Need to know what was most newsworthy this week? Read on.
1. Swipe ‘Til You Shop
This week we explored snapshot marketing as the next essential social media step for brands, especially on rising platform We Heart It whose CEO gave us exclusive insight on what it takes to advertise on visual platforms. Don’t miss further expertise from the CEO of Curalate, a visual analytics company involved in Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr’s branded initiatives, who advises to “involve images that are authentic, inspiring, and unexpected”—hallmarks of Millennial consumers. Vogue is taking a bolder step to turn inspiration into purchasing by making itsInstagram feed shoppable, though we hope for young consumers’ sake that it’s also affordable.
2. Who Needs Drivers?
A car culture still exists among Millennials, as we learned from ourconfessions of a Millennial guy, but it has evolved into a desire for surprising features that haven’t been rehashed for decades. Ready to wow the next generation, don’t miss Google’s reveal of a driverless car prototype that has some excited, and others wondering if the pod-like design is just too cute to be cool. One of the first brands to hail the driverless trend has been on-demand car service Uber, whose CEO declared a shift to driverless cars in their future.
3. Dating in First Class
Our update on the trends that continue to stand the test of time gave you the gave you the new scoops on trends in the Business of Weed, the Private Side of Social Media, and Life After Kickstarter, so we don’t want you to miss this follow-up to the Group Dating trend. As a recap, matchmaking service the Dating Ring crowdsourced funds to send a group of New York ladies to meet eligible men in San Francisco over Memorial Day weekend. One woman’s first-hand account explores the ups and downs of curated blind dates and what happens when two coasts collide. Though she didn’t find love, matches were undoubtedly made and this unique dating model could have potential as a regular endeavor.
4. Microblogging the Music
Music visuals are charting new territories as artists and brands take advantage of the expansive digital landscape, so we don’t want you to miss the latest collaboration in digital music featuring Pharrell and Spike Lee for AmEx’s Unstaged YouTube and Vevo-streamed concert. Microblogging, photo sharing, and retweet unlock features are all slated for the live event on June 3. Fans may even see their own photos displayed on a user-generated content wall during performances, a unique way to foster viewer interaction and make sure that they keeping watching.
5. A Fresh Update on Food
A growing subset of food startups are targeting Millennials’ desire for fresh food on-demand, so you shouldn’t miss a new entrant to the market: AgLocal. The company is bringing farm to table, literally, with meat packages from local farms that educate foodies on where their cuts are coming from, how they were prepared, and what recipes would work best. Also on trend is the revival of traditional Jewish food, being whipped up by young chefs in the NYC area and reworked with fresh and forward-thinking combinations. Could the knish be the new cronut?
