Facebook’s new crypto-currency flops
Back in June, Facebook announced its plans to launch ‘Libra’, its own digital currency. With a launch date of 2020, it looked like a revamp of the online payment structure was on the horizon.
However, things haven’t gone as smoothly as Facebook might have hoped. eBay, Visa, Mastercard and Stripe jumped ship just days after PayPal announced its departure from the project. This could be due to the continued scrutiny the project has received from lawmakers and questions surrounding possible data privacy issues.
Despite this, the Libra Association, the organisation in charge of managing the new cryptocurrency, said they remain positive and are looking forward to the future.
Feel part of the action with Portal
Despite Facebook’s recent crypto flop, they still have a few tricks up their sleeve. The most recent of these is the Portal. The Portal is a Smart Camera that automatically pans a room and zooms out to keep everyone in frame. This is meant to ensure the best interactive video experience is achieved.
This new technology allows users to move and talk freely without the "wait, I can't see you" or “can you shuffle back a bit?” scenarios we’re all familiar with.
The device comes with Alexa already built-in and can easily connect with and call people who don't have Portal, through social networks such as WhatsApp and Messenger. It’s definitely an item we expect to see on a lot of Christmas wishlists this year.
TickTok has a new American rival
We’re sure most people have indulged in either watching or creating a TickTok video or two. It’s perfect for creating and sharing short lip-sync, talent and comedy videos. With over one billion users, it’s easy to see why they’ve become one of the world’s most popular networks.
But they have a new rival in the shape of Thriller. A new US music-focused social media platform, they recently raised over £22million and have seen a growth of 500% over the last 12 months. Their monthly active users only total 13 million. However, Thriller has something TickTok doesn’t – they’re backed by major music companies, including Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.
Thriller may still have a way to go to fully challenge TickTok for top spot, but they are definitely one to watch.
Digital ad spend continues to grow
Both the UK and US have been spending increasingly more on digital advertising. The UK’s spend grew by over £7billion and the US reached an all-time high of almost $58billion during the first six months of 2019. So, the big question on everyone’s lips is “how?”
Many professionals have attributed this growth to the rise of non-traditional forms of video. This includes social media stories and platforms, such as TickTock, that allow companies to reach a younger and more wide spread audience.
With the growing popularity of video marketing, it’s not unsurprising that digital ad spends are set to skyrocket even further in 2020.
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