Starting today, I will provide a periodic round-up of newsworthy updates that affect marketing in the digital age.
Instagram updates its Stories Feature, copying Snapchat Again.
Summary: Stories will automatically be saved to a user's archive page. Previously, you could not save Stories and could only manually save photos and videos. This is a copy of Snap's Memories function.
A new Highlights area will allow users to tout particular Stories on their profile page.
Patagonia Gets Political: A New Era of Retail Activism?
Summary: Patagonia's CEO, Yvon Chouinard, and company website, took a public stance against Trump's plan to dramatically reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah. The CEO plans on suing the president. This move signals that brands may no longer be able to sit on the sidelines, though the move can have considerable risks.
YouTube to Start Music Streaming Service 'Remix' in March
Summary: This will be a paid music streaming service incorporating elements from YouTube, like video clips. The service is an attempt to catch up with Spotify and Apple.
Facebook Built a Version of Messenger Specifically for Children
Summary: Messenger Kids is aimed at those kids under 12 who are too young to use Facebook due to age restrictions. Parental approval will be needed to setup an account and add new contacts. It's available on iOS in the US only currently.
Apple Is Buying Shazam at a Big Discount
Summary: Be on the lookout next week for a formal announcement of Apple's purchase of music-recognition technology, Shazam.