July 22, 2016
In case you live under a rock or were in a coma recently, the Republican National Convention was held this week and created a non-stop buzz in the social world. But luckily I found a few other tidbits to mix up the rundown:
- Where my ladies at? A new study looked at how women interact with brands: 94% of women engage actively with brands online; 90 percent do so via their mobile phones, vs. 53% on their laptops; and 81% consider Instagram their social channel of choice. The main reason they follow brands socially is for discounts and promotions information.
- Let’s (NOT) talk Millennials… An article from Hootsuitediscussed the common practice of building targeted social media campaigns around Millennials, and all the reasons why that is a BAD idea!
- Enough with the wires! PR Daily blogged about the trend away from newswires, recommending instead a more targeted approach to media distribution.
- To make a long story short… The hashtag #TheInternetIn4Words was trending for a bit this week. Some chose to keep it light, others made political statements and still others commented on humanity in the digital age.
- Speaking of politics… The hashtag #DoYourJob lit up the Twittersphere in response to feelings of frustration toward a less-than-productive federal legislature and the stalled Supreme Court nomination process. The not-so-subtle call for action stemmed from @POTUS and quickly spread to other issues including gun control and the (never-ending) Tom Brady saga.
- Twitter tries to silence: After conservative writer Milo Yiannopoulos’ Twitter account was suspended for allegedly instigating a barrage of hate tweets, the #FreeMilocampaign sparked a debate on freedom of speech via social media.
- …and more politics…Sorry guys, it’s convention season, which means lots of #UnusualPoliticalConventionFun! After day one of the #RNCinCLE, everyone was buzzing about #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes when her speech turned out to be quite similar to the one Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 DNC, stirring up claims of plagiarism. Just ask Cher or My Little Pony! Other highlights include police in riot gear sent to break up opposing protests in the Public Squareoutside the convention, and Third Eye Blind(remember them?) chimed in on (trolled) the event as well!
- Everybody breathe… Did you get your invite to the #OneDirectionIsOverParty? ‘Cause apparently all the guys are flying solo and people are beside themselves!
- On a happier note…Pippa Middleton, little sister to Kate Middleton, is engaged to her hedge fund manager boyfriend #JamesMatthews! WooHoo! Everyone but conspiracy theorists celebrated the 47thanniversary of the Moon Landing! Despite “SpeechGate 2016”, @FLOTUS got her groove on with a little #CarpoolKaraoke! And #PokemonGo dates are a thing now!
- Lucky #13! It was announced that Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary #The13th will be the first documentary to open for the New York Film Festival #NYFF and only the fourth to play in one of the festival’s key spots!
- Get ready for the HEAT WAVE! People in the UK were out and about during the #HottestDayoftheYear when temps rose higher than those in Sao Paulo! We are also in for a bit of a hot one to wrap up this week so stay cooleverybody!
- Virtual Inspiration: @StuartScott, the ESPN broadcaster who lost his battle to cancer last year, would have turned 51 this week and his daughters decided to throw him a virtual ice cream party! Gary Marshall, 81, passed away this week, and fans and former colleagues flooded social media with tributes and memories. In addition, Ernest Hemingway’s 107thbirthday and Robin Williams’ 65thbirthday were also celebrated this week by fans and family.