January 6, 2021

Figaro Digital Digest: December 2020

And just like that, 2020 is over. It’s a year that none of us will forget, but it did provide plenty to reflect on, both inside and outside the digital space.

Thanks to a wholesale shift to at-home working, a total revolution of consumer habits, and sweeping changes across the economy, those working in digital have spent a year consistently adapting.

Below, we discuss the latest marketing, Google, and brand news to keep you ahead of the curve in 2021.

The Latest Social News

TikTok looking into increasing video length to three minutes

If there is a social media platform to sum up 2020, it’s TikTok. The platform has taken the year by storm, offering up a perfect recipe of networking, Vine-like videos, and avenues for influencers.

However, despite having a perfect recipe, the company isn’t done with its formula. At the moment, TikTok only hosts 15-second clips, but it is looking to increase this to three-minute videos.

This is a big change for the platform, but longer videos do have benefits. It opens up TikTok for better diversification of content, facilitating more opportunities for influencers.

Snapchat shares insights report into consumer behaviour

Social media platform Snapchat has shared an in-depth report on consumer behaviour for 2020. The 15-page report maps out how consumer habits have changed over 2020. The report tapped into several big shifts, namely:

  • The rise of mobile eCommerce.
  • The regain in popularity for QR codes.
  • The expansion of AR for campaigns.
  • The rising importance of video marketing.
  • Millennials making one-in-three purchases in 2020.

The report is full of other nuggets of information, so it’s worth reading. The major aspect of the report, however, shows that digital will remain important in 2021, and the rise we have seen in 2020 could be here to stay.

LinkedIn to show more sales data with its Sales Insights

LinkedIn is set to release several new tools to help businesses better understand their customers. The tools are known as “Sales Insights”, and, according to LinkedIn, they’ll allow businesses to “drive more revenue”:

“Sales Insights gives you clear visibility into the size and fast-growing nature of specific departments, functions, and accounts so that you can accurately plan your sales strategy in order to point your sales teams to the right accounts and drive more revenue.”

LinkedIn has grown year-on-year as a strong networking tool, but by interweaving business insights, it could help it balloon even further in 2021.

The Latest Google News

Google to shut down ill-fated Android Things

Ever heard of Android Things? No? Well, you aren’t alone. The service was introduced in 2015 to power IoT technology such as smart speakers and devices, but it never hit the mainstream.

Now, after five years of failed experimentation, Google is wrapping up Android Things. Google now has an ever-increasing graveyard of failed services.

Going into 2021, Google will likely be concerned with how many resources these failed projects are taking up, especially given the open-goal that Android-backed smart devices should have been.

Google adds make-up tool to Shopping app

Ever wondered what makeup would look like once it’s applied to your face? Well, Google can now give you a helping hand. The company has introduced a new AR development in its Shopping app, which allows users to “try on” the makeup.

The technology has seen take-up from prominent brands like L’Oreal, MAC Cosmetics, Black OPAL, and Charlotte Tilbury, with other brands likely to follow suit.

The AR integration is an example of Google’s attempts to make the Shopping feed better for the user.

The Latest Brand News

Zoom to launch an email and calendar service to “compete with Google and Microsoft”

2020 cast Zoom into the spotlight. As many businesses needed to transition quickly to at-home working, the US-based video conferencing company became the go-to choice. Even when we’re using rival platforms like Skype and Teams, many of us still call them a “Zoom call”.

Now, Zoom is looking to make the most of its newfound notoriety by expanding into an email and calendar service. The email service is looking to launch early this year, with the calendar app still in the early stages.

However, given Zoom’s popularity and 500 per cent stock rise over 2020, it could become an even bigger player in the digital landscape. Its motivations are ambitious, too, seeking to “compete with giants Microsoft and Google”.

The Information confirmed this in a report, though Zoom declined to comment. Be sure to watch this space, as there is no telling where Zoom could end up.

Industry report suggest brands are looking for “new agency skills”

Brands are changing how they view agencies and are looking for new skills, according to Agency Outlook Report. 2020 saw client goals change quickly, which has had a knock-on effect for brands. Now, brands are looking for more flexible agencies.

Sixty-one per cent of the survey’s respondents stated that they now had changed requirements for agencies, with 90 per cent stating that plans are consistently in flux.

Cat Hartland of The Drum Recommends, reflected on the news:

“[W]ith client requirements constantly changing and evolving, agencies have to respond to the need for agility, flexibility, and speed. The agencies that have delivered on those promises for clients will come out of this period all the stronger for it.”

In 2021, agencies should spend time looking at their processes and communications to drive flexibility.

Campaign Of The Month: Dole’s #UnstuffedBears

Dole used the festive season to tackle a major problem across the world: food poverty. Their ad, #UnstuffedBears, targetted the growing number of UK families who were going to be hungry at Christmas.

The campaign was based around ads and social media posts, featuring five teddy bears, with one bear’s stomach being emptier.

The ad successfully brought attention to the fact that one-in-five children will go hungry at Christmas, all while pushing Dole’s goal to feed one billion people by 2025.

Funding from the ads will be given to Save The Children UK, who do important work to keep children across the UK safe and fed.

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