Facebook Trends, Valentine’s Day Campaigns and VR Boundaries | Bolt Trend Report

February 6, 2022

It feels like we’re entering a new era as we digest the news of Facebook’s first-ever decline in users. We are tracking the platform’s updates while bringing you the latest in brands’ Valentine’s Day campaigns and a new way to set boundaries in the world of virtual reality. Let’s chat through the headline toppers now!

Upcoming Holidays & Observances

  • Black History Month - February
  • National Pizza Day - Feb. 9
  • Super Bowl Sunday - Feb. 13
  • Galentine’s Day - Feb. 13
  • Valentine’s Day - Feb. 14

Must-Know Trends:

Facebook Users are Walking Away

While ‘Facebook’ and ‘growth’ once seemed synonymous, the social giant reported its user growth had reached an end. Parent company Meta is facing plunging stocks by more than 26%, which lost approximately $200 billion in market value. Despite the move to the new Meta brand, the company has been climbing an uphill battle while losing one million daily users in North America. The short-form video platform TikTok is one reason to blame for the decline in Facebook users, and Zuckerberg himself even points to this. This news also hits social media managers and marketers, as Meta warns that the decline in active user base may negatively impact the ability to deliver ad impressions. Despite this recent news, Meta continues to invest in Reels to compete with TikTok and other short-form video apps.

Food-Themed Dating App

What does a chicken sandwich have to do with a dating site? Meal delivery service DoorDash is partnering with Shake Shack on Eat Cute, a limited-edition dating site that’s all about Shake Shack’s spicy buffalo chicken sandwich. The site operates through February 15th, riding the love waves of Valentine’s Day season. If you want to join in on this quirky dating experience, visit LetsEatCute.com and create your profile, which of course includes sharing how spicy you like your food. Once you match with someone, you’ll receive a promo code for a free sandwich via DoorDash. Talk about a win-win! Sometimes it’s all about what you have in common with a person, and this marketing campaign is chalking it up to a love for spicy chicken sandwiches. We’re excited to see all the love buzz this generates.

A ‘Truly’ Perfect Valentine’s Day Date

In other Valentine’s Day marketing campaign news, Truly Hard Seltzer is encouraging first dates with an exciting sweepstakes contest. The campaign started with a survey by Boston Beer Co., owner of Truly, that revealed that 70% of Americans would be willing to go on a first date on Valentine’s Day. In an extra move to generate buzz, Truly is asking entrants to capture proof of their Valentine’s Day first date and tweet to @TrulySeltzer using the hashtag #TrulyVibin. Submissions are judged on creativity with five top winners receiving $1,000 via Cash App. So, if you’re looking for love this season, why not enter to win big while you’re at it?

Meta is Setting Boundaries

With the shift to virtual reality (VR), Meta is taking the extra step to set boundaries to limit harassment with a new ‘boundaries feature.’ This new feature provides avatars within Meta’s virtual social platform, Horizon Worlds with an invisible 4-foot personal boundary. The boundary is turned on by default and prevents other avatars from getting too close. As Meta continues to expand into the VR world, features like this will be particularly important, as there have been several reports of users being assaulted on the platform. These personal space bubbles may be customizable in the future, but for now, they’re setting a much needed boundary.With Facebook losing users, Shake Shack making matches based on spicy food, Truly sparking first dates and Meta setting boundaries, this week’s topics cover a wide range of themes that are all creating buzz this Monday. Keep up with the latest happenings, and like (or love) our social pages this Valentine’s Day season!

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