A brief overview of what is currently trending on on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Person of the Year: X users are buzzing with excitement after TIME announced Taylor Swift as 2023's Person of the Year. The singer was selected from a shortlist of 9 finalists. She, too, opened up about her record-breaking tour, owning her music, her relationship with Travis Kelce and more.
Ivy League: Universities like Harvard, UPenn, & MIT are under fire after failing to unequivocally denounce antisemitism & calls for "the genocide of Jews" from individual and campus organizations. Many students & alumni across the country are rightfully outraged, expressing their disappointment with American academia on X.
Norman Lear: X is mourning the loss of the legendary television producer behind "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" who was 101. Users on X recall his iconic comic characters like Archie Bunker, Fred Sanford, Maude Findlay and George Jefferson.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
🥒 A 2024 Flavor Forecast 🐫
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What it is: Remember when the viral #fetapasta recipe on TikTok caused global shortages of feta cheese? Well, we might see more of that in 2024 with items like pickles, halloumi, & camel milk. Following a report dropped by Axios, many are trying to predict what foods & ingredients will be the new “hot” thing. Some of those predictions include shawarma, shaved ice, mustard seeds, spicy ranch, and Spam. Others point to birria, wagyu beef, hot honey breakfast sandwiches, buckwheat, & plant-based seafood. In terms of consumption behaviors there are two emerging parties: the virtuous & the indulgent. The virtuous eaters will shun ultra-processed foods, eating upcycled fare made from food waste while the indulgent eaters will make “Newstalgia” purchases where everything old is new. They'll order house made pickles & '90s espresso martinis at restaurants while buying innovative snack foods in-store. Beyond foods that satisfy consumers' appetites for novelty, they'll also crave culture. The surge of K-pop points to a “K-Food” storm with whipped dalgona coffee, sweetened condensed milk, bibimbap, & Korean fried chicken surging in popularity. This is all to say that we’ll have to wait to see what exactly dominates plates in 2024.
What brands can learn: Brands, all of this exciting information is shared to say that we must read between the lines. As we've seen from TikTok & Instagram, food fads come & go at the speed of light. Just as quick as they erupt, they can swiftly fade due to short attention spans & fast-moving algorithms. With the emergence of social media, dish & drink concoctions have become viral sensations overnight with many at home sharing their kitchen experimentations; it's what keeps the mundane interesting. So, while "proffee" is popular now, it may lose steam to camel milk in the coming months. It's all TBD!
Examples: 1, 2, 3
Must-click links that crossed our feeds today
🎸Legendary rock band KISS wants to rock for all of eternity. After bidding farewell to live tours, KISS becomes first US band to debut digital avatars that’ll play concerts until the end of time.
📱Brands, you're gonna wanna see this. Instagram just droppped Gen Z trends for the new year.
💬What’s one option for white elephant this year…
Getting a Cameo from George Santos.🎁Purchasing last minute gifts? Uber is here to save the day with their new “Store Pickup” feature.
⭐️In honor of 2023's Person of the Year, here's a look at Taylor Swift’s bare-bones website before she was a megastar courtesy of The Web Design Museum.
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