Pop Culture Pulse, Oct 2024: Snapchat’s Revamp, Politics Podcasting & WhatsApp’s News Channels

Published 17 October 2024

Authors

6 min read

Our Pop Culture Pulse is a monthly download of the buzziest cultural developments, emerging fandoms and audience trends. This month, we dive into Snapchat’s plans to bring more entertainment video content to the platform, how news organisations are building growing reach with WhatsApp’s Channels feature and why podcasting has become a front line in engaging Gen Zers on the US election.

Social Media & Internet Culture: Snapchat’s Content-Meets-Communication Revamp

Publishing & Broadcasting: WhatsApp Channels & News Media’s New Frontier

Music & Sound: Pop Culture x Politics Podcasting

Snapchat – now boasting 850 million global monthly users – is primarily used as a chat platform, for sharing private messages and image and video Snaps between pals. But a major revamp will now see more algorithmically delivered entertainment and branded content across the app, including in its chat spaces – heralding a significant change for users, as well as a big opportunity for brands.

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Launched globally in September 2023, WhatsApp’s private one-way messaging system –Channels – has surpassed 500 million users (Social Media Today, 2024). Now, news publishers, which operate nearly half of the top 150 most-followed Channels (Press Gazette, 2024), are harnessing the platform’s expansive user base and perceived trust to deliver timely, topical news updates to readers.

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As the November 2024 US presidential election approaches, the front-running candidates – Democrat and current vice president Kamala Harris and Republican former president Donald Trump – are ramping up their Gen Z outreach via one key medium: podcasting. Entertainment podcasting, led by major social media personalities, has become a central arena for engaging young people on current affairs.

Pop Culture Pulse, Oct 2024: Snapchat’s Revamp, Politics Podcasting & WhatsApp’s News Channels

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Topics

Digital

Influencers

Internet Culture

Pop Culture

Social Media

Entertainment

Publishing & Broadcasting

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