Meta adds new AI image tools

Meta is expanding its AI capabilities with its new generative selfies feature. “Imagine Yourself” can create an image based on an uploaded photo and a prompt. These can include options such as “imagine me surfing” or “imagine me on a roller coaster”, but the options are endless.

YouTube adds a host of new features

YouTube has added a “Save Music” feature that will allow users to save audios to their chosen sounds folder within the app. The sounds can then be easily found again or reused on the user’s own videos. YouTube has also expanded its Inspiration tab to now provide AI-generated content tips and ideas. Creators can enter a topic into the search bar and YouTube will generate ideas based on what channel viewers are likely to want to see.

X launches new AI user summaries

X has added a new “More About This Account” feature to its Grok AI model. The feature, currently only available to paid X members, appears when users hover their cursor over a handle or display name on the web. Once clicked, the feature will then generate an AI-generated synopsis of the user.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

5 search tips by Digital Marketing Asia opening speaker Neil Patel

In the ever-changing digital marketplace, standing out can seem impossible. Yet, one strategy consistently proves to be a game-changer and that is the optimisation and use of search engine optimisation (SEO). According to Neil Patel, a digital marketing expert and co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, SEO isn’t just about getting to the top of search engine results—it’s about ensuring your business can thrive in a competitive landscape.

In Other News

Porsche has released a new campaign film for its new all-electric Porsche Maca, written, co-directed by and starring global superstar Dua Lipa. The film starts with Dua Lipa asking how she would direct a Porsche ad. She then goes on to describe her ideal Porsche ad, which materialises scene by scene.

Cathay Pacific has partnered with creative agency VCCP Singapore to unveil a new inflight safety video that showcases Hong Kong’s iconic elements as the backdrop for passengers.

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noplace hits No. 1 on the App Store

New social media app noplace hit the No.1 spot on the App Store last week. The platform was previously invite-only but since opening to the public, downloads have soared. The text-only platform uses AI to feed users the most relevant updates based on their interests.

Snapchat releases new personalisation features

Snapchat is introducing a host of updates for Snapchat+ subscribers to further personalise their accounts. First up, subscribers can design a personalised house on Snap Map that friends will be able to see when they share their location. They can design their house however they wish including choosing its style, colours and more.

YouTube releases a copyright sound eraser tool

YouTube has released a tool to easily remove copyrighted music from creator’s videos without impacting other audio in the video. YouTube has been testing the tool for a while and uses AI to specifically detect and remove copyrighted songs.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Why brands need (much) better digital shelves?

The days of linear shopping are over. Today, with shopping having gone social and infused with shoppertainment, consumers are consciously or unconsciously shopping all the time. According to a recent report by SGK – “From clicks to connections” – which identifies key changes in shopper channel behaviour compared to three years ago, over half of the respondents (52%) say they now discover products more from browsing and scrolling within digital stores versus other channels such as advertising, social media, or even word of mouth.

In Other News

Guardian MY is organising a new ‘Love is in the Hair’ activation from July 10 to 28 at several shopping malls in the Klang Valley. Whimsically named called the ‘hair playground’, the activation reportedly includes a sensorial experiential event where guests can engage with expert consultants on any questions they have about hair care, such as hair loss, colouring and more.

Pitching is undoubtedly a demanding process and discovering that you haven’t secured the pitch can be quite discouraging. Some companies sit down with agencies to offer insights and reasons behind their decision and why they were unsuccessful, but there have been instances where agencies are left in the dark for months, wondering what ever went wrong.

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Snapchat celebrates Euro 2024

Snapchat has released a range of Lens and activations for users to celebrate Euro 2024. There are 20 AR lenses that “encourage Snapchatters to turn all their emotions and reactions to the action on the pitch, into memes to share with their friends and family” in the app.

Pinterest users can now turn boards into videos

Pinterest will now allow users to create videos of their Pinterest boards. The feature was launched after Gen Z Pinterest users were seen manually sharing their boards on TikTok by posting screenshots or using the green screen effect.

Meta begins rolling out AI characters for creators

Meta has announced that it will begin to publish AI characters made by creators on Instagram. The test will start in the U.S. and will primarily appear in messaging. The characters will also be clearly labelled as AI. Creators can make their AI characters using the Meta AI Studio and they are designed to help them interact with their community.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

How brands can stay top of mind through bold branding in a digitally cluttered space

In today’s digitally cluttered space, brands find themselves needing to be bold in their creativity to stand out, make themselves memorable and earn consumer dollars. At the same time, brands must meet their business objectives and manage the risks of potential backlash while also stretching their creative muscles.

In Other News

Telekom Malaysia’s (TM) Unifi is asking Malaysians to choose a connected universe in its newest nationwide campaign. Centering its recently rolled out suite of convergence offerings called ‘Unifi Universe’, the campaign aims to demonstrate how the brand’s portfolio of products converges into a seamless ecosystem.

The organiser of the 2024 World Olympic Day celebration, MY Creative Moments, has reportedly apologised to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and sports fans of the country for the “flawed” launch of Malaysia’s Olympic attire.

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LinkedIn adds more AI tools and a premium ad spot

LinkedIn is launching a new sponsorship program called “The Wire” for brands to run in-stream video ads alongside publisher content. Brands will be able to choose specific pre-roll placements with respected publishers such as Bloomberg, Forbes, NBCUniversal, and The Wall Street Journal.

Threads adds customisable For You feeds

After launching its new customisable desktop last week, Threads is now making it easier for users to signal which kind of posts they want to see on the platform. Users can swipe right on a post to like it or swipe left to signal they are not interested. Threads will then show more posts similar to the ones swiped right on, and fewer of those swiped left on.

TikTok tests message streaks

TikTok is testing streaks on messages in limited markets and with select users. Users will receive a streak badge, in the form of a flame emoji, when they have DM’d someone for more than three days in a row. A streak will end when neither person sends a message within 24 hours of the last message. TikTok will also give users a nudge when their streak is about to end. If you would rather opt out of this you can turn the feature off through the app’s Privacy settings.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Why brands view micro-influencers as the new ‘sweet spot’

Influencer marketing is no stranger to a brand’s marketing mix due to its ability to tap into the popularity of influencers and the level of trust between them and their followers.

In Other News

Malaysian carmaker Proton’s brand sentiments have taken a hit from 10.8% positive and 17% negative to 5.2% positive and 44.4% negative after it mislabelled Sabah and Sarawak on the map during a recent presentation.

Menstrual hygiene brand Kotex Malaysia has taken over 32 stores in the country as part of its company-wide national trade campaign for its Kotex Overnight Panties range.

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Tumblr launches Communities feature

Tumblr is launching a “Communities” feature which will offer a dedicated space for users to connect with others on different topics, outside of Tumblr’s main dashboard. These will be “semi-private” areas on the platform with moderators and privacy settings. The feature is still in development but users can now request to create a new community and be added to a waitlist. There are currently over 5,800 communities on the waitlist.

Instagram introduces new features for Notes

With more and more Gen Z users making the most of Instagram’s Notes feature, the platform is adding new capabilities to Notes. First up, “Notes Prompts,” will allow users to start conversations based on templated questions. For example, users can ask questions like “What music are you listening to right now?” on Notes and friends can directly respond to it. Instagram is also adding a “Like” option and users will be able to add @ mentions to Notes.

YouTube launches its free games catalogue to all users

YouTube is rolling out its free games to all users on both the platform’s app and home page. The “Playables” feature was made available for Premium subscribers last November. There are currently over 75 minigames in YouTube’s catalogue including Angry Birds Showdown, Trivia Crack and Words of Wonders. Users that play the games will be able to save game progress and track their best scores.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Darlie MY highlights the power of a smile with new campaign

Oral care brand Darlie Malaysia has partnered with creative agency FCB SHOUT to highlight the power of a smile with a new brand campaign. The campaign comes with the brand’s new tagline “Closer with a smile”, which was developed in line with the oral care brand’s new regional strategy. The tagline, which was conceived by FCB SHOUT for Darlie in all its Southeast Asian markets, reinforced the brand’s purpose of “inspiring the confidence to connect”.

In Other News

Google has invested US$2 billion in Malaysia to accelerate digital transformation in the country. This includes the development of its first Google data centre and Google Cloud region to meet the growing demand for cloud services locally and around the world.

Malaysian consumers are leading the charge in embracing alternative payment methods and cutting-edge technologies, according to a report by global financial technology platform for business Adyen.  The report is based on a survey of over 38,000 shoppers and 13,000 merchants across 26 markets.

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Reddit is partnering with OpenAI

Reddit is working with OpenAI to integrate information from Reddit into ChatGPT and other OpenAI projects. Firstly, OpenAI will use information from Reddit in ChatGPT to help provide more insightful answers and help users discover Reddit communities. Reddit will also be integrating new AI-powered features into the platform using OpenAI’s existing AI models. Finally, as part of the partnership, OpenAI will also become a Reddit advertising partner.

X adds new features to Communities

X is updating its Communities feature to include its own dedicated space and timeline. Communities currently have their own tab on X where users can join groups around specific topics and interests. The revamped version of Communities will include improved discovery tools, recommendations, search and sorting options.

TikTok is testing a new collaborative feature

TikTok is testing a new collaboration feature, which will enable users to tag collaborators on a post. The post will then link both tagged profiles – similar to Instagram’s collaborator tagging feature. Users will be able to invite up to five other users on a collaboration post, and those tagged will have to approve the collaboration. However, only the original poster will be able to edit the content.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

ZUS Coffee’s apology regarding the adidas event failed to hit the PR mark

Malaysian coffee brand ZUS Coffee faced controversy after participating in an Adidas sports and fashion event where it served its coffee to guests. ZUS Coffee has since apologised and clarified that the giveaway was a one-off activity. In the midst of this, brands should show empathy and sincerity to maintain and rebuild the customer base, ZUS Coffee should clarify its stance, engage with the community, re-evaluate marketing and branding, and promote ethical practices. 

In Other News

Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) has partnered with Malaysian artist Haze Long to create a campaign titled “Her, As Told by Them” on International Day for Women in Maritime. The campaign features heartfelt thoughts and wishes from female seafarers’ loved ones, aiming to capture their admiration and respect. The campaign features three videos, with MISC employees at the forefront.

A new wave of youth has been creating its side of social media, from the influence of Gen Z’s values. While headlines praise Alpha’s impact on culture, this generation’s presence on the internet has led to a shift in Gen Z’s behaviour that also affects internet culture. As Gen Z becomes young adults, nihilism becomes less, and brands may need to cultivate messages that blend nihilism and earnestness.

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Pinterest reveals summer travel trends

Pinterest has released its summer travel report, highlighting travel trends emerging on the platform. The platform has recorded  over one billion travel-related searches and over 10 billion travel saves in the past year alone. And, 8 out of 10 weekly Pinterest users turn to Pinterest to plan their summer vacations.

Threads releases mute filters and updates controls for quote posts

Threads is launching a feature for users to filter out words and phrases from their feeds and mentions. The “Hidden Words” feature will automatically mute common words, phrases, and emojis that might be offensive to users. Users can add their own custom words and phrases in the settings which can be changed and removed at any time.

TikTok tests AI avatars

TikTok is testing a new AI integration where users are prompted to create an “AI-moji”. The “AI-moji” feature allows users to scan their face and create a cartoon avatar within the app. The avatar can then be used to react to Stories, messages, and as stickers in chats.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Jobstreet uses animals to highlight the difficulty of job hunting in hilarious campaign

Employment marketplace Jobstreet by SEEK is using animated animals to convey the increasingly complex jungle of job seeking and hiring in a new region-wide brand campaign. Titled ‘Better Matches’, the campaign features a series of videos depicting a giraffe, lion and sloth working in mismatched jobs that do not align with their inherent traits which leads to unforeseen consequences.

In Other News

Malaysian supermarket chain Jaya Grocer is partnering with tech platform Grab to leverage its advertising arm, GrabAds, for a unified omnichannel advertising solution that can be utilised across all its brands.

More than two-thirds of the world’s population now use the Internet, with social media once more proving that it is not going anywhere. Today’s online world currently boasts 5.07 unique social media identities, with 37 million users created in the last quarter.

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TikTok reportedly launching new photo app to rival Instagram

TikTok is reportedly taking on Instagram with a new photo app soon to launch called TikTok Notes. The company said it is working on a dedicated space for images and text content. Some users have received notifications stating that their photo posts will be shared to the new app unless they opt out.

Meta trials AI chatbot across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger

Meta has begun trials across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in India and parts of Africa with its AI chatbot, Meta AI. Both markets have high user bases with India being Meta’s largest market globally. Meta AI was unveiled in September 2023 as an AI chatbot with the ability to answer user queries and generate images from text prompts.

Instagram adds new features to Reels, Stories and Notes

Instagram has added a new feature to Reels and Stories which allows users to turn any photo or video in their camera roll into a custom sticker. Stickers created from a video will be animated. New features are also being added to Notes to allow users to pose prompts their friends can respond to. Notes will also soon appear on users’ IG profiles for 24 hours.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Navigating the headlines: Why marketers need to remain agile and top-of-mind

With the world bracing for a noisy and eventful 12 months full of political campaigns, brands and marketers are gearing up for a year where their communications vehicles will have to work even harder to cut through the chaos. While we know that in theory, it is important for brands to stay top-of-mind during transitionary periods, in practice that often tends to be different.

In Other News

Hospitality company Accor has launched a new campaign “For ALL the travellers in you” to showcase Accor’s brands and destinations. The global campaign leverages storytelling and dynamic content creation and aims to revolutionise how the hospitality industry connects with consumers. It is also set to deliver tangible business outcomes, including heightened revenue and occupancy rates, the brand’s dedication to sustainability and exceptional guest experiences, it said.

Heineken has partnered South Korean laundromat franchise WashEnjoy to turn 24-hour laundromats into all-night sports bars for fans to watch the UEFA Champions League as it aims to make football more inclusive.

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YouTube requires creators to label ‘realistic’ AI-generated content

AI-generated content is increasingly common on social, and YouTube is the latest platform to announce changes to the ways it’s labelled. The video platform now requires creators to disclose when ‘realistic’ content – ie something viewers could mistake for a real person, place or event –  is made with altered or synthetic media, which includes generative AI.

TikTok announces changes to enable smoother shopping experiences

TikTok has announced several updates to its advertising and shopping offerings. Speaking at commerce event ShopTalk, a spokesperson for the app said it was working towards the goal of “creating the most seamless shopping experience possible for users to discover and purchase products.”

Snapchat launches AR filters

Snapchat will allow advertisers to create branded augmented reality filters on the platform. The new Sponsored AR Filters enable brands to create AR overlays that can be added to Snaps after a photo or video is captured before it’s shared.

That’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Lamborghini revamps corporate look after two decades

Luxury sports car brand Automobili Lamborghini has revamped its logo and visual identity after over twenty years. The new logo will feature a broader Lamborghini typeface than its predecessor. The colours black and white are reconfirmed as the primary hues, while yellow, along with the introduction of the gold colour, is used as the accent colour.

In Other News

The sophistication, scale and frequency of cybersecurity threats are currently outstripping protective measures taken by companies with only 3% of organisations being categorised in the highest or mature category for cybersecurity readiness. In fact, 71% of organisations fall in the bottom two categories formative (60%) and beginner (11%).

Malaysia’s first digital bank, GXBank, is inspiring Malaysians not to sit on their dreams and turn them into reality in a new “Pocketful of dreams” campaign.

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Instagram Tests New Option To Comment On Specific Frames Within A Carousel Update

Imagine this: you’re looking through pictures of your favourite influencer’s holiday dump. You’re swiping left, and you stumble upon a picture that has you experiencing love at first sight. You want to comment on this specific picture but you can’t. Well, guess what?

Instagram has been testing this new feature that allows you to comment on specific frames within the carousel update. By commenting “@[number]”, you can leave a comment for a specific picture. The comment is then displayed along with a thumbnail of the specific post that you tagged.

This new feature can help marketers to drive more focused engagement and encourages interaction while also helping users to clear up confusion when commenting on carousel posts.

Photo by Mario Joos on X

YouTube Tests New Audience Filters For Its Video Retention Stats

YouTube is testing new audience filters that will soon be able to let creators dig into how different segments of their audience are engaging with their content.

There are three options that creators can choose from: Subscribers and non-subscribers, New and returning viewers, Organic and paid traffic. These options will provide creators with a better understanding of their audience behaviours, and provides more ways to analyse and assess their performance on YouTube.

Photo by Google Marketing Platform

Google Updates Analytics Data Tracking To Ensure Consistency With Ads

Google Analytics will be going through a change as Google facilitates more uniform data tracking across Google Ads and Analytics, with “Key Events” being implemented to replace conversions for behavioural analytics.

This change will ensure that marketers are seeing the same data labels and insights in both Google Analytics and Google Ads. In addition, if your Ads account is linked to Analytics, you will be able to see consistent conversion data in the Advertising Workplace, helping marketers to streamline measurement and optimisation. 

TikTok Publishes Guide On Lead Generation Best Practices

TikTok has partnered up with HubSpot on a new guide to effective lead generation in the app, which includes an overview of TikTok’s main lead generation options and how it works, and an overview of the ideal workflow for lead generation using TikTok’s solutions. Furthermore, there are also Lead Ads and Lead Gen Form best practices, plus creative tips and how to use CapCut to edit videos.

Phew, that’s enough social news for now, so let’s move on to other marketing news.

Embracing Neurodiversity In Marketing

There are new things scientists are discovering every day about the human brain, and it is a never ending fascination. As marketers, it is important for us to include the minority in our marketing strategies, to acknowledge neurodiversity and create a connection with it. By doing so, we help to elevate the experience for our consumers as well as create a safe space for them to be in.

In Other News

Did you ever have dreams of becoming the Pokémon master, the very best of ‘em all? Well, guess what? Oreo just released these special edition OREO Pokémon! Do you have what it takes to become the Pokémon master?

AI is so advanced now that it can create a short film with the right prompts given. You can watch Julie’s Raya Ad here to see how it turned out! What may seem to be a mistake, may be an intentional input. Be on the lookout for it!

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