Platform news
Here’s to another month of the Forward Feed – our bi-monthly report where we update you on the latest news, trends and tips in Social & Digital – helping to keep you constantly in the know. We’ve made a few changes to our tried-and-true recipe, and we hope you love our update as much as we do.
Autumn Highlights
TikTok Shop – Scroll, Tap, Buy
TikTok has evolved from a viral video-sharing app to a cultural phenomenon with over a billion users worldwide, and now it’s changing the way we shop. Over 40% of Gen Z prefer shopping on social media platforms including TikTok Shop – because who needs a website when your favourite dance challenge can sell you skincare?
So, why is TikTok Shop such a big deal for Gen Z? For one, it turns shopping into an experience rather than a task, with its QVC style videos, live product demos and unboxing videos. The appeal is obvious: TikTok Shop is effortless, social, and wrapped in the very trends that Gen Z consumes every day.
If brands want to connect with Gen Z, TikTok Shop isn’t just an option—it’s essential. Instead of fighting the short-form content takeover, brands ought to embrace it. Take beauty brand P.Louise, who smashed the UK record by generating £1.5m in just 12 hours on TikTok Shop, or CeraVe who saw a 359% increase in CeraVe related search data and has now become a staple in skincare routines. The lesson? If your brand isn’t part of the TikTok shopping experience, you’re missing out.
Thank you, nXt
It’s precisely two years since Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, swiftly rebranding it as “X,” and the changes have been, well, a bit divisive. According to the Financial Times, user numbers in the UK have dropped by nearly a third, with the U.S. seeing a similar trend, losing about one-fifth of its daily active users. But where one platform falls, others have the chance to rise—offering a fresh take on what social media could be.
Whilst X’s user base has taken a hit, those of its competitors have continued to see growth. It seems the old-school, forum-style text platforms just can’t keep up with the slick, fast-paced world of short-form video.
LinkedIn seems to have acknowledged this trend and taken an ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach, introducing its own short-form, flick-through ‘video’ tab. This, coming from the sensible older brother of the social media world, is a testament to just how strong the movement to visuals over text has become.
The takeaway? Content that grabs the eyes before engaging the brain should be every brand’s top priority, whether it’s on social media, OOH, or beyond.
Brand inspiration
Autumn Highlights
Sephora x Moo Deng
Meet Moo Deng, the baby hippo who became a global sensation after her videos of frolicking at a Thai zoo went viral. She’s officially been embraced by the fashion and beauty community, being crowned as ‘the moment’ by Vogue. There seems to be a consensus that her “look” is wet with lots of blush and grey eyeshadow.
Sephora jumped on the Moo Deng wave with a new campaign, unveiling a blush line named “Wear Your Blush Like a Baby Hippo,” inspired by Moo Deng’s signature damp-and-dewy look. The ad was a success, going viral and proving that even a baby hippo can inspire flawless beauty trends!
Brands should take a page out of Sephora’s book. It’s a clever example of how a brand can quickly pivot and tap into viral moments, blending humour, and product innovation in a way that feels fresh and engaging. Whether it’s a cute hippo or the latest meme, seizing these opportunities adds a layer of authenticity that consumers love—and it shows that the brand is in on the joke too!
A Giant Leap for Brand-kind
Prada’s marketing teams may have taken instructions to find ‘new space in a crowded market’ a little too literally. Prada is no longer just designing luxury handbags and runway looks—it’s now dressing astronauts. The iconic fashion house is teaming up with NASA to create the spacesuit for NASA’s upcoming Artemis III mission – blending high fashion with high tech. Because why shouldn’t you look stylish while walking on the moon?
Axiom Space said it’s the first time they’re leveraging expertise in other industries, to improve its spacesuit design. The suit will be capable of withstanding extreme temperatures at the lunar south pole and the coldest temperatures in permanently-shadowed regions.
This venture highlights Prada’s move into innovative fields beyond fashion, blending functionality with cutting-edge design. Whilst it might be questionable just how much Prada’s designers influenced the final product, there’s no denying that having their logo seen amongst the stars will attract eyeballs from a universal audience.
Keeping Up
with the trends in October
Dua Lipa’s Pickle Infused Diet Coke
Dua Lipa has gone viral with a beverage concoction that has divided the internet—pickles in diet Coke with jalapeño sauce. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s got TikTok in a pickle. But not everyone’s impressed—Gordon Ramsay absolutely hates it.
The Sabrina Carpenter Effect
Sabrina Carpenter is undeniably the moment right now, effortlessly commanding attention across music, fashion, and social media. Sabrina’s influence continues to grow, and there’s no doubt she’s just getting started on her path to pop stardom.
Maximalism
Minimalism is out, maximalism is in – think clashing prints, bold colours, and accessories piled high. But not everyone’s dazzled—minimalists are clutching their neutrals in horror, wondering where it all went wrong.
Interpretive Dancing
A new TikTok trend is taking over: the interpretive dance challenge, where the reasons behind the moves are just as hilarious as the performances. From “making my roommate’s boyfriend dance to spend the night” to “forcing my husband and his friends to perform before watching football,” the original video amassed over 27 million views, inspiring countless others to join the fun.
Further Readings
Platform news
TikTok Shop – Scroll, Tap, Buy
https://www.retaildive.com/news/gen-z-tik-tok-shop-social-media-holiday-purchases/726139/
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/what-is-tiktok-shop-and-is-it-safe-to-buy-from-asiDe6z3gDwB
Moo Deng
https://www.wired.com/story/moo-deng-is-more-than-a-meme
https://www.vogue.com/article/moo-deng-is-the-moment
Dua Lipa
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