Elite Social Network Features: The Exclusive Playgrounds of Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna
Having access to certain exclusive features on social networks is a marker of power. Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift have once again managed to surprise their fans.
This week, we're exploring how pop culture plays with the features of social networks. Let’s hack.
Billie Eilish, as well as Taylor Swift, have been exciting their fans in recent weeks. Both superstars have indeed been able to play with certain Instagram features to surprise their large communities. Access to exclusive features generates ever greater attention. Allowing stars to be both so close... and yet so distant.
Everyone's 'close friends' with Billie Eilish: giving is giving (and taking back is stealing?)
As part of the promotion of her new album, Billie Eilish suddenly added her hundred million followers to a "close friends" list on Instagram. A feature open to all that normally allows sharing more private or exclusive content with trusted individuals. A kind of Holy Grail that validates importance to another individual. Except this time, the feature is hijacked while still promoting the artist's values.
A surprise effect for users who saw the story with the small star on a green background.
A tactic that seems to have worked since the artist attracted several million new followers in a few days. Nevertheless, a slight disappointment was felt the following week as the millions of close friends were then downgraded to mere subscribers (or copycats) in the following days.
Taylor Swift: the power of Easter Eggs.
Easter Eggs - those hidden features within a program or video game - are still highly prized. They are unlocked through a combination of secret actions (or secret codes).
The aim: to recreate the conditions to be surprised by the beauty of things, especially behind screens. A technique that seems to have accelerated in recent weeks to create disruptions, disruptions in the ordinary experience of social networks.
From Monday, April 5, fans could visit Taylor Swift's Instagram account. By swiping down, a countdown to the album release appeared and encouraged Swifties to follow the superstar on Threads, where two more Easter Eggs were also hidden. A special shimmer effect was unlocked on conversations tagged #TTPD, #The Tortured Poets Department, #Tortured Poets, #TSTTPD, #Swifties or #Taylor Swift on Threads. Celebration hearts appeared on screen when someone "liked" a post tagged with any of the aforementioned tags.
A way to value users of these networks, by giving them a little something extra. Just like on TikTok.
Rihanna's avatar: RIP Rhenna?
The profile picture on social networks is also an important element of our connected identities. Without a new feature or "hack," it can become a true symbol or artifact, as it instantly conveys what a personality wishes to convey.
In 2014, Rihanna unveiled a small drawing representing her on her Instagram account. An avatar - named Rhenna - that lasted for 10 years. Rhenna appeared in the feeds of hundreds of millions of subscribers, continuously, as a true visual jingle.
And yet, her profile picture was replaced a few days ago by a Fenty product.
A tragedy for RiRi's fans as Rhenna, Rihanna's true alter ego, accompanied the artist through numerous collaborations and was remixed millions of times throughout her history. Evidence of the power of meme culture, which is not just a way to react with humor but to build a soft contract with a community. Therefore attachment, and a sense of belonging.
To see if this is a temporary change that will give even more strength to Rhenna's return. Na-na-na, come on!
Giving is giving (and sharing is okay)
Public figures are not the only ones to hijack or "hack" certain social media features. The New York Times, for example, offers its subscribers the opportunity to share 10 articles with non-subscribers. A way to give social currency to readers (and to circumvent a problematic usage: saving or sharing paid articles in .pdf format).
Interesting signs that platforms are less rigid than before on their rules while adding social layers (thus depth to the experience as well as hierarchy). By equipping the elite of social networks, platforms could recreate desirability.
The figure of the week: 44%
According to Google and Ipsos, 44% of adults surveyed (aged 18 to 44) participated in a meme in the last 12 months. Remix, pop culture, and social networks: a cocktail that will accelerate even further.
Impressive links
TikTok may have changed the United States. To be read from the NY Times.
Opioids for sale on social networks: it's the eye-opening investigation by the BBC to watch urgently.
Have a great week! And feel free to share this newsletter, like, comment, or continue to send me emails: these notifications are (still) a joy and are SO encouraging.
Yours truly used to save New York Times in PDF form when I went through the Easy Read mode in Apple browser software.
And then there's this archive-making software which became more and more accessible.
From a gift article I found myself accessing other articles.