Photos are going to start looking different on Facebook soon. Now, users to can edit and add effects on the platform in real-time. The platform – called “Style Transfer” – is being tested in Ireland with plans to roll out for everyone in the coming weeks. "This is a pretty big leap in terms of power of what you can do," Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer said during a press event in San Francisco.” The new feature includes stickers, changing facial expressions, cool backgrounds, and filters that recreate the styles of famous artists.
When Instagram first rolled out Instagram Stories, everyone claimed it was a copy of Snapchat Stories – and Instagram pretty much admitted to it. But the tables have turned. This week, Snapchat cloned the Instagram Stories “ Rewind” feature. Users can now rewatch Stories by tapping on the right part of their screens. But true innovations are still coming. Everyone is used to Selfie Lenses, but with World Lenses, Snapchat users will be able to add features to other things other than faces. This was added as a way to spice up what images from Spectacles, Snapchat’s new glasses.
As part of a new program called Marketing Partners, Pinterest gave 15 tech companies access to its API. Their main goal of this data-driven approach is to increase the site’s ad business, so the visual-sharing site has rolled out new targeting and video offerings. Will Pinterest be able to build its business to Facebook or Google levels? We are ready to see some more data, Pinterest!
Podcasts have exploded in popularity in recent years, and brands like InterContinental Hotel, General Electric, Tequila Avión, HBO and State Farm Insurance have gotten into the game as a way to tap into a different audience. But marketers have run into some struggles as a way to keep these podcasts creative. "You look at the space now, and it's so crowded—not many brands are creating their own editorial content, so we thought it was a point of differentiation," said Georgina Forster, managing director at Mirum, the agency behind the InterContinental Hotels podcast. General Electric has had major success with its podcast, The Message, which netted 4.4 million downloads from October to November. The secret? The Message sounds nothing like an ad.