It’s Friday, the weather’s nice, and it’s time for the Weekly Rewind! Take a break from plotting evil April Fool’s jokes against your coworkers and catch up on some interesting news from this week.
Wait, another Snapchat update?
Keeping up with these social media changes is not for the faint of heart. For those of you managing to do so, Snapchat has recently added another update (Another? But I was just learning how to turn my face into a puppy). Their chat feature now allows users to swap between video or audio calls, exchange photos and stickers, and send video and audio notes. Basically, users can now do everything their phones were intended to do by using only one app. What does this mean for cellphone service providers? It will be interesting to see if more “data-only” cell phone plans become available. Personally, I’m still panicking over the new Instagram algorithm we talked about a few weeks ago, considering my Instagram feed is the only thing in my life that’s still in order.
To Millennials, From Millennials
Speaking of messy lives, what used to be called a “mid-life crisis” is now more commonly known as a “quarter-life crisis” (we Millennials like to move fast). Freelance art director, Samantha Jayne, has cleverly used her personal experiences in this department to write her new book, Quarter Life Poetry, in which she describes the struggles of adulthood in the 21st century. Instead of making a standard book trailer, however, Jayne chose to promote her book by creating a series of videos filled with humor that highlight an underlying truth every stumbling 20-something can relate to. Not only is this a smart advertising method, the videos are pretty hilarious. Check them out for yourself.
Anderson Cooper: Proof That Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Things got a little heated this week during the CNN Town Hall when host Anderson Cooper decided to sharpen up his questions and cut the fluff and filibustering. Perhaps the highlight of the night was when Cooper told Trump he was acting like a 5-year-old while Trump responded maturely by insisting that he wasn’t acting like a 5-year-old. Why do we have an age requirement for the presidency, again?
(PR)eparing for the Worst
As PR professionals, we know that a lack of crisis planning is just trouble waiting to happen. In a digital age, things can get worse by the second. Maintaining an updated strategy in case of a crisis is crucial to keeping your brand alive. Read more tips on how to stay ahead of any potential calamities here.
Drinking Buddies
Jameson Whiskey is making efforts to target a new audience — younger and more female — by switching to digital and social advertising. The brand recently sponsored an age-gated Geofilter on Snapchat to tie into St. Patrick’s Day, making it the first alcohol brand to do so. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube promoting the Jameson story and their slogan “Sine Metu” meaning “without fear.” Let me know how well living by that slogan works out for you the next morning.