Meta Lawsuit, David Beckham & Heineken Virtual Brew | Bolt Trend Report

March 20, 2022

Spring is officially in the air, and the weekly buzzworthy topics are blooming. From Meta’s strong stance on fake customer reviews to how a soccer star is using his social following to support Ukraine, we’re digging into the fresh trends and hope you’ll follow along.

Upcoming Holidays & Observances

  • World Poetry Day - March 21
  • International Fun at Work Day - April 1
  • April Fool’s Day - April 1

Must-Know Trends

Meta Files Lawsuit Over Fake Reviews:

Social giant, Meta, has filed a lawsuit in California against a fake customer reviews service. The company is taking action against Chad Taylor Cowan for running a website that provides fake reviews and feedback to businesses which would falsely increase their Customer Feedback Score. Now, you may be wondering what the harm is in such a service, but Meta strategically uses feedback to protect against ecommerce abuse. For instance, if a business receives a certain amount of negative feedback, Meta will step in to restrict ads or disable the account. Additionally, when Customer Feedback Scores are artificially increased, the community is deceived and misled. Also, the fake review service violates Meta’s Terms, Advertising and Page policies.

David Beckham Hands Social Accounts Over to Ukrainian Doctor:

Worldwide soccer star David Beckham is using his 127.5 million social following for good. Over the weekend, Beckham handed over his Instagram account with 71.6 million followers and his Facebook account with 56 million followers to a Ukrainian doctor. “Iryna,” the child anesthesiologist and head of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s Regional Perinatal Center, used the platform to share the brave work being done by healthcare workers to save lives amidst the war. Via Beckham’s Facebook and Instagram Stories, Iryna showed what it was like treating pregnant women, mothers and newborns under such extreme circumstances. Also, the Instagram Stories also included a link to donate to UNICEF, an organization in which Beckham serves as an ambassador.

Honda Revs up with Twitch:

Honda is targeting a new, younger audience by revamping its strategy on Twitch, a platform known for gaming and esports. The auto company revealed Honda DreamLab, a new life-style focused Twitch channel geared towards connecting with a broader audience of young car buyers. As the first major car brand to join Twitch in 2020 with a gaming page called Head2Head, Honda is looking to diversify on the live streaming platform with DreamLab.

Heineken Virtual Brew Parody:

The metaverse, a virtual world of goods, experiences and services, seems to be a place where just about anything is possible. Brands have been jumping into the metaverse, and now Heineken is creating buzz with a parody that boasts a virtual brew with “no calories, no hidden ingredients, and no beer.” The beer brand’s sarcastic response to virtual goods in the metaverse is gaining attention and serves as a clever marketing tactic. In fact, in a press release, Global brand head Bram Westenbrink said, “Our new virtual beer, Heineken Silver is an ironic joke. It is a self-aware idea that pokes fun at us and many other brands that are jumping into the metaverse with products that are best enjoyed in the real world.”

Companies Adding Fuel Surcharges:

Gas prices have skyrocketed, and popular delivery and ride share services are attempting to help cover the high prices their drivers are paying to fulfill services. Last week, Uber and Lyft announced that they were adding surcharges to offset the cost of gas for their drivers. Riders are asked to pay a temporary fuel surcharge which goes to the driver. Also, Uber Eats orders will now cost an extra 35 or 45 cents based on increased gas prices in various states. Joining the movement, Instacart is the latest platform to add a temporary surcharge on customer orders to cover the gas increase.

This Monday is off to a buzzworthy start with Meta’s lawsuit against fake reviews, David Beckham’s social media support, Honda’s Twitch channel, Heineken’s virtual brew and fuel surcharges popping up on service apps. We’re energized for the week ahead and can’t wait to meet you back here next Monday for the final week of March trends.

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