive money from friends. Currently only available in the US, the new feature has sparked discussions about the future potential of Snapchat, particularly the obvious benefits the update could have for e-commerce businesses.

The intro video is worth watching just for the LOLs…

Snapchat debuts brand-sponsored ad format
Snapchat debuted a new type of ad last night during the American Music awards. A stream of posts about the event played out on Snapchat’s ‘Our Story’, a feature that curates user posts about live events. For the first time, these posts were sponsored, with Samsung the brand in the spotlight. Stay tuned for more real-time ad opportunities on Snapchat soon.

Kik buys GIF messaging app
Kik, the instant messaging start-up that now reports 185 million registered users, has just bought Relay, an increasingly popular GIF sharing app. With the ever growing popularity of online video and video advertising, this represents a strategic move for Kik, to both keep up with current trends and make its offering more visual.

Viber messaging app becomes more social
Viber, the WhatsApp-y instant messaging app, has introduced a new public chat feature which will allow users to follow chats and view conversations between celebrities. Perez Hilton and Pixie Lott are already confirmed, so one can only imagine the huge gossip potential. There are currently no plans to put ads in the public chats, but as the content is at the discretion of the celebrity we’re sure brands will soon find a way to get involved.

adidas launches #LeaveYourMark campaign
adidas’ new #LeaveYourMark campaign in Australia and New Zealand features brand ambassador Sonny Bill Williams, a rugby player and former heavyweight boxer with some pretty impressive achievements under his belt. We Are Social in Sydney has worked with adidas to create three branded content films focusing on how the sportsman achieved his goals, in the aim of sparking a conversation across social around how fans leave their mark in life. The videos were launched on both Sonny’s and adidas’ social channels and amplified with supporting content and teasers.

Twitter’s ‘Buy’ button has first Christmas promotion
Twitter’s ‘Buy’ button debuted back in June, and it’s now about to experience its first ever holiday promotion. Starting this week, AMC Theatres will be making the most of the new Twitter ‘buy’ button, offering its US Twitter followers the chance to buy a $30 gift card without ever leaving the platform.

Tesco App scans Twitter feeds for gift suggestions
We Are Social has created a Twitter app for Tesco Clubcard, offering to take the stress out of the search for Christmas presents by offering thoughtful and personal suggestions. The ‘app’-tly named “Secret Scan-ta” service analyses Twitter profiles to select appropriate gifts from Tesco, based on who that person follows and what they’ve been talking about. The site links directly to all the products shown for easy purchasing, and encourages sharing across social channels.

Argos creates Tinder-like gift-giving app
Argos has also launched a gift recommendation app; this one lets you enter the basic details of your intended recipient, then provides targeted gift suggestions from the retailer’s catalogue. In true tinder-style, swipe right for yes and left for no – and the app even gets smarter the more it’s used. To provide a more social element, the app also hosts the game ‘Friend or Fraud’ through Facebook, which lets users pick their favourite gifts and see if their friends can guess them correctly.

Lacoste’s #SpotTheCroc Snapchat Campaign
Lacoste continues to experiment with social platforms popular among younger fans with a new Snapchat campaign, asking followers to find a crocodile hidden in a series of five short videos. The videos will be released every fortnight, illustrating various sports such as tennis, golf, skateboarding and rollerblading, in line with Lacoste’s brand signature: “Life is a Beautiful Sport”. Users are encouraged to view the videos, take a screengrab of the exact frame on which the crocodile appears, and send it back to Lacoste for a chance to get 20 percent off their next Lacoste purchase.

Brands congratulate Hamilton on social media 
Following Lewis Hamilton’s second Formula 1 Drivers Championship victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, numerous brands have taken to social media to congratulate him.

After his win, Mercedes-Benz, the company Hamilton drives for, tweeted a picture of the British driver standing in front of its logo and punching the air, alongside text that read, ‘The Best’. Others, such as mobile phone manufacturer Blackberry and The International Watch Company, tweeted their congratulations too.

Congrats, Lewis. Hammertime!