Marketing News Worth Knowing
I’m excited to share three marketing and social media trends that you should be aware of. . Today we’ll discuss Instagram’s latest change to their feed, an experiential activation tied to an HBO Max show, how to assess if your brand should activate on a cultural moment. Looking for more social media news? Check out more of my blog posts here, and here.
Instagram Going Back To Chronological
They say fashion is cyclical, and now we can say social media is too. Six years ago (yes, really), Instagram decided to forgo the traditional chronological feed for one based on its algorithm. Recently, Instagram announced that two new modes will be rolled out to all users.
Soon, you will be able to toggle between "Following" mode, which only shows content from accounts you follow in reverse chronological order. And "favorites" mode, a separate feed where you can select up to 50 accounts to highlight.
While this news is exciting for those longing for a chronological feed, the change isn't fully permanent as Instagram still sees value in its algorithm. Specifically, if you close out the app and reopen it, you'll be presented with the current algorithmic feed. Now, maybe Twitter will reconsider adding an edit functionality to their platform.
HBO Max Experiential x Basketball Moment
If you're unfamiliar with HBO's latest series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, the dramatic miniseries follows the rise of the NBA's Lakers, Dr. Jerry Buss, and Magic Johnson. To help promote and raise awareness of the social, HBO leaned into a cultural insight to create a lasting experiential activation.
HBO's marketing team landed on a concept, turning a basketball court in Inglewood, California, into a long-lasting celebration of the Los Angeles Lakers and the show itself. No small feat in itself, as HBO partnered with a non-profit, Project Backboard, founded in 2014 by Daniel Peterson. Project Backboard's goal is to restore old basketball courts and install striking visual art to strengthen communities around the country.
Following approval from the city to restore a basketball court in Rogers Park, Project Backboard and HBO worked for four months on the restoration itself, repairing cracks in the court, repainting court lines and markings, installing graphics on backboards, and replacing the nets and rims on the existing hoops.
How to Assess Cultural Social Media Moments
The blue or gold dress, "Yanni" or "laurel," are just a few notable social media moments that gain significant levels of consumers' attention and brands' attention. These moments are opportunities for brands, but only when they activate authentically. My friends at Sprout Social provide some insights as to how and when brands should insert themselves via social content.
At a high level, brands need to have a north star to assess whether a cultural moment is a good fit for their respective audiences. That can often be done through tools like social listening and just having a firm understanding of one's brand.
Let me know if any of the above information is useful information. What other information should digital and social media professionals know about?
