Issue #1: ‘Thank U, Next’, intimacy on Instagram, and why brand leaders should watch their mouths
Every two weeks, you'll find a download of the top three things taking up my brain space right now, as well as other stuff piquing my interest from around the internet:
1. 'Thank U, Next' isn't just an ode to Ariana Grande's exes; it's a love letter to fans
Ariana Grande is an angel. And after the year she's had (the breakdown of her engagement, death of her previous boyfriend and terror attack on her gig), she deserves a win. Her single 'Thank U, Next' – which addresses a number of her past romantic relationships – really is a win, albeit a career one. It's literally EVERYWHERE. Before the video launched, it was the first track to hit 100 million streams on Spotify. When the video launched on YouTube, 825,000 tuned in to watch it live. And its popularity comes down to a whole lot more than a relatable story of young heartache played out in a catchy track.
Why should brands care?
If you read the tabloids, you’ve probably read about her tumultuous love life in the news. And if you’re an Ariana fan, you might have seen related emotional outpourings on social platforms. What makes ‘Thank U, Next’ special isn’t its music video (an ode to teen movies from the ‘00s) or how great Ariana looks paying tribute to Regina George. It’s the fact that the video, the headlines in the tabloids and the social posts all link together in perfect harmony.
Since the ‘50s, the ‘parasocial relationships’ between people and the celebrities have been defined as one-sided affairs. But in the online landscape, that relationship is changing, and celebrities are now expected to interact with fans in more direct ways. In this instance, Ariana takes it a step further. She's giving her fans the real story of how she's feeling – her perspective on stories usually told by media outlets and 'undisclosed sources'. And not just on social, but in an 'official' channel – her music.
TL;DR: People expect to feel like they’re participating in two-way dialogues with celebrities and brands alike – even when they’re not.
2. Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ lists are designed to foster online intimacy between offline friends
Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ list is the latest feature intended to emphasise the importance of our inner circle over the swathes of fake friends we may or may not have gathered online. In short, users can now curate a list of more intimate friends (kinda like a Top 8 on Myspace, but private), who they can send more personal posts to.
Why should brands care?
Since Stories were launched in 2016, Instagram has been rewarded with a higher level engagement than ever before – the platform saw dwell times of users under 25 rise to more than 32 minutes a day. And it’s all due to an uptick in perceived intimacy; while the feed is where you curate your life, Stories are where you post imperfect imagery that’s ‘authentic’ not only in its immediacy, but in the fact it’s fleeting.
With ‘Close Friends’ lists, Instagram seeks to further enable this feeling, reminding people that its platform isn’t just for sexy strangers, but for our deepest friendships, too. With teens already hacking the platform with private Finstagrams for their nearest and dearest, the feature is in line with usage trends. But when hacks become features, they can lose their magic. It'll be interesting to see how users hack this one.
TL;DR: People may be hacking social platforms to create deeper intimacy online, but when hacks become official features, they lose their magic.
3. D&G’s China crisis is what happens when brand leaders speak without thinking
D&G’s 500-look show in Shanghai was called off last week following the launch of a racist launch ad on Instagram. But following the explosive outrage from fans worldwide, the initial retaliation from Gabbana (he was called out via Instagram messages by another user) has seen him outed as a pretty dire example of humankind in 2018. Gabbana and the brand are claiming his feed was hacked, which the whole world has since called bullshit on.
The ad that initially drew attention, while damning, could have been a salvageable disaster had it been handled correctly. If insensitivity were admitted. If content were removed. If apologies were made (they have now, just too late). Instead, Gabbana's rage-ensued rant –amplified by Insta account Diet Prada– has seen brand health in China drop 14.1 points. Oops.
Why should brands care?
Gabbana is the latest in a long line of brand leaders who seem unable to come to grips with the responsibility attached to being a person in power in 2018. While Elon Musk insists on posting weed-related Twitter jokes (‘jokes’) that threaten to impact the stock market, Brandon Truaxe (CEO of beauty brand Deciem) has been removed from his post after posting a series of frankly fucking weird posts about how "almost everyone at Deciem [being] involved in major criminal activity.”
Brand relatability is often heightened by a leader who resonates with the audience. And with trust in brands in steep decline – according to Edelman, just 3% of people globally believe big businesses are honest and transparent – these human incarnations of the brands we buy into have never been more important. Unfortunately for brands like D&G, it seems their leaders have missed the memo.
TL;DR: Amid rising cynicism, leaders have become an important sense check of a brand's core values. If your public persona has the power to define your brand's success, don't be a dick on the internet.
Some other interesting internet finds:
'Monzo and Starling are making banks take mental health seriously'
One of the things I love about fintech disruptors is that, by providing transparency and convenience, they’re also providing a more empathetic service to people who (like myself) are extremely bad with money. And big finance is taking note.
WIRED (November 18th)‘What it means to ‘feel fat’
Amazing article outlining the traits of people likely to 'feel fat’, informed by a psychology professor who specialises in body image. It emphasises that this feeling isn't about your size, but about who you are. A great lens through which to explore narratives around body image.
The Cut (November 22nd)‘From Grimes to Elon, with love’
A review of the latest Grimes track, which was “written from the perspective of a Pro-A.I. Girl Group Propaganda machine” and is the latest cause of controversy for haters of post-Musk Grimes. A pertinent example of the growing overlap between big business and pop culture.
The Outline (November 29th)'Knickers the cow: why Australia's giant steer is so fascinating'
An insanely tall Australian cow (or a steer, which is… a type of cow?) was too big for the machinery at the slaughterhouse where he was due to be killed. As a result, he gets to live out a long full life. Cue the internet losing its shit.
The Guardian (November 28th)‘You can now watch every episode of Buffy ever on Facebook’
Instead of banking on original content amid a growing sea of increasingly-questionable TV, Facebook Watch is instead turning to reruns to lure in viewers. The social platform’s push in online video comes via the full Buffy the Vampire Slayer box set, alongside a number of other titles from the turn-of-the-Century zeitgeist. Hate to say it, but I’m into it.
Dazed Digital (December 3rd)