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KIMP’s Picks 14th June: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

Fri-yay! What does that mean? It’s time for KIMP’s Picks. This is your destination for weekly updates from the realms of social media, marketing, AI, and other tech buzzing in the business world. Whether you are a marketer aching with FOMO or an entrepreneur juggling too many things to scroll through social media for updates, this post has something for everyone. 

Think of it as your pre-weekend catch-up so you are ready to embrace the fresh week ahead in confidence knowing that you stayed in the loop. 

So, are you ready for a quick social media round-up? Then let’s get started with the KIMP’s Picks 14th June Edition. 

In the Marketing Realm 

Oglivy celebrates The World’s Most Effective Marketers of 2023

In a recent post, the renowned marketing agency Ogilvy proudly announced that seven of the world’s top ten most effective marketers, as recognized by the Global Effie Awards Index, are their partners.

This prestigious recognition highlights the impactful campaigns these brands have created partnering with Ogilvy. Given that the Effie Awards are a gold standard for marketing effectiveness, the appearance of a bulk of Ogilvy’s client roster on the list shows the effectiveness of innovative and effective marketing strategies. It shows the power of strategies that resonate across diverse markets and audiences

So if you are looking for marketing inspiration, campaigns from these successful marketers are a great place to begin with. 

Google Ads is getting smarter Brand Recommendations 

Search Engine Land, a leading authority on digital marketing news, recently discussed the introduction of a new AI-powered feature in Google Ads called “Brand Recommendations.”

The idea here is to optimize your brand awareness and consideration campaigns. The feature is designed to help analyze your campaign data, settings, and industry trends to provide personalized suggestions on how to improve performance across diverse key areas. 

For brand marketers, who actively invest in Google Ads this development means a crucial advancement in automated campaign management.

Successfully building a LinkedIn Newsletter 

Do you use LinkedIn Newsletters in your marketing strategy? If not, then the below post shared by Adobe will change your mind. It’s a crash course in the LinkedIn Newsletter feature to connect with your audience and establish yourself as an authority. 

In short, this built-in newsletter feature on LinkedIn allows users to compile and distribute all your best updates, news, and articles in a streamlined and professional format, ensuring that your subscribers stay informed.

So, if you are ready to dive in, you’ll love this article that talks about the key benefits and steps to creating a LinkedIn newsletter. 

Think with Google discusses shopper mindsets 

In a recent post, Think with Google shared a post that dives into the psychology of holiday shoppers. The post outlines 4 key mindsets that influence their purchasing decisions throughout the year. Understanding these mindsets can help marketers craft more effective strategies and maximize results during peak shopping seasons.

Yes, there’s still time for the holiday shopping season to begin. But equipping yourself with valuable information and staying ready helps! 

To summarize, according to the post, the 4 shopping mindsets in focus are:

  • Deliberate 
  • Deal-seeking 
  • Determined 
  • Devoted 

The post also emphasizes some of the key differences between these and some tips to tackle them all. 

YouTube discusses Canva’s success story 

Canva today has evolved tremendously since the time of its inception. In addition to the rapidly growing feature set, the brand’s brilliant marketing also takes credit for this growth. And in a recent post, YouTube discussed how Canva successfully leveraged video campaigns and reaped great results. Reportedly, there was a significant boost to brand consideration for Canva through YouTube video campaigns. 

The post gives a snapshot of how Canva used Video View campaigns and maximized views. According to YouTube, Canva saw a 20% boost in Google Searches. Stories like these are reminders that it’s time to start investing in video campaigns for your brand. 

Strategies that helped Dr. Pepper steal the spotlight from Pepsi 

The digital marketing news provider Marketing Dive shared an insightful post discussing the strategies that helped Dr Pepper dethrone Pepsi as the second-biggest carbonated soft drink brand in the US.

According to Brad Rakes, Senior Director for Brand Marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper, this achievement is a testament to strategic investments and patience in marketing. 

In particular, the brand’s choice of sports partnerships has made a huge impact. The “Fansville” campaign, a parody series based on high school sports dramas, has been a standout. 

Additionally, Dr Pepper has embraced new flavors to attract a broader audience. Overall, the brand’s agility in marketing, their ability to quickly respond to trends, such as the viral TikTok trend of drinking Dr Pepper with pickles, have been fruitful. This approach allows for swift decision-making and responsiveness, ensuring the brand stays relevant and engaged with its audience.

In the Content Marketing Realm 

Local SEO for small businesses 

The popular online marketing tool, Semrush, posted an informative discussion on local SEO for small businesses. The post discusses 15 of the most common questions pertaining to local SEO and answers them with some useful tips to take away. 

From the differences between organic and local SEO to tips to optimize content for local search, checking local SEO rankings, and the impact of social media on local SEO, the post talks about several resourceful insights. 

X becomes a hotbed for sports content 

Wondering what trends to hop on and how? Here’s a quick inspiration from X. In a recent post, they discussed how X witnessed a massive surge in sports content engagement. There were 1.6 BILLION impressions on posts related to everything from the #NBAFinals to #MLB

This data highlights X as a go-to platform for sports enthusiasts around the world. Therefore if you are planning content or campaigns around these sports events, X is a great platform. It can be a great channel for you to share your passion for these games with your audience or even to connect with fans based on shared interests. 

In the Design Realm 

Adobe tools tutorial 

Adobe regularly shares quick tips and tutorials on using various Adobe tools and features. Similarly, they shared the below video tutorial recently. This one highlights the work process of a creator using Adobe tools to create art for his favorite band. 

The video shows the workflow beginning with a photograph, the sketch, and then the fine-tuning process. It also demonstrates a few applications of AI features like Generative Recolor and the use of After Effects to create subtle animations. 

Canva features to explore 

Canva recently discussed a new feature that will save you time and frustration: Highlights. This is particularly for projects where you edit videos on Canva. 

According to Canva, this AI-powered tool automatically identifies the most engaging moments in your video, eliminating the need for tedious manual scrubbing. This is one among the many AI features that have been recently added to the platform. Image editing and design are some of the most common tasks that creatives use Canva for. But features like this one are a motivator to expand your creative exploration of the tool. 

Packaging design inspiration 

In the below post, popular design inspiration destination Dieline dives into the packaging design of Le Mochi Glacé, a new brand from Tiliz that brings mochi to France with a stylish and youthful twist.

The packaging design featured here is bold and unique. It utilizes a simple yet effective approach that makes it more likely for the product to stand out on freezer shelves. 

The design uses catchy product photos and sans-serif fonts to add a modern and easy-to-read aesthetic. For a unique twist, the background features a repeated pattern of the flavor name in a vibrant color palette. This creates a memorable and visually appealing effect. 

KFC’s creative outdoor campaign 

The Drum brings all the latest marketing news and advertising inspiration from around the world. In a recent post, they spotlighted a recent campaign from KFC. What makes it stand out is its unique attention-grabbing design. 

The idea itself is quite interesting and the design dances with it perfectly. Thus the ad delivers the intended message clearly and effectively. The ad builds on the idea of chaos and uncertainty that prevails and invites users to trust in one thing amidst all this – chicken. Surprisingly, the ad sways away from the traditional KFC branding which adds an element of intrigue. While this might not work for most brands, given the market presence of KFC, this one has earned the brand a lot of media coverage. 

In the AI Realm 

How is AI being used? 

Statista recently shared an insightful infographic that depicts some of the ways in which AI is currently being used across industries. This one covers the use of commonly available AI tools like ChatGPT. 

The main categories of application of AI include getting information and creating media. Based on the study, a majority of the crowd seems to be exploring these tools mainly to play around and experiment with their features and also to answer factual questions. Translations and designing videos currently lie at the bottom of the list. But given the influx of tools like Sora and Stable Video Diffusion, perhaps the scenario might shift in the coming months. 

Apple & OpenAI announce new partnership 

At the WWDC 2024, OpenAI and Apple unveiled a groundbreaking partnership. OpenAI made the announcement in the below post. This partnership marks the integration of ChatGPT into Apple’s ecosystem later this year.

This means that there’s no more switching between apps! ChatGPT’s capabilities, including understanding images and documents, will be directly integrated into Apple experiences. Moreover, Siri can now leverage ChatGPT’s intelligence to provide more comprehensive and informative answers to your questions. 

With Google actively introducing AI features in the Pixel line of phones and Samsung getting Google AI onboard Apple had to jump on the trend and it finally did! 

Elon Musk is not happy with Apple x OpenAI partnership 

While this partnership between Apple & OpenAI has delighted Apple fans, Elon Musk has expressed his disapproval of this move. In a post on his X page, he threatened to ban Apple devices if OpenAI was to be integrated at the OS level. He claimed the integration of OpenAI’s technology into Apple devices poses an “unacceptable security violation”. 

Employees and visitors would reportedly need to leave Apple devices in secured locations upon entering company facilities. A thing to remember here is that this announcement came amidst the ongoing legal dispute between Musk and OpenAI. The lawsuit, later dropped, alleged OpenAI strayed from its original mission in favor of profits.

Microsoft bids farewell to Copilot Builder 

Following the popularity of custom GPTs on ChatGPT, Microsoft also announced their custom GPT Builder within Copilot Pro subscriptions. But reportedly they are planning to discontinue this feature very soon. 

The enterprise technology news site The Register shared the below post about this update from Microsoft. 

For a quick background here, the GPT Builder in Copilot Pro allowed users to create customized versions of Copilot GPTs tailored to specific tasks. Based on the current updates, starting July 10, Microsoft will disable the creation of new GPTs. The existing GPTs and associated data will be deleted by July 14.

Yahoo Mail adds AI features for enhanced inbox management 

Tech news website Tech Times shared the below post that delves into some exciting AI updates coming to Yahoo Mail. The suite of new features is designed to streamline your inbox and boost productivity. 

Reportedly, Yahoo Mail now provides concise, bulleted summaries highlighting key points and proposed actions for emails. This feature appears to be very similar to Gmail’s AI summaries but here with a focus on the desktop experience.  The feature is also going to be completely free, unlike Gmail’s paywalled version.

These features are currently rolling out to new Yahoo Mail users in the US. Existing US users will also have the option to opt-in.  Mobile app integration is planned for the near future, ensuring a consistent experience across all devices. 

Apple finally joins the AI league in a big way

Apple Intelligence is undoubtedly one of the most interesting topics on social media this past week. Announced at the WWDC 2024, Apple Intelligence is a suite of AI capabilities that AI is reportedly bringing to their ecosystem. Tim Cook shared the below announcement regarding this on his X page. 

These updates are to be introduced with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. The purpose of Apple Intelligence is to use AI to understand the context and provide better app personalization on Apple devices. 

From writing tools that can summarize text and rewrite content to features that prioritize notifications, image generation, and more, these AI capabilities are to be distributed across various apps and features on compatible Apple devices. 

Google Labs announces a new AI tool GenType 

Google Labs, in a recent post, introduced their new AI-powered creativity tool called GenType. Powered by Imagen 2, GenType particularly focuses on generating creative interpretations of text characters. To use this text effect tool, all you have to do is use text prompts to describe what you would like your alphabet to look like, and it generates unique letters from A to Z.

The tool also lets you fine-tune individual letters and optimize the details before you download them. This experimental tool is free to use as of now. 

Stability AI announces Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

Stability AI announced their latest open-source AI image model, Stable Diffusion 3 Medium. This model is designed to create photorealistic images of exceptional quality and details and minimal eros in typography within designs. 

This model is also touted to be one of their most resource-efficient models capable of running well on standard consumer GPUs without sacrificing performance. Additionally, the model reportedly also understands complex prompts better and faster. 

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

Likes on X are now private 

X recently made likes private on the platform. This means that Likes on other users’ posts are now hidden from everyone except the author. But yes, you can still see your own liked posts. Additionally, the total number of likes on your posts will be visible in notifications.

Reportedly, this change aims to encourage more user engagement and free expression without fear of judgment.

Following this update, Elon Musk shared the below statistic on his page. Reportedly, there has been a drastic increase in the number of likes recorded on the platform ever since they were made private. 

LinkedIn enhances B2B advertising with their Premium Video Ads & AI-powered tools

According to Social Media Today, LinkedIn is adding more features to their ads. This includes the launch of various resourceful AI tools for advertisers. Their AI-powered B2B marketing campaign creation tool, Accelerate, is getting a boost with Microsoft Designer integration. 

Based on these updates, marketers can describe desired ad visuals and get AI-generated options to personalize further. Additionally, “Accelerate” offers improved targeting options and AI recommendations for ad refinement.

Next highlight is the “The Wire” program. This program lets brands run in-stream video ads alongside content from trusted publishers (Barron’s, Bloomberg, etc.). This increases ad reach and gives a massive boost to the ad’s credibility as well.

Meta announces new features on WhatsApp 

If you have been following the KIMP’s Picks series you might remember that Meta has consistently been expanding the scope and features of WhatsApp these past few weeks. And a lot of them have been directed toward business users to enhance their communication with their clients. Here’s another post discussing a fresh set of updates coming to the platform. 

This includes the introduction of a host of Meta AI tools within WhatsApp. Next is the option to conveniently call your favorite businesses on WhatsApp to eliminate the initial friction in business communication. Finally, the Meta Verified status of businesses can also be displayed on their WhatsApp business profile to boost their credibility. 

In other news, to make access to the platform easier and more secure, WhatsApp now lets you log in with email. This means that you can use the app across various devices even when there is no option to send an SMS.

YouTube now supports A/B testing of thumbnails 

The importance of YouTube thumbnails needs no introduction. This could be that one piece of graphic that convinces users to click on your video or scroll past it. To make this critical component of your YouTube video even more effective, YouTube is rolling out A/B testing option for thumbnails. 

The popular YouTube management platform vidIQ posted the below discussion regarding this update coming to YouTube along with some tips to make the most of it. 

This has been one of the most anticipated features on the platform this past year and it has finally arrived. Based on this update, channel managers with “Advanced Features” can upload and test up to 3 thumbnail variations per video. The platform will show these thumbnails to viewers and pick the one that generates the most watch time.

This helps creators optimize their thumbnails for better click-through rates and audience growth. 

Time to Bid Adieu 

That’s all we have for the KIMP’s Picks 14th June Edition. We hope these snippets gave you a quick refresher on the week that was. We know how overwhelming it gets to stay on top of all the social media discussions and the tech world updates. That’s why we curate this list of trending posts and shareworthy content just for you. So, if you would like to hear about all the developments from this coming week, stay tuned and we’ll be back with another KIMP’s Picks Edition. Until then, keep exploring and stay curious! 

Posted On

14 Jun, 2024

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