Countless news stories from the past few weeks have caught the attention of the world’s media, not only for their interest within the marketing industry, but for the impact they will potentially have on a national and international scale. Below I take a look at a brief overview of each story and what it could mean moving forward.
YouTube and Momo
News stories were plagued with the mention of the MOMO challenge last week, that many are now saying is an elaborate hoax to scare parents and their children. Featuring a rather unsettling image, that is in fact a Japanese sculpture created for special effects, MOMO apparently challenges children on platforms such as WhatsApp and YouTube, to carry out dangerous tasks that could harm themselves or others. According to the UK Safer Internet Centre, reports of MOMO are ‘fake news’, but serve to highlight the dangers that social media platforms can present for young children if not properly regulated.
Huawei Mate X – the foldable phone of 2019?
Hot on the heels of Samsung’s own product launch, last week saw the introduction of the Huawei Mate X folding phone to rival the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Boasting an eight-inch flexible screen, which folds around the outside of the phone, the phone itself will set consumers back £1,995 when it is released later on this year. Where it differs from it’s Samsung rival is that the screen is on the outside of the fold, whereas its competitor opens like a book, with the screen on the inside, and a second screen to reflect a traditional phone.
Cadbury’s white crème egg challenge
With £10,000 up for grabs, Cadbury’s has once again launched their white Crème Egg hunt. Running until 21st April, consumers can win a prize for anything between £50 to top prize of £10,000 by finding 1 of 800 white eggs out there. To further promote the hunt, Cadbury’s has team up with a number of well-known companies, such as Booking.com and Benefit makeup, who have themselves dropped clues and hints as to where to find the elusive eggs, whilst of course, promoting their own brand.
Australia to introduce emojis on number plates
Emojis have dominated communication platforms over the past decade, moving from what was once considered a rather formal way of communicating amongst friends, to now being used by some of the largest companies within their marketing strategy to engage with customers more effectively. Australia has taken the love for emojis that once step further, and will soon be allowing drivers to personalise their car license plates with one of five emojis up for grabs. Do you think the rest of the world will follow suit? Only time will tell, but as more and more emojis are added each month, it looks as though they will be used for many more years to come.
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