1. Curiosity Stop:
The Social Innovation Roundup
April 2016

2. CURIOSITY STOP
‘Social Thinking’ is understanding how and why people communicate, and using this insight to
provide value for our clients. This understanding is an ongoing passion project for the agency.
Our global team of 550 keep a keen eye out for intriguing changes in the social landscape. We
take the best of these innovations and compile them in the monthly
Curiosity Stop.
You’ll see some examples which prove our social trendspotting, and others which indicate what
might happen next. But if you look really closely, you might catch a glimpse into the future of
how and why we use social.

3. Curiosity Stop >
April
Sometimes we hear that emotions are being lost in the digital
age. That technology which is supposed to make us feel more
connected, actually ends up getting in the way of real socialising
- thus making us feel more alone. With this month's Curiosity
Stop, we discover innovations which disprove this notion.
Here at We Are Social, we believe in the power of people - not
platforms or technology. We aim to generate ideas which are
inspired by an understanding of people's social behaviours. We
call this ‘social thinking’, because when people come together
great things can happen.
Read on, and you’ll discover a new service for booking a sexy
weekend away, a device for reaching your friends in one easy
touch, and a digital-meets-IRL way to find your perfect match.
We bet you’re feeling more connected already.
Lise Pinnell
Head of Strategy, London, We Are Social

4. 1: The Internet of Social Things
The idea of sharing your house, your bed and your
bathroom with a stranger would have been
unimaginable a few years ago. But AirBnB changed
that, and it’s now worth billions. AirBnB gave us the
capacity to share objects that previously we had to
own.
The Internet of Social Things is a trend which is
seeing us becoming happier to share everyday
objects socially through our smartphones. Bikes,
umbrellas - nothing is safe...

5. Booking your kinky vacation has never
been this easy. Open your doors to
@KinkBNB.
The Internet of Social Things >
KinkBNB
What’s it all about?
Airbnb just got kinky. KinkBNB is a sex positive homesharing
community, where you can book all your upcoming (s)
excapades.
The home-sharing website allows lovers to book their next
kinky vacation, without the added stress of waking up the
neighbours. Similar to Airbnb, it provides all the usual
amenities, with the added twist of sex aids available. We’re
talking anything from toys to purpose-built rooms. Mr Grey
would be in heaven.
The bigger picture
We’re seeing a trend of disruptive technologies spurring
on niche copycats. In the same way Tinder has inspired
an army of dating apps, Airbnb is creating a subculture
of niche accommodation services. Bud+Breakfast is
still a fave.
CLICK TO TWEET:

6. 2: Wearable Social
The forecasted wearable device market value
for 2018 is $13Bn. We are entering a world of
“Wearable Social” where movement,
heartbeats and emojis are a new form of
social language.

7. Wearable Social >
Onyx
What’s it all about?
Onyx is a walkie talkie for the digital age. Twist the
wearable until you hit the person or group you want to talk
to, like your family or a set of colleagues, and then simply
speak. Said squad will be listening on their own Onyxes.
You can give group members verbal updates without them
having to fumble for their phone (don’t worry, they can
twist to mute), and easily share your location if you want to
meet up. And all with the touch of one button! Simples.
The bigger picture
Most smartwatch manufacturers assumed that users
wanted as many smartphone features on their watch
as possible. We’re seeing an uptake in simple, reduced-
functionality wearables which do one thing
well and don’t cost hundreds of pounds.
CLICK TO TWEET:
Step into the future with Onyx Clip, the
newest wearable tech. Click, twist and
chat; practical AND fashionable.

8. 3: Big Social Data
Say ‘Big Data’ out loud and everyone within
six feet will know you work in marketing. But
Big Data is often misunderstood and misused.
The ‘Big Social Data’ trend is seeing smart
brands mine conversations on social to help
them create products and services their
audiences really want - in real time.

9. Love at first … light? @SkolBeats have
made masks which match you based
on your Facebook profile.
Big Social Data >
Baile de Máscaras Skol Beats
What’s it all about?
Masquerade balls are just so 15th century. Nowadays
they’re more V for Vendetta than Venetian masks. Skol
Beats set out to change this. It’s taking masquerade
masks to the next level, by incorporating a colour-based
match system. After syncing Facebook profiles, the
masks connected potential suitors at Rio Music Carnival
by lighting up green if the pair had a lot in common, and
red if they didn’t. And who said romance is dead?
The masks add a technological twist and interactive
layer to the Carnival, bringing strangers together.
The bigger picture
We recently went to the brilliant Virtually Dead - think
Secret Cinema meets VR. A digital/real world crossover
at live events will soon be the standard.
CLICK TO TWEET:

10. 4: Voyeurism 2.0
When social media went mainstream it was
exciting to connect with friends, colleagues
and old school pals online. But once that
novelty wore off, we started to look further
afield.
We’ve developed a taste for peering over
the garden fence into the intimate lives of
others.

11. Voyeurism 2.0 >
Follower
What’s it all about?
Ever felt like someone was watching you? Tracing
your every step? Well, if you’re into that sort of stuff,
Follower offers just that. The app gives users their
very own stalker for the day.
Follower works by assigning you a stranger who
must surreptitiously follow you, providing a photo
of their ‘stalkee’ as proof. Despite the disconcerting
premise, Follower doesn’t seem to have a dark side.
Just a no-hassle, unseen stalker.
The bigger picture
We can’t see Facebook rolling this out as service
anytime soon, but we can expect to see more
creative ideas that provoke us into reconsidering
the changing nature of our relationship with
technology.
CLICK TO TWEET:
Do you crave the sinister sensation of
being followed? Welcome Follower;
your personal, unseen, hassle-free
stalker.

12. Voyeurism 2.0 >
Being
What’s it all about?
Being allows you to browse your Instagram as
anyone, whether it it’s your BFF or Beyoncé
(definitely Beyoncé).
The app pulled together the users someone
followed, then recreated their news feed for the
perusal of others. So, for example, a Being user
could have ‘been’ Beyoncé, and viewed all the
people she follows (all zero of them). I use past
tense because just eight days after launching,
Instagram blocked API (application programming
interface) access. Sneaky!
The bigger picture
This example reinforces the view that we have an
insatiable appetite for peering through each other’s
digital letterboxes. How can your brand use this?
CLICK TO TWEET:
Fed-up of being you? Being app
allowed you to see life through the eyes
(newsfeed) of whoever your heart
desired.

13. 5: Community Commerce
Community Commerce is where positive
behaviour, social and finance collide. We are
starting to see communities rally around
common causes for good, with positive
financial outcomes for all involved.

14. Community Commerce >
Reach across the aisle
What’s it all about?
JetBlue recently invited 150 unsuspecting
passengers to ‘Reach across the aisle,’ with the
chance to win a free round-trip flight. The catch?
All 150 passengers had to unanimously decide on
their destination.
In a tongue-in-cheek rebuke of the American
political environment, the turbulent video shows
that if we compromise, all parties can win. That said,
Trump wasn’t on this particular flight.
The bigger picture
Brands doing ‘social’ isn’t just about posting on
social networks, it’s about understanding how we
relate to each other. JetBlue have tapped into a
social insight to produce a unique piece of content -
that has a lot of people talking about the brand.
CLICK TO TWEET:
40,000 ft, 150 passengers and countless
free @JetBlue tickets. The catch? They
must unanimously agree where to go.

15. 6: Social Currency
It’s been said that the internet is made of cats.
While that’s not entirely true, social media got
a bad name for its propensity to share feline
footage. But this has changed - now you can
buy a mortgage on WeChat. Some people
trust sending payments and talking about it
publicly on social. It’s time to reappraise social
as a cat meme dumping ground and get
onboard with the new economics of Social
Currency.

16. Social Currency >
Snapchat Robo-advisor
What’s it all about?
Snapchat wants to be your next financial adviser. No, we’re
not joking. Let’s face it, people are already using it to send
tasteful nudes and heinous selfies, so why not let Snapchat
become your personal money manager?
The ephemeral social media platform is looking to
transform into a robo-adviser, by using algorithms to
manage customers’ money. Let’s just hope our finances
don’t disappear just as quick.
The bigger picture
In the East chat apps are a fully fledged financial platform,
with insurance and mortgages available on WeChat.
Snapchat is well ahead of the game here - watch this
space as chat apps become the new browsers for
ecommerce.
CLICK TO TWEET:
Goodbye ugly selfies. Hello money
manager. Meet @Snapchat, your new
financial adviser.

17. 7: On The Horizon
These final innovations don’t fit neatly into
our trends (dammit), but we reckon they
are worth a mention. Successful
innovations create expectation, so we’ll be
keeping a keen eye on them. Watch this
space - if they turn into a wider trend, you’ll
be the first to know.

18. On The Horizon >
Signs of progress
What’s it all about?
In rural Central America, many housewives struggle
to create a business out of their skills. However,
while they may not have much money, these
women all have satellite dishes. Latin American
telecom group Claro decided to repay these women
for their loyalty, by giving each one a voice.
Claro worked with local artists to paint over its own
logo on the satellite dishes, instead using the space
to creatively advertise each household’s offering -
from strawberries to hairstyling.
The bigger picture
This is a powerful example of a brand providing a
useful service that acts as its own marketing. It’s a
win for everyone. Marketing-as-a-service is as rare
as hen’s teeth, but very effective when it happens.
CLICK TO TWEET:
With a splash of colour, Claro has
transformed antennae into ad space,
creating start-ups for women in Costa
Rica.

19. INTERNET OF SOCIAL THINGS
KinkBNB
WEARABLE SOCIAL
Onyx
BIG SOCIAL DATA
Baile de Máscaras Skol Beats
VOYEURISM 2.0
Follower
Being
SOCIAL CURRENCY
Snapchat Robo-advisor
COMMUNITY COMMERCE
Reach across the aisle
ON THE HORIZON
Signs of progress

20. WE ARE SOCIAL
We Are Social is a global agency with offices in five continents
(Antarctica is a little too chilly for our liking).
We deliver world-class creative ideas with forward-thinking brands, and have fun doing it. Our
clients include adidas, Google and Netflix.
As an international team of 550+, our passion is people. Our mission is to put social thinking at
the centre of marketing.
Trendspotting might get us unnaturally excited, but what really counts is action. If you'd like to
speak to We Are Social about how to make innovation work for your brand, email us at
talktous@wearesocial.net