The subject of privacy re-entered the public eye after the UK’s contact-tracing app hit headlines for breaking data laws, while a crackdown on protests saw many 

 digitally self-censor to avoid being investigated. Spurred by concerns around their and their loved ones’ safety, people want brands to go the extra mile to keep online spaces secure. For instance, TikTok’s 

 gives parents visibility over the in-app content their children access and the direct messages they send or receive. As people become more aware of their online footprint, the 

 will likely depend on how transparent platforms are about their data collection practices.

Privacy isn’t the top priority for every internet user though. Even among the hyper-concerned, there are context-dependent exceptions. 

 the University of California’s Dr. Alisa Frik suggests that privacy-related decisions are highly influenced by an individual’s aversion to risk and the value they ascribe to a piece of information. Take 

. At launch in 2017, the geolocation feature was labelled a potential danger since it revealed increased activity and specific user locations. But in 2020, it’s become instrumental in sharing, learning ,and experiencing important global events, with many shelving their privacy worries.

The rationale for giving up personal data is often rooted in the perceived benefits outweighing the risks. Various femtech apps, DNA testing kits, and 

 have all straddled the line between risk and reward successfully, offering users useful services in exchange for their info. And while some brands have sought to simplify their data practices as a marketing tactic – Apple has swapped privacy 

 for easy-to-read information – others are realising the power of a total refresh. Discord’s ‘

’ rebrand emphasised to a mainstream audience that it offers customisable, closed-off chat rooms for private conversations.

The widespread closure of brick-and-mortar stores due to COVID-19 has underlined the need for businesses to have effective e-commerce and social media strategies. But how do people want brands to behave in digital spaces? And why are privacy and community so important to online shoppers?

What makes shoppers loyal to an online brand?

Dismissed as creepy at best and dangerous at worst, Snapchat’s Snap Map enables users to share their real-time locations. Although the feature was universally panned, it’s been instrumental in documenting social unrest and helping protesters organize without relying on media.

Snap Map: getting unbiased news via location tracking

How are brands utilising humour to better connect with their audiences? What are people doing to overcome polarisation and reach consensus? Why are people rejecting careful curation for messy and unpolished content? How is retro technology providing respite through simpler connection?

Communications Sector Snapshot: May 2024

A study has revealed that Boomers don't see themselves as old, despite what younger generations might think. As generational assumptions shift, brands have a unique opportunity to connect with wealthy Boomers by going beyond stereotypes and generalisations and truly understanding what they want. 

Boomers are redefining what it means to age

Meta AI's integration into Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram has received mixed reviews amid privacy concerns. Despite Big Tech's AI push, trust in the technology remains low; against this landscape, Apple's cautious strategy of prioritizing user privacy over rapid adoption could win people over.

Meta's AI risks backfiring amid privacy concerns

In a bid to boost engagement, LinkedIn is adding a selection of puzzle games to its platform – Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb. While gamified engagement has proven successful for some brands, the strategy could frustrate people hoping to switch off and limit their screen time.

LinkedIn gamifies engagement for professional networkers

Whether it’s a phishing scam or an AI-generated image of the Pope, misinformation is running rife in the digital age. But why do intelligent people fall for (and spread) harmful fake news? Alex Edmans explains the pitfalls of the human mind, often driven by impulse biases and behavioural heuristics.

Alex Edmans on the truth about misinformation

Bumble's 'opening moves' allow men to start conversations, marking a significant departure from the app's original model. Amid growing frustration with online dating, these services are seeking ways to reinvent themselves while maintaining a sense of uniqueness in an increasingly crowded market.

Bumble's 'opening moves' allows men to text first

Deepfakes and other forms of AI-based disinformation are disrupting the democratic process across the globe, nowhere clearer than in the run-up to Brazil’s municipal elections in October. Who’s responsible for policing online disinformation and how is AI-generated media adding to the confusion?

How deepfakes influence political culture in Brazil

After a drastic makeover went viral, Westerners flocked to Xiaohongshu (also known as Red), a Chinese social networking app, in search of makeover tips. They’ve also delighted in Red users’ honest but not unkind feedback, a byproduct of Chinese culture that is seeing growing appreciation globally.

Why Xiaohongshu’s Chinese users are consulted for frank makeovers

YouTube is updating its parental control options to let children read but not write comments on the platform, to make the site safer. As parents seek safer online experiences for their kids, the update looks to offer parents a flexible means of moderating their children’s online interactions.

YouTube rolls out read-only comments for kids

Skincare enthusiasts are taking an interest in preventative care to avoid the appearance of aging, even starting as young as their teens, in some extreme cases. Canvas8 spoke to nine Americans to find out how and why they’re incorporating anti-aging products into their skincare regimens.

How are Americans using anti-aging products?

SNICKERS has launched a campaign centering around airport-related freakouts, positioning the brand as a cure for travel-induced grumpiness. As viral travel freakouts have become a social media mainstay, people are looking for brands to make travel more enjoyable and frictionless.

SNICKERS campaign reflects air travel disappointments

To mark its 100th anniversary, Unilever's LUX has joined forces with VML Singapore to create 100 new, empowering names for Chinese women. Drawing attention to the harmful impact of names with outdated and even sexist meanings, the brand joins an effort to rework attitudes to gender and femininity.

Campaign highlights the damaging impact of sexist names 

RSPB is tapping into Gen Z humour with a push towards chaotically themed viral bird-related content. As crisis fatigue leaves many younger people feeling powerless, brands are using levity and absurdism to cut through the negativity and foster engagement with important causes.

Chaotic bird content brings joy to charitable giving

As a TikTok ban looms, US Gen Zers are saying they would rather take a chance on a new app than risk embarrassment in front of IRL friends on Instagram reels. Young people are looking for ways to silo their online presence in an attempt to avoid ever-present social media toxicity.

Gen Zers scramble for home in anticipation of TikTok ban

HMD and Heineken have launched a limited-edition Boring Phone, encouraging a break from the immersive world of smartphones and a return to minimalist retro technology. As people look for a reprieve from fast-paced digital environments, they're turning to nostalgic tech to find it.

Limited-edition Boring Phone promotes digital breaks

With Australian society having a hot-and-cold relationship with sexuality, The Hook Up podcast dares to discuss elements of modern romance and sex as it is truly experienced by Australian Gen Zers and the growing LGBTQ+ community in the country looking for a safe digital space.

Why The Hook Up unfilters sex talk for Aussie Gen Z

With their formative years hindered by pandemic lockdowns, it’s no wonder why Gen Alphas found comfort in online communities. On the gaming platform Roblox, Southeast Asian Gen Alphas advocate for their beliefs – from politics to religion – in a way no other generation has before.

Why Roblox became Southeast Asian Gen Alphas’ social podium

As TikTok's fate in the US hangs in the balance, India's 2020 ban could be a cautionary tale. India's bold move disrupted its thriving creator scene, forcing a migration to new platforms. Now, the US weighs its options, urging a rethink of digital landscapes amid global tensions.

India banned TikTok. Can US TikTokers use this as a blueprint?

TikTok is launching a new photo-sharing app, TikTok Notes, to rival Instagram, reflecting the growing trend of personalized online experiences and the decentralization of information. However, TikTok's algorithm-driven approach has already received some pushback from users.



TikTok challenges Instagram with new 'Notes' photo app

Billie Eilish has gained nearly seven million Instagram followers in two days after adding all followers to her Close Friends stories. Social media has evolved to become more exclusionary, and communications are shifting to favor more closed-door communities to create a sense of connection.

Billie Eilish Instagram stunt adds millions of followers

The solar eclipse created a wave of online discourse, from Reddit forums about feeling its bodily effects to doomsday declarations. Though often untrue, people are projecting meaning onto cosmic events, with astrological phenomena a way for people to process and make sense of anxieties on Earth.

Solar eclipse reactions blend astrology and conspiracy

Motion sickness medication Dramamine has produced a documentary on the history of the barf bag, a playful nod to a technology made less common by the medication. Playful, oddball content is growing in popularity – creating an opportunity for 'serious' products to tap into a new cultural milieu.

Dramamine releases playful barf bag documentary

Despite the common assumption that younger generations worry most about the environment, recent studies reveal a more nuanced picture. For businesses focused on sustainability comms, there's a fresh opportunity to engage older audiences on eco values while tapping into affluent demographics. 

Boomers' eco anxiety shows nuanced generational attitudes

E.l.f Cosmetics has partnered with punk rock water brand Liquid Death to release a heavy-metal-inspired makeup collection, tapping into fandom for niche subcultures. Brands are tapping into unusual subcultures and finding inspiration in the past to stand out to adventurous, irreverent Gen Zers.

E.l.f. uses 'Corpse Paint' to tap into metal fandom

‘Cool’ may be hard to commodify, but cult independent newsletter Perfectly Imperfect has done just that. By creating a digital oasis where cultural insights and recommendations are shared free from algorithms and advertising, it maintains integrity by prioritizing genuine user taste exchange.

How Perfectly Imperfect broadcasts cultural cool

PNC Bank has launched a campaign asserting itself as the 'boring' bank, pushing back against instability in the financial sector throughout the early 2020s. As people react to volatility in the crypto market and the conventional economy, they’re looking for brands to project stability.

PNC Bank uses 'boring' label to promote stability

Government censorship, sexual harassment, and anti-feminist sentiments have driven Chinese women away from their favourite social networking apps, which has translated to an ever-growing ‘she-economy’ in which they are making purchases – and even creating new brands – that empower them further.

How Chinese women are reclaiming social media from anti-feminists

Cancel culture has evolved into a public accountability tool fueled by commitments to diversity and the desire for brands to mirror personal values. However, if not organized strategically and with a clear purpose, it becomes an avenue for virtue signaling rather than leading to substantive change.

Is anyone ever truly cancelled?

Climate change is a leading issue and the UK government has committed to a net zero emissions pledge by 2050. To reach it, voters must also take action and need political parties to support them. But in economically unstable times, how can political parties mobilise Gen Z voters?

How do UK voters feel about climate policy?

In a post #metoo era, young women are creating and watching more feminist content on social media. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of young men are consuming and voicing anti-feminist views. How can tech companies, brands, and advertisers help to bridge the growing divide?

How can brands bridge the growing gender divide?

As the first generation of true digital natives, it’s no surprise that Gen Alphas are already engaged in the news. Australian youth stay in the loop through video explainers and short-form updates – but these kids are still in need of more robust digital literacy skills and forums for discussion.

How are Australian Gen Alphas getting their news?

Internet blackouts are being used to disrupt farmers' protests in India as they demand fair prices for crops. Ahead of the 2024 elections, this type of digital authoritarianism is an alarming signal of human rights infringements and the need to protect access to online spaces.

Internet blackouts used to disrupt protests in India

In 2024, there will be decisive elections in the US, UK, and Germany while the cost of living crisis is likely to intensify. Instead of engaging in serious rhetoric, how might brands harness humour to diffuse societal tensions and engage consumers with a more playful tone of voice?

Why humour will be essential for 2024

Snap has announced the return of its AR Ramadan mall, complete with new features to heighten the immersive retail experience during the festive season. It’s an example of successful localisation that goes beyond product to become an integral companion in the everyday lives of local customers.

Snap uses AR to bring Ramadan shopping to life

Utah’s first-of-its-kind social media regulation – slated for March 2024 – has been pushed back by legal challenges by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The nonprofit claims that the Social Media Regulation Act will limit protected expression for at-risk youth in the state.

Lawsuit delays Utah’s social media crackdown

The Clicks Creator Keyboard offers a nostalgic alternative to the iPhone 14 screen, resembling old Blackberry buttons. With young people increasingly yearning for real-world connections, this keyboard enables users to touch the past and challenge the prevalence of touch screens in their lives.

Clicks makes iPhone part Blackberry for tactile nostalgia

Gen Alphas have produced the youngest social media influencers in history, many promoting skincare products and following TikTok trends. As this young cohort of influencers becomes an inevitability, how can brands take precautions to avoid targeting inappropriate products to this audience?

What’s driving the rise in Gen Alpha influencers?

More and more Gen Alpha gamers in Southeast Asia are finding support and community via online games, creating multiple opportunities for brands looking to join the fun. Savvy marketers have begun partnering with popular Twitcher streamers and YouTubers, tapping into the gaming community's idols.

Why games are the new social media for Southeast Asian Gen Alpha

A report has revealed that almost half of adults using TikTok have never posted a video. Combined with its increasing use as a news source, the use of the social media platform solely for consumption increases the challenge for brands to ensure the information they share is verified.

Report reveals that TikTok has more lurkers than posters

Klarna's AI assistant managed two-thirds of customer service chats in its debut month, showing efficiency and customer satisfaction. The trend towards AI customer service reflects a preference for quick, accessible support, alongside a debate on AI's impact on jobs and service quality.

Klarna celebrates AI handling the majority of customers

Following a number of politically and socially polarising events unfolding on the global stage, brands have come under heightened scrutiny to respond. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Francesca Sobande about the role of brands in social justice advocacy in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Dr. Sobande on the future of social justice marketing

Cuffed addresses swipe fatigue by allowing users to match with only one person at a time. This approach aims to foster more meaningful connections, focusing on individual conversations, increasing the likelihood of long-term romance, and reducing cognitive overload from an overload of options.

Dating app Cuffed offers mindful matches one at a time

McDonald's has introduced a four-episode campaign to pay tribute to the chain’s omnipresence in anime and manga, reacting to the art form's growing popularity among young people worldwide. Even heritage brands like McDonald's are getting in on the act, demonstrating the rising power of fandom.

McDonalds taps anime fandom with limited series

The European Digital Services Act (DSA) has officially come into force, and Dutch digital rights foundation Bits of Freedom is helping to educate critical influencers, such as NGOs and activists, on how to use it to amplify their voices. Meanwhile, trust in Big Tech continues to decline.

Bits of Freedom empowers users to tackle Big Tech

Home Buddies, the Facebook group-turned-company reshaping Filipino homes, has mastered the art of organising communities online. The mammoth user-led group has become a safe space for Filipino home enthusiasts to share their living spaces, home design tips, and shopping recommendations.

How Homes Buddies gathers a village of home designers

Pacsun is pioneering a strategy to co-create and build a community around its brand with creatives. As people demand transparency from businesses and expect them to step up to society's challenges, collaboration opens up communication in ways that could lead to increased trust and loyalty.

Pacsun initiative collaborates with creatives on brand

Social media is seeing a rise of influencers who have been ‘cancelled’ rebranding themselves with conservative values and aesthetics to achieve redemption. This growing acceptance of conservative viewpoints online, packaged as nostalgia, signals an interesting shift in political outlooks.

Influencers adopt conservative values to find redemption

BeReal once dominated the charts of app stores in 2022, but its glory days are ending in the western parts of the world. Meanwhile, the platform has rebirthed itself in Japan, captivating young Gen Z users thanks to the respite it offers against the norms of its society.

How BeReal relieves Japanese Gen Zers from social curation

An Re/Max ad has humorously tackled the issue of getting recommendations from strangers on big decisions like buying a house. It emphasises its agents as trusted experts amid the pitfalls of word-of-mouth recommendations, positioning the brand as a reliable authority and source of truth.

Re/Max ad tackles unsolicited housing advice

Pizza Hut is offering customers a personalized pizza to break up with their would-be paramore ahead of Valentine’s Day. Young people are growing pessimistic about the holiday, and there's an opportunity for brands to use a playful irreverence to resonate with disillusioned consumers.

Pizza Hut offers 'Goodbye Pies' for Valentine's break-ups

The Soul app has proved successful in combating loneliness among China’s Gen Z population by promoting healthy social relationships. Now, brands are using it to better understand the generation’s nationalistic tendencies and need for connection, leading to various marketing success stories.

How Soul helps lonely Chinese Gen Zers make more friends

Yelp has introduced a series of AI-driven features to provide quicker pathways to the information that diners care about when looking for recommendations. As AI becomes the norm for recommendations, consumer expectations for accuracy, immediacy, and ease of use are increasing.

Yelp uses Ai to enhance user recommendations

Saucony found that the average American swipes their phone screen for 78 miles a year. In response, the brand has launched the Marathumb Challenge to promote physical activity over screen time – addressing collective unease about screens and helping people to rebalance their relationship with tech.

Saucony pushes Americans to run further than they scroll

The University of Iowa independent student newspaper has purchased two weekly local newspapers in the state – increasing their reach and giving students more chances to grow their reporting skills. This comes amid a nascent resurgence of print and an increase in youth political engagement.

Student journalists take local news into their own hands

In an oversaturated K-pop industry and global media market, fourth-generation girl group NewJeans enjoys a rare dominating success. Through Phoning, a NewJeans-specific, Y2K-branded app, the girl group grants superfans the illusion of hyper-personalised inside scoops into the lives of group members.

Why Phoning recalls the flip-phone experience for Gen Zers

Peanut Butter brand Jif has launched its 'Save The Celery' campaign ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, looking to encourage eaters to go with unconventional dips at their game-day watch parties. People are turning to healthy – if less conventional – snacks, and brands are encouraging experimentation.

Jif targets adventurous eaters in Super Bowl ad

TikTok's 'legging legs' trend has fuelled the spread of toxic beauty standards as young girls discuss the 'perfect' body shape. With signs that harmful body image tropes are returning via social media, platforms have a responsibility to protect users from potentially detrimental content.

'Legging Legs' trend signals toxic beauty standards

Faced with algorithmically enforced censorship on social media, users are relying on algospeak, a form of coded speech, to communicate. How can platforms protect free cultural and political expression while ensuring that algospeak isn’t used to disguise harmful online speech?

How is 'algospeak' changing online activism language?

Lucy & Yak has responded to the ban on FKA twigs' Calvin Klein campaign with its 'Baring All' clothing range – which celebrates body diversity, specifically breasts. People want to shop with brands that align with and understand their values and ethics and actively support and amplify them.

Lucy & Yak encourages Britons to bare their breasts

Social media has long been a part of Indonesian politics, but the campaigning season for the 2024 election saw presidential candidates establishing social media personas and working closer with influencers. What’s going on, and what can brands learn from this shift towards online campaigning?

Inside the influencer-ification of Indonesian politics

Despite facing various controversies, Southeast Asian Gen Zers remain active on Twitter, now known as X, utilising its features for news and video discovery. The online platform offers brands the opportunity to engage in sociopolitical conversations and tap into fandom subcultures.

How Twitter and X changed ads and news for Gen Z in Southeast Asia

A photo of two people sat outside talking

For Gen Zers, Black History Month can be a period marked by constant skepticism. Equipped with ample knowledge about corporate virtue-signaling, they’re wary of any statement of support for Black causes and communities. So, how can brands ensure they’re seen as authentically engaged allies?

How do American Gen Zers feel about Black History Month?

Former Cloudflare employee Brittany Pietsch decided to film herself being fired to show her friends and family but received an outpouring of support when she shared it on TikTok. Brands are having to respond to the challenge of increased scrutiny as social media makes consumer trust more precarious.

TikTok layoff convos highlight elevated brand scrutiny

Year-on-year growth of TikTok’s monthly active users slowed markedly in December 2023, and some commentators are suggesting TikTok Shop could be to blame. Users are frustrated by an overload of advertising content when they value TikTok for its ability to facilitate community.

TikTok users frustrated by overload of shopping content

From fuelling global protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death to driving boycotts against ‘woke’ brands, the impact of social media on grassroots movements has become impossible to ignore. Why are these channels so valued by activists? And how can brands navigate through contentious issues?

How social media became an engine for change

Communications

People will give up some privacy as long as it’s on their terms

Between the growing concerns around tracking on digital platforms and heightened surveillance due to the pandemic, people are thinking twice about how they converse online. With privacy top-of-mind, brands are exploring ways to get consumers to willingly part with their data – whether that’s by offering a monetary reward or being transparent about how this information is used.

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