January 7, 2025
January 7, 2025
It’s been another busy month in the world of digital, from (even more) unfortunate events unfolding at Facebook to changes from the top at Twitter. These events have inspired us to reflect on our social and digital philosophy at Mission North and left us curious about what’s to come in the rest of 2018.
In this month's roundup, our digital team shares how we’re thinking about the changes unfolding at some of the most powerful digital platforms in the world. Read until the very end for a glimpse into where we’re finding inspiration. Spoiler: Mailchimp is at it again.
Whither Facebook?
Where to begin? From Russian influence in US elections to a massive security breach, inflated ad metrics and decreasing active users in high revenue countries, it’s been a rough year (or several) for Facebook. WIRED’s March cover image really says it best:
Our POV: Whether or not Facebook intended to “move fast and break things,” it’s clear they’ve broken quite a few things and the social network is in need of a significant reset. Facebook is at an inflection point and it’s unclear whether they will put in the hard work to examine their core business and bring about smart changes to get out of this tailspin. No, the election “war room” doesn’t count.
What this means for you: How long Facebook’s market dominance lasts is fiercely debated, but when it comes to working Facebook into your marketing and PR strategies, we’ve seen less and less value. Audiences are wary of the platform and spending less time on it, so organic posts are getting less reach. We’re not about to write off the 800-pound gorilla of social marketing, but we’re taking a much more critical eye, waiting to see if and how the platform can continue to deliver effective results for brands.
Twitter dislikes the Like button <3
Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey says Twitter might remove the Like button.
Our POV: We applaud Dorsey for actively challenging the status quo and reconsidering how and why Twitter operates. But this move seems misguided and could be seen as part of Twitter’s history of addressing symptoms while ignoring underlying root problems. Internet culture and psychology researcher Zeynep Tufekci chimed in with some food for thought on easy feature changes that could do more to actually reduce online harassment:
What this means for you: If the change does happen, it likely won’t happen for a while … but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. This change will impact KPIs and engagement metrics as well as how Twitter is fundamentally used by brands. Companies will need to revisit their Twitter strategy and tactics to ensure they’re doubling down on content that sparks quality conversation and engagement. Sharing and authentic conversation is a higher bar to clear, but that’s where social media reaches its true potential, anyway.
Whether or not Twitter removes the Like button, we know Dorsey is prioritizing changes that would improve engagements and minimize abuse, and that’s a step in the right direction. Brands should continue that momentum and look to make changes of their own that reflect this worthy focus on quality.
Where we’re finding inspiration
Samsung Created an App to Help Visually Impaired People Read Music While Learning to Play Guitar
- The highlights: As part of a multi-year effort to advance the cause of accessibility, Samsung Brazil developed a series of events, activities and resources to help people with accessibility needs.
- Why we like it: This is a great example of how innovative and meaningful technology can enable empowerment marketing.
MailChimp’s New Rebranding Effort Celebrates Other Businesses That Have Also Outgrown Their Names
- The highlights: In an effort to showcase MailChimp’s growth and expansion, the company recently launched a new campaign called More than Mail that links a long-term component of their marketing efforts – helping small businesses connect to their customers – with the evolution of their brand and many of their customers’.
- Why we like it: It’s classic storytelling that positions their audience as the hero in a very visual and relatable way. It also connects to a larger strategic shift for the company without trying to rebrand after all the work they’ve done to establish MailChimp. In other words, they’re leaning into change authentically and effectively.
We’d love to hear your opinion on Facebook and Twitter and learn where you’re finding digital inspiration these days. Talk to us on Twitter and Instagram or drop us a line at digital@bateman-group.com.
