July Update: IceCream vs Shampoo, Reddit, and Indian TikTok

The month of July has seen the rise and fall and new rise of Covid-19 in different countries, with lockdowns stopping and starting again. The only thing that’s clear is that this new reality we’re in is not going away anytime soon, and businesses are learning to adapt as they go. We bring you a few key stories that caught our attention this month.  

Enjoy that Ice Cream

The giant that is Unilever really does reach into all aspects of society - and retail. So much so, that they have been able to report on people’s buying habits all over the world, from teabags to shampoo. Their sales figures show that people preferred ice-cream (buying their brands Ben&Jerry’s and Magnum) to stocking up on deodorant or other personal products (like Dove and Lynx). Read more on the BBC.

Reddit and Marketing

Reddit. You either gettit, or you don’t. But it seems like more and more people are getting it and marketing opportunities might be starting to take off. Brands that can grab the moment, be authentic and tap into purpose are finding success (i.e. they’re being noticed) on the platform: brands like Netflix, Nissan, the Economist, and Barkbox. Read the latest at the Drum or check out this HubSpot article on Reddit marketing.

India and TikTok

China and its relations with the world has been much in the news this month. One developing story is how India is dealing with it. In early July the Indian government first started banning almost 60 Chinese apps, including the hugely popular video sharing app TikTok. This ban has led to significant problems for many India-based content creators, with many people who had gotten a taste of Bollywood-style success (and important incomes) now faced with no more audience. This NPR story investigates and you can read our story on some background to TikTok.

In Other News

• AliPay has launched a way for pet owners to purchase pet insurance using facial recognition. Read more. 
• A new AI system called GPT-3 has been released and is causing a chill down the spine of Silicon Valley. Read more in this Wired article.
• Some people are having to deal with being told they are laid off over video call, sometimes with others on the call. Story on BBC.
• Bandcamp may have become the masters of streaming, according to this story in the Guardian.
• This inspiring story looks at some people who travelled, literally, to great lengths to get home in alternative ways during lockdown. Story on the BBC.

And, Finally

A cheeky little cartoon by Bruce Eric Kaplan in The New Yorker magazine.

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