The Social Reset In 2020, everything we’ve known – from daily routines to long-term ambitions – has been disrupted beyond recognition. In the face of an increasingly visible and vicious climate crisis, a global pandemic, and a civil rights movement, the global population has been forced to face the cracks in our society’s established order of business, and reassess what’s important as we grapple with an uncertain future.

Social has played a central role in the theatrics. With lockdown shaping much of our experience in early 2020 – at its peak, the first wave of Covid-19 saw over 3.9 billion people confined to their homes – the role of digital tools and communications have been pulled into even greater prominence.

As a result, our relationship with these channels – how we use them, and how we feel about them – has undergone an irreversible transformation. In some instances, inertia has been overcome; live content, shopping via AR and paying to customise an avatar are all behaviours that have entered the mainstream. But deeper systemic issues in these technologies have also come to light – we’ve been reminded how quickly misinformation around vital issues can spread, for example, and the disproportionate power of bad actors in digital spaces.

As we move into 2021, we’ll see people re-evaluate the role platforms should play in their lives, rethink which sources they engage with, and relearn how to use social in line with tectonic shifts in the drivers that underpin our screentime. This is the social reset. The events shaping social Certain events from the past year have played out in interesting ways online. Some will have an irreversible impact on the way we use social platforms in 2021 and beyond.

January February March April May June July August September

 More than half  The threat of  Covid-19 spreads  TikTok sets the  SpaceX launched its  Statues linked to  India bans TikTok,  Jeff Bezos  The global death of the world’s Covid-19 begins beyond China and record for most first ever crewed flight, slavery are pulled along with 58 becomes the first toll from Covid-19 population is now to impact the the WHO declares it downloads in a Dragon 2, which was down globally in other Chinese apps person in history exceeds one million on social media global economy a global pandemic single quarter for live streamed to the response to BLM to have a net worth a social app ever global population in protests  #StopHateForProfit exceeding US$200  Australian landmark online event sees brands boycott billion, fuelling bushfires underline  J.K. Rowling gets Facebook conversation around the devastation into digital row over wealth inequality of climate change trans rights, igniting and spur action wider conversations among global around inclusivity for communities online trans communities

April 2020 June 2020 August 2020 Over half of humanity The death of George Floyd Trump makes moves to ban is under lockdown spurs global BLM protests China-owned apps from the US As governments and medical The unlawful death of George The lives of TikTok and WeChat in institutions looked to abate the Floyd highlighted tensions the US hang in the balance. The spread of Covid-19, lockdowns around police brutality in the former has seen a diverse roster were enforced globally, with US and beyond. Black Lives of investors (like Walmart) lean April seeing over 3.9 billion Matter protests mobilised in, while the suggestion of a ban advised to stay at home. In this across the world, seeing on China-owned apps brings the environment, social platforms thousands from all 50 US prospect of enforcing domestic were forced to adapt to a states and 18 other countries internets (like China’s) into the Global Digital Report, 2020 wealth of new content needs. march for Black lives. Western consciousness.  06 The Practical In-Feed Reliable Unbound Open-Source Simple Life Advocacy Intimacy Idols Platforms Creativity

People are re-evaluating the Amid new constraints, ‘armchair The notion that screens and People are being more Amid the new content needs In a landscape of duetting and things that are most important activism’ has undergone a social have a negative impact discerning about who they of 2020, people have evolved out-of-context soundbites, the to them, sharpening a desire practical transformation, on our offline relationships is follow, and why. They’re not the way they engage with process of content creation to pay more attention to bolstered by global falling away, as people begin to unfollowing beautiful people, social, repurposing old tools for is becoming more communal. life’s simple pleasures, and communities who’ve realised the overcome the inertia attached but they are putting more new purposes, and expanding Social platforms are evolving reconsidering the role social power they wield can translate to tools that are designed to emphasis on the tangible value their already prominent role in into spaces for people to co- can play in enjoying them. to tangible offline change. humanise digital interactions. these figures bring to the feed. everyday life. create, not just engage.

 Page 10  Page 16  Page 22  Page 28  Page 34  Page 40

 08 1

People are using social to reconnect with their core values 

12 role social can play re-evaluation the of in supporting them supporting in re-evaluation of of re-evaluation values —and a We’re seeing a IT UNDERSTAND been heightened. has us to important what’s most protect to back pull to desire the movement, a civil rights and pandemic global a anxiety, climate wildfires, Between strain. the ease to little done have of 2020 events The so. said population global the of athird than more in 2019 that showed Report Emotions Global Gallup The out. stressed pretty been has humanity Lately, translating ‘slow hobbies’ into the digital space. ‘slow into the hobbies’ translating are who people of community a growing to speaks parents) plant budding for tricks and tips share TikTok Gardening people (which sees Meanwhile, TikTok relationships. parent–child in many videos co-creating of prevalence growing the to East Middle in the together podcasts to listening for trend surging the from family bonds, strengthen to used being are Digital channels priorities. these impede, tofeeds, complement rather and than nurture, their with engage way they the shifting are People can play in supporting them. in supporting play can social role the of a re-evaluation — and values of proximate interactions. We’re seeing a re-evaluation of expense the at connected globally narcissism, of point the to individualistic things: those preserving in force apositive been historically not has Social community. alocal of part feeling of comfort the scratch, from something baking or crafting of pleasure the in nature, being of calm — the society industrial an life and modern of context in the relegated been have that Things too. pleasures simple but family values, and health isn’tThis about just  NEW PRIORITIES Life Simple The 1. There’s an awareness There’s awareness an driving it?driving What’s emphasis on the the on emphasis ends that place greater digital tools can be used used be can digital tools powerful these how of space, politicised and important things in life. life. in things important for more wholesome is of2020, events the Social has become a become has Social more from their feeds. feeds. their from more individualistic highly which, in the context of of context in the which, leaving people wanting wanting people leaving

 2. Practical Advocacy 

3. In-Feed Intimacy 2 3 1

 4. Reliable Idols Idols Reliable 4. TikTok and the movement cottagecore – a Tumblr- like in communities Gardening a rise been has There Crossing The behavioural change behavioural The Whether through the globally successful communities of like-minded others. global others. like-minded of with communities pleasures offline simple of enjoyment communities groups used WhatsApp to stay connected a Facebook Group where we pretend to be ants, to one one to ants, be to pretend we where Group a Facebook in touch. keep to simply or thrive. Even as lockdown has eased, these spaces have have spaces these eased, has lockdown as Even thrive. to those in their locale. In Canada, ‘care-mongering’, the vulnerable were templated and shared. Some via digital channels digital via unable to escape the anxieties of life in the physical physical life of in the anxieties the escape to unable hobbies. People are using social to share a renewed arenewed share to social using are People hobbies. and aesthetics agricultural in quaint, participating women city-based mostly by defined aesthetic born been repurposed to organise neighbourhood watches, watches, neighbourhood organise to repurposed been to continues support, community of feeling the provide protect to how for kits Covid-19, tool During local simplicity as alifestyle simplicity as world are finding solace in virtual ones instead. ones virtual in solace finding are world wewhere pretend the pandemic isn’t happening), those which has seen thousands join Facebook Groups to Groups join Facebook thousands seen has which People are engaging with influencers who practicewho influencers withengaging are People People are escaping to simplified virtual realities virtual simplified to escaping are People communities local their with more engaging are People  5. Unbound Platforms or the resurgence of digital roleplaying (from digital of roleplaying resurgence the or  6. Open-Source Creativity Creativity Open-Source 6. Animal Animal 

 1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity  Since launching his account in December 2019, prolific gardener Garden Marcus USE IT

garnered over 7 million This shift calls for brands to demonstrate their own Brands should celebrate the importance of the engagement with, and little things, not just the big things likes on TikTok investment in, what’s important. On social, it’s Mobile game-cum-WeChat sensation from TikTok, 2020 an opportunity to use NetEase ‘100 Things To Do In Life’ is a checklist of platforms to connect 1 everyday things that everyone should do, such directly with consumers as taking a family portrait or mastering a dish. and what they care about. Brands can have cultural impact by leaning into this celebration of the simple things.

Brands should invest in local communities

Digital channels are playing a growing role in how people engage with their local communities, so there’s an opportunity for brands to celebrate 2 and invest in those communities. Heineken has been using digital channels to crowdfund and keep independent venues afloat, for example. Another way to do this is to partner with and celebrate the real people customers come to know and love, like a woman who works on the cheese counter in UK supermarket Waitrose, who has gained thousands of TikTok followers Influencer Florence Rose embodies the quaint and for sharing cheese facts. dreamy #cottagecore aesthetic via Reels

Garden Marcus is leading the Gardening TikTok movement, which  14 sees creators share tips and tricks for budding plant parents 2

People are finding practical ways to mobilise from within their feeds 

18 can translate to realisation that that realisation offline change There’s been a IT UNDERSTAND online action can translate to tangible offline change. offline tangible to translate can They’re action mobilising. online and that realising themselves educating are social, on elevated voices by galvanised who, communities online powerful by It’s bolstered been transformation. a practical constraints of digital 2020, advocacy has undergone amid the But world. in the out of getting cousin lazier ‘Armchair activism’ has long been considered the against the status quo. status the against out &Jerry’s Ben spoken while has momentarily, if only stocks, in Facebook’s a dent put to together work powerhouses commercial seen even have Campaigns conversation. like #StopHateForProfit in the role their reconsider to platforms and It’s brands in forcing real-time. marches locate participation, helping and people observe aiding Maps like Snap Snapchat’s features with communities, Black of in support protests of organisation largest-ever the to led of BLM digital resonance the that year is this the all, After about their in-house diversity. in-house their about transparent be to peers industry its for calling Beauty initiative is an by UOMA #PullUpOrShutUp end; this to feeds their repurposing also are Brands themselves. educating into people is hoodwinking activism Clickbait Docs. Google via shared being are resources up. Educational blowing been has Political TikTok disasters. by natural ravaged been oppression, or supporting those whose homes have systemic fighting whether world, physical the in impact an make to digital channels using are People  ACCOUNTABILITY Life Simple The 1. The innovation of of innovation The driving it?driving What’s engaging with posts posts with engaging education and action and impact. accountability, learning advocacy spaces brought Twitter has and in culture from passive passive from in culture the evolving in social, to active spaces for for spaces active to time consuming and This audiences. new to traditionally short-form role of these platforms platforms these of role ofspending behaviour the normalised has like Instagram platforms long-form formats on 

2. Practical Advocacy

3. In-Feed Intimacy 2 3 1

 4. Reliable Idols Idols Reliable 4. The black squares of Blackout Tuesday and the Tuesday the and Blackout of squares black The to of run-up TikTok in the teens headlines The made byVox, Activism’ high-design Touted ‘PowerPoint as Teens are coalescing into powerful online communities communities online powerful into coalescing Teens are The behavioural change behavioural The 101s created for the IG carousel format – like those –like those format carousel IG the for created 101s #ChallengeAccepted movement – which saw women mt fr i Tla al t fodn hs p with app his flooding to rally Tulsa his for empty of empowerment (and Turkish maybe femicide) empowerment of –both offline consequences. remained seats that Trump. ensuring From of Donald issues. social around the US presidential election for their very real trolling trolling real very their for election presidential US the black and white selfie,” tweeted Taylor Lorenz. Lorenz. tweeted selfie,”Taylor white and black a hot with patriarchy the Idismantle square my black with racism ending “After it’s justice. Hint: social for not posting. really are people why around questions raised name in the themselves of photos black-and-white post driving are communities online these reviews, negative reading and education legitimate of asource as role the changing –are by@soyouwanttotalkabout posted to boycott real political campaigns political real boycott to Instagram slideshows way we consume information, and pushing Instagram’s People are calling out virtue signalling virtue out calling are People via justice social on education an getting are People  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity Creativity Open-Source 6. 

 1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

USE IT

Blackout Tuesday encouraged brands to assess how they address injustice in their workstreams, workplaces and communications, but there’s no immediate solution Brands should educate people where they can to such entrenched issues. While all should focus on P&G has been running campaigns around cleaning house, brands must anti-Black discrimination for many years. In get comfortable with the fact 2020 it has added weight to its campaign ‘The that whatever they say or Look’, by releasing a number of educational don’t say could be met with 1 resources outlining the research that underpins criticism. In the short term, its content. It also helps people to understand brands are adapting to a how they can drive change on a personal and British creative and writer Chanté Joseph posts an educational highlight on confusing landscape in which social has community level. This evolution sees the idea of acronyms, a digestible 101 from a long-form article for independent media outlet gal-dem become a more practical tool a brand campaign transform from self-serving for advocacy and education. to something that uses a brand’s reach and profile to be a catalyst for change. 78% of American Gen-Zers have used social media to express

support for Black Americans Brands should look to social to educate themselves

Yubo, 2020 Learning from conversations among trans people on social about trying out their new names when 2 ordering a Starbucks, the brand launched its ‘What’s your name’ campaign. By working with young trans people to create video portraits for YouTube, and collaborating with trans charity Mermaids, this campaign demonstrated an understanding of how the communities it’s speaking to experience its brand. What’s more, Starbucks used the conversation unfolding on social to educate themselves on the matter.

Taylor Lorenz embodies the cynicism many felt this year at social media challenges that  20 claim to be based on social good 3

People are finding ways to humanise their digital communications 

24 offline relationships offline have been integral to maintaining our our maintaining to IT UNDERSTAND Digital tools tools Digital being accepted as enhancements to offline life. offline to enhancements as accepted being are digital tools certain creepy, feel them making or way relationships of in the ofgetting Instead change. to begin narratives those of some seen also by ’s demonstrated –as true ring still anxieties those while social media damages our offline And relationships. that implied often have circulate that narratives The complex subjects with empathy and nuance. and empathy with subjects complex discuss to by creators used also but challenges, video format60-second is not just for dance of TikTok. rise by the Its accelerated been has which video, social via creators with intimately a broader trend of people connecting more reflects This voters. with connect to Twitch to on Instagram Live, while Jacinda took Ardern Cody Diablo screenwriter biopic with her wrote Madonna figures. influential with connection intimate a more enables that a format to warm Live-streaming have seen audiencesplatforms The Social Dilemma Social The intimate interactions, TikTok introduced Small Small TikTok introduced interactions, intimate ‘care’ the more with facilitate emoji to reactions of suite its updated Facebook time. of test the withstand to promise others Houseparty), you, at (looking dust in the fallen already have some While integral. became tools these pandemic, the During meetings have become a workplace mainstay. Zoom and success, great with function chat video a introduced Bumble communication; video with board on finally are audiences mainstream and gifts, other each send users lets which Gestures, – recent years have have years –recent  CONNECTION Life Simple The 1. The ubiquity of social ubiquity ofsocial The driving it?driving What’s channels become networks oftheir circles our households. outside ones loved our in digital spaces. This This in digital spaces. followings decline. significant lifelines to significant lifelines magnified been has shift Instead, people are are people Instead, have seen digital digital seen have which by lockdowns, closest the prioritising large of novelty the seen has media  2. Practical Advocacy 

3. In-Feed Intimacy 2 3 1

 4. Reliable Idols Idols Reliable 4. The behavioural change behavioural The find like-minded users away from their public feeds. feeds. public their from away users like-minded find A new wave of apps like Chalk and Space are Space like and apps of Chalk wave A new experimenting with audio formats that enhance enhance that formats audio with experimenting are finding intimacy in more private social spaces. social private more in finding intimacy are talk to gamers enabling audio, with likeapp Slack digital entertainment experiences. intimacy. This borrows from the formats of apps like in shared immersion is aricher result The interactions. features are accessible to all. to accessible are features these ensuring on working is still team its though tweets, audio introduced Twitter while has function, digital their humanise and personalise to themselves branded Discord community people from Hypebeast, the to channel community GB’ Lidl’s Lidlers ‘The like supermarket Groups Facebook of rise the From can they in which spaces niche out seeking are People hands-free. LinkedIn has also added a voice-note a chat of nature casual the combines which Discord, of versions virtual inhabiting are people Horizon, announced Apple’sFrom recently the to Memojis their in-chat interactions in-chat their private digital spaces private in communities like-minded to connecting are People more emotion and nuance People are using audio formats to communicate with humanise to avatars personalised using are People launch of Facebook Avatars and VR playground, playground, VR and Avatars Facebook of launch  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity Creativity Open-Source 6. 

 1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

USE IT

In this landscape, Brands should be humanising their digital brands should be taking customer services this opportunity to facilitate more intimate Chinese beauty brand Perfect Diary created connections with and a virtual customer service representative between their customers, named Xiao Wanzi to connect more 1 intimately with customers in closed WeChat through private groups, Apple’s Memojis are helping people humanise the chat humanised customer groups, and IKEA Italia has been hosting service and empathetic Instagram Lives with its store staff, creating 83% of people globally feel communications. more human touchpoints for its customers. brands should be using their social channels to create a sense of community and support Brands can capitalise on this shift to generate Trust Barometer Special a feeling of exclusivity Speaking to people via more intimate formats Report, Edelman, 2020 can help customers to feel they’re getting 2 an exclusive experience. February’s Milan Fashion Week saw Gucci send invites to show attendees via WhatsApp in the form of a voice note from creative director Alessandro Michele, and Korean beauty brand Glow Recipe has launched a private Instagram handle (@RealGlowGang) so its customers can directly input on product development and connect more directly with the brand.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s appearance on Twitch demonstrates how live  26 formats are being used to make connecting with large audiences more intimate 4

People want public figures to use their platforms responsibly  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

The behavioural change

UNDERSTAND People are looking to influencers they trust to demystify complex issues In 2020, influencers have been placed under a IT microscope. Between creators breaking stay-at- Self-taught economist Nathan Tankus has, according to home orders, aspirational content being condemned Bloomberg, become a ‘must-read’ when understanding as tone deaf and studies suggesting public figures 1 the state of the economy. London-based @nels9bills is have been responsible for as much as 69% of a YouTuber translating his personal experiences into misinformation spread on social around Covid-19, What’s financial advice for his young following. Both exemplify people are holding influential figures accountable. how people are looking to relatable figures to help driving it? them understand complex issues. This creates new People are being more discerning about who opportunities for brands in ‘unsexy’ industries looking they follow, and why. In Singapore, someone Recent years have to demystify their services. even launched an ‘Influencer Glassdoor’. This is seen a rising backlash Influential part of a broader shift away from aspiration for against traditional People are following respected experts for free access aspiration’s sake, and a growing emphasis placed influencers, with savvy to knowledge figures are on the tangible value public figures can bring to social users falling out of being held our lives. Medical professionals are blowing up for love with a group that’s While Dr Fauci became the beating heart of many online democratising information that typically comes tarred as unrelatable fan communities during the pandemic – a voice of calm with a fee, while specialists in niche fields are and inauthentic. As the 2 and reason in an unpredictable landscape – we’ve also accountable gaining traction for combating misinformation. role of platforms like seen other healthcare professionals rise to fame on Following the explosion in Beirut, for example, a TikTok and Instagram social platforms, from OB/GYNs to plastic surgeons to cartographer went viral for posting an accurate shifts towards therapists. These experts are using social platforms to map demonstrating the scale of the explosion. information alongside democratise knowledge people traditionally paid for. (and sometimes For those who’ve already grown sizable followings over) entertainment, People expect influential figures to give up their via the allure of beauty, success and luxury, this is expectations for this platforms for important issues about demonstrating integrity, accountability and group to offer more a desire to wield the disproportionate influence they tangible value to the There has become an expectation that people with hold responsibly. When people looked to Selena DISTRUST people who follow them a platform should use it to benefit society. English Gomez as a voice during the Black Lives Matter have heightened. 3 footballer Marcus Rashford is using his platform activity, for example, she gave up her platform to to impact child food poverty, while megastars Black figureheads who deserved it. Audiences aren’t including Kim Kardashian and Leonardo DiCaprio unfollowing beautiful people. But they want them to staged a 24-hour Instagram boycott alongside be more than a pretty face, and to prove that they’re #StopHateForProfit in protest of parent company worth their place in the feed. Facebook’s role in distributing misinformation.  30  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

USE IT

This shift will, of course, Brands should be harnessing expert voices to have an impact on address important issues how brands partner with talent. Influencer Fortnite hosted an in-game event series called strategies will need to We The People, enlisting speakers to discuss ensure there’s alignment racism with authority. Chipotle collaborated 1 with Queer Eye star Karamo for a Pride on the values and beliefs of brands and those who ‘Lunch & Listen’ on TikTok. MTV partnered with Cartographer Joanna Merson has gained a following for correcting Michelle Obama to encourage young people misinformation around the scale of the blast in Beirut advocate for them. In addition, to gain traction to vote. Brands should also be tapping into with audiences, brands their own internal experts to evoke authority should be learning and inspire trust. Trustworthiness is from, and emulating the behaviours of, this new the #1 trait people wave of influencers. have looked for in Brands should be vetting creators to assess influencers and their integrity In this landscape, the influencers brands work creators, following with will increasingly serve as shorthand for 2 the kinds of values the brand itself upholds. Working with talent across the political the outbreak spectrum will grow trickier, and people may even expect greater transparency around who brands are working with and why. We’re of Covid-19 already seeing this play out in the dispute around Mulan actress Liu Yifei, with the Disney movie facing a backlash after she posted her GWI, 2020 personal political views to social.

When people looked to Selena Gomez as an influential voice during the BLM protests, she gave up her  32 platform to Black figureheads like Brittany Packnett Cunnigham who could better speak to the climate 5

People are diversifying the ways they engage with social  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

The behavioural change

UNDERSTAND People are evolving the ways they engage with information on social In 2020, the horizons of social have expanded. IT Influencers are creating content outside their Twitter has evolved its quote retweet function to make specialisms to address new needs. Platforms have tracking conversations a more streamlined process, gone through evolutions too, with many introducing 1 and a spike in the use of Saves on Instagram points new functionality to adapt to these changes in real to a shift in how people organise content they want to time. Offline events have sparked a digital reaction What’s come back to. As the reasons for using social platforms that’s seeing people and brands alike relearn how diversify, the way people explore and organise content they navigate the social landscape. driving it? is evolving accordingly.

Communities, brands and platforms have been Amid the new content People are attending scheduled digital events forced to adapt to a wealth of new content needs of 2020, emerging needs. Gaming streamers on Twitch have been platforms like TikTok and Live content is enabling large-scale digital spectacles The horizons producing lifestyle content, while creators Twitch assimilated into that give creators a new stage to perform on. This type of social have from Instagram and YouTube have learned how the mainstream, and of content is leading to a reassessment of social as a to use TikTok. Games like Fortnite and Animal the inertia attached to 2 place to gather around spectacles, and it’s changing expanded Crossing have transformed into social hubs, as previously untapped the way people fit these platforms into their lives. have fitness apps like Strava. And live content features in major Rather than opening an app or tab on an ad-hoc basis, has seen social feeds evolve into 24-hour events platforms (such as people are increasingly shaping their offline plans venues, whether for catwalks from brands like Instagram Live) fell away. around scheduled, can’t-miss, in-platform moments. Louis Vuitton on TikTok or micro-drag shows In this landscape, people aired on Instagram Live. have picked up some People are socialising and hanging out in games, not new scrolling habits, just playing them The fundamental purpose of these platforms is bolstering the already evolving, compounded by new features designed DISRUPTION prominent role of social It’s been argued that digital spaces, like online games, to adapt to changing audience needs. Pinterest, in everyday life. are also social networks; places where people spend Instagram and TikTok are doubling down on handles 3 time and community can be fostered. Up until now, and campaigns that teach people how to use their that’s been a secondary benefit. Now, the emergence platforms amid their renewed role as arbiters of of gaming features like Fortnite’s Party Royale mode information. Meanwhile, gaming platforms are point to a future in which people go to games to evolving to accommodate broader audiences; socialise, first and foremost. Fortnite introduced a mode for hanging out instead of battling, and Twitch launched Watch Parties, enabling streamers to watch movies with their fans.  36  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

USE IT

The role digital spaces Brands should reassess their assumptions of play in the consumer the most effective formats on each channel journey is evolving and becoming more tangible. As the purpose of these platforms evolves, In this landscape, brands the formats that define them are evolving need to rethink how to too. In the wake of a spike in desire for long- 1 form, informative content on Instagram, for use these channels in their consumer journey example, text-based imagery has become more K-Pop band BTS launched the music video for their single Dynamite in Fortnite’s Party Royale mode and be sure they’re not commonplace. In this landscape, ads should being discounted as be evolving to keep up with these formats – it’s pure-play arenas for why Facebook has axed its ‘20% rule’, which PR stunts or one-off historically penalised ads for including text On Instagram, where there’s awareness drives. that took up more than 20% of an image. been a shift towards text-based communication, Refinery29 went

Brands should consider moves to new platforms, from 41% text-based but integrate with sensitivity

The culture of a platform is shaped by its posts in January community. Engaging effectively with these 2 communities is key to finding success when you’re there. When Gucci saw potential in to 72% in July gaming platforms, for example, it partnered with Fnatic e-sports stars to run a campaign Axios, 2020 with gamers. In contrast, Burger King’s Twitch campaign, which co-opted the platform’s ‘donation’ feature for product-placement shout-outs, was condemned by Twitch users as an exploitation of the community.

Over the past two years, Twitch category ‘Just Chatting’, in which streamers don’t game but chat with  38 followers instead, has grown nearly four times as quickly as the platform overall

6

People are engaging with more collaborative forms of content creation  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity 

The behavioural change

UNDERSTAND People are collaborating with their heroes via social Creativity on social has thrived through the removal People are growing accustomed to their heroes IT of gatekeepers, the democratisation of tools and the putting them and their talents in the spotlight. fluidity of remixing what’s already out there. Now, the Charli XCX collaborated with her fans via Zoom process of content creation is becoming even more 1 to write her latest album, and on Instagram, communal. Spearheaded by young audiences with film industry polymath Miranda July has been collaborative mindsets, and enabled by tools and What’s crowdsourcing entire scripts from her followers. formats that encourage collaboration, the feed is increasingly a place to co-create, not just consume. driving it? People are participating in TikTok cults

TikTok’s meteoric rise was a tipping point. Gen Z’s notoriously fluid Trailblazed by Melissa Ong (aka @chunkysdead) and The fundamental features and formats of the approach to content her hyper-dedicated following, TikTok cults – which blew platform, duetting with other people’s videos, creation is what’s driving up during lockdown – are defined by a collaborative The feed has using their audio, and so on, ensure that this behaviour. It’s been 2 creator-follower relationship. Ong regularly requests communal creativity is at the heart of its content. catalysed, though, by a input from her following to inform her creative output. become a place Creators like @angryreactions have found fame shift in how creators are They were invited to name the cult (‘Step Chickens’), purely for reacting to, and riffing off, other operating in response and she regularly creates content in response to their to co-create, not people’s uploads. Some of the most popular to the sheer volume of comments and requests. In this way, her community just consume videos in its hashtagged dance challenges are content people now directly feeds the content she creates and act as published by accounts dedicated to dance expect to scroll through stakeholders in her output. tutorials, encouraging people not just to view, on social. In the context but participate in the output. of influencer burnout (a People are repurposing #challenges as evergreen widely reported issue content streams Collaboration is enabling creators to meet people’s even before the world ever-increasing demands for content. Some are went into lockdown Social media challenges have evolved from their seedy using followers’ comments as the foundation for new and quadrupled their 3 roots of Tide Pods, planking and spoonfuls of cinnamon. content (a well-worn habit among YouTube creators); screen time), creators In 2020, social ‘challenges’ began to serve as easy- others are working with other creators on live feeds COLLABORATION are finding ways to work to-find digital spaces where people can create, and to build out communal content streams. It’s also why smarter, not harder. recreate, inventive content around a unified theme. In ‘collab houses’ like the Hype House have become so the #euphoriamakeupchallenge on TikTok, for example, commonplace. Even Twitter, arguably one of the more which has drawn over 1.4 billion views, users create individualistic platforms, has launched Co-Fleets, a make-up looks and tutorials inspired by HBO show feature that allows its users to collaborate on public, Euphoria, encouraging viewers to participate, too. conversational content streams.  42  1. The Simple Life  2. Practical Advocacy  3. In-Feed Intimacy  4. Reliable Idols  5. Unbound Platforms  6. Open-Source Creativity  When Dua Lipa launched a TikTok competition for people to collaborate with her on a music USE IT video for her single Levitating, Brands should stop behaving like gatekeepers, and foster creativity We’ll continue to submissions garnered over see major platforms Brands that have the cultural footprint to do evolve their tools and so should look for ways to facilitate creativity functionality to facilitate within their audience. One way of achieving 4.7 million views in just six weeks more collaborative 1 this can be by opening up your own creative creation. In this tools for people to play with. In response to landscape, brands can a wave of young, aspiring designers that TikTok, 2020 expect the quality of emerged during lockdown, for example, ‘fan’ creativity to rise fashion designer Reese Cooper launched and should harness it RCI - DIY, a collection that was released where possible. alongside patterns and instruction booklets, encouraging these young talents to make their own clothes, not just buy his.

Brands should use comments and community management to directly inspire content

On Instagram, Gymshark has already been leaning into this shift. After a body-positive 2 photo of a plus-size model on its Instagram received mixed reactions, the sportswear brand replied to every single comment. The creative story lived in the community management, not the asset, and it was co-created with the brand’s followers. There’s an opportunity to take this one step further and use those comments to inspire new Film industry polymath Miranda July collaborated with her fol- content, too. lowing on Instagram to continue to make movies during lockdown

Melissa Ong regularly uses comments from her 2 million+  44 followers as a springboard for new content [email protected] wearesocial.com The Social Reset TORONTO   BERLIN  LONDON

 PARIS  MUNICH  MILAN TOKYO  NEW YORK   MADRID BEJING 

SHANGHAI 

DUBAI   HONG KONG

SINGAPORE 

We Are Global Over 850 social experts all over the world

SYDNEY 

 48