Think!

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Today we explore the latest surveillance trend on TikTok + building from a place of trust

Hi ,

Happy Friday and welcome to the latest edition of Think!

This week I am dissecting a bizarre trend on TikTok called GossipTok that sees everyday self-proclaimed 'heroes' ratting out strangers for engaging in the age-old ritual of loose lips. Ever done a furtive look around in a restaurant before launching into a vent session about someone? Well now you have to double your efforts because your salacious tales could end up the entertainment fodder of millions on TikTok. Gossip girls beware.

Plus, Jason is exploring the adage "Trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose, and the hardest thing in the world to get back," in the world of research and business.

Mahalia & the Square Holes Team

Top image: Vatsal, Adelaide, 2023. Photo by Thomas McCammon.

Jason's weekly reflection

Much of the research we do fundamentally comes back to trust.

Generally, people are far more passive than businesses would like to think. Just like in the recent referendum, don’t know and apathy is often the default. ‘Don’t know’ is an insight in itself in our research – highlighting a lack of information to “I don’t care.”

While measures such as Net Promoter Score do vary depending on the category (and brand), most people are passive, rather than at the extremes of promoters or detractors. People almost never discuss the brands, products and services they use frequently. Life is too busy, with greater priorities. It is generally only when shit hits the proverbial fan that people care enough to shift, be this to vote in a new government or swap services. Often it is better the devil you know.

People are generally lazy in their choices, and this can mean that mediocrity is allowed to survive. That is until the risk of being lazy is too high a price to wear. Consistent frustrations from a service provider, or a product that never works. A series of unresolved complaints. Occasional glitches, dealt with well are likely to create a bond, and customers will soon forgive and forget. It can be hard to switch some ongoing products and services, such as our bank or telecommunications company. Even with recent issues with the likes of Optus and Qantas, the vast majority of customers remained.

In focus groups I moderated this week, parents discussed the challenges of picking a school for their children. Such a BIG decision that they did not wish to stuff up. They needed to be hyper-sensitive to any negative reputation. It was hard to overcome the eroded community trust from a poorly performing school. Yet, in most other situations, it can be difficult to erode the trust of many customers, particularly if it is mediocre most of the time.

The challenge for many businesses is simply to get the fundamentals right, and then with this resolved move to, 1) minimise being consistently bad for customers they’d prefer to retain; and 2) provide a sense of joy for customers they’d prefer to retain. It may be that some customers are not right for the business, misaligned needs, or just too needy, while others are far more profitable, spend more and are those sharing positive word of mouth. Trying to please the customers who are not right is likely a waste of resources that may be best put towards bringing joy to customers that are more aligned to the business. While some BIG businesses need to do their very best to be everything for everyone, in most cases not all customers are equal, and trying to please all customers is simply the path to a more passive and mediocre output.

One of the biggest drivers to trust in much of the research we do is simply visibility. Businesses preferring to be invisible to escape criticism can risk repercussions when shit hits the fan. Even the bastard banks, build trust by simply being more visible. A sense of familiarity creates comfort and trust. Consistently doing the right things may still mean customers are passive, yet when things go bad it is the brands with trusted reputations who will best weather the storm. To the point where even a seemingly bad reputation isn’t actually that bad. The Pratfull Effect, also known as Blemishing, applies to brands and other organisations, and (assuming a general level of competence, even mediocre) proposes that the occasional shit hitting the fan dealt with well can actually help to build sentiment, rather than deflate it.

Research illustrates that customers are far more passive and forgiving than may be expected.

Jason

Your recent gossip session might not be so private

We are all guilty of it. Gossiping or venting about a friend or acquaintance while out in public. But a current trend on TikTok is taking what is usually kept between a select few into the public domain with GossipTok.

The trend was ignited in 2020 when influencer Marissa Meiz went viral after a pedestrian overheard her friends gossiping about purposely leaving her out of their party plans in New York. The video amassed over 14 million views, with Marissa going on to create a viral social club for friendless people and a guest spot on the Drew Barrymore Show.

Autism SA look to hone their services using market research

Autism SA engaged Square Holes to run a stakeholder satisfaction survey to gauge the usefulness of their current services, and to identify any opportunities for innovation.

The survey also acted as a strong entry point, backed by solid data, for Belinda Taylor, who has joined the organisation in the newly created role of Community Engagement and Communications Officer.

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FROM OUR ARCHIVES:

The Internet is making us homogeneous

Digital media is not only curated by the user, but also by platform algorithms. It is well known that platforms like Facebook and Spotify highlight content that the algorithm finds valuable, not what is valued by users. The past few years’ of rampant misinformation has illustrated that we cannot trust platforms or their algorithms to decide what is good for us.

We have algorithm bias to thank for industrial-chic minimalism décor that has permeated coffee shops all over the world, same-y pop songs that are never longer than 3 minutes and cult-status TV shows that fade away as quickly as they emerge. Algorithmic culture is merging global tastes like never before.

Going viral

You’ve seen the videos. Unsuspecting members of the general public attempting to do mundane tasks like their grocery shopping, eating in food courts or simply walking in the streets, are suddenly approached by a ‘good Samaritan’ looking to lift their spirits with a random act of kindness.

But how altruistic is this moment, if that stranger then uploads that content to their YouTube or social media for thousands or sometimes millions of people to comment on and pick apart? How random are these random acts of kindness when engineered for likes, views, and ultimately money? And what are the ethics around filming people without their knowledge or consent in public places?

Effortless and magic

When I was a kid, I am guessing around eight, I joined a magic club. My fascination with magic and the desire to be magical led my parents to finding a local club in Launceston where we were living at the time. From memory I went to two or three nights at the club and became disillusioned. Other than being the only child in a club of grown men, the magic didn’t seem so magical. Each week, you were able to take home a magic trick, then come back and perform it on a darkened stage, quite a long way from the ‘audience.’ I realised that magic largely came back to lots of mirrors, optical illusions and fake walls. I became disillusioned with the illusion of magic and quit the club.

Wouldn’t it be cool if magic was real? When we were kids our parents went to great length to encourage us to believe in the magic of Christmas, Easter and other elements of whimsy.

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REAL PEOPLE

Name: Vatsal
Location: Adelaide
Age: 20

What is something that frustrates you?
People who are late. I don’t like when I give a time to someone, and they turn up late.

What do you love about living in your city?
It’s really small. The city life is good as well. It’s a small community that’s what I enjoy the most.

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Week 326 | 1 DEC 2023 | THINK! eMAG | CULTURAL IMMERSION