Super Social - The Best of Social Media

Super Social - A regular feature about the best things we spot in the world of social media. Thanks to Sainsbury's for making Easter even more fun with their Snapchat advert. Once again, a great interactive ad on Snapchat by a supermarket aiming to appeal to the millenial generation. We attempted to roll and direct a very non-spherical object (egg) down a hill whilst avoiding the dangerous obstacles such as watering cans and plant pots! Needless to say, we were hooked. It reminded us of 90's TV favourite Live and Kicking's interactive games where you'd call in and shout at the screen, hoping to win a prize! We didn't feel like we were being advertised to and wanted to tell all our friends about it so we could compete. However, there wasn't a way to share the ad, or get back to playing it again. This is a huge fail considering the potential virality and social bonus points for all parties involved. Nonetheless, we were still impressed.

Falling Birds Have Wings

Twitter's revenue declined for the first time since it went public. However, recent rises in user numbers ensured that the share price rose. Growth was at its greatest for two years during Q1. Promisingly, daily use of the app is up 14%. Monthly user activity is an often-used statistic, but the most important apps on your phone are the ones used daily. Daily activity growth for a social media site that relies on the here and now is key. You'd expect revenue to grow as user numbers grow, but the decline has a valid explanation - Twitter is making big changes to its advertising business. Should they get this right, the sky might just be the limit...

Keep The Kids Safe 

A recent study published by the NSPCC and O2 found that 80% of the 1696 surveyed did not feel safe on social media. Common concerns are self-harm, pornography, and bullying. Teens voiced their opinions about networks such as Askfm, Omegle and IMVU.  The anonymity that these networks offer create a breeding ground for abuse, and put the most vulnerable children at risk. Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC said, "Social media is a great way for young people to stay in touch with their friends, but our research clearly shows that children do not feel that they are shielded from upsetting, dangerous, and adult content." The NSPCC site Net Aware offers a solution for worried parents - a definitive guide to the most popular apps and channels used by children.

Social Silence

It's NBA playoff time in America and as per usual Lebron James has taken a big break from social media. He tweeted one final time to let the world know it was time to get down to some serious work. Perhaps taking a total hiatus from social media when you need to focus is a great idea, but not something we feel like we could do! Instagram went down recently and we felt as cut off from the world as the masses that swarmed Twitter to find out what was happening. Normal service resumed quickly and we can happily report that our lives are back on track.

Anti-Social - The Bad Side Of Social Media

Anti-social: A regular feature on the not-so-great things we spot in the world of social media. What happens when you're a fashion giant trying to adapt to the digital world, but fail miserably? Gucci gave us a live view of how not to do social media. We can only pity the agency that thought their paid social advert was on trend and cool. There is a self-deprecating and popular meme doing the rounds that can involve any visual metaphor as the user. Gucci tried to capitalise on the meme by positioning itself into the positive side of the meme - in other-words, being the cocky, good looking user, rather than the hapless, gawky guy. They got the copy, layout and general concept completely wrong. Instagram's well-versed users were quick to comment and didn't hold back. Not cool Gucci.