Just when you thought inflation was under control, it goes up again. Itās not prices weāre talking about, but TikTok video lengths, as the company tests 30-minute uploads. Strange to think just a few years ago 15 seconds was the max; now weāre entering TV episode territory.
Scroll down to read more about the real Pope talking about a fake Pope, the Icelandic resurrection, and the many edits of Ariana Grande.
Stats to power your week
š If nothing else, a historic year for elections should at least give us a good harvest of memes. 13% of US consumers now fall under our āMemersā segment of the most active online consumers and sharers, marking a 52% increase since this time three years ago. There are now more Americans who share memes than those who describe themselves as āvery religious.ā GWI USA
š„½ Appleās Vision Pro is already sold out before its February 2nd release. But what do consumers want from a VR headset, anyway? Like a lot of consumer tech products, graphics (48%) and cost (48%) are neck and neck as the most important factor. But battery life (43%) and comfort (42%) are pretty important as well. How you feel about a device might change after wearing it for 2 hours. GWI Consumer Tech
š½ļø The Oscars nominations were announced last week with āOppenheimerāleading the pack at 13 nods. Dramas remain US consumersā favorite genre (50%), but Westerns (+16%) and anime (+13%) have been rising in the ranks since Q4 2020. Look for āKillers of the Flower Moonāand āThe Boy and the Heronāto take home some awards. GWI USA
š¤¼ As we covered in our 2024 consumer trends report, social media has helped UFC and WWE become more accepted by the mainstream ā an ideal time for Netflix to announce it will stream WWEās weekly show āMonday Night Raw.ā Once viewed with skepticism, WWE and UFC are now as popular in the UK as the Ryder Cup and the golf majors. GWI Core
šµ New York City has declared social media to be a public health hazard, while Florida is advancing a bill that would ban it for anyone under the age of 16. As it happens, 44% of US consumers say social media is a main contributor to poor mental health in society, ahead of interpersonal struggles, lack of access to mental health support, and current events. GWI USA Plus
Both Kanye West and Guns Nā Roses have unveiled (seemingly) AI-generated clips for their latest singles, in what feels like a watershed moment for AI video. Reception to Kanyeās use of it may remind some readers of the mixed reactions that greeted his extensive use of Auto-Tune on his 2008 album ā808s and Heartbreak.ā
Another emerging use case of AI is translation, perhaps best displayed recently by this dubbed speech at Davos. But interesting trends are apace in old-school translation too, as the new āPrince of Persiaā game has been localized into Persian for the first time. As with āAssassinās Creedā last year, it shows new levels of inclusivity and cultural authenticity in the gaming sphere.
And yet another AI use case we keep seeing isā¦resurrection. A new Sundance documentary takes a deep dive into companies offering the service, while a reanimation of a dead comedian in Iceland is prompting discussion in parliament.
Ariana Grandeās new single āyes, and?ā includes 7 rings versions available to stream, including sped-up and slowed-down edits (technically 14 if you include the clean versions). TikTok has a track record of āacceleratingā culture in this way.
The biggest data breach in history (dubbed the Mother of all Breaches) occurred last Tuesday, compromising over 26 billion records ā about 3.25 per person on the planet. It might be time to start incorporating symbols into your p@$sW0rds, or asking Tommy Wiseau for help.
The past decade has seen cinemas, public concerts, and female driving all become legalized in Saudi Arabia, sparking massive consumer changes (consumers in the Kingdom are now actually some of the keenest filmgoers, according to our research). Now the country plans to open its first-ever alcohol store for non-Muslim diplomats.
Chart of the week
WWE might be coming to Netflix, but itās not the only sports entertainment making ground in the UK.
Other American competitions are making waves, with the MLS and NFL gaining more British fans in recent years. And Jude Bellingham and Harry Kaneās forays abroad are making more football fans check out LaLiga and the Bundesliga, respectively.
The Womenās World Cup experienced a boost last summer as the England team reached the final, but a simultaneous growth for the Womenās Champions League shows how much interest in the womenās game has increased more broadly.
Local lowdown
The real LinkedIn users of Dubai
The United Arab Emirates has boomed in wealth and population in the last 50 years. Its capital Abu Dhabi and largest city Dubai have become global hotspots, largely thanks to the growth of the oil and gas industry. The rise brought other industries such as retail, service, and tourism ā all with lots of job opportunities ā and lots of activity on LinkedIn.
Not only do consumers in the UAE lead the world for being on LinkedIn, theyāre also some of its more proactive users, being much more likely to directly message recruiters than the average.
A professional network in the UAE really matters. Why? When there are so many competing for employees (and employers), having a platform where you can lean on trusted contacts becomes even more important.
