Dear readers, welcome to this year’s first issue of Fókus, a newsletter of interesting marketing related news, trivia and inspirations. Let’s dive in!
News
1.
This one was hard to miss, but it is good to be reminded that users of Apple products who sponsor ads on Meta platforms directly from the apps on their devices (iPhones, iPads) should be cautious, as Apple charges a 30 % fee for doing so. The way around it is actually quite simple - set up ads on your desktop. Here is what you can do or contact us to make sure you’re doing it right.
2.
TikTok has published its list of last year’s most watched videos. The most interesting thing about it is, that even the most avid TikTok viewers amongst us might have never seen any of those videos. Why? There is simply too much happening at the same time. A notion of a “viral video” as we know it, seems shattered forever. Read this short yet interesting column about this evolution published on the Verge.
3.
WhatsApp has revealed a simple yet effective hack to format text. As more and more conversations happen in direct messages, both privately and between customers and businesses, formatting can help to better convey the message and highlight what is important. Check this short video where the most useful formatting hacks are shown in action.
4.
Meta announced it will tag images and videos created using AI tools. The goal is to let people know they're looking at generated content, not actual footage. Firstly, the company will only mark images that people create in its Meta AI generator. At a later stage, it wants to give warnings for content created in tools from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney and Shutterstock and others.. Labelling generated content is a necessary step. However, it will not be a truly functional solution until relevant companies agree on an effective system and its flawless implementation across different platforms and engines.
5.
Google is adjusting its search engine algorithms to better cope with the flood of low-quality content generated by artificial intelligence. This is an important step in keeping the most used search engine on top of the game, delivering relevant results.
Eye Candy: Afterlife
We can all agree: e-waste is a growing problem. With thousands of new electronic gadgets being designed and mass produced every year, old devices get thrown away, often ending up outside of the recycling centres and their reach. Amidst the search for solutions, Samsung’s research team in the US came up with an effective and elegant idea on how to prolong the life of a smartphone that would otherwise be thrown away. It came up with the concept of Afterlife, a sleek and elegant capsule, which, after some tweaking in the settings, will turn an old phone into a clock, photo slideshow frame or an art display. Nothing revolutionary, but every baby step on the way towards a circular economy is vital and needed.
Number Of The Month: 2,1 billion
This huge number is a height of the demanded sum (in Euros) by media houses across Europe who started a lawsuit against Google. Media from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden allege they had suffered losses due to the company’s practices in digital advertising, stating that Google deformed the competitive market by its dominance and control over online advertising.
Trend Of The Month: Trader Joe’s tote bag
Anything can become a trend. But how to create one? Nobody knows, otherwise we would all be rich. It is often a mystery, a mix of impeccable timing, sometimes a masterminded marketing strategy, often a lucky mistake and almost always a result of societal pressure. Take the latest fast selling item of the american grocery store chain Trader Joe’s. Their simple tote bag, priced at 2.99 dollars per piece is flying off the shelves. Why? Nobody knows, including people buying it. More in this article by the New York Times.
Out Of The Box: Longevity
I have to admit, when I first saw the news that Marina Abramović, one of the most well known artists, launched her own line of skincare products, I laughed. And then it made me think. It made me realise how easy it is to fall into perpetuating the narrow minded ideal of an artist who shouldn’t cross with business or financial capital and stain its genuinity, purity, honesty, artistic expression or even life. Now, I am not sure where you stand on this, but if out of nothing but pure curiosity, discover Longevity. Made by an artist who has been breaking rules since 1973 and who, I thought, would be better at getting a better website for her products.
This wraps up this month’s bundle of news. Tune in a few weeks for another round. Thanks for staying with me!
Peace, puppets and techno,
Juraj
