Welcome back to our Weekly Social Media Bites! It's a brand new week and we have the latest snippets of what's happening in the social media sphere and adland below.
Social
Facebook Switches to ‘Views’ as Its Primary Metric
Meta has announced that Facebook will now adopt the same "Views" metric that Instagram switched to in August. This means both platforms will use "Views" as the primary metric for measuring content performance, replacing previous metrics like "Plays," "Impressions," and "Accounts Reached." The "Views" metric will apply to all content types, including video, images, and text posts, making it easier to track performance across both platforms.
For Stories and photo/text posts, "Views" will now replace "Impressions" and will count each time content appears on a user's screen, including repeat views. As a result, creators may notice higher View counts compared to previous Impression counts. Additionally, "Watch Time" and "Average Watch Time" will be renamed to "Minutes Viewed" and "Average Minutes Viewed," with the key difference being that "Minutes Viewed" rounds to the nearest minute. Other metrics like reactions, comments, and shares remain unchanged.
YouTube Launches the First Stage of Its ‘Hype’ Creator Amplification Option
YouTube is rolling out two new features to enhance creator visibility and user experience. The "Hype" option, which was first introduced in September, allows viewers to allocate "hype points" to videos from emerging creators with under 500,000 subscribers. This helps boost the reach of these videos, with the most hyped clips appearing on a leaderboard. Users can give up to three hypes per week, with the option to purchase additional ones, potentially benefiting creators. The feature is currently being tested, with a wider rollout planned for the new year. In addition, YouTube is redesigning its "Member Hub" to make it easier for users to see the benefits of their memberships and manage subscriptions. The update aims to better highlight member perks and simplify the membership process. YouTube is also introducing easier access to text formatting options (bold, italic, and strike-through) in video descriptions, now available to all creators on mobile and rolling out to desktop users.
Instagram Moves Stories Highlights to Their Own Tab
Instagram is making a change to how Story Highlights are displayed on user profiles. Instead of appearing above the profile grid, Story Highlights will be moved to a dedicated tab within the profile. This update, which is currently being rolled out, will allow Highlights to still appear in the main grid, but it’s unclear exactly where. The new tab, signified by a rounded heart icon, will feature thumbnails for each Highlight topic.
This shift is part of Instagram's effort to simplify profile layouts and improve the user experience by reducing clutter. Instagram's chief, Adam Mosseri, explained that the goal is to bring more content above the fold while eliminating the "pog" display (the circular icons currently used for Highlights) to create a cleaner profile design.
Inspiration
Does Age Matter? This New Campaign Highlights Cancer’s Impact on Young People in Singapore
Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) launched the "Does Age Matter?" campaign to raise awareness about the importance of financial planning and critical illness insurance, especially for younger individuals. Recent statistics from the Ministry of Health has shown an increase in cancer rates among individuals under 35 in Singapore, however a 2024 study revealed that less than 30% of respondents felt their insurance fully covered cancer treatment costs.
The campaign includes a social experiment and features the stories of two young Singaporeans—25-year-old cancer survivor Lay Teng and university student Corrinne, who became a caregiver. Their experiences emphasise the need for early financial protection, which the POSB's Healthcare Marketplace also empowers consumers to compare insurance plans and close coverage gaps.
The campaign, which launched in October, uses bold storytelling to provoke discussions about financial well-being and encourage younger people to take action to protect themselves and their loved ones. It includes online videos, social media placements, and ads in polyclinics, aligning with POSB’s broader initiative to promote smart financial habits.
Lower-sodium campaign by Health Promotion Board celebrates flavour
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) aims to reduce excessive salt consumption through its latest campaign "For the Love Of Taste".The campaign is part of the #LessSaltMoreTaste movement, encouraging Singaporeans to reduce sodium intake for better health. A key feature of this campaign is "The Art of Taste," an interactive installation at Dhoby Ghaut MRT where visitors can turn local dishes into vibrant art using generative technology, highlighting that natural flavours in our food can be better appreciated when it is not masked by too much salt.
The campaign is also supported by a cinematic film directed by Royston Tan, set in the 1960s. It portrays a man and his wife whose dinner is overshadowed by excessive salt, symbolising how over-salting dulls both the meal and their connection. When the man stops using salt, their appreciation for food—and each otheris restored. The campaign encourages a renewed appreciation for the richness of natural flavours.
How Does Your Star Sign Eat Choco Stars? Britannia Campaign Has the Answer
Britannia has created a zodiac sign inspired campaign to promote the launch of its new Pure Magic Choco Stars,an open-cream cookie with a star-shaped cavity filled with rich chocolate cream, offering a more direct chocolate experience without a top biscuit. Each ad humorously reflects a different zodiac personality and how they enjoy Choco Stars—whether by savouring, devouring, or making it a ritual.
The campaign aims to connect with consumers by tapping into the unique traits of each zodiac sign, making the product experience more relatable. Each ad portrays different signs, such as the sensitive Pisces, generous Cancer, and royal Leo, showcasing how their personalities influence how they enjoy the cookie. The campaign includes TV, digital, and social media efforts, targeting audiences based on their star signs, with the goal of generating conversation and sharing.
We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we do!
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