New and inventive uses of text messaging in 2020 — In a year when nearly all means of communication went virtual, one medium stood out against the noise. Text messaging, a technology that’s been around for nearly 30 years, appeared in a number of new and inventive uses in 2020, even before the pandemic. What was once simple lines of…

Studio71 helps creators do what they do best by supporting the talent behind the mic — 2020 has been a big year for podcasts. In a year where everyone’s routines were interrupted, the reliability of podcasts as a source of entertainment and escape has proven especially valuable. When other mediums like TV shows, movies, and books lagged behind the day-to-day reality of life during lockdown, podcasts…

The 2020s are focused on Gen Z, and TikTok is the medium for financial wisdom — The internet has led to the democratization of knowledge in a number of areas, from beauty to home improvement to cooking. In recent years, another arena in which people have turned to YouTube and, more recently, social media, for guidance is personal finance. According to a recent report in Bloomberg…

Brands focus on offering a different kind of experiential product ahead of more upcoming time indoors — As we prepare for hygge season stateside, brands looking to capitalize on all that inside time have fixated on the ultimate consumable good for cozy days and nights: candles. While high-end candles have existed for decades (French brand Diptyque has been making them since 1968), the public appetite for luxurious…

Shoppable content makes it that much easier to buy things from your couch — Earlier this month, One Platform Commerce, NBCU’s initiative for shoppable TV, announced a partnership with PayPal. And this week, just in time for the holiday shopping season, NBC ran a two-hour shopping special on “Today All Day,” Peacock’s dedicated streaming channel for its tentpole morning show. This is a particularly…

Dynamic advertising allows platforms to rely on subscriptions — Last week, Spotify bought Megaphone, one of the biggest podcast advertising and hosting platforms, for $235 million. It’s been a busy year for Spotify, so you may have missed this one and its significance. In 2019, Spotify acquired Anchor, a creation and hosting platform, and Gimlet, a production company. Megaphone…

In a year marked by uncertainty and misinformation, documentaries have come to fill an important need. — Documentaries educate, entertain and reveal the workings and motivations beneath the gloss of famous figures and events. At a cultural moment where behind-the-scenes coverage is preferential to a perfectly manicured facade (see Instagram, YouTube, the whole of TikTok), documentaries offer us a way into topics that’s easy to digest. Of…

The live-streaming platform broadens its self-definition to include all kinds of creators and content. — The last few months have been big for gaming. Perhaps you’ve heard? It’s also been a time of growing popularity for live streaming, which has allowed industries and the personalities that drive them to connect directly with audiences from a social distance. In the midst of this craving for virtual…

The short-form video app plans to shut down in December — Quibi was founded on the belief that people need, want, and are willing to pay for high-production value, short-form content that’s viewable on a mobile screen. Six months later, that idea hasn’t played out. In December, the app will be shutting down, taking with it millions of dollars in investment…