After 50 years since premiering, Sesame Street’s core mission remains unchanged. But when it comes to structure, storytelling, and distribution in the digital age, the show’s creators have actively embraced change. In particular, the brand’s YouTube channel has proven critical in the company’s search to find a balance between short- and long-form content, with the advantage of viewer data and a place for adult Sesame Street fans to consume content, nostalgically or otherwise.
Instagram is yet again taking on one of its competitors, this time it is TikTok. Instagram is launching a video-music remix feature letting users make 15-second video clips and share them as Stories, with the potential to go viral on a new Top Reels section of Explore. Similar to TikTok, users can soundtrack their “Reels” with a wide variety of music, or borrow the audio from someone else’s video to create a remix.
Apple is stepping into augmented reality (AR) with plans to release its first headset in 2022, followed by a pair of AR glasses in 2023. The headset has AR and VR capabilities, uses external cameras to map a user’s surroundings, and has a high-resolution display to show information and blend virtual objects with the real world. The device is reported to look like a slimmer version of the Oculus Quest.
A recent report showed that the total digital ad spend for the first six months of 2019 equaled to $57.9 billion, which is 17% more compared to the first six months of 2018. But it seems like there’s been a shift in the area since this year’s ad spend is slightly lower compared to the second half of 2018. With what looks like a downward trend and a sudden drop in the speed of growth, might indicate a change in the advertising industry.