wtf is everyone talking about? — issue #6
death of the unhinged brand voice, instagram majorly invests in gen z, and the rise of mini dramas
Welcome to another week of wtf is everyone talking about? 🫶
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Let’s get into it:
DEATH OF THE UNHINGED BRAND VOICE
The Tea: You’ve probably heard that McDonald’s is officially bringing back the Snack Wrap. But instead of sharing a highly-produced reel or a chaotic meme, the fast food giant took a different approach to announcing the return of this fan-favorite item on social media: by letting the social media manager break the fourth wall. In a post on Instagram and X, we hear not from the brand, but the community manager, as they share a candid recount of the years spent engaging with McDonald’s fans and trying to convince corporate to bring back this retired item. Various social listening evidence is included in the Instagram carousel announcement, showing the power that social media users can have on a brand.
The Takeaway: The death of the unhinged brand voice might be upon us as audiences grow to expect more genuineness from brands. A couple of months ago, I referenced one of Joe Burns’ LinkedIn posts in a past essay that talked about how audiences are starting to get fed up with the sudden homogenization of the unhinged brand voice. With so many brands trying to mimic key pioneers of this brand persona, like Wendy’s and Duolingo, the distinctive brand voice has been lost. In this highly anticipated announcement, McDonald’s has broken out of the mold with heartwarming sincerity. Maura Hughes MacMahon, Senior Marketing Manager at Shogun, wrote in a LinkedIn post, “It's surprising. It's personal. It's focused on their customer, while giving a peek behind the scenes at the real person behind the brand.” I hope more brands start to follow suit.
INSTAGRAM’S NEWEST CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGES GEN Z TO TAKE CREATIVE RISKS
The Tea: Instagram turns 15 this year, and it’s launching its biggest, most expensive campaign yet. As the third most widely used app among teenagers behind YouTube and TikTok, Instagram is hoping that inspiring young people to take more creative risks on the platform will increase app activity. The app is partnering with various artists and creatives, including Tyler, The Creator, Rosaliá, and Cole Bennett, in a series of films that encourage young creators to overcome any self-doubt that prohibits them from sharing their work. The platform is also investing more into features that address user hesitation to post, like trial Reels, its new video editing app Edits, a way to quietly post to your profile without broadcasting it to everyone’s feeds, and a new initiative that supports up-and-coming creators called Drafts.
The Takeaway: It’s no surprise that Meta platforms have lost some social capital when it comes to Gen Z audiences. Once the Goliath of all social media platforms, it has now been reduced to a habitual default for many young users. The reason? There’s too much pressure to appear perfect. A quote from a recent New York Times article said, “‘It’s just a lot less pressure posting on TikTok,’ said Sheen Zutshi, 21, a college student in New York. She uses Instagram to send direct messages to her friends, but sees it as a more curated option — the sort of place where someone might earnestly post a photo of the night sky, like her older cousin did recently. ‘It’s just really cute, because she’s a millennial,’ she said.”1 Recognizing that this polished culture may be a large contributor to the decreased activity on the app, Instagram hopes these major investments will alleviate the pressure of hitting publish. Will it be enough?
MINI DRAMAS MIGHT BE YOUR BRAND’S NEXT BIG AD OPPORTUNITY
The Tea: If you’ve ever scrolled on TikTok, you may have been hit with a sense of confusion and intrigue over these short, Episode-like, mini drama series with outrageous titles like “Breaking the Deal with my Hockey Bad Boy,” “True Heiress vs Fake Queen Bee, and “Never Reject a Wolf Princess.” And no, I didn’t make those up; they are real mini-dramas produced by the short drama app, ReelShort. Made popular in Asia, mini drama apps like ReelShort and DramaBox are garnering massive attention in the US, with some users and creators admitting they can’t help but indulge in this type of content. These mobile-first platforms offer one- to three-minute-long serialized episodes that often rely on soap opera-style tropes and cliffhanger endings to draw in audiences who are craving that on-the-go entertainment.
The Takeaway: I’ve mentioned in a previous issue of WTFETA that more brands are recognizing the power of series-based content to boost engagement across short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram. It comes as no shock, then, that these mini drama apps have also benefited from a desire for more bite-sized serial content, as audiences find themselves compulsively searching for the next part. According to Nativex, these short-drama apps collectively racked up about 37 million downloads in Q1 2024 alone (a 992% YoY increase). Even Hollywood is paying attention, with major studios like Lionsgate actively exploring opportunities in this space. For brands, this could open up new avenues for native ad placements and sponsorships that weave into these chaotic, yet addictive storylines.
👀 OTHER THINGS I HAVE MY EYE ON 👀
With the third TikTok ban deadline approaching on June 19, a competitor is trying to take advantage. Is this the end of the road, or will another extension be put into place?
Given its long history in the music industry, Coca-Cola has officially launched a record label in partnership with Universal Music Group.
Harris Dickinson is the new face for Rhode’s latest product drop. Will we be seeing more skincare for men campaigns to follow?
Talk about knowing your audience. Walmart surprises Switch 2 customers with free snacks and a drink.
Pinterest predicts a Digital Detox, Martha Stewart-filled Summer. Curious to see what brands will lean heavily into this trend in their summer campaigns this year.
What have you been talking about? 👀 Let me know if you have thoughts on any of the topics I mentioned or if you’re following anything new that I should spill the tea on for the next issue!
Until next time 👋
As a Gen Zer myself, I enjoy night sky pictures as much as the next millennial does
I’ve been waiting for unhinged brand videos to die. They do nothing but get views I don’t feel like they do anything to drive sales plus not every company needs to get behind these videos seeing law firms or dental offices make “unhinged” videos is not going to push me in the direction of using your service. Great insights caro!!