How we created and evolved our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Change People & Culture 18 Apr 2024 In this blog, Lucy Doubleday, Managing Partner and Kate Corrie, Head of People and Culture share how they have evolved our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Change. We all know that advertising has a problem with diversity. When it comes to representation, the industry as a whole has repeatedly shown to be in a state of inequality. In 2018, while we recognised the importance and benefits of having a diverse team, we didn’t always have a consistent approach to achi ..read more

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #669 Mashup 15 Apr 2024 TikTok reportedly launching new photo app to rival Instagram TikTok is reportedly taking on Instagram with a new photo app soon to launch called TikTok Notes. The company said it is working on a dedicated space for images and text content. Some users have received notifications stating that their photo posts will be shared to the new app unless they opt out. Meta trials AI chatbot across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger Meta has begun trials across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in India and parts of Africa with its AI chatbot, Meta ..read more

Go Big and Go Indie: The Untapped Potential of Indie Games Collaborations in Marketing Thought Leadership 9 Apr 2024 Global Head of Gaming, Rachel Rakowski says that exploring partnerships with indie game developers can open brands up to huge untapped creative potential. In this piece she looks at the opportunities that indie studios offer in terms of creative opportunities for brands, and how they should go about forming a successful, collaborative relationship.   Over the course of my career as a marketer, I’ve heard brands say the same line over and over again; “we’re the bigg ..read more

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #668 Mashup 8 Apr 2024 Facebook is introducing a full-screen video player Facebook is launching a new full-screen video player in the style of popular formats such as Reels and Stories on Instagram, as well as content on TikTok and Shorts on YouTube. The player, launching first in the U.S. and Canada, will automatically show videos in vertical mode and will recommend relevant videos to watch next. These recommendations will also appear on the Facebook Feed and Video tab. Image credit: Meta It will also offer new controls such as a full-screen mode for horizonta ..read more

Fandom and Genre Reclamation: Beyoncé Takes on Country Music Thought Leadership 3 Apr 2024 In this blog, Vanessa Tafi (Senior R&I Analyst) and Shannon Stocker (Senior Cultural Analyst) delve into how Beyoncé’s latest album release is igniting much-needed changes within Country music. Last month, Beyoncé broke new ground by becoming the first Black woman to top the Country charts. Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages signalled her first return to country music since 2016 single Daddy Lessons. Their release generated over 144K mentions. On 29th March, Beyoncé released her album in full – act ..read more

Influencer and Creativity: Final Talks Announced For Digital & Social Summit Events 28 Mar 2024 Further to our announcement last week of the first talks for the Digital & Social Summit 2024, the final talks have now been revealed. Sign up now to hear from insights from Booking.com, YouTube and MSC Cruises and more. We often talk about putting “people before platforms” when creating content for social. Right now, this has never been more important. In a world where people are becoming hyper aware of the impact of technology and AI, brands can resonate with consumers by acting in a m ..read more

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #667 Mashup 25 Mar 2024 YouTube requires creators to label ‘realistic’ AI generated content  AI generated content is increasingly common on social, and YouTube is the latest platform to announce changes to the ways it’s labelled. The video platform now requires creators to disclose when ‘realistic’ content – ie something viewers could mistake for a real person, place or event –  is made with altered or synthetic media, which includes generative AI. There will be a new tool in Creator Studio to facilitate this. With deepfakes posing a risk to democracy ..read more

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #666 Mashup 18 Mar 2024 TikTok rolls out search tool for creators TikTok is rolling out a new analytics tool called “Creator Search Insights”. The new element will provide creators with information about what users are searching for in the app, so they can match their content to audience interests.  Image credit: TikTok Creators can also filter the results by topic and search for ‘gap topics,’ which are subjects that are frequently searched for but aren’t featured in many videos. TikTok says that Search Insights is available in selected regions, with furth ..read more

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #665 Mashup 11 Mar 2024 Threads is rolling out draft posts and an in-app camera  Threads has introduced new features to save draft posts and take photos within the app. Users will be able swipe up whilst composing posts and save it as a draft. It is worth noting you can only have one draft post at any time.   Image credit: Bloomberg / Gabby Jones / Getty Images As for the ability to take pictures within the app, users can simply click the camera icon on the post composer. The shortcut aims to make it easier for people to share photos in the momen ..read more

International Women’s Day 2024 Culture 8 Mar 2024 To celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, we took a moment to connect with the incredible women who make our London office a thriving hub of talent and inspiration. With our UK team being made up of 51% women and, at a leadership level, 55%, we wanted to delve into the stories of these remarkable ladies. Let’s take a look at what they shared. Lucy Doubleday Managing Partner Who is your work role model?  That’s tough. I don’t think I can choose one person. I would have to say a blend of so many fab women here: Kate Corrie’s focus ..read more