HEADLINE NEWS FROM THE SOCIAL SPACE
TikTok Issues Cease & Desist Over YouTubers Vs TikTokers Event
ByteDance, the parent company to TikTok, has reportedly issued a cease and desist on the boxing event that will see YouTubers go against TikTokers. The event is scheduled for June 12th, with the headline match being between TikTok star Bryce Hall and family Vlogger Austin McBroom, from The ACE Family. The event has had a lot of attention in the build up, due to the back and forth online from Bryce and Austin, as well as the drama taking place at the press conference.
However, as per Business Insider, it is unclear if the event will even go ahead after a cease and desist went to the event organizers, LiveXLive. The issue is the fact the TikTok name and brand is being aligned with the event, implying the platform is endorsing the boxing match, which is seen as both violent and unsafe to run during the pandemic.
Interestingly, the official name for the event is “Social Gloves: Battle of the Platforms”, but the TikTok name was used so extensively alongside all marketing and discussions, that it was unclear whether TikTok, or in fact YouTube, was involved in the event.
A number of other influencers were set to be on the card including Deji, Vinnie Hacker, AnEsonGib and Tayler Holder. However, it looks like all influencers will miss out on this opportunity if no agreement can be reached. Amid the turmoil of the event, the match between YouTuber Logan Paul and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is set to take place on June 6th – which is currently gaining a huge amount of mainstream attention.
Clubhouse Hires TED Talks Executive, Kelly Stoetzel
Kelly Stoetzel, who previously worked at TED for 17 years, and the person responsible for curating the Ted Talks series, has joined Clubhouse as head of the thought leadership programming.
In this role, Stoetzel will recruit authors, scientists and a range of creatives to host discussions on the platform, alongside the ongoing efforts of working and supporting those already active on the platform.
Other recent hires by Clubhouse include Maya Watson, who previously worked at Netflix – now onboard at Clubhouse as head of global marketing. Other hires that specialize in other partnerships on the app include Fadia Kader and Sean Brown, heading up music and sports. Justin Uberti, previously from Google, is another hire who came to Clubhouse as head of streaming technology.
With all the talk of downloads dwindling, Clubhouse is obtaining talented executives from top companies to ensure the app’s survival and longevity in the market. It is interesting that the main focus has been on the partnerships side – one huge issue that currently faces the app is the poor recommendation of Rooms for current users. It will be interesting to see how quickly the app can focus on strategies to keep people retained on the platform, especially when other platforms have superior algorithms that serve hyper-relevant content to the individual user.
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF INFLUENCERS
Facebook Watch Team Up With Influencers For Pride Month
Facebook Watch will be working with TikTok influencer Larray, as part of the platform’s Pride Month Special. Artist Kehlani will also be working alongside the TikToker, as part of the event named “Pride On! Kehlani & Larray’s Excellent Pride Ride”.
The event is set to air on the 4th of June on Facebook Watch and Facebook’s Messenger Watch Together platform – allowing users to co-watch the event with friends.
The personalities will travel across L.A. in a double-decker bus to explore how people are celebrating Pride and share personal LGBTQ+ stories. Other influencers, such as Jojo Siwa and Nikita Dragun, will also feature in the event alongside some other special guests. This is one of many ways platforms are celebrating and spotlighting the LGBTQ+ community throughout Pride Month this year.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH PLATFORMS?
Twitter Launches Twitter Blue
Twitter officially launched the new ‘Twitter Blue’ subscription service. Users in Canada and Australia will now be able to pay a monthly charge of $3.49 CAD/$4.49 AUD to gain access to additional Twitter features and tools.
As explained by Twitter:
“We’ve heard from the people that use Twitter a lot, and we mean a lot, that we don’t always build power features that meet their needs. We took this feedback to heart, and are developing and iterating upon a solution that will give the people who use Twitter the most what they are looking for: access to exclusive features and perks that will take their experience on Twitter to the next level.”
New features available with Twitter Blue include:
Undo Tweets – Retracting Tweets that have been posted in the first 30 seconds
Bookmark Folders – Ability to categorize Tweets in assigned topic folders
Reader Mode – Turning Tweet threads into something much easier to read in a single stream
Colour Theme – Option for a range of color choices for UX display
App Icon – New selection of custom app icons
Dedicated Support – Access to a dedicated subscription customer support
Twitter Is Testing Fullscreen Fleet Ads
Twitter has announced that the platform is testing ads within Fleets. The appearance will be similar to that of ads within Instagram Stories, with a promoted tag being visible under the brand handle. This will be the first full-screen format of ads within the app, the only other experiment before this was full-screen video ads within Twitter ‘Moments,’ which didn’t end up going anywhere.
This will serve as an incentive for marketers to run paid ads across the platform with more immersive ad placements. However, for some brands, Twitter is a platform that is suited for organic content strategies, paid strategies aren’t always necessary, and Twitter is a space for content to go viral. However, it will be interesting to see what brands will invest in Fleets ads, and what the performance will be like compared to other placements previously available through the platform.
Instagram’s Reach Penalty Reversal
Instagram has been working on ways to stop users from sharing their feed posts within Instagram Stories. The platform has even gone as far as to remove the option for some users in a series of tests. The idea is that people prefer seeing original content in Stories and not a double-up of in-feed posts being re-shared within Stories.
However, as Instagram made the decision to prioritize original content, some users saw a decrease in reach on posts being shared on Instagram Stories around the escalating tension in Palestine. This move was seen as censorship, causing Instagram to go back on its original decision.
Facebook Will Be Amplifying LGBTQ+ Voices Throughout June
Facebook is celebrating pride month by introducing a range of new features onto the platform in order to elevate LGBTQ+ voices. The features include colorful backgrounds, new themes on Messenger, rainbow-colored stickers, rainbow-colored hashtags and LGBTQ+ business-themed events.
The rainbow-colored stickers for Facebook and Instagram were created by LGBTQ+ illustrators, whilst the rainbow hashtags such as #GayVisibility will turn users story rings rainbow colored for 24 hours while the story is live. Live shopping Fridays on Facebook will feature Pride-themed events and businesses. In addition, there will be an offering for live networking/training resources for LGBTQ+ owned businesses.
Facebook will also showcase creators by hosting live sessions and watch parties to capture how people celebrate pride month, with the overall objective to spotlight LGBTQ+ creators from around the world.
