8/8/2022: Here’s what’s new and what caught my eye last week
Video Killed the Radio Star – 2022 Version: Interesting analysis about how your social platform experience will change as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more embrace recommendation algorithms. The piece explains why Kim Kardashian is upset (she’ll be devalued), suggests Netflix will open up to all types of creators, and posits a future where platforms use AI to generate their own synthetic media. Yes, the times they are a changing.
Triller Under Fire: It was promoted as a more democratic TikTok. Many creators signed up. Alas, the money, perks and attention didn’t follow. Makes me question Triller’s long-term prospects.
Interpreting TikTok’s Live Shopping study: An interesting LinkedIn thread explored details from a TikTok live shopping study which included some eye-popping stats, including that 50% of TikTok users have purchased something from a livestream. Some saw this as repudiating the “Facebook and TikTok are abandoning shopping in the US” assertions. Unfortunately, the conclusions are unwarranted – at least for the western world. The study was done in late 2021 across 9 markets – including the US and UK, but also South Korea, Japan and Indonesia. “At least” 250 users were sampled in each market, and those users were given a 10-minute on-line survey to fill out. All users were over the age of 18. First, with no selection detail it’s unlikely this was a random and projectable survey, and mixing Asian and western countries to achieve a single result makes it impossible to predict with confidence anything for the US market. Directionally it is fascinating – just like a focus group. But not deterministic. /rant off.
Rumor Mill: Hearing some chatter recently that a top 25 creator’s business org is peppered with grifters, deadbeats and bullies. Might be sour grapes, but if true it signals a worrying shift to the “I win you lose” philosophy from traditional Hollywood and venture backed unicorns. The creator economy was built on collabs and cooperation. I fear we’re becoming just another zero-sum industry, rather than a supportive place for everyone.
QUIBIS:
- Could OnlyFans be the future of social media? Good interview with CEO Ami Gan.
- Podcasters discover the value of “sponsored sessions” (part of VidCon since 2018). $50k is a lot of money!
- The newsletter boom is over.
- The creator who trolls the trolls with a taste of their own medicine. Go Drew!
- Understanding the difference between AR, XR, VR and MR.
- YouTube’s new tool makes it easy to clip your larger videos into shorts.
- Amazon’s big NFL experiment will feature the Dude Perfect team announcing games.
- TikTok predicted to pass YouTube in “Influencer Marketing” dollars in the US in 2024. Those dollars come from “Brand-Influencer partnerships” as near as I can tell.
- Meta taps debt market for the first time to fuel business growth, transformation.
CRYPTIS:
- We’re getting close to the Ethereum merge – from proof of work to proof of stake. A16z has insight into what it means for ETH, along with what’s next for the popular coin.
- The continuing search for viable use cases for crypto and web3
- Top VC Tomasz Tunguz sees messaging as a key limiting factor slowing the growth of web3. Sounds like an investible opportunity!
This Week at VidCon Now: VidCon Mexico is less than two months away, and the team just announced their amazing lineup of speakers, sessions, and creators! From the speaker side I’m super excited to see Andréa Mallard, Pinterest’s CMO; Kim Farrell, TikTok’s GM for Latin America and Interim Head of Marketing in the U.S.; Navarro Wright, Meta’s Product Marketing Director for Facebook; and Karla Agis, YouTube’s Culture and Trends Lead for Canada and Latin America. And all the top creators in Latin America will be there too, including Juanpa Zurita, Luisito Comunica, Calle y Poché, Kenia Os, Domelipa, Brianda Deyanara, Skabeche, Leyendas Legendarias, Daniela Rodrice, Paco de Miguel, Antrax and so many more. Get your tickets today!
Tip of the Week: Want to understand the “TikTok Language for Marketers”? The always creative TikTok Europe team put together a fun “tokumentary” that helps marketers – and all of us – understand this “new language of creativity”. As an aside, I love the irony of the TikTok team posting this video on YouTube. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, tips start at 3:12, and then another at 6:35. Oh and can we lose the word “tokumentary”? Please.
What We’re Watching:
- I’ve built a few studios in my life – but nothing like what Mr Beast has put together.
See you around the internet, and feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested, and if someone forwarded this to you, you can sign up here!
Jim
