LSN : News : Instagram quietly limits political content by default

TikTok dermatologist launches clinically backed skincare brand Remedy

Remedy, US

US – TikTok’s favourite skin guru and board-certified dermatologist Dr Muneeb Shah (@DermDoctor) has launched Remedy, a skincare brand tailored to address common skin concerns with clinically backed formulations under the tagline, Not a Miracle, A Remedy.

Inspired by the questions and conversations Dr Shah has had with his 18.2m followers on TikTok, the Derm Doctor wanted to create products with a Do No Harm medical philosophy, excluding common contact allergens and irritants in their formulas to deliver effective dermatologist-developed solutions.

The brand’s line-up includes treatments for dark spots, pore size and dry lips, affordably priced between £12.66 ($16, €14.76) and £30 ($38, €35). Alongside Remedy, Dr Shah is aiming to democratise dermatology with the launch of Skinipedia, a free online encyclopaedia that provides tools and information on skin health.

Since 2022, we’ve been tracking the rise of Accredited Beauty; as consumers become more savvy about the science behind their skincare they are seeking expert influencers such as Dr Shah with the professional acumen to ensure they are purchasing products that work.

Strategic opportunity

Personal care is a crowded market. Zone in on your brand’s USP and make this your point of expertise by collaborating with researchers and scientists who can provide authority on your products’ efficacy

Seen Studios celebrates Nike Air Max Day with car boot sale

Nike SNKRS Air Max Dn Car Boot. Design by Seen Studios, UK

London – Nike AirMax Day is held annually on 26 March, a tradition going back to 2014. And for 2024's edition the brand turned to London-based Seen Studios, which pulled together an experiential car boot sale to launch the new Air Max Dn.

In a first for Nike, Seen Studios designed and managed project, production and partnerships in order to capture the spirit of a traditional London activity – the car boot sale. Pre-event promotion in the form of graphics and video featured on Nike’s SNKRS app, gathering over 2,000 sign-ups in the first 24 hours. The event itself at Hoxton Docks in East London featured rooms of car boot traders, retro gaming, live tufting from YouTube favourite Currie Goat, sneaker cleaning from Sneaker Lab, trims from SliderCuts and nail art from Suki Nails.

The event was rooted in place and local culture, bringing in food suppliers Willy’s Pies and an ice cream van with branded promotional items like Nike Cuppas – chipped antique teacups filled with vegan panna cotta. Seen Studios’ work for Nike demonstrates the value of community-first mindsets both digital and in real life, as we discuss in our Innovation Debrief report on Telfar and our luxury macrotrend, Guilded Luxury.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how you can convert community members into consumers – but also protect the top end of your consumer segment by creating rarefied experiences that appeal directly to very important clients (VICs). These experiences show brand fans how valued they are and demonstrate an intimate understanding of what clients want

Instagram quietly limits political content by default

Global – Users of social media app Instagram have been surprised to discover that parent company Meta has quietly begun limiting recommended political content by default without notifying users directly. Complaints have surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) as users realised that Instagram had introduced a preference to limit political content, and automatically activated the setting for all users.

Meta made the change in February, stating in a blog post that it aims to avoid recommending political content from accounts that users don’t follow. But the decision was not communicated directly to users on the platform. To modify the setting, users must navigate to their profile’s Settings and Activity menu and update their content preferences. The default setting, ‘limit’, reduces exposure to political and social topics in suggested content, affecting areas like Explore, Reels, Feed, Recommendations and Suggested Users. Meta’s change may therefore affect influencers and news creators, limiting their ability to reach users depending on their content moderation filter.

Meta’s changes come in a significant election year, potentially hindering political outreach efforts, which is already a grey area in regulation. In the current political climate, social media users are turning to these platforms to have honest and discerning conversations about politics, as discussed in Provocation Platforms. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, this move may reflect Meta’s broader strategy to distance itself from politics.

Photography by Shingi Rice, UK

Strategic opportunity

There is a growing mistrust of big tech, and consequently many users are moving to decentralised platforms. To prevent this, ensure you are enforcing transparent communications and consider collaborating with your users to co-curate the content they want

Stat: UK holidaymakers embrace staycations amid climate concerns

Center Parcs, UK

UK – New research from market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that 56% of UK holidaymakers are prioritising staycations over trips abroad due to climate-related reasons. Almost three in 10 (28%) cite warmer UK weather as a driving factor, while 19% are deterred by extreme weather overseas such as heatwaves or floods.

Mintel also found that a preference for staycations is a positive Covid legacy, with almost half (47%) of the 2,000 British internet users aged 16 or over surveyed saying they have taken more staycations than trips abroad since the pandemic.

Despite foreign travel opening up since the pandemic, staycations look set to stay too. In 2023, 52% of Britons said they planned to holiday in the UK; in 2024, the number has risen to 55%.

In our How Climate Change is Re-routing Travel report, we examined how the travel sector must consider how best to equip itself to absorb the shock of shifting holiday patterns and changes in consumer travel behaviour. In Britain, this will translate to increased footfall in popular British holiday destinations such as Cornwall or Margate, and demand for further hospitality venues to host and entertain staycationers.

Strategic opportunity

Travel companies looking to boost overseas travel should offer discounted packages to popular beach holiday destinations during off-peak seasons, with flexible booking and cancellation policies in case of extreme weather emergencies