The Scoop - This week in digital and social
Welcome to The Scoop, your go-to weekly lowdown of the best social and digital moments.
We're chronically online so you don't have to be! Tune in every Friday to discover everything from the latest trending content and internet dramas to tech triumphs.
This week, Channel 4 speaks up on the Genny Lex, we explore the latest developments in robotics (spoiler, it's terrifying), and finally, we cover all things Glastonbury Festival.
Need help getting your brand at the forefront of social culture? Let’s chat.
Our Favourite Brand Social Moment This Week
Channel 4 changed their logo ahead of the UK general election, launching a clever new campaign: "Be lazy. Just vote." Simple yet genius!
It's refreshing to see a brand being proactive and encouraging its audience to vote by making voting seem effortless and addressing a common excuse head-on.
And with the Genny Lex results in this morning, we saw some brand reactive posts on socials including this "new cabinet incoming" from John Lewis. Brilliant.
Tech Triumphs
Scientists attach living skin to a robot…And it's possibly the most horrifying thing we've ever seen.
A team at Tokyo University in Japan have successfully developed a method for grafting live skin tissue onto mechanics, and the results are both fascinating and unsettling. A scientist from the university said, "The natural flexibility of the skin and the strong method of adhesion mean the skin can move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling away".
The team highlighted potential benefits for robotic platforms, such as increased mobility. Additionally, this breakthrough could also aid in training plastic surgeons and find new and innovative applications within the cosmetics industry.
Platform Updates
领英推荐
TikTok is on a roll with new updates and apps this week: introducing their AI chatbot "Genie" and the launch of "Whee," a fresh image-sharing app.
TikTok's new AI chatbot, is here to elevate your scrolling experience, apparently! By analysing your activity, Genie curates the best TikTok content tailored to your interests, keeping you hooked with the latest trends and creators.
This innovative feature reinforces TikTok's commitment to being not just an entertainment platform, but a discovery hub that hooks users in and keeps you engaged for hours.
Whee is a brand new app under the TikTok umbrella, offering an Instagram-like feed designed for sharing photos exclusively with close friends. It's all about keeping things intimate and real, unlike their earlier launch, Notes, which focuses on trendy lifestyle content. Notably, Whee's user interface is strikingly similar to Instagram, and TikTok isn't the first to engage in "feature borrowing". Instagram adopted Stories and Reels from Snapchat and TikTok, while TikTok's Notes app strongly resembles Instagram Threads. Sneaky sneaky.
Interestingly, much like Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong'o dating rumors, Whee was "soft launched" without any information on a worldwide release. Does this leave open the possibility that Whee might be pulled before reaching a broader audience?
Our Fave Social Trends
More employee-generated content is making waves on brands' social media, featuring hilariously poorly edited videos supposedly from their "interns". It's a cheeky, clever move, and like we discussed in our OfficeTok edition of Challenger Ways, pulling back the curtain on the day-to-day life behind your brand can deliver brilliant results.
Speaking of interns, our latest members of the Southpaw pack couldn't resist getting in on the EGC action either. Not everything is a two-man job...
Dramas, Discussions, Debates
Glastonbury weekend, the highlight of the UK festival calendar, was packed with unforgettable social moments.?
Some of our favourites include; SZA's highly anticipated set was unexpectedly sparse for a headliner, leaving fans confused and angry. A 10-week-old baby raver stole the show, capturing hearts and proving that Glastonbury really is for everyone. Meanwhile, Louis Tomlinson made headlines by wheeling his TV to watch the football in the middle of a campsite. This stunt was iconic due to Glastonbury's strict no-football streaming policy, demonstrating that even at a massive music festival, the love for the game remains strong. These moments stood out in a weekend full of music, fun, and surprises, making Glastonbury 2024 an event to remember.
Freelance Content Writer & Founder of Life Stories
8 个月A great little round-up of everything I needed to know this week - and a bunch of things I probably didn’t!
Founder of a Marketing Led New Business Consultancy - obsessed with growth. Having five older siblings has taught me to learn fast – and grow up slow
8 个月Love this end and start to my week with Southpaw and their new The Scoop. Learning about things I never thought I needed to know about, but so badly do! Sign up as it is a brilliant way to start and end your week.
Social Media & Content Executive
8 个月Insightful!