Is nostalgia the secret formula for marketing success? Everyone seems to love it, and Wendy’s have hit the mark with their take on the Krabby Patty to celebrate Spongebob Squarepants’ 25th anniversary. Just watch out for Plankton.
Scroll down to read about the life of a battery, the Day of the Dead, and on-brand Monsters.
Stats to power your week
👃When asking consumers why they buy something, price or value for money usually tops the list. If it doesn’t, pay attention. Take perfumes for example, where uniqueness of scent (51%) beats out price (45%) – and brand/product heritage for that matter. Celebrity endorsements (3%) are also low down in the pecking order. GWI Zeitgeist
🎧Kamala Harris is on a media tour this week, starting with an appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. But that primary audience of podcasts, TV, and town halls is just one part of it. With social media being Americans’ main source of info on social issues, the clips and soundbites from these appearances may be the bigger piece of the puzzle. GWI Zeitgeist
🎃As the nights draw in and pumpkin carvings begin, we wanted to know: who are the biggest Halloween fans, anyway? Looking at our data, those most likely to say October 31st is “very important” include a compelling mix of Snapchatters, The Sims players, and – appropriately enough – Monster energy drinkers. GWI Moments
🧑⚖️Social media firms are facing increased scrutiny in New York City and Arkansas over concerns about their impact on younger users. Which is interesting, because right now New York and Arkansas are actually the states most likely to believe social media is good for society. GWI USA
What’s on our radar
AI leaders OpenAI raised $6.6B, good enough to make it the largest venture capital deal of all time. With extra funding comes more pressure to release products, and its Realtime API is an intriguing one, as it makes AI assistants competitive on price with humans in call centers. Travel agency Priceline is already using the tech to create a more human-like travel assistant.
Voice and audio are fast-moving spaces in AI, as you might have seen with Google’s viral NotebookLM, which can create podcast discussions on any text you submit. There’s a more general insight about marketing here too – as with image generator Pika’s “magic effects”, having a more limited demo of your product can often be more powerful.
Once you’ve made your own podcast, you might turn to ElevenLabs to make your own audiobook in a pinch. And last thing for this week on AI and voice – artificial intelligence might allow new diagnoses of mental health conditions based on your voice.
Dating apps are big business, but sometimes we just want to be friends. Apps from the popular Bumble to the Muslim-focused Muzz are offering friend-finding features, hoping to address loneliness. Meanwhile, a new dating app is making anti-ghosting tech its core feature (by which we mean people who don’t reply, not actual ghouls).
The Ozempic effect(s): gymgoers skipping cardio sessions in favor of strength training, and potentially causing a fall in the US obesity rate.
Are the fandoms ok? Not only is pop star Chappell Roan trying to push back against “stan culture”, Hollywood franchises are also wrestling with toxic behavior from some of their most committed followers. (For the record – we’ll still take all the fandom we can get.)
The worlds of fashion and football are moving ever closer, with Arsenal unveiling its first ever streetwear collection, and even governing body FIFA pursuing a fashion line.
Chart of the week
Imagine this – it’s a late night, and you need to check if the train’s still running or call a ride home. You pull out your phone only to see it’s at 5% and ticking lower. Gulp.
Almost everyone’s been in a situation where they’ve had low phone battery. It’s why battery life is the most important factor for smartphone buyers, even above cost, speed, and brand.
Smartphones are our most used devices and they travel pretty much everywhere with us, so it makes sense that battery life is crucial. And close behind are tablets, smartwatches, earphones, and laptops – devices often charged at home and used on the go, meaning battery life is also a top priority here. VR headsets are a bit of an exception – a sign that their owners usually have them plugged in.
Local lowdown
Mes de los muertos: Mexico’s horror fascination
Spooky season (aka October) is here, and cinemas and streaming services are packed with horror programming. Many of us enjoy a good scare, but no country loves it more than Mexico. Its consumers lead the world for liking horror movies and also enjoying survival/horror games.
Why? A legacy of Catholicism probably makes people receptive to stories about devils, demons, and all things evil. And, of course, there’s perhaps Mexico’s best known festival. From late October into November, Mexicans celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with dancing, drinking, gifts, and skeletons to honor the departed.
Until then, they might warm up with a movie or show on Netflix, YouTube, or Disney+, their most-used streaming services. Mexico’s rich tradition of folk legends, like La Llorona, may find their way to the screen as part of the festivities.
