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Its success has been hailed as extraordinary not least because no one saw it coming. The YA romance After We Collided has next to no marketing budget and zero reviews and has taken more than 1m after just two weeks in the UK. A few weeks ago, it wasnt even in line for theatrical release. As the box office struggles in the pandemic, the industry has sat up to take note of this grassroots success. It is completely unprecedented, says Delphine Lievens, a senior box office analyst at Gower Street. To do that based on no marketing its a really impressive result.

After We Collided is the follow-up to last years After; both are adapted from the new adult novel series by the US author Anna Todd. They follow the up-and-down relationship of college students Tessa (played by Josephine Langford) and Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin Joseph and Ralphs nephew). Tessa is a headstrong and bookish young woman with parallels the film insists to Elizabeth Bennet. Hardin, meanwhile, is a bad-boy Brit whose eminent unsuitability is signposted by his many Ramones tees. Naturally, Hessa cant keep away from each other, as much as their parents, love rivals and life circumstances conspire to keep them apart. Cue maudlin electro-pop.

The film rights were acquired in 2014 by Paramount, and the first film, After, was released in 2019, to modest results: a worldwide gross of $70m, of which $12m came from the US. It failed to achieve a cinema release in the UK, and went straight to Netflix. (The platforms refusal to share audience data means we dont know how it performed.) You might assume After We Collided would go down the same path, but the films producers, Voltage Pictures, struck a deal for independent distribution in the UK and Ireland with an obscure company called Shear Entertainment. Shear secured a first-week run at 47 locations none, unusually, in central London. Even with that limited release on 2 September the film entered the box office at No 3, with an opening weekend total of 175,000. Other cinemas leaped on this box office life raft, and After We Collided expanded to 378 venues (more than half of all those open in the UK) for its second week and were rewarded by an 151% increase on the opening weekend. The films UK box office gross currently stands at over 1.1m.

All this has happened in the face of minimal critical attention and what little does exist has been almost uniformly negative, with unflattering comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight the actors could be mistaken for the undead snarked one reviewer of After.

But the overlap between professional critics and the target demographic of tween and teenage girls is practically nonexistent and since Todds books have a massive global audience, reviews are of limited relevance. Fans say they relate to the characters and find parallels with their own lives. [Its] not for people to aspire to have this relationship, as it can be quite toxic at times, but its so that we can learn, explains one. Many appreciate the unflinching treatment of darker material, including sex, drugs, fraught family relationships and trauma.

Hessas romance not to mention the online community around it has helped fans through their own tough times. Its a kind of escape from reality, says another fan. Jo and Hero, as the lead actors are known, are singled out by many for their on-screen chemistry. Langford and Fiennes Tiffin may not have the mainstream cachet that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson did as a result of Twilight, but they do reach millions of Instagram followers. The fragmentation of the media landscape means that After has emerged from between the gaps, at once undeniable and undetectable.

Traditional media certainly underestimated the reach and impact of this series, says Ben Dalton, a reporter for Screen International. Just as EL James Fifty Shades trilogy was inspired by Twilight, After began as fan fiction for the boyband One Direction. In 2013 then 23-year-old Todd started writing about an imagined college romance with Harry Styles on the social storytelling platform Wattpad. For nearly a year, she posted a short chapter every day, typing on her iPhone.

Driven in part by Todds fellow Directioners, After became a viral sensation on Wattpad, drawing 1m readers before she had even finished writing. Aron Levitz, head of Wattpads entertainment arm, says fans would gather online ahead of each instalment: If it was a minute late, youd see social media explode with people going, Anna, why isnt it posted yet?

That dialogue between writer and reader formed the basis for the community now driving its commercial success. Thats what made it a hit: their love for the story, says Levitz. Todds original stories continue to feature among Wattpads most read every years, having now amassed more than 1.5bn reads.

Todds work is the blueprint by which the films are judged. While some liberties were taken with the plot in the adaptation of After, Roger Kumble the director of Cruel Intentions, who took on After We Collided has been praised for sticking so closely to the book. He really gave us the book Hessa that we wanted, one fan says. The movie was everything the fans were hoping for, says another. (The next two, After We Fell and After Ever Happy, were confirmed to be in production this week.)

Even now that she has industry backing, Todd calls herself a fangirl turned author and credits her success as her readers achievement as much as her own. They repay her in kind, talking of Anna as a friend and advocating for her work on social media (where most of the films marketing budget goes).

Their community even has a name: Afternators and they are as loyal and rabid as any fandom out there, says Levitz. As one member put it: When we work together, we achieve.

Voltage president Jonathan Deckter gave credit to the power of a strategic grassroots social campaign that spoke directly to our films target audience in the forum they prefer. Traditional release marketing will always have its place, but as far as Afternators are concerned, they live and breathe social.

In adapting After, Levitz says, Wattpad consulted with readers: This wasnt done like most development is done, behind closed doors It was about keeping them involved, something I think traditional industries arent used to. More typically, he says, audiences are treated as the commodity at the end of a production line that culminates with this big bang, red-carpet moment: I hope they like it! But we dont have to hope anymore we knew After was going to be a success.

The lesson from After We Collideds success, says Lievens, is that no distributor in the UK had identified that there was an audience for this film. Independent distribution is usually a final resort for films considered too niche for mainstream audiences; and had Voltage not decided to push for a theatrical release, cinemas would have missed out on a cash injection of nearly 1m from, its fair to assume, mostly young women.

By contrast, the industry had pinned its hopes on Christopher Nolans blockbuster Tenet which, despite half a decade of hype, made only slightly more than After We Collided. The latters opening-weekend per-screen average was 4,366 compared with Tenets 5,358, despite showing in one-tenth the number of cinemas. Even more impressively, After We Collided also leapfrogged X-Men spin-off The New Mutants in its second week. The result suggests a disconnect between gatekeepers and cinemagoers that, at this desperate moment, may prove costly.

The blindspots arent just age and gender. Lievens points to the huge unexpected success of Fishermans Friend, carried by regional audiences in Devon and Cornwall; and the 4.5m box office takings of Rapmans debut Blue Story. There were lots of old white men scratching their heads and going Where did this come from?

At Wattpad, Levitz believes there is fatigue with the old ways of entertainment and it is time for cinemagoers to be promoted to stakeholders. In a world where more money is being spent on content than ever before, audience is going to make the difference but the industry is not always used to listening to audience.

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After We Collided: does this shock hit point the way to cinema's future? - The Guardian

Certain traits and tactics at brands that were viewed as successful were shared by employees to help navigate, psychological, physiological and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as a resultof isolation, pessimism and economic depression.

Curiosity leading to innovation should become the backbone of every brand or company as companies rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from a SurveyMonkey survey suggests organizations that foster a culture of innovation and curiosity find creative ways to adapt to problems by synthesizing information. This includesoperational data such as sales and revenue and feedback from interviews, surveys, and focus groups.

The results, released Tuesday, are drawn from interviews with early innovators and radicaladaptors, along with 3,275 survey results from people across industries in the U.S., SurveyMonkey discovered two key traits for navigating the coronavirus crisis and potentially any crises yet tocome.

Building a company that fosters creativity and curiosity isnt easy, nor is it always welcome. Data suggests, however, that those building a business -- especially during a crisis-- can help companies avoid financial declines. They not only need the feedback from customers, but employees too.

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Only 35% of companies say they have collected feedback from customers andemployees in response to COVID-19. Of those who said they gathered feedback from employees or customers to make decisions, only 31% reported a financial decline at their company.

Some 36% saidthey have remained relatively stable, while 21% said they have seen minor financial growth, 21% said they have seen a minor financial decline, 12% said they have seen major financial growth, and 10%have seen a major financial decline.

The data shows that agility is essential for responding to volatility.

Businesses that can fundamentally change how they do business have the bestshot at adapting. And with that comes positivity.

Employees who define their companies as agile are dramatically more likely to say their company can withstand an economic downturn, accordingto the data.

The data shows how market segments approach agility and curiosity differently. Some 80% of those working in airlines, aeronautics, advertising and marketing and technology saytheir company adapts to change quickly.

By contrast, about 56% of those working at nonprofits say they have had to change strategy to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, while 17% of peopleworking in manufacturing have made updates to products and services of people working in government say they have developed new products or services.

Many companies are drawing on innovationand curiosity to guide technology, products and campaigns. Some 81% of technology companies say new ideas are praised or rewarded, and 70% of those in education have used new ways to adapt to changingcircumstances.

Half of those working in government say new ideas are mostly praised or rewarded, whereas 49% of people working in advertising and marketing say their organization use new andcreative ways to adapt.

Some 50% of those who say they are working at agile companies believe their organization is extremely or very prepared to face the future. Of those working at companiesviewed as less agile, only 10% say their company is extremely or very prepared.

Employees at agile companies are also twice as likely to say their business is doing better since COVID-19began, and less likely to say their income has been reduced or hours cut. For example, 28% of those who work at an agile company say their company is doing better, compared with 12% at those who workat a less agile company.

Agile companies also have a much easier time keeping customers. Some 28% of agile companies say its not too difficult, compared with 25% of less agilecompanies. About 25% of agile companies say its somewhat difficult, compared with 33% of less agile companies.

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Two Traits Will Get Companies, Brands Through COVID-19 Crisis 09/16/2020 - MediaPost Communications

digiToken is a new and convenient app that enables consumers to buy airtime, electricity and water online - all from the comfort of your home, saving you time and energy and while practising safe social distancing.

Kagisho Dichabe and Xolisa Vuza, founders of AfriNova Digital

The digiToken brand, as an idea, was born two years ago and we began to conceptualise and work on its specifications. We have recently launched the app in mid-August 2020

When we conceptualised the brand, our core principle was to distribute vouchers and tokens that carry value and can be redeemed by customers for such value within the platform or elsewhere.

Our broader vision for the brand is to support economic inclusion of the masses of people in the rest of the African continent and also drive the economic activity of the informal market (rural, township) in a convenient manner.

We would like to offer a platform that facilitates activities in this market while supporting the core characteristics of such markets such as being unbanked, heavy reliance on cash, shared value. Furthermore, we offer participation on the platform for others to create job opportunities for themselves.

digiToken is an online platform that allows customers to be able to buy/sell any prepaid product that can be distributed as a token/voucher. We also support buying and selling of any product that can be facilitated in a virtual manner as well. We have two modes of operation which are direct buyer or client as well as agent (selling on behalf of digiToken). Products that are live on the platform include electricity, water, data and airtime.

Yes, the platform is homegrown and built in South Africa. It has been a great experience and we have received tremendous support across our partners and clients and we look forward to growing together!

Yes we do and we are already hard at work to ensure these are ready for our customers in the coming weeks.

We formally launched the platform in the mid-August period.

Marketing and creating awareness of the product is always a challenge on something that is digital. Our mission is to reach the masses of people out there as quickly as possible.

Everything is accessible via a digiToken app that can be downloaded from Google Play Store as well as the iOS App store

Stay up to date with us, by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and https://digitoken.africa/

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#DoBizZa: digiToken, the app driving economic activity in the informal market - Bizcommunity.com

Every year, according to Pinterest, September is a time when people reassess their key goals, and re-focus on what's important heading into the last months of the year.

But in 2020, things are looking a little different.

As explained by Pinterest:

"This year, instead of looking outside the home for inspiration, it is clear that a fresh start in 2020 begins within the home and within yourself. Were calling this years transition Back to (home) life. Because this year, people on Pinterest are making the transition back to life with an extra emphasis on turning inwards, both physically and mentally, in order to focus on the areas where they have the most control."

In line with this, Pinterest has published a new listing of key trends that it's seeing among its audience, which may help you map out your Pinterest marketing approach leading into the holiday season.

The main, overarching focus trend, according to Pinterest's data, is positivity:

The relentless news cycle of 2020 has taken a toll on almost everyone, with all of the major, significant news events taking place against the backdrop of COVID-19, which has changed the very way that we live. As such, it's no surprise to see that Pinners are looking for positive inspiration, and hope in these difficult and uncertain times.

That's a key element to keep in mind. Yes, the news, overall, is bad, with the economy heavily impacted, and the damage caused by COVID-19 set to linger for some time yet. But within this, people are coming to social platforms, in many cases, as a means of escape, or relief. And it's worth considering how your promotions and posts tie into this, and align with the need for positive messaging -especially coming into the end of the year.

That can be hard, as there are serious, significant issues which also need to be addressed. But the above chart is worth keeping in mind in your approach.

In terms of audience-specific trends, Pinterest says that Gen Z users are focused on these key topics and areas:

Millennial Pinners, meanwhile, are understandably putting increased focus on their kids:

And interestingly, Pinterest is also seeing a rise in male Pinner activity, with the number of male Pinners up almost 50% year-over-year.

Male Pinners are most interested in:

These are some interesting trends to note, and while a lot of these interest areas are as you would expect, the specific detail here could point to new opportunities and potential for your Pinterest campaigns.

And it is a platform worth considering - Pinterest is now up to 416 million monthly active users, more than Twitter and Snapchat, while the app's year-over-year growth rate is better than even Facebook in 2020, underlining its steadily rising popularity. It doesn't get as much attention as the other social platforms, but Pinterest contintues to refine its use case, and attract more usage as a result, which could make it a more important consideration in your approach.

And as noted, it's usage pool is also expanding. Now, you can reach an even broader audience via Pins, which could help maximize your outreach efforts as we head towards the holiday season.

If you haven't looked at Pinterest in a while, it may be worth spending some time going through the app, and seeing how businesses in your niche are using it.

You can check out Pinterest's full 'Back to (home) life' trends overview here.

The rest is here:
Pinterest Releases New Data on Key Trends Heading into the Last Quarter of 2020 - Social Media Today

Facebook

Presence is more important now than ever. Many around the globe are staying home and limiting their physical, social contact. Families and friends connect via Zoom calls or drive-by birthday parties. Professionals spend countless hours on screens talking with colleagues and clients. "Zoom fatigue" is a new saying among remote workers.

Spatial presence - the feeling of "being there" in a virtual space can unlock doors to social experiences and give people a sense of belonging and fulfillment in a world changed by a pandemic that keeps many physically apart.

The hours we spend on social media have also increased. A recentStatistasurvey showed that 29.7 percent of U.S. social media users used social media 1-2 additional hours per day.eMarketernotes that 51% of U.S. adults are using social media at higher rates during the pandemic.

Social virtual reality, or social VR, has seen an increase in users too. Social VR apps like Rec Room, BigScreen, VRChat, and AltSpace have all seen an increase in traffic. AltSpace is even hosting one of Burning Man's virtual worlds from this year's virtual event. This week, Facebook announced the launch of the public beta for its social VR experience,Horizon,

"I believe the next phase of social media is presence," says early beta Horizon content creator and social media consultant, Navah Berg. "Imagine a place where a brand can invite their brand ambassadors to try out a product without hopping on an airplane? A place a brand can launch a press release without writing a press release but actually being there and sharing the news with a community of journalists in a get together in social VR. There are so many opportunities for brands and content creators. I can't wait to see what happens next."

Berg adds that currently, in social media, people learn through shared passions and build relationships by relaying stories/content via a screen. For her, VR takes it to another dimension, where new friends and new memories converge through an immersive lens that feels as though they are in the same shared space while given tools to use together, before ever meeting IRL. Social VR allows you to learn and build meaningful relationships with your audience by being there creating together vs. watching from a screen in a flat 2D newsfeed.

Navah Berg has been creating worlds inside Horizon and has become one of the top social VR voices.

Sneak peeks of Horizon screenshots are flooding social media. Facebook dropped the gameplay trailer for Facebook Horizon after months of anticipation. The trailer shows avatars playing games in Horizon, building their own worlds, and having fun with other avatars. Facebook Horizon's beta access is currentlyinvite-only.

Facebook has been one of the flagship companies for building VR headsets and promoting social virtual reality. The company bought Oculus in 2014, and since then, they've released a variety of headsets from the tethered Oculus Rift to the standalone Oculus Quest. For them, virtual reality isn't just another way to get people to use Facebook. They see it asthe next computing platformthat will "help people feel more present with each other, even when we're apart" whether at work or at play.

As the pandemic continues to affect our society and the way people socialize, social VR apps and experiences like Horizon can give people a place to gather, play, and create as they may have in real life. Social VR offers those types of interactions in one place - one where users are already connected to their friends who have a compatible VR device.

Facebook Horizon may create a shift in what "social media" means. Instead of consuming articles or reading friend's updates, Horizon offers a different type of online social interaction. Gameplay or world-building takes some of the strain out of being social that feeds creation.

So what do social VR and spatial presence have to do with the future of social media marketing? Well, everything.

Facebookdefines virtual, social presenceas "authentic and lifelike collaboration between people and colleagues in a virtual setting" It's where anyone can manipulate objects, use their hands, and have a sense of touch. Avatars display the same expressions as their human counterparts. Spatial presence includes audio, where the closer you move to a noise the louder it gets. Horizon provides marketing opportunities in three areas: representation, play, and world-building.

Suddenly, relating to a target audience isn't through ads (text, image, or video). It's becoming part of a customer's world and presenting a brand or business as a real being they can interact with in a natural way. Facebook is demonstrating this in Horizon bydeploying staffwho will act as guides or hosts in public spaces. Facebook is suddenly changing the customer service experience from submitting a request to being able to virtually walk up and talk to a Facebook employee.

One of the features of Horizon is playing games like mini golf, escape rooms, paint balloon, or a battlefield with a hybrid sword. Facebook wants Horizon to be collaborative and interactive. This gives brands a chance to get in on the action. Who wouldn't want to see Wendy's vs Burger King in a virtual paint ball fight - the winning team gets a free burger.

Part of Horizon is world-building. Marketing in virtual reality takes a different approach in this new evolving space. Companies could build their own world for users to explore, hiding Easter Eggs (hidden items places in movies or games) for explorers to find leading to discount codes or free items. Companies could harness the excitement that Ready Player One brought to VR by building a world where one lucky winner could rule it for a day.

Creating a world for a brand within Horizon or branded virtual objects that Horizon users can reuse in their own designs are one way to take part in this new, social world. Instead of shooting a commercial in real life (which may be impacted due to the pandemic) brands could shoot one in Horizon, using real platform users as extras. The commercial (and making of it) could be livestreamed to Facebook and shared across platforms.

getty

Collaboration, gameplay, and world-building are all tools marketers need to get familiar with. Social presence in spatial computing will only get more advanced, especially as companies like Facebook ease the barrier to entry.Liam McKill, a Horizon beta world-builder said, "My biggest piece of advice for new creators in Horizon is to experiment constantly. You are in a world that can't be broken and is still relatively unexplored;"

Marketers should take that piece of advice to heart. Marketers would do well to experiment now, so they can be part of the virtual worlds like Horizon.

The future of communications is presence. The convergence of both the physical and virtual worlds will create new opportunities in the future in the way friends, families, and even colleagues connect. The future of connection will push the boundaries of today's technology, one virtual world at a time. The metaverse is coming, and it's a very big deal.

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Social VR, Facebook Horizon And The Future Of Social Media Marketing - Forbes