Nine Stats On The State Of Mobile Right Now

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Smartphones have become one of, if not the most, important battleground for consumer attention. And with the advent of 5G and IoT, marketing in this sector will only become more intensified, and the consumer attention more sacred.

Here are some stats every marketer should know about the current state of mobile and where it’s headed.

About three out of four users will be mobile-only by 2025 (WARC)

Aside from showing the increase in mobile advertising investment, WARC found mobile device users spend around three hours a day socializing on their smartphones or tablets. In 2025, approximately 73 percent of the online population will access the internet only on mobile; China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan are expected to account for half of all the growth.

Ninety percent of gamers play games on their phones (NPD)

The 2018 Gamer Segmentation Report found that of gamers who only use one platform for gaming, that device is most likely to be a smartphone.

About 94 percent of Millennials will be smartphone users in 2019 (eMarketer)

Almost the entire demographic uses smartphones, but only 56 percent of millennials use tablets and about 37 percent use smart speakers.

Almost half of Millennials use a smartphone voice assistant (eMarketer)

Millennials might not use smart speakers but they do use voice assistants like Siri.

Three out of every four search shopping impressions occur on a mobile phone (Kenshoo)

Kenshoo released their report The Kenshoo Q4 2018 Quarterly Trends Report and found Q4 spending growth in social was up 31 percent and search was 14 percent YoY. On Instagram, the spending growth came not from new advertisers, but ones who had been on the platform for at least five years.

During the 2018 holidays, 64 percent of shoppers placed online orders through their smartphone (Adlucent)

Mobile orders were up 152 percent compared to 2017. Even in stores, shoppers used mobile devices 71 percent more. The report also found video is the best way for consumers to learn about a product—chosen over a web page or reading text.

50 percent of retailers said a mobile shopping app is a top priority in their omnichannel plans (Shopgate)

In 2019, retailers realize mobile is essential to survival, around 61 percent of respondents surveyed recognized buy online; pick up in store and buy online and return in store capabilities as being among top priorities in their continuing omnichannel strategies.

69 percent of podcasts are consumed on a mobile device (Edison Research)

The Infinite Dial Report examined Americans of various backgrounds and also found around 48 million Americans listened to podcasts on a weekly basis in 2018—up six million from 2017. Half of consumers hear podcasts in their homes and not cars.

The global food delivery mobile app market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 27.9 percent—to $16.6 billion by 2023 (Allied Market Research)

According to the report, the growth is attributed to “high internet penetration, rise in standard of living in the developing countries and increase in mobile and smartphone usages.”

Visa’s Oscar Spot Takes On Hollywood’s Pay Gap

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Visa is launching phase two of its social and digital campaign ‘Money is Changing’ to continue the conversation of millennial women and their attitudes towards money—finding they’re less willing to sacrifice their financial independence. The company is using the platform of the Oscars, one of the most prestigious awards shows in Hollywood, with viewership around 30 million in the last few years. Visa will debut ads featuring female designers, directors, producers and activists discussing the pay gap in Hollywood.

The spot “Pay Equality In Hollywood,” was directed by Gia Coppola and entertainment industry professionals like Arianne Philips, a twice Oscar-nominated costume designer and Mel Jones. The women disclose stories about how they’ve been paid less than their male counterparts for the same or more work.

https://youtu.be/NA0364lhA-o

This second phase centers on female empowerment and it shows tools and resources to help Millennial women reach their financial goals. Refinery29, Bustle and The Cut are Visa’s content partners with the “reach and credibility” to cultivate and continue the conversation.Visa’s research suggests 60 percent of Millennial women feel they live paycheck-to-paycheck. In Visa’s other new spot “The Cost,” women’s daily expenses are seen racking up.

https://youtu.be/1ebdMfVQm7k

“We are embracing the authentic voices and perspectives of women from all backgrounds, in order to seed our message and ensure that we are talking to her at various touch-points in her day and in her life,” said Mary Ann Reilly, senior vice president of North America marketing for Visa.

“Plans consist of custom think-pieces, data sharing infographics, ‘How I Changed It’ storytelling via a robust influencer plan, transparent conversations via podcasts, and crowdsourced pieces. Additionally, we have high-impact placements that will run throughout the year.”

The digital ads and social posts are on Visa’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. The financial services corporation chose to go the digital route because most Millennial women are online and engaged in various social media platforms.

“We want to talk to her when she is in the mindset of consuming and engaging with content that interests her. Launching digitally also allows us flexibility and nimbleness to assess what is working, quickly pivot, and constantly test campaign creative,” added Reilly.

“With this in mind, we set out with the intention of running this campaign as a closed feedback-loop vs. a standard linear launch approach. We developed hundreds of assets, based in research, and put it all into the world so that we could quickly learn (via data) what our target was interested in and the best way to message it to her.”

Carolina Panthers Appoints T-Mobile Exec; Meredith Hires VP

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This week’s executive shifts include the Carolina Panthers appointing a former T-Mobile exec, Halstead hiring a new CMO, ZitSticka appointing a former Tinder exec, Constellation Brands promoting their VP of digital marketing, PDQ hiring their first CMO, Meredith appointing a VP of shopper marketing, IMAX’s global CMO resigns, Paramount Pictures appointing co-presidents of marketing, BHS hires a new CMO, IPIC hiring a new chief marketing officer and Whistle appointing the former VP of marketing at Refinery29.

Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.

Carolina Panthers Appoints Former T-Mobile Exec

The NFL’s Carolina Panthers hired Meredith Starkey as their chief marketing officer. Previously, Starkey served as VP of marketing for sponsorships and events at T-Mobile. Prior to that, she served as manager of sponsorship marketing at Motorola and as an account director at Genesco Sports Enterprises.

“We are delighted to have Meredith join our leadership team,” said team president Tom Glick in a statement. “She is a proven difference maker in our industry and understands fans and how to deliver special moments, memories and experiences to continue to fuel their passion. As we strive to do more for our fans, partners and communities across the Carolinas, Meredith’s command of the fundamentals and drive to innovate will help us get it right.”

Halstead Appoints New Chief Marketing Officer

Halstead Real Estate hired Matthew Leone as their chief brand and marketing officer. In this role, Leone will oversee marketing and further expand the firm’s brand activities. Previously, Leone worked as senior vice president of digital marketing and CMO at Terra Holdings, a parent company of Halstead.

ZitSticka Hires Former Tinder Exec
The new DTC acne brand ZitSticka has appointed Josh Metz as the company’s CMO. Prior to joining ZitSticka, Metz served as director of marketing at Tinder and brand manager at Tinder Australia. The company just launched with its hero product, the KILLA, a penetrative acne patch.

Constellation Brands Promotes VP of Marketing

Constellation Brands Inc.—an international producer of beer, wine and spirits—promoted Karena Breslin to senior vice president of digital and media. In her new role, Breslin will lead media, e-commerce, digital marketing and marketing technology teams. She began her career with Constellation as director of digital marketing for wine and spirits and in 2013 was promoted to VP of digital marketing.

PDQ Appoints Thier First Chief Marketing Officer

PDQ Restaurants appointed Frank Rappa as the company’s CMO. Prior to joining PDQ, Rappa served as senior director of retail for Equinox and international VP for Armani Exchange. He most recently ran his own consulting firm.

“Frank has a proven track record of developing brands and people,” Nick Reader, PDQ CEO and co-founder said in a statement. “His leadership skills and forward-thinking approach to marketing [are] a big reason why we are so thrilled to have him join our team.”

Meredith Corporation Hires VP of Shopper Marketing

Meredith Corporation, a media and marketing services company, has hired Carol Campbell as vice president of shopper marketing. In this newly created role, Campbell will harness and accelerate shopper marketing capabilities for their magazine brands. Previously, she worked as an executive director of sales development at Hearst and CRO of PGOA Media.

SunExpress Appoints A New CMO

SunExpress, a Turkish airline, has appointed Kerstin Lomb as their Chief Marketing Officer. She will oversee brand, marketing and corporate communications for the airline. Before joining the team, Lomb served as senior advisor at Amadeus IT Group and also worked as a partner and managing director at Accenture.

IMAX Chief Marketing Officer Resigns

IMAX announced their global chief marketing officer JL Pomeroy left her position. She was in the position for two years and during that time led the brand’s creative, strategic positioning, immersive content and integrated marketing efforts. Prior to that, Pomeroy worked at her own agency the Jumpline Group. She also served as the VP of sales and marketing for Cartier.

SunLife Promotes VP of Marketing To CMO

SunLife Financial Canada has promoted Samantha O’Neill to the newly created role of vice-president and chief marketing officer for Canada. Previously, she served as VP of marketing and client experience at the company. Prior to that, she worked at LoyaltyOne as VP of analytics and insights.

Paramount Pictures Appoints Two Co-Presidents of Marketing, Distribution
Paramount Pictures appointed Marc Weinstock and promoted Mary Daily to be co-presidents of worldwide marketing and distribution. They’ll both report to Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos.

Previously, Weinstock served as president of Annapurna Pictures. Daily joined Paramount in 2017 after six years at 20th Century Fox’s president and chief marketing officer.

BHS Hires New Chief Marketing Officer

Brown Harris Stevens (BHS) has appointed Pablo Marvel as their new CMO. He will oversee their marketing strategy in New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Palm Beach. Prior to joining BHS, Marvel co-founded Nova Concepts, a creative agency.

Foxtel’s Director of Marketing Sports Resigns After Six Months

Foxtel’s Adam Ballesty, director of marketing sports, has left his position after six months. He joined Foxtel in September and managed the marketing, brand, design and publicity team at Foxsports and led the sports marketing at Foxtel. This comes after Foxtel’s CMO Andy Lark left in October after only being in the position for nine months. Previously, Ballesty served as marketing and innovation director at Diageo.

IPIC Entertainment Appoints New CMO

IPIC Entertainment has hired Carla D’Alessandro as the company’s new chief marketing officer. She will lead and oversee all their marketing efforts across all their brand portfolio. Previously, D’Alessandro served as SVP and managing director of account services at Zimmerman Advertising.

“We are thrilled to have Carla join the IPIC family and build a world-class performance marketing team. Her experience in direct and member-specific marketing will help continue to build on the foundation of our IPIC ACCESS Membership Program and offer an unparalleled guest experience,” states Hamid Hashemi, founder and CEO of IPIC Entertainment in a press release.

Whistle Hires Former Refinery29 Exec

Whistle, an original programming and sports platform, has appointed Alison Meyer as their VP of marketing. It comes after the company’s expansion into original entertainment with the acquisition of New Form. Prior to joining Whistle, Meyer worked as VP of marketing solutions and client services at Refinery29.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, February 22. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

Chief Marketing Officer eBay London, UK
Chief Marketing Officer Moog Music Group Asheville, NC
Vice President, Marketing Strategy  Saks Fifth Avenue New York, NY
VP, Brand Marketing Carl’s Jr. Franklin, TN
Head of Marketing Uber London, UK
VP Marketing Analytics DISNEY New York, NY

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.

Pinterest Files IPO; TikTok Working On Biddable Ads

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Want to know what’s brewing in social media this week? Dig in and find out what TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are up to.

Pinterest Confidentially Applies For Stock Listing

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Pinterest has confidentially filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a stock market listing.

Why it matters: An initial public offering is expected to add significant monetary value to the company.

The details: Per The Wall Street Journal, the company is seeking a late June listing that would be underwritten by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. At the moment, Pinterest hosts 250 million monthly active users and makes its money from serving as a platform for online shopping and offering advertising options but it’s not clear how well those efforts have been paying off. The stock, however, will value the company at $12 billion or more, The Journal reported.

TikTok To Launch Biddable Ads

According to Adweek, TikTok is working on a biddable advertising option on the platform.

Why it matters: Biddable ad feature, in which advertisers will be bidding against one another for the ad impressions, will make the platform accessible to more marketers.

The details: At the moment, TikTok offers only advertisers direct IO (insertion order) buys, meaning an advertiser works directly with the platform to buy and place ads. TikTok began testing ads in the U.S. in 2019, and will be offering four different ad formats, Adweek reported: in-feed video ads, brand takeover ads that appear when a user first opens the app during the takeover period, banner ads that would inspire TikTok users to participate in brand-designed video challenges, and branded lenses that a TikTok user may select to use in their own videos.

Travel Marketers To Increase Spending On Facebook and Instagram Ads in 2019 

A survey, conducted by Qualtrics for a tech firm Sojern, showed that in 2019, 55 percent of 611 marketers surveyed worldwide intend to increase spending on Facebook and Instagram above all other media.

Why it matters: Millennials and Gen Z’s wanderlust has been covered extensively. Right now, the best way to reach these audiences is via, arguably, the most aspirational platform, Instagram, or the most popular one, Facebook.

The details: According to the survey, many travel marketers will employ new Facebook audience targeting options within destinations, hotels, and flights. Jackie Lamping, vice president of marketing at Sojern, told Skift, “It used to be several years ago that Facebook and Instagram were just branding plays. Whereas now you can use them to target new audiences and deliver personalized messages and drive direct bookings and do retargeting and also do brand-building.” Other tools travel marketers plan to get busy with include Facebook Travel Ads, Facebook and Instagram Stories and a photo- and video- montage. It is also important to mention that according to the survey, marketers intend to shift more of their dollars to Instagram to target younger audiences who favor the photo app over Facebook.

Marc Zuckerberg Discusses Targeted Advertisements With Harvard Professor

Harvard Law Today reported that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Harvard Professor Jonathan Zittrain had a 100-minute discussion about encryption, “information fiduciaries” and targeted advertisements on February 11, as a part of Harvard’s Techtopia series.

Why it matters: During the discussion, Zuckerberg touched upon many users and marketers’ pain points and concerns, including target advertising, “Clear History” feature and his take on Facebook’s potential ad-free subscription model.

The details: According to Harvard Law Today, when discussing advertising with Zuckerberg, Zittrain said, “I imagine it might be possible to issue me a score of how much I’ve earned for Facebook this year. It could simply say ‘this is how much we collected on the basis of you, in particular, being exposed to an ad,’” which in Zittrain’s opinion, could lead to a conversation about an ad-free Facebook subscription model.

To which Zuckerberg, replied, “Are we going to let people pay to have different controls on data use than other people? And my answer to that is a hard no.” Facebook’s CEO then described an upcoming feature, “Clear History,” which would let users delete some of the data that Facebook accumulates about its users for ad targeting purposes.

Zuckerberg and Zittrain’s conversation transcript can be found here.

Digital Ads Will Surpass Traditional For The First Time

As reported by Forbes and Washington Post, eMarketer predicts digital advertising will overtake traditional for the first time this year.

Why it matters: In a natural shift, marketers have been spending more on programmatic, social and digital media. Amazon looks to benefit quite a bit.

The details: According to the report, advertisers will spend $129.34 billion on digital ads this year compared to 109.48 billion on traditional advertising. Traditional ad spend will reportedly decline from $114.84 billion in 2018 to $104.32 billion in 2021. During that same period, digital ad spending will climb up from $108.64 billion to $172.29 billion.

As per eMarketer, Amazon is seeing strong results, even though it ranks No. 3 in digital ad revenue share. Amazon’s ad business will surge by 50 percent, and it is closing the gap between itself and Facebook (22.1 percent).

LinkedIn Is Developing Intelligent Hiring Experience

Ebn reported on Wednesday that LinkedIn will merge its LinkedIn Recruiter, Jobs and Pipeline Builder features into one product—the Intelligent Hiring Experience—in summer 2019.

Why it matters: The new upgrade should make both hiring and applying process more convenient and organized.

The details: The service will allow messages between recruiters and potential talent to be shared with HR professionals and hiring managers, as well as let the recruiter and corporate hiring teams exchange notes on each candidate. The new AI will also take into an account previously suggested candidates’ hiring status, as it modifies its personalized algorithm.

YouTube Introduces One-Time Warning

In the report published on YouTube Creator blog, the company announced that it will impose new penalties for creators who violate the company’s Community Guidelines.

Why it matters: The company is introducing opportunities for the users to better understand the policies, a consistent penalty for each strike, and better notifications to create a safer environment on the platform.

The details: Starting February 25, all channels will receive a one-time warning the first time they post content that violates guidelines, with no penalties to their channel (the content, however, will be removed). In total, YouTube will give the violators three strikes, which expire after 90 days. On the first strike, the ability to upload content to the platform freezes for seven days; the second strike prevents the violator from posting to YouTube for two weeks; the third strike terminates the channel.

Facebook Wants To Develop Its Own AI Chips

According, to the report from The Financial Times, Facebook has plans to develop its own artificial intelligence chips to compete with the products that are currently available on the market.

Why it matters: With this technology, Facebook will be able to provide faster computing and implement new AI innovations.

The details: In his interview for The Financial Times, Facebook’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, implied that Facebook is currently working on developing its own custom ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) chips to support its AI software. “Facebook has been known to build its hardware when required—build its own ASIC, for instance. If there’s any stone unturned, we’re going to work on it,” he said in the interview.

Twitter Announces First International Markets To Receive Political Advertising Checks

Twitter reported on Tuesday in a blog post that the company is expanding checks on political advertisers outside the U.S. to include Australia and India, as well as all the member states of the European Union.

Why it matters: With this policy, Twitter aims to support its goal of protecting the health of the public conversation on their platform in addition to providing transparent context around all political bodies using Twitter’s advertising products.

The details: The policy will be enforced starting March 11th in Australia, India and EU. This means that after the enforcement, only certified advertisers will be allowed to run political ads on the platform. Political advertisers can apply here and complete the process of certification.

Snapchat Will Provide The NHL Highlights Through A New Show And Curated Stories

Variety magazine reported on Tuesday that Snapchat and National Hockey League have struck a new multiyear deal.

Why it matters: “What’s special about Snapchat is their users skew younger,” said NHL chief marketing officer Heidi Browning. The pact with Snap is “an important way for us to connect with our core fans but also to reach new fans…. Snap is always innovating, and they recognize that the generation that uses their products demands new feature sets.”

The details: The NHL, in partnership with Disney Streaming Services, will be delivering a new weekly show on Snapchat, highlighting the top 10 plays of the previous week and in addition, will be creating Curated Stories on the platform for select games and marquee events. The NHL content will be available to Snapchaters worldwide.

Nielsen Study: ‘America’s Mosaic Of Buyers Growing More Diverse’

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A new study by Nielsen found women and minorities use handheld devices more than the rest of the U.S. population. “With newer generations coming into the consumer fold, the U.S.’ mosaic of buyers grows more diverse. As such, measuring these audiences has become increasingly pertinent—not only because of the value of representation but because these audiences are helping to shape the future of how we consume and communicate,” the report says.

According to Nielsen, African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics make up 40 percent of the population in the U.S. and that number is only expected to increase to 50 percent by 2044. Women also spend six percent more time on apps and using the internet on tablets compared to men. Women mostly use mobile devices for social networking.

Nielsen’s index for the report was based on weekly time spent. The report reveals women had an index level of 106 when it came to their tablet usage, compared to 104 for smartphone usage. The study found women spend 16 percent more time with video-focused apps and websites and about 17 percent more time streaming audio on tablets than all tablet users.

Black, Asian American and Hispanic adults spend more time using their apps and the internet on their smartphones than the rest of the American population. African Americans spend around two hours and 47 minutes on their smartphones, making them the number one in time spent per day. When it comes to tablet usage, Asian American spend the most time, averaging 45 minutes. The average total of the three groups is two hours and 19 minutes on smartphones and 43 minutes on tablets.

Another study found young Hispanic consumers are driving population growth in the U.S. They’re welcoming technology faster than other groups. Latinos 18 and older are nine percent more likely to own a smartphone, 11 percent more likely to own a game console, and 13 percent more likely to own a smartwatch compared to non-Hispanic whites. They’re more targeted in advertising. Last year, marketers’ spend grew 96 percent on Hispanic audiences when it came to advanced demographic audience segment data according to a report by Lotame.

Per the study, “Younger generations and their increasingly diverse profiles will command more spending power as they mature. That means understanding their unique preferences and habits, especially for mobile devices, is paramount to connecting with these audiences.”

In January, Nielsen released a report on Millennial shopping habits and found this group is more active on social media compared to their older counterparts. Around 61 percent of Millennials purchased their FMCG products online over a three-month span. When it comes to the device about 40 percent of those purchases were done through a mobile phone, only nine percent less than desktop/laptop purchases.

ANA Study Spotlights Ongoing Struggle With Diversity In Marketing

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Diversity is still an issue among marketers despite diversity initiatives. In a new study, minorities in advertising, marketing and other media industries found it “incredibly difficult” to break in and stay in the business. The most underrepresented groups are Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans.

The racial diversity breakdown among ANA members revealed about 7 percent are African Americans and 7 percent are Hispanic. The percentage increased marginally for Asian Americans at 11 percent.

The report “Chanting A More Diverse Pathway to Growth,” by the ANA Educational Foundation (AEF) interviewed new hires and students from racially diverse backgrounds. They pointed to four issues when it comes to inclusion. The first is “management disconnect.” Some respondents revealed they didn’t feel connected with their managers when it came to challenges they face as it relates to diversity. The report noted they lacked assurance saying they “often don’t trust them to share these experiences or perspectives for fear of ‘causing trouble’ and retaliation.”

Another aspect was “microaggressions,” where co-workers insulted their culture or intelligence and the respondents felt uncomfortable and helpless in how to deal with such situations. “Cultural Illiteracy” is another factor where the respondents felt uneasy because they didn’t want to cross the line and get past stereotypes. Finally, “Workplace Integration Dissonance,” was another area of concern for minorities. They didn’t feel confident talking about diversity because of fear of losing their jobs. Even when a conversation on culture came up, these respondents “carefully picked and chose their battles” for fear of being the only voice with a particular point-of-view.

“Contrary to what some may think, focusing on diversity and inclusion doesn’t come at the sacrifice of driving business—at NBCUniversal, we know that it enhances and improves our results,” said Craig Robinson, EVP and chief diversity officer at NBCUniversal.

The report states the industry needs to be held responsible when things go wrong—using H&M as an example of a brand that paid the price for missteps. To alleviate these issues, ANA’s Talent Foward Alliance is focusing on making marketing relevant to students, aiming to reconnect academia and the industry, recruit and actually retain talent and finally building a future for growth.

This report was a follow-up to a 2017 study “Bridging the Talent Disconnect: Charting Pathway to Future Growth,” which analyzed detachment between academia and the industry. This latest study—analyzing the same disconnect through a diversity lens—interviewed over 120 CMOs, ad agency executives, HR executives, line managers, university professors, deans, career counselors, new hires and college students between April and October of 2018.

TuneMoji’s CMO On Music In Marketing And Influencer Measurement

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TuneMoji, a content creation platform, is the first provider of licensed musical GIFs and is fully integrated into iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Twitter and Skype. Exclusive licensing deals with Universal, Warner and Sony allow TuneMoji to be the first to distribute GIFs layered with music.

Verena Papik, TuneMoji’s CMO, spoke to AList during the DEW Conference. The former EMEA director at Musical.ly—now TikTok—talked about music in marketing, influencers and social media.

What types of hurdles are marketers facing with incorporating music into their content?

The struggle with music is that it’s a very personal thing. Music is beautiful, everyone speaks the same language with music, it’s a very united place, however, it’s still so personal.  I feel—especially if you’re a brand—its very tough to pick the right music in order to support your advertising and everything you do. Also, to send the right message because everyone is interpreting music differently.

My background is from musical.ly, where you co-create as a brand and you might get influencers with music to create your content. That really speaks to everyone. One thing about TuneMoji is that we allow you to put your own music. Users can personalize and express their feelings with that social object.

The struggle for brands and for the marketers is to find a way to create a promotion with personalized music to every user—so every user can take their own advertisement and I believe that’s where it’s all going.

What is the future of music in marketing?

Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, even 15 seconds is already too long. For example, on Instagram stories, everyone is just tapping and no one is taking the time to watch the content. Everything needs to be right now and we need to know exactly what it is.

We saw it with YouTube where we started with five-minute videos to then musical.ly where you have 15-second videos to showcase your talent. There is no time for long texts, and its just going to get shorter and shorter.

The shortest form of a video is a GIF. Also, GIFs become more and more popular across all different age groups, as even your 70-year-old auntie now is on Instagram and changes the way she communicates and expresses herself.

That’s why I feel TuneMoji is ahead of the curve. I feel like we haven’t been analyzed really as a trend. At TuneMoji, we observed the market dynamics and what was happening, so, in order to become a trend you need to create that trend. I don’t think that music GIFs is a trend right now, but we are creating it.

How does TuneMoji utilize influencers?

We have influencers on our platform, but we are giving influencers the opportunity to grow and expand their audience. We have homegrown influencers and it’s very interesting- speaking of, we’ve discovered that the biggest one on the platform is a gamer from Twitch.

We work with everyone, from comedians to musicians. The music industry can really pursue artists and they can really see the benefit of the new platform. Our influencers really appreciate the content distribution with the multiple platform approach. Our influencers or the fans of the influencers can express their feelings within social messaging with their favorite influencer’s face and that becomes an advert for the influencing.

What are your thoughts on influencer marketing measurement?

I feel brands and marketers have become very sensitive to working with influencers because it got a bad reputation. I’m here to redefine engagement metrics. Now, everyone is looking into followers. For example, like how many followers do you have, but what does follower really mean in the end?

If you look into engagement metrics if you look into how many likes, it’s still not the ultimate north star engagement metric. What really matters as a brand—its not only how many people like the content—but if they’re such a fan of the content they become an advert for the content themselves. It’s about how many shares and how many sends. TuneMoji is built upon the sends.

Views is [also] a weak number to measure the engagement of short-form content, the actual engagement of sends and shares is the new format for industries to measure.

What trends will we see on social media platforms when it comes to music and marketing?

We’re relinking back to streaming services. We are creating an acquisition funnel for Apple music for streaming platforms. This is to see where it’s going, so we know how to incorporate streaming services as a music provider.

Streaming services are as relevant as well as the labels and have their table stake, so we are combining them into the marketing. If you send the TuneMoji, for example, within iMessage, what pops up is the Apple music icon and you can see which song it is and it links you back to the streaming service. For Apple music and other music providers, this is a great opportunity to engage with the users.

I feel that we are going into a general direction in online marketing and video marketing, where our artists and influencers are going to produce their promotion videos into those short gifs. It’s going to become way more popular. For example, if you like those meme pages on Instagram they don’t necessarily have a face, but the engagement metrics are insane. These people will also lead the new wave of influencers.

That’s another thing, it’s a matter of fact social media platforms have become the most harmful to youth and mental health. This is another issue as well, and being part of the media landscape I think it’s our responsibility to ensure that we are working on this topic and that we are ensuring that everyone is comfortable. We want to make sure we are not harming our youth and that we are actually working on improving mental health. That’s another part where TuneMoji steps in, with our positive, all-inclusive strategy in making everyone authors.

Co-creation is the biggest topic nowadays in engagement, to let fans co-create a music video or even a song via social media collaborations. Fans want to be involved in the whole production and own a part of the artist’s piece, that’s why online challenges are working as the best engagement tool for promoting songs.

What do you think has changed in music since your time at musical.ly?

I think a lot has changed. I think with musical.ly and now TikTok, they did an awesome job in bringing the sound back to life and really encouraging everyone to be a part of in showing your talent. It created this kind of entertainment culture. I feel that it definitely allowed many users who didn’t think they had the talent to actually discover it. With also doing that, they also showed 15-second videos is enough.

It’s enough to have something to share, it’s not too long. It’s shorter now and I feel it encouraged people to be more open to social media as well. It created large amounts of community—the YouTubers, the Viners, the musical.lys—this very musical oriented community. It allowed the music industry to come back.

As there is a trend for the younger audience to escape from social media into social messaging, the music industry will need to find the right social object to stay relevant, as sharing a song from streaming services is not sexy (long link, the user most of the time has to leave messenger).

Report Finds Differences In Tastes Of Millennials And Gen Z

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A new study into Gen Z from Atlantic Re:think, the Atlantic’s creative marketing group—in partnership with Comscore and Harvard College Consulting Group—finds that Gen Z and Millennials perceive brands and media outlets in dramatically different ways.

While the creative marketing group studied young adults within the 18-24 age range, they discovered, for example, that out of 60 brands adored by Millennials only two received a solid “like” from Gen Z: YouTube and Apple.

This came as no surprise though, because video was reported by Gen Z as the most preferred platform. A study participant confirmed, “I like videos because they are visual things. Visuals make things more concrete.”

The sources through which Gen Z is getting their brand awareness also differs from Millennials. About 55 percent said they use products recommended by a friend; 48 percent were influenced by social media ads; 40 percent said ads on their favorite media encouraged purchase; 36 percent used products advocated by an influencer and finally only 24 percent emulated celebrities in their shopping choices.

Brand’s physical stores encouraged 41 percent of participants, while only 10 percent were influenced by a brand’s e-commerce site, which shows that real-life experiences still matter to Gen Z. For brands like GAP, Abercrombie & Fitch and others that provide beautiful in-store shopping experiences this could be a boon.

Many news sources that target Gen Z come off as patronizing, the study reported. By keeping this in mind, though, marketers can benefit from helping Gen Z to better understand the world around them, as only 34 percent of the participants claimed they were “exceptionally aware” of current events, world affairs and politics, compared to 84 percent who are only “curious” about those.

But it is important to note that while still very young but as opposed to Millennials, Gen Zs appear to be more empathetic and concerned with inclusion and diversity. For instance, 61 percent of Gen Z talked about being more likely to buy brands that have spokespeople who are more diverse (versus 52 percent of Millennials). Also, 62 percent are more likely to buy brands that have spokespeople they aspire to be like rather than spokespeople their age (versus 66 percent of Millennials).

“If someone I look up to likes the product, and especially if they recommend it without getting paid, I’m willing to take their word,” a study participant said.

Gen Z also believes that technology makes them more informed, connected and open-minded. And, nearly half of respondents said technology makes them anxious or stressed.

The research proposed some vital strategies to become Gen Z’s favorite brand like how enjoyable it to visit and shop in a brand’s stores; company’s treatment of its employees; the presence of options and ability to customize products and last but not least, the brand’s personality, eco-consciousness and the use of innovation.

Disney Considered Most Intimate Brand, Study Reveals

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Disney is the most intimate brand according to ‘MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2019 Study‘ surpassing Apple for the first time—who held the mantle for the past three years. When a brand is intimate with its consumers it develops a sense of loyalty and connects with their emotions. Consumers are willing to pay a premium—about 20 percent more—for brands they are intimately connected to. Aside from industries like media and entertainment and telecommunications, automotive brands like Chevrolet, Harley-Davidson and Ford also have deeply connected with consumers.

U.S. Top Ten Most Intimate Brands 2019

  1. Disney
  2. Apple
  3. Amazon
  4. Chevrolet
  5. Netflix
  6. Harley-Davidson
  7. PlayStation
  8. YouTube
  9. Ford
  10. Chick-fil-A

“Apple’s fall to the second spot this year is substantial for three key reasons: first, it reflects the headwinds the company and brand are facing,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM in the report. “Second, it highlights the fact that just like the human relationships that brand intimacy mimics, building and sustaining strong bonds is a continual process and third, the larger trend of the media & entertainment industry’s rise. Our demand for escapism and our collective need for a distraction from reality is factoring heavily in the brands that rose in 2019.”

Around 26 percent of those surveyed can’t live without Disney; men ranked as its top demographic. Apple and Chevrolet followed as the top intimate brands for males. There wasn’t a big difference between the two sexes. For women, Amazon, Disney and Apple were the brands they felt the most devoted to. When it comes to age, Apple and Disney ranked high with those 18 to 34, and YouTube ranked the highest. Amazon scored highest with those over 35. The report highlighted that media and entertainment brands tend to be more intimate with millennial.

Income also impacts which brands consumers have an emotional attachment to. Those making over $100,000 felt most intimate with Apple. The study found this group tends to prefer technology and telecommunication and retail industries. Those making between $35,000 to $100,000 chose Amazon as their number one intimate brand. This group, like younger demographics, bonded with media and entertainment brands.

The smartphone ecosystem has also altered brand intimacy. Brands that have a smartphone presence outperform those that do not. The report reveals the average brand intimacy quotient in the smartphone ecosystem was 38.8, higher than the overall study of 31.0. However, lines can be blurred. The report noted these brands enhance the smartphone experience because the device can be an object the consumer is genuinely attached to and uses the most on a daily basis.

For MBLM’s report, the agency and Praxis Research Partners conducted an online quantitative survey among 6,200 consumers in the U.S., Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Respondents were between the ages of 18 to 64. According to MBLM, the survey was “designed primarily to understand the extent to which consumers have relationships with brands and the strength of those relationships from fairly detached to highly intimate.”

MWC19 Barcelona Panels, Parties & Networking

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With Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2019 around the corner, we give you the list of the top places to learn, mingle, network, exchange the thoughts and ideas, sip sangria, taste local tapas and experience some unforgettable moments.

Sunday, February 24th

Mobile Sunday 2019

Mobile Sunday is back! It’s an opportunity for local and visiting entrepreneurs, investors and other mobile industry stakeholders to get together for inspiring talks and lively discussions over beers and great food in a fantastic setting.

When: 6:00-11:00 p.m.

Where: Antiga Fabrica Estrella Damm, C/Rosselló 515

ClickBid Barcelona

Enjoy this networking event with a rooftop view and free drinks.

When: 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: The Gates Barcelona Hotel rooftop

Monday, February 25th

Redefining Inclusion

GSMA Intelligence reports that by 2025, six billion citizens will be mobile subscribers. The question is, though, as mobile continues to bridge the social and digital divide, does the rise in subscriptions genuinely mean greater inclusion?

When:  10:00-11:00 a.m.

Where: Hall 4 – Auditorium A

4YFN Innovators Coffee Tables 

Sip on a latte and meet likeminded people discussing some of the most important topics in tech.

When: Every day from 10:30 a.m.

Where: The Discovery Area

Digital Transformation: Reinventing Your Customer Relationships

Come and witness digital transformation as it opens up the opportunity for companies to engage with their customers in new ways.

When: 11:00 a.m.-12:10 p.m.

Where: Hall 4 – Auditorium 3

Keynote 3: Immersive Content

The entertainment and content industry going through a tremendous period of change and disruption, as the means of distribution has dramatically shifted to mobile networks and devices, enabling disruptive new players and high-scale business models.

When:  2:30-3:00 p.m.

Where: Hall 4 – Auditorium 1

RCS Business Messaging: Intelligently Transforming Consumer Experiences Seminar

This seminar is all about the current state of play of RCS and the business messaging market; the results of live RCS campaigns; the commercial opportunities and market potential of this platform; the strategic vision for RCS, and much more. 

When: 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Where: CC1 Seminar Theatre, Fira Gran Via

The Business of Creating Amazing Consumer Experiences

Traditional marketing or immersive experiences that create memorable and emotional connections with a brand? Let’s find out!

When:  4:00-4:45 p.m.

Where: Hall 4 – Auditorium 2

Global Mobile Awards

The GLOMOs give awards for categories in Mobile Tech, Consumer, Social Good and more.

When: 5:10 p.m.

Where: Innovation City, Hall 4

4YFN Networking Drinks

Meet up with your new contacts and enjoy a refreshing drink together.

When: Every day from 6 p.m.

Where: The Damm Food Court

Transparent – Adtech Party MWC 2019

Free cocktails and canapés at a secret Barcelona bar. Come and join Tappx and Pixalate for a dazzling, mysterious cocktail party.

When: 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Where: Secret Bar

MWC Holland House Dinner Xperience

Be a guest at the MWC Barcelona Holland House Dutch dinner. On the menu: premium food, informal networking and discussions on digitization and the impact of 5G on mobility. Bon appétit.

When:  8:00-10:30 p.m.

Where: The Chipirón, Muelle de España 5

Tuesday, February 26th

How ‘Human’ Is Your Brand?

All you need to know about personalized messaging.

When: 1:05-1:40 p.m.

Where: Fira Montjuïc Hall 8 – Agora Stage

Customer Journey Analysis In The Fashion Industry

Join a lively conversation about cross-device multichannel tracking and influencer marketing measurables.

When: 5:00-5:45 p.m.

Where: Fira Montjuïc Hall 8 – Garden Stage

VC Night After Mobile World Congress

VC consists of an open mic and engaging networking sessions. Hosted by Startup Grind in partnership with Google for Startups.

Early-bird tickets are available for €6,30 and the price increases as the date approaches.

When: From 7:00 p.m.

Where: Antiga Fabrica Estrella Damm, C/Rosselló 515

Mobile Marketing Mixer 2019

Mobile Marketing Magazine and Masterclassing‘s Mobile Marketing Mixer offer a unique opportunity to connect with other Mobile World Congress participants and guests at the spectacular Cerveceria Moritz—a unique building, transformed from the old Moritz beer factory. Enjoy an open bar, light buffet and music.

You can get a general entry ticket for free and hope to beat the queues or buy a guaranteed entry ticket starting at €50.

When: From 8 p.m.

Where: Fàbrica Moritz Barcelona 39 – 41 Ronda de Sant Antoni

Wednesday, February 27th

AI In Advertising

Martin Chow, VP marketing at Google, said, ‘AI and machine learning could get us closer to of one of advertising’s most-sought goals: relevance at scale.’ Learn about reducing ad fraud and leveraging machine learning to optimize campaigns.

When: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Where: Hall 4 – Auditorium 5

Navigating Social Media: How Today’s Biggest Brands Are Building With Location

Bersabel Tadesse, a director of product at Mapbox, speaks about leveraging location in social media.

When: 3:45-4:00 p.m.

Where: Fira Montjuïc Hall 8 – Garden Stage

Future Networks: 5G Cloud XR Summit

The future is closer than you think. See for yourself at 5G Cloud XR Summit, which will cover augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and simulated reality (SR).

When: 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Where: CC1 Seminar Theatre, Fira Gran Via

Salesforce Reception at MWC19

Treat yourself to exquisite hors-d’oeuvres, refreshing drinks and lively entertainment, while mingling with executives, partners and industry peers in one of the networking gardens.

When: 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Where: Salesforce Garden

“Friction Free” Networking Reception

Clear invites you for an evening of Friction Free Everything: “friction free” cocktails and lively conversations about friction free contracts and payments between companies.

When: 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Where: Networking Hub – South Village

Flutter Special Meetup

Party with Google’s Flutter!

(To be confirmed) 

When: 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Wallapop office, Meridiana 89 – 6th floor

VR/AR Association Executive Dinner

Meet and dine with the executives from Intel, Nestlé, Pico-Interactive, Visyon, VRARA and more.

Ticket prices are 100€ for VRARA-members and 135€ for non-members.

When: 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Where: Hotel H10 Casa Mimosa, Carrer de Pau Claris 179

TechTribe Networking Event

Meet international talent from different fields, as well as local and foreign startups. Talks, fireside chats and live music in a beautiful beachfront space in the trendy Barceloneta neighborhood.

When: 7:00-11:30 p.m.

Where: Roto Barcelona 74 Passeig de Joan de Borbó

Swedish Beers – #14 Barcelona Edition, 2019

Casual networking event with a lot of beer. 

When: 7:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.

Where: Bar Muy Buenas Carrer Carme, 63

Thursday, February 28th

Women4Tech Summit

The Women4Tech summit brings together thought leaders from across the mobile tech industry to share their valuable insights and game-changing outcomes.

When: 8:45 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Where: Hall 4, Auditorium A

Data Privacy: How Consumers Truly Feel

Join to find out:

  • How to recognize consumer views on data privacy through their digital behavior
  • The business challenges and opportunities associated with data privacy
  • How brands and businesses can leverage data privacy to build trust with their consumers

When: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Where: Hall 8 – NEXTech Theatre B