Daily Scoop

Twitter rolls out ‘Fleets,’ Instagram introduces keyword search, and Mars acquires Kind bars

Also: Tesco says there’s no ‘naughty list’ this year, social media managers jump on a Twitter misinformation meme, LinkedIn’s top 20 marketing voices, and more.

By Beki Winchel
@bekiweki
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Hello, communicators:

There’s no “naughty list” for Tesco’s Santa this year, according to a new holiday ad from the United Kingdom-based grocer:

https://youtu.be/8CfrpexaCwg

The content is a lighthearted look at the struggles faced and allowances made throughout COVID-19. How are you approaching holiday marketing? Share with us your thoughts and efforts under the hashtag #DailyScoop.

Here are today’s top stories:

Twitter introduces ‘Fleets’

The social media platform has thrown its hat in the ring for disappearing content, following Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Twitter is calling its feature “Fleets,” and users will be able to post photos, videos and text that will disappear after 24 hours.

https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1328684389388185600

In a blog post, Joshua Harris, Twitter’s design director, and Sam Haveson, product manager at Twitter, wrote:

Some of you tell us that Tweeting is uncomfortable because it feels so public, so permanent, and like there’s so much pressure to rack up Retweets and Likes. That’s why, unfortunately, there are so many 🔥 Tweets left in drafts! To help people feel more comfortable, we’ve been working on a lower pressure way for people to talk about what’s happening. Today, we’re launching Fleets so everyone can easily join the conversation in a new way – with their fleeting thoughts.

The tool will roll out this week to both desktop users as well as those on Android and iOS. However, Twitter users’ response has been mixed, with many snarking at the new feature. SFGate’s Drew Magary called the tool “fleeting garbage,” while Gizmodo’s Tom McKay dubbed it, “Coward Mode.”

Why it’s important: Twitter’s feature is its version of Snapchat’s offering (or Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp Stories), making it easy for social media managers to integrate into their strategies. Though Twitter users’ responses to Fleets is mixed, the feature can offer another way for community and brand managers to interact with their followers, without floods of tweets cluttering the organizations’ timeline.

SOCIAL BUZZ

Instagram recently overhauled its interface to feature its Shop and Reels features (products and short-form videos, respectively), and now it’s expanding its search tool for English-speaking countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Though the search tool is fairly limited at launch, it will grow with additional topics that Instagram deems relevant. Users won’t be able to search for potentially controversial terms or those tied to misinformation, such as “vaccines.”

The Verge reported:

A company spokesperson says the team considers “a number of factors,” including the “type of content, captions, when it was posted,” and more to surface relevant results. It also uses machine learning to “find the highest quality content that’s relevant to you.” For now, only grid posts will show up.

This is a relatively big change for surfacing content. Instagram has always been frustratingly limited in giving people the ability to find the posts they really want. Instagram says only certain terms will be searchable, though. “The search is limited to general interest topics and keywords that are within Instagram’s community guidelines,” the spokesperson says.

The feature means that brand managers won’t have to cram in coveted keywords within hashtags on their posts, but instead should look for the types of content and terms that surface as Instagram’s tool continues to grow.

TACTICALLY SPEAKING

Mars—the parent company of Snickers, MilkyWay, Skittles, M&M’s, Twix and more—is purchasing Kind. The effort will give the candy and snack manufacturer more appeal with health-focused consumers, a growing market.

The New York Times reported:

The deal is a bet on the durability of the healthy snacking industry, as Mars looks beyond its long-established brands like Twix and Skittles. Mr. Lubetzky said the sale would allow Kind to take a longer view and continue to consider new products, geographic expansion and, likely, acquisitions.

“We don’t need to worry about getting a return in 2021,” he said. “We can think about investments that make sense for two, three, five, 10 years out.”

MEASURED THOUGHTS

LinkedIn unveiled its 2020 Top Voices in Marketing & Advertising, which highlighted these 10 communicators:

  1. Mayur Gupta, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Gannett
  2. Steven Wolfe Pereira, CEO & Co-Founder, Encantos
  3. Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity & Impact, Carta
  4. Katie Mitchell, Head of Marketing, UserLeap
  5. Matt Kerbel, VP, Marketing at Homie
  6. Jabari Hearn, SVP, Marketing & Entertainment, Westbrook Inc
  7. Amy Kean, Founder, Six Things Impossible and Culture Editor, Shots magazine
  8. Noel Mack, Chief Brand Officer, Gymshark
  9. String Nguyen, Founder, The Trusted Voice
  10. Apolline Adiju, Marketing Strategist/Business Development Executive

LinkedIn looked at both qualitative and quantitative attributes when selecting its top voices, and several best practices are threaded throughout the honorees’ LinkedIn activity.

For example, Gupta “starts provocative conversations almost every day,” while Mallick applauds brand activism and highlights inequalities in the workplace, along with potential solutions.

Hearn focuses on mentorship and launched a network for marketers of color to connect and share experiences, and Kean questions industry traditions and trends that fall short of effective or no longer fit with DE&I initiatives and brand values.

You can read the entire list here.

CRISIS LEADERSHIP NETWORK

Looking for more insight on how to address the current global crisis and lead your organization into a strong recovery?

via GIPHY

Join Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Network to network and brainstorm with peers, get the latest intelligence and research and start to strategize for the future of your organization.

Learn more about this exclusive membership here.

SOCIAL BUZZ

Twitter users have been poking fun at the numerous misinformation warnings that Twitter is applying to tweets disputing the results of the 2020 presidential election, including tweets from President Donald Trump. It didn’t take long for social media managers to hop in with their own messages, including Snickers, Oreo and Burger King:

Steak-umm’s social media manager had the most cutting retort of them all:

TACTICALLY SPEAKING

Bud Light is offering a limited edition “Beer Koozie Console,” the BL6:

The console contains two aluminum koozies to keep beer cans cool, a projector and two controllers—with space to store them inside. It also comes with six games to play. There’s only one up for grabs, and consumers can bid on the console via ShopBeerGeer.com through Nov. 20. The current bid at time of publishing is more than $4,000.

Though the move is a PR and marketing stunt designed to grab attention and headlines, Bud Light is also using it as an opportunity to give back to the community.

GameSpot reported:

This is not a cash grab, as Bud Light is donating all proceeds to the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation‘s “Change is on the Menu” campaign. This is aiming to help support restaurant workers affected by COVID.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS

As communicators face unprecedented challenges around crisis management, shifting consumer behaviors and more—and as many work to connect, engage and support their employees as the workplace landscape dramatically changes—wellbeing has become an important focus.

That’s why we launched Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Insider. Our new offering is a treasure trove of research, guidance and insights for wellness, employee communications and HR pros. Get the help you need through our website, newsletter, Slack group, research, complimentary reports and more showcasing trends and revealing how organizations are addressing and managing their employees’ wellbeing.

via GIPHY

Subscribers also receive discounts on workplace wellness conferences, award entries and Ragan webinars, for additional takeaways and insights to help power your initiatives and strategies.

Learn more here.  

EDITOR’S PICKS

Though Thanksgiving looks drastically different this year due to COVID-19, many people are still celebrating the holiday. In answer, several organizations have extended Black Friday campaigns and many more have engaged consumers through social media and with marketing stunts. If you’re wrapping up your recipes alongside your PR and marketing strategies, these items can help.

via GIPHY

Check out these ideas:

WHAT YOU SAID

We asked if your organization uses an internal style guide, and roughly 47% of you do, with more than 29% of you reporting that you have brand guidelines in lieu of an entire style offering. However, more than 23% turn to The AP Stylebook:

Is there a question you’d like us to ask in an upcoming poll? Let us know!

SOUNDING BOARD

Which skill set/group do you think is the most useful for PR pros to learn more about, especially with shifting consumer attitudes?

Weigh in below, via our Twitter poll and through the #DailyScoop hashtag, and we’ll share the results in tomorrow’s roundup.

 

 

 

Editor’s note: Ragan Communications may earn a commission through our affiliate partnerships when purchasing items in our content.

 

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