We gathered interesting news (and opinions) for this week’s Sunday Rundown #6.
We need MESH education
Our first news on Sunday Rundown #6 is an opinion from Tim Wise regarding the lack of MESH education.
STEM education is vital to helping us solve many social problems. But without an equal commitment to comprehensive civics education, all the technical know-how in the world will be for naught. Tim Wise suggest a renewed focus on MESH education, which stands for Media Literacy, Ethics, Sociology and History. Because if these are not given equal attention, we would end up with incredibly bright and technically proficient people who lack all capacity for democratic citizenship.
We lack the media literacy to filter out the propaganda peddled by the fossil fuel industry and the politicians who do their bidding. We need the ethical grounding to weigh our long-term obligations to future generations against the short term costs of transitioning to renewable energy and rethinking current patterns of consumption and production. There is absence of sociological imagination that is needed to analyze the power dynamics that make polluting industries so powerful, and the historical memory that might allow us to learn from past struggles against corporate irresponsibility as we fight for a healthier future.
Wise says that the future of the nation and the world depends on an engaged, informed, and critically-thinking population. That means we need more than just STEM, more than technological advances, and more than high standardized test scores. We need MESH and civic competence as well.
Instagram tips for maximising on-platform efforts
This week, Instagram has published a set of platform pointers and notes. These will help marketers produce better, more resonant Instagram content, and build a stronger presence. Here are some of the top highlights which will help point you in the right direction for your Instagram content.
First off, Instagram has provided a new set of tips for image composition, which include some simple, yet valuable, notes on maximizing your visual presentation. Those will help get you thinking on how to create more stand out, impactful Instagram visuals.
Meanwhile, Instagram has also provided notes on holiday campaign planning, including a content calendar template for mapping out your campaign approach (you can download the template here).
Instagram has also provided a set of tips on how to sell products on the platform, which includes pointers for new product launches. There is a range of variables that will impact the effectiveness of each element here. But these are some good pointers, which could help you plan out a better approach. All in order to build and maximise your Instagram brand presence.
Snapchat launches ‘Dynamic Ads’
The last news on Sunday Rundown #6 is for all of you using Snapchat for marketing.
Snapchat has launched a new ‘Dynamic Ads’ option which will essentially create your Snap ads for you based on your uploaded product catalog. The system will then display your products to relevant audiences as it sees fit. Snap’s Dynamic Ads will use built-in templates to create variations of different Snap ads in vertical view format. Advertisers will be able to choose from various templates, which will guide Snap’s systems in building the relevant ads. You then select an audience for prospecting or re-engagement, and then enable Snap’s system to deliver your ads in real-time.
The process will make it easier for more brands to advertise on Snap. It takes the hassle out of not only the creative process, but also with respect to updating your listings. If you want to keep your campaigns running all the time, because they are driving great results, you just maintain your data flow through to Snap and its systems will keep running your ads with the latest, relevant info.
Bonus links
Thanks for taking the time to read our Sunday Rundown #6. If you have a story that you want to see in this series, reply to us below or contact us.