Where digital meets travel + lifestyle … A collection of can’t-miss news from this week. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox every Friday.
Getting Through To Generation Z
Never mind millennials – the oldest among them are pushing 40! Generation Z, today’s teens, are the next big group for brands to focus in on. Generation Z, born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, currently make up 25 percent of the U.S.’s population. They’re true digital natives – they’ve never known a world without the internet.
SmartBrief has some ideas on how to connect with this burgeoning demographic. “Brands need to tread lightly–the same types of social tricks that Boomers and even Millennials found surprising will be completely see-through to Gen Z,” said Joe Cox, engagement director at Barkley, an integrated marketing and ad agency.
Polls On A Roll
One good way to reach consumers of all ages currently? Polls. Twitter polls are fairly well-known, but Instagram and Facebook have ramped up their polling capabilities.
Econsultancy has tips on the best ways for brands to get in on the action. One great thing about using social media polls is that they can provide instant feedback on new or revamped offerings. “Starbucks is one brand that has made use of this, creating polls to gain quick insight into customer preferences,” writes Nikki Gilliland. “[A recent] poll simply asks users whether they would be more inclined to choose a pink or violet drink. There’s not much difference in the product to begin with, but with a quick poll, the brand is able to gain insight into these minute customer preferences.”
Repostable
Another useful feature rolled out recently for Instagram Stories is the ability to instantly repost stories you’re mentioned in to your own story.
Here’s how “@mention” sharing works: When someone mentions you in their story, you receive a notification in your direct message thread with that person. You’ll see an option to add that content to your own story. Tap it to see that story as a sticker – you can scale, rotate and position it and add creative tools like text or stickers on to it as well. When your followers see your story, the original poster’s username will appear and will be tappable, so people can explore your friend’s profile as well. Only public accounts can have their stories shared.
Automated Integration
Autonomous (self-driving) vehicles are the future – and
social media within those autonomous vehicles will be a major part of the experience, says AdWeek. What’s in store? “Autonomous vehicles (AVs, or self-driving cars) may be fully integrated with social media—connecting automatically and seamlessly to driver profiles the minute they get into their cars,” writes Haden Kirkpatrick. “Augmented reality features could even allow drivers to connect with brands in real-time (like being able to click on a hashtag that appears on a billboard), meaning social media could also become an in-car marketing tool.” There’s no escape!
Weekly Moment of Zen
Watch
all the performances from last weekend’s Tony Awards.