The election results remain a heavy topic in the online world, and the COVID-19 vaccine is already beginning to shift digital platforms. TicketMaster is telling customers how they plan to approach future live-concerts. In the same vein of music, Guitar Center has created a campaign to remind its customers why they (and some of their favorite musicians) make music, as well as The Weeknd being announced as this year's Super Bowl Halftime Performer.
Although the world feels unstable to many right now, industry breakthroughs continue to happen every day.
Celebs & Entertainment
The Weeknd Announced as 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Performer
The Weeknd took to Twitter to announce that he will be next year's Super Bowl Halftime Performer. With no set plans of how they are going to execute the football game or performance yet, the audience must stay tuned to find out just exactly how this will happen. The most recent Super Bowl Halftime performance with J-LO and Shakira in February acquired 104 million live viewers, so only time will tell if the pandemic and the Weeknd will increase viewership. What we do know is that Twitter was buzzing shortly after the announcement, with the Weeknd's tweet getting over 24 thousand retweets and 109 thousand likes.
Brands & Industry
TikTok Predicted to Surpass One Billion Users in 2021
The viral video app TikTok is continuously growing and expanding to new audiences daily. According to leading mobile data and analytics company App Annie, it is predicted that monthly active users on TikTok will surpass one billion by the time 2021 rolls around. Other social media apps that have seen this kind of success are Facebook, WhatsApp, and WeChat. Consumers have shown to install 85% more video streaming apps in 2020 compared to previous years.
Ticketmaster Requires COVID Test Results Upon Purchase
The world of live concerts continues to strategize a safe comeback once a vaccine is approved. According to the New York Post, TicketMaster is implementing steps for concert-goers to verify that they have had a negative test in the past 24-72 hours or that they have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine (upon its release). The Post wrote, "Concert-goers would then instruct a lab to send over test results to companies like CLEAR Health Pass or I.B.M.'s Digital Health Pass, which would verify the fan's status to Ticketmaster. Anyone who tests positive or doesn't get screened won't be granted access to the event venue, Billboard reported.
Sony's Successful Launch of the PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 was one of the most anticipated gaming-world launches of the year. Sony decided to pursue a different route of distribution and chose to only sell the PS5 through digital platforms, adapting to the world's current circumstances. This way, the long lines and large gatherings that usually occur as a result of a new product launch would be avoided, keeping the safety of users in mind. While most websites sold out of their pre-ordered consoles, Walmart was the only distributor that decided to sell first-come, first-serve orders the day of release. While this is a good idea and helpful to those gamers who were unable to obtain a pre-order elsewhere, the large traffic of sales crashed Walmart's website almost immediately after its PlayStation 5 sales went live. Business Insider stated, "It's unclear how much of a re-supply Walmart issued for its first drop, but it's clear that there weren't enough for everyone who wanted to buy one: Despite our own attempts to buy one, Walmart sold out of consoles in less than five minutes." What happened with Walmart was just the start of what could possibly be a long Holiday Season of website crashes and errors while customers try to obtain the latest products.
Campaigns
Guitar Center Looks to Inspire Music Buffs with New Social Video Series
Guitar Center is looking to inspire this Holiday Season with a new social media video series that includes both noteworthy musicians and rising stars. The series, featured primarily on YouTube, starts off with Grammy-winning R&B artist H.E.R. as she strums away and talks about why she makes music. According to Marketing Dive, "With the campaign, Guitar Center not only wanted to understand the impact that music has on the artists featured in the video series, but it also wanted to share joy and wisdom with viewers during a stressful year", Jeannine D'Addario, Guitar Center's chief marketing, and communications officer said in a statement. While Guitar Center is inspiring up and coming musicians and artists to practice their craft, they make sure to incorporate the hashtag "#WhyWeMakeMusic" on their videos to remind people why they are listening and inspire them to continue creating music.
PepsiCo Releases a Recipe Hub and Cookbooks to Amplify Kitchen Creativity
As one of the largest food and beverage companies, PepsiCo continues to lead the industry by expanding its past food distribution. As Coronavirus cases continue to rise, people across the country are cooking inside their kitchens more than ever, and PepsiCo capitalized on this. The company has launched its very own Recipe Hub titled "More Smiles With Every Bite" and has released two cookbooks that include recipes that incorporate their popular snacks like Cheetos and Mountain Dew. According to AdWeek, C.M.O. of Frito-Lay North America stated, "As the course of this pandemic has evolved, we have to evaluate the role our brands are playing in this new normal, what we've seen is that people's relationship with food has continued to change." PepsiCo's North American beverage segment grew 6% to $5.96 billion for the three-month period ending September 5, rebounding from a 7% drop the previous quarter.
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