Social media has become the online diary of many people and is one of the most powerful marketing tools today. Every year, events and issues dominate the social media and discussions spread like wildfire, and 2015 was no exception. Here’s a brief review of what happened in social media in 2015.
1. Miss Universe Plot Twist
This is, by far, the most awkward thing to ever happen in Miss Universe history. Whether you are #TeamColombia or #TeamPhilippines — and regardless of whether or not you’re a pageant fan in general — there’s no way you could have missed the infamous gaffe by Steve Harvey when he announced the wrong victor during the Miss Universe pageant night.
The world went wild on social media — and even celebrities joined in on the conversation. Steve Harvey, on the other hand, went on Twitter to apologize for his mistake.
While some were furious about the mistake and resorted to bashing Steve Harvey and even Pia Wurtzbach, Ariadna Gutierrez and the other contestants, others just poked fun at it with witty memes. At this point, however, it’s time to move forward to a greater 2016 and be “confidently beautiful with a heart.”
2. Star Wars: The Fans Awaken
As Yoda would say, “Everywhere, Star Wars is.” It was literally everywhere and the hype was truly a Force, er, force to be reckoned with. From the special edition CoverGirl makeup products and Google’s #ChooseYourSide campaign, to product collections from brands like Adidas, Vans and LEGO and numerous magazine covers in Time, Esquire, The Rolling Stone, Empire and more, there was hardly any doubt that the Force was strong with Disney, its marketing team and the entire fandom. Businesses and marketers can actually learn a thing or two from their marketing strategy. Don’t even get us started with BB-8 and Poe Dameron.
3. #PrayForParis
After the horrific attacks in Paris last November, the world showed their support for the French using the hashtag #PrayForParis. Over 70 million people united in prayer and sympathy for France’s fallen. According to Time magazine, a total of 430 million related interactions occurred within just 24 hours after the attacks. It also brought Jean Julien’s “Peace for Paris” logo into the spotlight, becoming a symbol of hope for everyone.
4. The Dress
Remember #TheDress that sparked what was arguably the greatest online debate of 2015? If you were one of the countless netizens who got confused over its real color – black & blue vs. gold & white – don’t fret; even celebrities were absolutely baffled by it.
The photo went viral on February 26, 2015 when it was posted on Tumblr after a family disagreed over the color of the dress in the photograph. Soon after, it trended worldwide across various social media platforms such as Twitter, where the hashtags #TheDress, #whiteandgold, #blueandblack, and #dressgate grew immensely popular. To end the debate, neuroscientists were brought in to explain why some people saw different colors on the dress. But did it truly end the controversy? We don’t think so..
All in all, #TheDress may have ruined friendships, but it was definitely a heck of an icebreaker in any social situation.
5. #LoveWins
#LoveWins is the most successful viral hashtag on social media, with a record-breaking 6.2 million tweets within 6 hours after the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. The hashtag signified the global celebration of marriage equality. Celebrities like Ian McKellen, Ellen DeGeneres and the entire LGBTQ community around the world celebrated this huge turning point for equality.
6. Facebook Update: Reactions
Around September last year, Facebook got mixed reactions from users worldwide after Mark Zuckerberg announced that they were working on a “Dislike” button. Some liked the idea, but many thought that it was going to be like Reddit’s “downvote” button.
But it wasn’t a “Dislike” button after all. At the start of October, Facebook launched “Reactions.” Facebook’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, described the Reactions feature as “a more expressive Like button.” The improved button provides users the option to “react” to a specific post with a heart, a sad face, an angry face or even a stunned face.
7. Twitter Update: From Stars to Hearts
Twitter shocked the entire internet world when they changed Stars (Favorites) to Hearts and called them “Likes.” In an official blog post by Twitter, they said that they wanted “to make Twitter easier and more rewarding to use.” As they explained, “you might like a lot of things, but not everything can be your favorite.” While it actually makes sense, the favorites concept has already become part of the brand, setting it apart from its competitors.
Hearts on Twitter received mixed reactions from users — as it turns out, it wasn’t a favorite of many.
8. “Epic” Deaths on Major TV Series
There are a lot of great options on TV right now. Fans become so hooked on every episode that when a character dies unexpectedly, the internet suddenly blows up with tweets and posts full of rage, shock and confusion. Sadly, this also means that it is more difficult to dodge spoilers and conspiracy theories.
Remember when the official Facebook fan page for AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ posted a major death spoiler that enraged fans? The post was immediately deleted and they instantly apologized, but the damage had already been done. This led to the birth of the hashtag #RIPSpoiler. Another instance was the death of Jon Snow on ‘Game of Thrones,’ which sparked a lot of theories from avid fans of both the book and the series.
9. Pluto’s First Ever Photo
Just last year, NASA was able to capture a clear photo of Pluto, showing how it actually looks like. Hashtags #PlutoFly and #PlutoFlyby trended and when the close-up images were officially released in July, the event generated more than 1 million tweets.
While the rest of the world marvelled at this historic moment, online users took to their image editors and crafted witty memes to celebrate.
10. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather
Dubbed as the “Fight of the Century”, boxing fans around the world went crazy after the match was officially announced. It was one of the most highly anticipated and discussed fights in boxing history, perhaps second only to Ali vs. Frazier.
However, it wasn’t able to live up to the hype. The results were unsatisfying, the fight itself was a bit of a letdown and Jamie Foxx didn’t do USA’s national anthem justice. Unsurprisingly, fans (yet again) saw the humor in it.
Can 2016 top these? What do you think? Feel free to share your opinions on your various social media accounts - just don’t forget to tag us on Facebook and Twitter.
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