A holiday gift for Harry Potter’s many Millennial fans, random acts of wine, coding Christmas, and links we’re passing. We’ve got all the news you shouldn’t miss before the week ends!
1. A Very Harry Christmas
Today’s newsfeed let you know what kids are looking for in books, and that same Scholastic Kids study found Harry Potter is still a favorite of kids 9-11-years-old. They join the many, many Millennials who are still die hard fans of the series—so don’t miss how all of them are getting a holiday gift from J.K. Rowling. The author will be releasing new Harry Potter content every day for the 12 days on the Pottermore site leading up to Christmas. Members may have to answer riddles to unlock the content.
2. Random Acts of Wine
This season some brands have been creating campaigns based on random acts of kindness to spread holiday cheer, build buzz, and promote positivity. Don’t miss how another brand tapped into this trend just a few months ago. Millennial-friendly Australian wine discount startup site Vinomofo, “the most epic wine site on the planet,” launched the Vinobomb Project to help it members perform random acts of kindness. Vinomofo users can nominate people they think deserve a vino treat, and every month the site delivers six of their “finest wines” to the unexpecting lucky winner. The site’s co-CEO says the promotion has been a big success, and they’ve “been overwhelmed by the number of nominations.”
3. Code the Holidays
Google has its eye on the next generation, and they’re planning to make versions of their products specifically for users 12 and under. It’s a continuation of Google’s already-existing kid-friendly efforts, which include their Made with Code initiative. Don’t miss how Made with Code is using Christmas to teach those kids to have fun programming: the Holiday Lights project invites any kid to animate the lights of the White House Christmas trees by entering blocks of code online, and the Santa Tracker site and app includes games and challenges that teach Javascript coding.
4. The Uber-ing of Everything
The on-demand economy is here and growing, thanks in large part to young, impatient consumers, and the smart brands who aren’t a part of it are finding innovative ways to integrate the on-demand mentality into what they already do. Don’t miss how 2014 is being called the “year of the Uber-ing of everything,” and how the expansion of on-demand is democratizing things that were once only for the elite. Smartphones are of course at the root of it all.
5. Links We’re Passing
Remember Yo, the app that got a ton of attention for the single function of sending “Yo” alerts to friends? Well, don’t miss how actor Aaron Paul has taken that idea to a new level. Inspired by his Breaking Bad character Jesse Pinkman’s famous affinity shouting both “Yo” and “Bitch!” Paul has created YB, a messaging app that sends multiple “_____, Bitch!” phrases in his own voice. Users can unlock new phrases and participate in contests to win “phrase packs.”
