Need help creating your brand's social media designs? Get KIMP!

KIMP’s Picks 3rd November: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

As the week comes to a close and we sail into the weekend, it’s only natural to wonder what happened on social media while you were busy with life. Did the tech companies and rising AI startups make any big announcements this week? Are there any new social media features and algorithm updates that you should be prepared for? Well, wonder no more! The KIMP’s Picks 3rd November Edition is here.

Whether you’re in search of content inspiration, marketing insights, or simply eager to catch up on the latest buzz, there’s a little something for everyone here. Ready to take a look at a quick recap from the social media world? Let’s dive right in!

In the Marketing Realm 

Google’s thoughtful way to celebrate Native American Heritage Month

In a positive step towards promoting Indigenous businesses in the U.S., Google is now allowing businesses to self-identify as Indigenous-owned on both Search and Google Maps. This move aims to facilitate the discovery and support of Indigenous communities and their enterprises.

This change not only promotes awareness but also encourages consumers to make informed choices while supporting Indigenous-owned establishments. Google announced this in the below post. 

This is a good example that shows how valuable it is to know your social media holidays and plan your content and marketing strategies around them. 

What YouTube has to say about using AI to optimize your video campaigns 

Did you know that AI-powered video campaigns can yield up to 3.7 times the ROI of manually optimized campaigns? Well, that’s just one of the observations from the research conducted by YouTube and NCS Solutions about the use of AI in video campaigns. YouTube highlighted this observation in the below post and also featured an article that delves into the results. 

From doubling sales to increasing the ROAS and bringing in new buyers, AI-powered YouTube campaigns reportedly yielded better results in many ways. 

Walmart’s Black Friday ad for 2023 is so “fetch” 

When you wish to communicate better with your audience, talk in a language they understand well. That’s one reason why brands take pop-culture references. These references help them connect better with fans and thus build a more humanized reputation for themselves. Walmart has become a recent social media sensation for brilliantly executing this idea. 

Take a look at the below Black Friday commercial and you’ll understand what we mean. 

Brilliantly tapping into the cult following of ‘Mean Girls,’ Walmart reunited the iconic cast in a recent commercial. This strategic move leveraged nostalgia, driving strong emotional connections and high engagement. Walmart’s ‘Mean Girls’ reunion ad has created a significant online buzz, enhancing their Black Friday promotions. To add more depth to the campaign, Walmart has also updated its logo to a pink and sparkly one. 

Do influencers really influence consumers? 

A recent Statista survey answers this question. Take a look at the infographic that Statista shared. This infographic summarizes the real impact of influencers on consumer purchase behavior. 

To sum it up, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of shoppers who have reportedly purchased something influenced by their favorite social media influencers. So, if you are still contemplating the significance of influencer marketing, the data here is a good answer. 

Leveraging topical themes for your seasonal campaigns 

Seasonal marketing has its own benefits. But how do you stand out when almost every business in your segment seems to be running campaigns and posting content focused on the holidays in the picture? By leveraging topical themes. The below post from Ads of Brands highlights this crucial point.

Ads of Brands is a great source of inspiration if you are looking for new and creative campaigns from brands around the world. They highlighted a recent ad from Burger King France in the below post. 

As can be seen, the ad is a collection of spooky AI-generated images that remind you of the distorted faces and physical features that AI tools were once generating. Things have changed a lot in recent months but leveraging on the AI theme which is the hottest topic of discussion in recent times, is a brilliant move. 

Amazon’s engaging campaign is all about user experience 

This next post also highlights a campaign that capitalizes on a topical theme. The below campaign from Amazon is moment marketing at its finest. 

On performing a search as mentioned in the above post you’ll see the adorable Trolls movie characters take over your screen. This campaign is a nod to the upcoming Trolls Band Together movie.

Source 

This campaign from Amazon shows how you can use the simplest of UI elements like your search bar to deliver memorable surprises to your audience. 

The need for continuous innovation and reinvention in branding 

Several brands make the mistake of innovating and rethinking their branding strategies only when things go wrong. However, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski feels that these are important even when a brand is performing well. Marketing Week, an online publication of marketing news shared the below post highlighting some insights shared by Chris Kempczinski.

The post talks about McDonald’s strategies for continuously improving their digital presence and their efforts to keep up with changing customer preferences. The post also highlights some of  the successful multi-channel campaigns from the brand and how they have helped boost the McDonald’s brand image. 

What to expect from holiday spending this year? 

Some brands are just rolling out their holiday campaigns and some are wrapping up their strategies. At such a crucial time, the National Retail Federation (NRF) shared the below post discussing the holiday shopping trends to anticipate this year. 

According to NRF, holiday spending is likely to increase by about 3% to 4% this year which means a good opportunity for brands to explore. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

Google wants you to create people-focused content 

SEO is definitely a driving force for any brand’s digital presence. However, focusing too much on Search and ignoring the real people for whom the content is intended will be a huge mistake. That’s the point Google communicates through its post here. 

This post underscores the importance of prioritizing the audience’s needs and interests over optimizing content solely for search engines. It encourages creators to focus on creating content that benefits the audience rather than fixating on search engine requirements. Summing up, it emphasizes a people-first approach in content creation.

Are you creating journalistic content to engage your audience? 

Marketing expert and CEO of Marketing Insider Group, Michael Brenner shared the below post discussing the significance of journalistic content.

The post also highlights some tips for creating journalistic content like understanding the target audience, using catchy headlines, using a good mix of evergreen and time-sensitive content, and others. 

In the Design Realm 

Google adds new non-text variable fonts 

Typography is a vast realm and besides the traditional text fonts, there are various non-text variable fonts that designers use. Google announced the addition of two new variable fonts featuring waveforms and lines in the below post. 

This is your reminder to expand your horizons and explore unconventional styles like variable fonts when experimenting with typography in your design projects. 

Have you tried Canva Magic Studio? 

If you haven’t used Canva Magic Studio already, this post is sure to convince you. Canva shared the below video giving a sneak peek into one of the features that were introduced as a part of the Canva Magic Studio bundle. 

Magic Media is Canva’s AI-powered tool to generate images and videos from text prompts, in seconds. This is one of the many useful additions that Canva has introduced in order to enhance the design process on the platform. 

Adobe’s Text to Vector Graphic feature

If you regularly design on Adobe tools you know that there has been a huge lineup of new features introduced in them. The Text to Vector Graphic feature is one of the most useful ones announced at the creativity conference, Adobe Max. if you haven’t had a chance to explore the new introductions, the below video gives a glimpse of this feature. 

Packaging design insights

UX Collective is a popular design publication focused on UX-related insights and inspiration. They shared the below post discussing Japanese food packaging design in detail. 

In summary, packaging goes beyond the graphics on it. It is about creating memorable experiences. The post discusses the little details that make Japanese packaging stand out – like the unique opening experience they deliver to the incorporation of storytelling in packaging design. The article featured here is packed with design inspiration for creatives looking to elevate their packaging design projects. 

A no-nonsense visual system for branding 

Renowned graphic design resource, The  Brand Identity, shared the below post highlighting the new brand identity design for Kassa, a new home loan offering. 

As can be seen in the video and the article featured, the design centers around a box. This reflects the literal meaning of Kassa (which means box) and also the brand’s inclusivity. The idea was to create a simple adaptable design and this design achieves that effectively. This shows that even with minimalistic themes you can still create impactful brand designs. 

In the AI Realm 

The power of AI in Microsft tools 

Microsoft’s Copilot is an anticipated launch and it’s all set to revamp the way you use Microsft tools like Excel, PowerPoint and more. Tech and AI educator, Paul Couvert shared the below post delving into the AI capabilities in these Microsoft tools. The thread gives an overview of the kind of features to look out for once Copilot is made widely available to more users. 

GPT 4 updates you should know about 

Rowan Cheung, founder of The Rundown AI, a popular AI newsletter, shared the below post summarizing all the GPT 4 updates introduced recently. From including PDF documents in your chats to switching between various tools on ChatGPT without switching between chats, the post takes a deep dive into some of the most useful feature updates on GPT 4. 

Shiksha is Microsoft’s next big leap in AI 

Given the increase in the use of technology in classrooms today, Microsoft has taken the next big step with its recent AI venture called Shiksha. Shiksha copilot is currently a research project intended to create a virtual assistant to help teachers with various classroom activities. From providing them with online resources for finding information to help them in assessment planning and grading, the project aims at leveraging AI in various ways to enhance a teacher’s work in a classroom. 

Extensions to elevate the experience with Bard 

Bard has evolved leaps and bounds from the time it was introduced and now Google is taking it to the next level with Extensions. Extensions are meant to allow you to integrate Bard into your everyday Google applications like Gmail, Google Maps, and others. The below post and the video featured in it give a quick snapshot of the kind of tasks you will be able to achieve with the introduction of Extensions for Bard. 

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

Similar posts on X 

To encourage more users to sign up for a paid Premium subscription, X has been rolling out several small exclusive updates. Next in line is the Similar Posts feature. X News Daily, a dedicated online resource that covers all X-related news extensively shared the below post discussing this update for Premium users. The aim of this feature is to personalize the experience for users by delivering content related to what they are browsing. 

Meta launches new tools for Reels creators 

Reels are a great way for creators and brands to engage their audience effectively. Meta recently announced the introduction of several new features on Reels in the below post. One of them is the Reels A/B testing tool to test content, identify any gaps, and understand what kind of content receives the intended response. Another is the Achievements hub to track your progress and find out more ways to grow on Facebook. 

Like these updates coming to Reels on Facebook, there are some to look out for on Instagram Reels as well. The next post talks about these updates. 

Instagram has some Reels updates too 

Instagram also announced that creators will be able to gain access to more detailed insights for their Reels. This includes the segregation of metrics like Plays, Replays, and Initial Plays. This comes in addition to the other recent features like Watch Time, Follows, and Average Watch Time. All these updates are meant to make it easier for creators to understand what works in their Reels strategies and thus enhance their approach for better reach and performance. 

Shopping features on YouTube 

YouTube is revamping YouTube Shopping just in time for the holidays. In August, YouTube announced that clickable links on Shorts would soon be discontinued. If you are a content creator who relies on YouTube videos to introduce shopping links and tag products, you can not achieve this with long-form videos. 

Just in time for the holiday season when product recommendations and therefore product tags in videos tend to increase YouTube has announced a set of new features for better shopping experiences. This includes adding timestamps to the product links, bulk tagging of affiliate products, and an increase in the useful insights on affiliate links.  

LinkedIn is bringing generative AI tools to simplify processes for job-seekers 

Reuters shared the below post emphasizing two crucial updates from LinkedIn. 

The first update is that LinkedIn recently reached 1 billion members. The introduction of several new updates including many AI-powered features has been a major contributor to the platform’s growth in recent times. 

In our previous KIMP’s Picks edition, we spoke about Collaborative posts being a major traffic driver for LinkedIn. Now as another major step in its AI-powered offerings, LinkedIn is planning to incorporate AI into job seekers’ experiences within the platform. 

This feature coming to paid members on the platform will help improve job search by allowing users to understand whether they would be a good fit for a particular role. Reportedly, users will also get recommendations on possible changes to make to their profiles to make the profiles more attractive to hiring companies. 

Time to Draw the Curtain 

As we wrap up today’s blog, we trust you’ve found our curated selection of social media posts both enjoyable and informative. We hope these insights have sparked your creativity for the content you wish to create in the upcoming week, as well as provided a glimpse of what to anticipate in the weeks ahead. With that, we bid you farewell for now and look forward to returning next week with fresh posts and another recap to keep you in the loop. Until then, happy creating! 

Share This Post
FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestLinkedInEmail
Posted On

03 Nov, 2023

Related Posts
KIMP’s Picks 28th March: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
28 Mar, 2025
Read More
KIMP’s Picks 21st March: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
21 Mar, 2025
Read More