"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." Gustav Flaubert

#WeGoAlong

Feels like Summer

Finally, it seems like Summer is officially here. Nothing rings in the season like sunny weather and my horrific golf game. On the bright side, patio drinks are in full effect. 

A couple of housekeeping notes; The WGA Club is swinging with action. After launching last week, multiple videos have been uploaded and the discord is...well…if you know you know. For any customer service inquiries until we get a dedicated email in place, please refer to our support account on Twitter @WGAClubSupport 

First week of July, we will be releasing a limited collection of Summer party kits. Everything you need to stay activate and at 'er (WGA style) this time of year. More information coming in the next few weeks. 

#Trending

Honda Tunes up Twitch Strategy Beyond Gaming

What else could be more synonymous than an automaker and streaming service teaming up for a collaborative project? My guess is pretty much everything, but that didn't stop Honda, the $85 billion car manufacturer behind a new lifestyle-focused Twitch channel called Honda DreamLab.

Collaboration, conversation, and competition are the themes of DreamLab. New episodes based on these concepts drop each Friday, with a programming slate that currently includes "Dream It Yourself (DIY)," a series focused on pop culture discussions; and "Dashboard DJs," a live DJ competition.

Whats the reasoning? Connect with a broader audience of new, young car buyers. This is a rather unique method of diversifying marketing activities and certainly a first for the automotive industry.  The premise of marketing is placing resources where attention is at, and watch hours on the streaming service have increased by as much as 101% year-on-year since the inception of the pandemic.

The page has about 6,100 followers and has been posting content since mid-February, with an initial Dashboard DJ episode drawing about 330,000 views. DreamLab intends to offer a variety of programming that could appeal to viewers outside the gaming arena.

#Trailblazing

TikTok Confirms 10 Minute Videos are Coming

TikityTok continues to innovate around the clock by introducing 10 minute videos. Are they trying to open the doors for monetization or make me feel worse about my non existent attention span? Although, short-form video is the trend of the moment, and attention spans continue to decline, establishing new engagement behaviours (particularly among younger demographics), it seems like short-form interaction is here to stay.  This is why every platform is now following TikTok’s lead into the next phase of video connection.

BUUUUTTTT...effective monetization of short-form video is hard. Vine found this out the hard way. Although popular at one point in time, Vine’s parent company Twitter could never work out how to generate significant revenue from Vine clips. You can’t insert video ads into such short content. As you may know Vine is no more. 

I won’t even pretend to know how the TikTok algorithm fully works (I don’t know if anyone does and if they do I’m sure they are selling a $7 online course..lol). The recipe for success is as much a secret as the Coca-Cola ingredients and how to make Kentucky Fried Chicken. One thing I do know is that watch time is one of the key factors in what videos are promoted on the FYP. Will the vast majority of users really welcome 10 minute videos?

#Traveling

Real Life Benefits of the Travel Metaverse

Ah, why travel in real life when you can enjoy the sounds of the ocean from the comfort of your own VR headset? There are several examples of why people might choose to travel in the Metaverse versus in real life – those with mobility challenges or financial limitations or during a global pandemic, for example. However, tourism professionals agree that it’s not going to replace traditional travel anytime soon.

Why the excitement then if it’s not going to replace physical travel? Many virtual reality and travel professionals believe that the Metaverse will not only function as a new source of revenue for travel brands and tourism boards, but it’ll also be an important marketing tool that will help travel companies reach a different segment of consumers and hopefully inspire taking a trip in real life.

The Metaverse can make physical travel more accessible for some folks, too. For people who have phobias and anxiety around flying, large crowds, being in new places or social situations, virtual reality provides a controlled, safe environment for exposure therapy. Several clinics across Canada offer virtual reality therapy already, including the Brain Wellness Centre in Calgary, the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and In Virtuo in Gatineau.

Personally, I’ll stick to using the Metaverse to buy pictures for no reason. 

#WeeklyTopPicks

We Go Along Top Picks

#WillWeaverSongOfTheWeek
Cinema - Harry Styles

In the past I have considered myself to be a pretty fair weather fan of Harry Styles, like a couple songs here and there. However these past couple of days I’ve really gotten into some of the songs on his new record. ‘Cinema’ being the one that really jumps out as my favourite through my first couple of listens. It’s something you can dance to and something I as a guitar player can have a lot of fun playing along to. The guitar parts throughout give the song so much colour and bounce, reminding me of the simple yet timeless guitar parts on the Thriller album. Highly recommend both this song and the rest of the album as I know it’ll be in my rotation all Summer. 

(I’ll leave it to you to look up who played some of the guitar parts on ‘Cinema’ and that may be why the song feels so good…)


#Flix
Kiss the Ground | 2020 | Documentary | Netflix

Activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians turn to regenerative agriculture to save the planet's topsoil, and combat climate change.

#Facts
Random fact of the week

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