Together with
A.Irony. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, Future Party people. And if there was ever a reason to drink today, it may be this: Remember back in January when major layoffs hit Microsoft? Well, it turns out some of those impacted were actually part of its AI ethics team. Despite plans to double down on ChatGPT and expand its AI product suite this year, the company let go of the people responsible for managing its risks. Whoops.
In other news… TikTok’s CEO heads to Capitol Hill, Gen Z likes it bright, and ad buyers strike gold with video podcasts.
Top Trends
YouTube → BlackBerry
Twitter → Shadow and Bone
Google → Evil Dead Rise
Reddit → Stop Making Sense
TikTok → “Can We Kiss Forever” - Bepo
Spotify → “I Miss Strangers” - Death Cab for Cutie
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TECHNOLOGY
TikTok’s tied up // Illustration by Kate Walker
Does banning TikTok even matter?
The Future. The news is out: the Biden administration is demanding that ByteDance sell TikTok or risk the app getting banned in the country. TikTok doesn’t plan on accepting either option without a fight (especially since it’s unlikely China will let it sell with its algorithm intact). Despite the company’s signals that it’s not the best time to do so, TikTok may have no choice but to IPO to bring more structural transparency to its operations and wrest it from overall Chinese control.
Cut the cordHere’s the state of play on TikTok staying on roughly 100 million Americans’ phones.
TikTok doesn’t like those options. CEO Shou Zi Chew says that the US can achieve the same protection from Chinese interference if it just approves the deal it’s been negotiating with CFIUS, which would ringfence US operations from ByteDance.
The White House isn’t buying it. Officials point to a 2017 Chinese law that forces companies to share user data with Beijing for national security purposes. Also, the FBI and DOJ are investigating ByteDance for using TikTok to spy on Americans.
Now Congress has the baton. Two bipartisan bills are working their way through Congress that would either give the White House or the Secretary of Commerce the authority to ban TikTok. Both parties are concerned about Chinese influence on the app.
Chew will get the opportunity to plead his case to the House Energy and Commerce Committee next Thursday.
Just a matter of timeSo, the big question: is the US government right to be worried about TikTok? Well…
Forbes found that US citizens were spied on by ByteDance using TikTok, and Chinese state media used TikTok accounts to attack certain politicians before the last midterms.
BuzzFeed News found that ByteDance “pushed pro-China messaging to US users of another (now-defunct) app.”
And we can’t forget to mention that the overall relationship between the US and China is frosty right now — the existence of TikTok in America is just one of the battlefields.
CULTURE
Gen Z has a color scheme
The Future. Gen Z seems to really be into bold, bright colors that capture a nostalgia for a pre-modern tech past and an ironic hope for the future. Why does it matter? The pops of color overtook social media and are starting to be created for every Gen-Z-facing product on the market… reinforcing the cycle of Gen-Z attachment. If you want to know what’s about to trend in culture, knowing your colors may be a good starting point.
Color forceEvery generation has a generalized color scheme (pastels of the 50s, neons of the 80s), reports FastCompany… and Gen Z is breaking out the crayon box to make their mark on this decade.
Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute, says that Gen Z likes primary colors that reflect a sunnier outlook on life — though we think that’s meant ironically.
Instead, those pops of color could be a subconscious nostalgia for a simpler time — one that they may have never lived.
They are also influenced by a sort of “techno-nostalgia” that ironically co-opts a stereotypical look of the 90s — a time before social media.
When it comes to darker hues, Caroline Guilbert, head of creative content at Coloro, says that they “elicit the vibrancy and vastness of the cosmos,” leaning into their curiosity about astrology and mysticism.
Meta huesBut most importantly, the most popular colors somehow travel between the physical and digital worlds, mirroring how Gen Zers’ lives are split the same way. That’s why Pantone’s Color of the Year is “Viva Magenta,” aka “Magentaverse.”
And for you color forecasters out there, “Cyber Lime” is expected to be huge next year.
TOGETHER WITH OCEANS
Oceans Profile: Tehani
Oceans is the best solution for founders and executives who want to hire talented assistants, sales, marketing, and finance professionals from the global talent pool. These rockstars allow start-ups and small businesses to scale at 50-70% less than US market rates.
Let’s take a look at Tehani, a real-life Oceans EA+:
Mount Holyoke College (BA in Economics)
University College London (MA in Education)
Tehani spent several years working at the World Bank in DC
Lead ops and marketing for NCUK after moving back to Sri Lanka
She’s been praised for her raw intelligence, drive, and curiosity by previous employers
Price: $3,250/month
As you can see, Oceans white-glove outsourcing service is a great resource for improving your business, keeping costs down, and taking your workforce global.
MARKETING
Friends with the brand // Illustration by Kate Walker
Advertisers get ready for the rise of video podcasts
The Future. With Spotify doubling down on video podcasts and YouTube already being a powerhouse for the format, marketers are shifting for the video revolution of audio. But with video comes the need to actually look presentable on camera, which may reduce the number of shows marketers can advertise on.
Look at this audioDan Granger, CEO of audio ad agency Oxford Road, calls the advertisers’ pivot to video podcasting a “little mini gold rush.”
Industry execs say that video podcasting gives brands more opportunities to capitalize because audiences can… you know… see, and hear.
Specifically, it allows for things like “unboxings, product placement, and brand logos,” according to Horizon Media’s VP, Maria Tullin.
But Granger says it can also be “as simple as having a Coke can on the table near a podcast host during a recording of an interview show.” Good ‘ole product placement.
And since so many video podcasts are produced as livestreams, marketers are looking to treat them the same way they would advertising on Twitch — weaving the brand in more organically with the host or sponsoring a stream and then attaching ads to clips that are put up on socials.
Basically, the more sense available to audiences, the more ways they can be advertised to.
Future Forecast
For those of you who like to stay a step ahead, here are a few things we’re excited about right now
Stuff we’re watching. In the wake of everyone’s favorite mother/father figure, Pedro Pascal, going off the air, we know you’re all clamoring for the next thing to latch onto. You can engross yourself in the latest Vanderpump scandal, heal your heart with Ted Lasso, solve crimes with Natasha Leone or get therapy with Jason Segal. But, in light of St Patrick’s Day, we think you should settle in with Bad Sisters, Derry Girls, Normal People or, of course, Banshees of Inisherin. Sláint
Album we’re vibing. Yes, this album came out a year ago but what is time anyway. Carrtoons’ newest album, Homegrown is a turn toward classic soul with a modern Motown feel. It’s chill vibes with an infusion of punchy jazz. Maybe our mood is reflective of the fact that it’s been raining in LA for four months, but this album is gloomy and hopeful at the same time. And we love it.
Newsletter we’re reading. Everyone is obsessed with data. But what’s the story behind it? Chartr will tell you. They’re a free visual newsletter filled with fine-looking charts and easy-to-remember insights that break down the numbers behind business, tech, and entertainment news. It’s one of our favorite new reads - check it out here and get all the data deets.
Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Microsoft gets a Copilot
Goodbye, Clippy. With Microsoft's significant investment in OpenAI, it was only a matter of time before the company’s Office suite of apps got the ChatGPT makeover. Yesterday, the company introduced Copilot, which can help users draft docs, emails, presentations, gather information for an upcoming Teams meeting, and anything else that you would rather not have to do yourself anyway. By Microsoft’s admission, it won’t do everything perfectly, but it’ll at least do the heavy lifting for you… or at least for the 20 people it's currently being tested with.
Read more → theverge
Gen Z kisses dating apps goodbye
While Millennials gladly (begrudgingly) suffered through the chaos that is swipe-based online dating, Gen Z is putting down the phone. What’s the latest innovation in dating? Dating in your friends’ group. The Survey Center on American Life found that 43% of people between 18 and 29 were friends with someone before they started dating, which rises to 50% for women. In comparison, only 21% of people over 65 said they were friends with their spouse before dating. Maybe Gen Z is ending our preference for dating strangers. It’s good to be in the friend zone.
Read more → insider
Tubi rises up the Nielsen ratings FAST
The Fox-owned FAST platform Tubi is catching on with audiences, having secured a spot on the Nielsen chart — the second FAST platform to do so and the ninth streamer overall. The milestone comes as Tubi captured 1% of all TV viewership in February (Pluto captured .7%). Even with every streamer introducing an ad tier, the ad-supported platforms are rising.
Read more → thr
Sustainable buildings want you to look out the water
Everyone’s trying to design buildings more eco-friendly, and researchers out of the University of Toronto may have found a novel addition. The team created what they’re calling “liquid windows,” which puts three channels of fluid — either water, alcohol, or oil — between the typical two panes of glass. The liquid can then be pumped in and out to control the amount, color, and dispersion of sunlight into the room… all while saving 40% on energy costs.
Read more → fastcompany
If you need an office, there are a lot of offices
The office apocalypse is upon us. According to Moody’s Analytics, the top 50 metros in the US now have an office vacancy of 18.8%. That’s the highest vacancy rate since the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s. Well, if companies are looking to cut costs, getting rid of unused real estate is better than laying off workers.
Read more → axios
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Today's email was brought to you by David Vendrell.Edited by Nick Comney. Publishing by Sara Kitnick.