News 30.12.2021

Looking Back: Media & Technology

Better tech rose to the fore in 2021, onboarding the curious with promises of a democratised sector with greater privacy, play and work opportunities.

The Trend: Alternet Economies

Dell XPS Youniverse by MPC and YMLY&R

In March 2021, some 30 years after the first website went live, we published our tech-driven macrotrend Alternet Economies. As the year went along and the world witnessed the dawn of the metaverse – an alternative universe of fledgling virtual spaces – this trend grew in prominence.

Even before Facebook's Meta announcement in autumn, we were exploring the intersection between digital and societal change, tracking how the established hierarchies of the internet were being subverted by novel economic systems. With data showing that, in the US, 85% of consumers believe that big tech had too much power, the answer for many lay in Web3, as well as the metaverse and user-owned platforms that comprise it (source: Accountable Tech).

To survive in this fluctuating landscape in 2022, brands and media must become open-source providers – offering the tools, assets and services needed to empower a new generation to prosper within this more equitable version of cyberspace. Rather than products, the modes of commerce in the future will trade on participation.

The Big Idea: Post-purpose tech

Fresh off the back of Facebook’s much-publicised announcement of Meta, this year's edition of Web Summit was a hotspot for controversial debate on the meaning of purpose.

Following Facebook's virtual appearance, where its chief product officer Chris Cox fended off questions about its Meta rebranding – as well as continuing conversations about its 2.9bn users’ privacy – The New York Times reporter Cecilia Kang confronted the platform. Recently publishing An Ugly Truth, her book on Facebook’s battle for domination, according to Kang, the most dangerous aspect of Facebook is the power its founder has.

‘It’s unusual to have a company of Facebook’s size that still has a founder in charge – it continues to be the embodiment of Mark Zuckerberg,’ she said, suggesting that social media will soon be regulated as a utility rather than a technology.

Going forward, conversations about purpose in the social media space will only get louder, as more corporations like Meta invest in the new technologies and spaces its customers are using and shaping. Our full review of Web Summit highlights the numerous ways brands can commit to fighting misinformation, purpose-washing and digital colonisation in the coming decade.

Meta by Facebook, US Meta by Facebook, US

The Campaign: Eco-Bot takes aim at climate disinformation

Eco-Bot.Net by Robert Del Naja and Bill Posters in collaboration with Dale Vince

In November, as global leaders convened at COP26 to set new environmental targets, Eco-Bot took the opportunity to expose corporate greenwashing during the landmark summit.

Confronting the swathes of climate misinformation on social media – particularly Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – the hacktivists Robert Del Naja and Bill Posters developed the bot to comb the internet for key terms and phrases often used in eco-propaganda. The data was then funnelled into a database moderated by journalists who could flag the misleading content by commenting on posts and turning data into graphic visualisations.

Taking aim at heavy carbon emitters, the project revealed the vested interests of multinational corporations that run advertisements on three social giants. The campaign shows how hackers will continue to find creative ways to demystify the often nebulous advertising tactics employed on social media.

The Interview: 10 Days breaks down the bureaucracy of advertising

10 Days Agency Show Reel 10 Days Agency Show Reel
10 Days Agency Show Reel 10 Days Agency Show Reel
10 Days Agency Show Reel 10 Days Agency Show Reel

Over the year, we witnessed the pandemic expose the slow production processes of advertising agencies. To understand what this meant for the industry, we spoke to brothers Jolyon, George and Dominic White, who co-founded disruptive agency 10 Days, about how creating ad campaigns at lightning speed could salvage creativity.

The agency, which notably creates ad campaigns in just 10 days, revealed the success it has had with its unique approach, including a campaign for March Muses that attracted 20,000 views within two hours with no paid media; its website crashed with too much traffic, and it sold out in three days.

The problem with traditional agencies, according to the brothers, is that they resemble how traditional banks operate. There’s the agency who comes up with a strategy and the idea, a production company and a media company. It's the way things have always been and it's comfortable.

As the world speeds up, and major societal events become increasingly difficult to predict, the interview reveals how taking an agile approach to business, inspired by the fast-moving nature of TikTok, will be crucial to surviving in 2022.

The Space: Streaming platform Anghami builds a music venue

Anghami Lab Concept in partnership with Addmind, SWANA Anghami Lab Concept in partnership with Addmind, SWANA

Providing Middle Eastern audiences with an immersive channel for experiencing music, the music streaming platform announced in August that it was opening a series of Anghami Labs – venues with a lounge, stage and studio where creators can experiment with music inspired by both Arabic and international cultures.

Initially launching in Dubai, with plans to open in Riyadh and other cities, the concept included a partnership with hospitality provider Addmind to offer a fusion of Arab and international cuisines. Tony Habre, CEO of Addmind, said: ‘Anghami is more than just a streaming platform, it has elevated the value of the music industry in the Middle East as a whole.’

By engaging audiences through co-created music and foods that borrow from a variety of cultures, the venue hints at how digital streaming platforms could move into real-life venues in 2022, as more people seek physical leisure experiences.

Download the Future Forecast 2022 report

Now that you know what shaped 2021, discover what’s on the horizon. Download our Future Forecast 2022 report comprising 50 new trends across 10 key consumer sectors, insights from our analysts and interviews with global innovators.

Previous News Articles
Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

News

Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

At Paris Haute Couture Week, Iris van Herpen unveiled Sympoiesis, a collection steeped in material innovation.
Couture : Fashion : Bioluminescent Algae
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about.
Fashion : Luxury : Pop Culture & Media
Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

News

Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

A new report by Boston Consulting Group reveals that the global leisure travel market is set to triple in value, growing from £3.51 trillion ($4.25...
Travel : Hospitality : Tourism
Tripadvisor rebranding elevates travellers’ voices

News

Tripadvisor rebranding elevates travellers’ voices

Tripadvisor has unveiled a major rebranding led by creative studio Koto, marking its evolution from a pioneering travel guide into a global booking...
Travel : Hospitality : Design
Atlanta’s first women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene redefines the game

News

Atlanta’s first women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene redefines the game

Jolene Jolene, Atlanta’s first-ever women’s sports bar, is proof that interest in women’s sports is reshaping the traditionally male-dominated spor...
Hospitality : Sports : Leisure
Stat: Gen Z aren’t quitting alcohol after all

News

Stat: Gen Z aren’t quitting alcohol after all

New research challenges the narrative that Gen Z are the sober generation.
Statistic : Generation Z : Alcohol
Pattern Beauty brings authenticity and curl culture to tv with first-ever commercial

News

Pattern Beauty brings authenticity and curl culture to tv with first-ever commercial

Tracee Ellis Ross has launched Pattern Beauty’s first ever tv commercial, a 60-second spot that blends humour, nostalgia and a celebration of textu...
Haircare : Pattern Beauty : Beauty
The Messenger bot quietly transforming women’s safety in Jordan

News

The Messenger bot quietly transforming women’s safety in Jordan

A discreet digital tool is offering life-saving support to vulnerable women in Jordan.
Artifical Intelligence : Technology : Women's Safety
Stat: Study finds TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery

News

Stat: Study finds TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery

A new study in the US, the UK, France and Italy, commissioned by TikTok, reveals a structural shift in how consumers discover luxury, inc...
Statistic : TikTok : Luxury
BMW rebrands motorcycling as digital detox

News

BMW rebrands motorcycling as digital detox

BMW Motorrad and its UAE dealership AGMC have launched Throttle Therapy, a series of 10-second videos positioning motorcycling as a form of digital...
Health & Wellness : Advertising : Digital Detox
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN