- It’s the dawn of a new era! Well, at least in Japan. Today (30th April), Emperor Akihito will abdicate in favour of his son, the Crown Prince Naruhito, which will have a knock-on effect on the country’s information software sector. A bit of background: Japan runs a calendar system based on the emperor’s reign and, because Akihito has been on the throne for almost the entirety of the information age, many systems have never had to deal with an era change. With the new era name, Reiwa, announced only on April 1st, companies and institutions have only had a month to get everything updated. Users have reported that some online services and systems are already up and running correctly (here, here and here) but only time will tell if they will all be in gear for the big switchover.
- The holy grail of creating relevant branded content for your audience is well understood by brands and their agencies. But understanding your audience can often be the trickier part, especially if that audience is a niche one. A new report issued this week seeks to do just that for mobile users in rural Vietnam. It found that, in this demographic, a physical presence is crucial (45% of those who click on online ads go on to make a physical purchase) and that video is gaining a growing affinity (82% of users turned to the YouTube mobile app for relaxation). If you want to understand more about your audience (on the off chance they aren’t in rural Vietnam), click here to learn more about our audience intelligence and segmentation methods. With the largest global coverage of any market research agency in the field, we understand the micro-economies of any industry and region and can identify your stakeholder and audience opportunities – whenever and wherever they arise.
- Debates around fake news often focus on the harmful effects of the phenomenon, but not enough attention is paid to how to actually spot fabricated stories. Educating people about how to identify fake news in a fun and entertaining way, the new Android app Litmus has been created by Bangalore-based Enthrall Labs. They argue that fake news recognition shouldn’t only be left to AI, but must also be a skill honed by humans. Convinced you would spot misinformation a mile away? Take the litmus test to find out.
- Is this the end of the Instagram like count? Big brands and influencers have greatly benefitted from the high like-score on their Insta posts, but for us mere mortals, the hunt for likes, which can be likened to a quest for social approval, may lead to stress and anxiety. The heart shaped button is currently the ultimate measure of a post’s resonance and a user’s influence and impact. However, it doesn’t provide a measure of meaningful engagement and is now believed to prevent followers from truly paying attention to the content. With this in mind, Instagram is now trialling a new feature which shields audiences from the number of likes a post receives. Here at Convosphere, we have plenty of experience and expertise in measuring the value and ROI of your campaign that goes well beyond the number of likes. Find out more here.
- In last month’s newsletter, we reported on the #trashtag initiative in Vietnam, that saw people pick up rubbish left in nature and document their efforts on Instagram. Another great example of how social media can be used for social good is the new green traveller movement, which has prompted thousands of holidaying Swedes to ditch airplanes in favour of the train. Teenage activist Greta Thunberg made headlines as she documented her 32-hour rail-journey from Stockholm to Davos, Switzerland, to raise awareness of climate change. The anti-air travel trend has even led to new words being coined in Sweden, most notably flygskam (flight-shame), but tågskryt (train-bragging) and smygflyga (fly in secret) have also gained prominence on social media platforms.
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With a background in PR, communication and journalism, Moa heads up Convosphere’s content marketing, blog and social media channels.
Before joining Convosphere, Moa worked as a PR and brand consultant for agencies including The Future Laboratory, LS:N Global, Canvas8 and Stylus, with a focus on packaging, retail and technology trends in the UK and Scandinavia.
