Snapchat Food Scan and Black Friday Shopping | Bolt Trend Report

November 21, 2021

As we enter Thanksgiving week, we’re filled with gratitude for the many people who make our Bolt team a thriving, positive, impactful culture that values teamwork and genuine results. We’re also thankful for our friends like you who meet us at the virtual table to review the weekly trends and updates. And now, as we relish in all the feelings of thanksgiving, thaw our turkey, pull out our stretchy pants and dream of pie, let’s dive into the gravy of the week’s hottest trends.

Upcoming Holidays & Observances

  • Thanksgiving – Nov. 25
  • Black Friday – Nov. 26 
  • Cyber Monday – Nov. 29

Must-Know Trends 

Ikea Holiday Anthem for TikTok

Ikea is not only releasing hit furniture, but they’re dropping some hit beats. The store released an original holiday-themed song to celebrate people gathering with family and friends after missing time together last year due to the pandemic. The new anthem, “Feels Just Like a Holiday” is the first time the furniture store has created original music designed specifically for TikTok. The anthem is backed by research that shows that 65% of TikTok users prefer videos from brands that feature an original sound. Music branding strategies are becoming popular amongst big brands like Lexus, Oreo cookies and Febreze to reach Gen Z shoppers. The release of this original song is part of Ikea’s larger campaign, “Host Masters,” a way to keep consumers engaged on their mobile devices. Next time you’re scrolling TikTok, be sure to check out the new sound!

Snapchat ‘Food Scan’

With family gatherings around the corner, Snapchat added a way to help make menu planning easier. In partnership with Allrecipes, the social platform created a ‘Food Scan’ element to its ‘Scan’ feature. This addition will help Snap users find recipe recommendations by scanning in pictures of the ingredients they have on hand. This is perfect for those days when you open the fridge to find five random ingredients that you’re just not sure how to pair together. Now, you can open your Snapchat, point your camera at the ingredients, tap to scan, and recipes are at your fingertips! So, next time someone in your house asks, “what’s for dinner?” you can defer to Snapchat for a little help!

Black Friday Shopping

For years, many retailers opened their doors before families even had time to finish their pumpkin pie. But this year might look a little different, as certain stores are putting the ‘Friday’ back in Black Friday. The trend of the shopping season beginning before Thanksgiving day ended started in 2011. Major stores like Best Buy, Macy’s and Kohl’s had lines around their buildings before the sun went down. With the unforeseen pandemic, retailers dialed back on this controversial shopping trend, and now, many are announcing that they’re fully closed on Thanksgiving. A 2021 holiday shopping survey shows that consumers are line with this shift. In fact, 68% of U.S. shoppers agree that stores should remain closed on Thanksgiving. A few of the mega retailers that will keep doors locked on Thanksgiving are Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney, target, Walmart and more.

AR Beard Tools

Technology is bringing new meaning to the “No shave November” trend. That’s right, Perfect Corp. introduced a new set of tools that includes Beard Dye and Beard Style options. These new features use artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), enabling users to virtually test beard colors and styles. There’s even a way to test what a user might look like without any beard at all. The technology reconstructs the areas of the face covered by hair to display the new look. This step into the men’s grooming space is new for Perfect Corp., as they’re popular for their cosmetic AR try-on tools. We’re so thankful that you make our Trend Report a part of your weekly reading. Now, take a little time to enjoy the holiday with your loved ones, shop all the Black Friday deals and scroll through the latest social app updates. We hope you’ll meet us here again on the Bolt Blog next Monday with a slice of leftover pumpkin pie!

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