Welcome to the first edition of This Week in Digital in 2019. This week we re-cap on news from CES 2019, how many Instagram users freaked out over the accidental feature test that was rolled out, Verizon’s impact on the value of Oath, and much more. Read on for your fill on all things digital newsworthy.
HEADLINES
- Verizon admitted defeat with AOL and Yahoo value reduction due to the competition for digital advertising revenue.
- A new feature on Twitter called ‘Sparkle’ gives users control over what appears on their newsfeed.
- Over the festive break Instagram accidentally published a new feature test where users horizontally scroll and click through the newsfeed (much like Instagram Stories) and the internet went into meltdown mode.
INSIGHTS
- Comscore and Nielsen are racing to become the one true cross-platform measurement provider in 2019.
- The best of Digiday Confessions in 2018, with anonymous thoughts from the marketing industry.
- 2019 Social Media Trends and Statistics: Stories are going to take over, according to this trend watch.
COOL
- Facebook is working on a strategy for crypto-currency in WhatsApp. A team has reportedly been working on exploring blockchain technologies since 2014.
- Samsung revealed a shape-shifting TV at CES. The 75” TV is made of modular micro-LED panels and it will mark the first time Samsung has been able to create such an advanced TV in a size small enough to fit into homes.
- Instagram is incorporating music into the platform even more with a new Stories option which allows friends to suggest songs.
DEEP READS
- Five charts on eMarketer show the state of Retail Tech. According to Gartner, worldwide retail tech spending will increase 3.6% to $203.6 billion in 2019.
- Is Facebook taking on Tinder? Take a look inside Facebook’s dating experiment in Colombia.
- How social media can make people feel isolated during Christmas.
- A look into how marketing for plant-based milk brands has seen an increase over the years.
