Do you remember Baywatch? Gorgeous ladies running in slow motion, humble heroes with abs of steel and bulletproof hairdos, yes, that’s the one.
It was entertaining, even funny at times, and it featured everybody’s idol, David Hasselhoff. But it was faker that fake. Too much of everything. So we went back to a simpler life, with real problems and real kids (supposedly), and came up with Dawson’s Creek. Still fake, but closer to reality.
Every ten years, more or less, we need to go back to the tabula rasa, to start everything again. The latest video sensation, “Fotoshop by Adobé” (1.6 million views in two days), is about the fact that we are a bit fed up with fake perfection and erased wrinkles.
Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
This applies to almost everything, from food to archtecture; from now on customers, followers and users expect less fake smiles, and more useful and relevant content and engagement.
Less gurus, ninjas and druids, more real deals.
From SocialMediaDouchebag.net (SMDB): ‘Do you want to learn how to use Web 2.0 Social Media to become a millionaire overnight? How would you like to increase your Twitter followers by eleventy-billion in 3.68 seconds? Do you want to use Twitter to make a gazillion dollars through affiliate marketing and multi-level marketing schemes? Do you use the term “Twitter Coach” to describe yourself?’
Laughs aside, it is easier to find a social media guru than a decent pub, nowadays.
A few hours ago, Forbes published an interesting article, in which the author claims that ‘Many of those who started participating in the space before, say, 2007, recognized that understanding social media isn’t about slapping a ridiculous moniker on your Twitter account or boasting that you’re the “177th Most Influential Person Online” according to Muppets Hairstyles Monthly Magazine. It’s about understanding human beings, how individuals consume media, what drives us, what amuses us, what speaks to us. And the reality is the answer to any of those questions is highly complex and differs from person to person.’
The age of “Maturialism”.
The Independent defined “Maturialism”, or mature-materialism, as a phenomenon that ‘relates to the growing numbers of consumers who are experienced, less easily shocked, more outspoken and are appreciative of brands or products that are a little rude or risqué.’
Hopefully, brands will realise this, and will appear more human and photoshopped than they did until now.
The future of Facebook.
The guys at FutureofFacebook.com interviewed several futurists and technologists (watch the videos here); one of them, Gerd Leonhard, founder of Green Futurist and author of The Future of Content, argues that ‘Facebook has a bright future’, as long as it can stay ‘human and open’. According to Leonhard, Facebook already rivals Google for influence and significance, and will reach the competitor in terms of revenues within three years. The main challenge Facebook will face is user fatigue, as it is becoming too chaotic and changes as often as does the weather in London. Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, claims that Facebook is trying to take over the Web (and then maybe the universe), while it should go the opposite way: ‘They should open up their APIs and focus on being the world's wholesale social graph platform and allow other players to innovate on the consumer front end.’
Get human, get real, then.
London Web Agency Appnova – keep following us on Twitter @appnova and “like” us on Facebook for useful news and tasteful digressions about geeky stuff.