Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Libby.
1. Your face or mine
If stock images are to be believed, Shubnum Khan of Durban, South Africa is a busy, busy lady. Activities include, but are not limited to:
- Welcoming immigrants to Canada and Uruguay
- Advertising course material for a Management degree
- Selling carpets in New York City
- Advocating the use of a skincare product
- Leading treks in Cambodia
- Teaching and caring for children
- Looking for love in France
- Hanging out at Maccy D’s in China
An amusing story until you understand that Khan never gave any of the companies using her face permission to do so. She’s a “stock shot”. You can read a detailed account of how it all came about through a thread she posted on Twitter, but as funny as some of her cameos are, it serves as a poignant warning about small print, and the power of digital.
2. How do ya like them apples?
Apple’s pipped Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet to the post and become the first public company to hit a $1 trillion valuation (that’s 12 zeros, people).
Steve Jobs, Mr Apple, and his dream of “1,000 songs in your pocket” began in 2001, but since he checked out in 2011, Tim Cook’s been at the helm with his genius idea to sell expensive things more expensively. It’s this, and the app/streaming/cloud offerings that have helped the company reach the milestone.
3. WhatsApp means business
Announced in September, but launched this week, the WhatsApp Business API is letting businesses respond to messages from its customers for free… so long as it’s inside 24 hours. After that, they’ll be charged a fixed rate per message.
This is the first time WhatsApp will be able to make money directly from its app. Businesses can only contact people who’ve contacted them first, so it’s not super spammy (yet), but the potential for improvements in customer experience could mark the end of the call centre. Imagine sending off a message to a company knowing you’ll hear back within a day… and imagine knowing if you don’t hear back in a day, they’ll be charged for the crime of poor customer service – almost as satisfying as publishing a ranty Tweet directly @ the company!
SMEs won’t face the charges like the big boys, offering them a new channel to communicate with customers individually without having to man the phone 24/7.
4. It works just like regular money, but it’s, er…fun
McDonald’s Crypto Currency is here!
… not really.
To celebrate the Big Mac turning 50, Maccy D’s is giving away a McCoin with every purchase of the iconic burger in selected restaurants. It’s essentially a voucher entitling the holder to a free burger anytime between now and the end of the year.
“Since it was introduced at a family-owned McDonald’s restaurant 50 years ago, the Big Mac has traversed the globe and is enjoyed in cities from Shanghai to Chicago, providing delicious, feel good moments to people all over the world,” – Steve Easterbrook, CEO
There are five designs, one for each decade the burger has existed. Ignore obesity, collect them all, enjoy the Big Mac, consuuuume.
5. Pibble adventures
Redditor, carmenlightning, posted a video of their dog, Bonnie, running with a GoPro… and what happens is exactly what you’d expect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqStTpTHMus
I know what you’re thinking, this video couldn’t be any better. But you’d be wrong (needs sound).
