Things of Internet: The Best of Best of 2022
Well, here we are - it’s the end of another frantic year. I don’t have anything philosophical to say, really. So let’s jump into it. A compilation of things to give you enough to read, savour and get inspired by!
But first: A listening session with my favourite music of 2022
I'm hosting a live listening session on Discord tonight, with some of my favourite songs of the year. Rock, metal, pop, electro-rock, Indian indie... It's been a fabulous year for music and I've been religiously following a lot of it.
If you're looking for new music, join in. Whether you choose to chat, or just let the music play in the background; whether it's for 2-3 songs or the whole 3 hours; whether you're a rock noob or a veteran, I guarantee you will find something to love.
24 December 2022 | 7-10 PM IST | On my Discord server
Marketing-related compilations & reports
Trendwatching's list of trends (on top: It's the Age of Healing)
Oh, and the Most Contagious Report 2022, of course!
Think With Google's consumer insights & marketing strategies for 2023.
Google's APAC Year In Search.
YouTube's marketing trends for the year.
Facebook's Creative Forecast (despite my disdain for Zuck, the company has some great marketing thinking)
If you've managed to read all that, then go down the rabbithole that is the Webby Awards!
Non-marketing (but still relevant) compilations & reports/ reports
Chartr's Charts of the Year.
McKinsey: Tech Trends Outlook, and state of AI in 2022.
Inc42's Indian startups year in review
MIT Tech Review's Worst Tech of 2022
2022 was...
The year Big Tech slowed down a bit (or became medium tech, as we said on a recent Simblified episode), stripped away many of those famous perks, and saw labour uprising.
The year covert online campaigns (not the marketing kinds!) truly went global.
The year crypto trading collapsed in India (and... well... everywhere else)
The year of tech mergers (or rather, the year when this wave is starting).
When 🫡 became the emoji of the year (and a hilarious interview with a guy who "called it" early)
The year Tiktok slowed down a little, but it's still on its perch.
(sigh) the year of Elon... And his tanking reputation (heck, Tesla owners are embarrassed)
Stat worth remembering
"Google and Meta captured 42.7% of all advertising (not just digital) in 2022" - GroupM report.
Big Tech might be down, but it's still very, VERY big. With Amazon, that number is well over 50%. It's worth noting though, that the "duopoly" isn't as strong as it was predicted to be.
2023 will be...
The year when the world comes to terms with generative AI like ChatGPT. There are several implications, both good and bad.
The year when Facebook and Google help marketers move away from their obsession with performance marketing, and more towards brand building? Let's hope so!
The year when quick commerce becomes more like slow-and-steady-and-sustainable commerce.
A make-or-break year for Meta, who will still continue to invest heavily in the loss leader that is the metaverse.
A year when major cyber warfare happens.
The year of metaverse fashion designers (and many other new roles, one reckons)
The year of moar antitrust!
A good year, if we can get our act together.
Do I have a favourite brand from 2022?
Last year, I said Airbnb.
This year, I was fascinated by canned water brand Liquid Death and its meteoric rise. Why I love these guys is because they're showing the power of branding - they are upfront that as a product, they offer nothing new. Their near-unicorn valuation is almost completely on the back of some outrageous marketing, my favourite of which is turning all their hate mail into a legit heavy metal album on Spotify.
So, what all has the brand done so far? Thankfully, Contagious has saved me the effort of compiling things. Their Most Contagious Report includes a detailed profile on Liquid Death (named brand of the year) and all they've done. Enjoy!
(PERSONAL) RUNNER UP
I always like getting inspired by small brands. So my runner-up is a relatively small brand - a digital-first pizza chain in Mumbai called Hundo's Pizza. Their pizzas are outrageously delicious, their packaging is great, their collabs (Vicky Ratnani, Saransh Goila and others) are on-point, their photography is drool-inducing, and their content game... Well... Sample the opinionated delivery guy who won't ferry a pineapple pizza!
That's the kind of quirk that's going to get people talkin'. Also, did I mention their pizzas are insanely good?
On later reflection, I might decide to name Bloodywood my favourite brand (and band) of the year... Hmm.
My personal list
Book I enjoyed the most this year: Ted Gioia - Music: A Subversive History.
Podcasts / newsletters: An updated list here.
Investment of the year: Working out regularly with Unlock.
What worked for me fitness-wise, this year.
Purchase of the year: Mr Butler's soda maker. Sparkling water helps cravings and with a little Beyond Water, is a delicious 0 calorie liquid snack.
YouTube channels I've been binging: Yes Theory, The B1M, Business Insider, Vox, WIRED, Kurzgesagt, and of course the Monty Python meets BBC Earth that is Ze Frank. Am not as devoted a movies/shows person - though I highly recommend the British gameshows Taskmaster & Would I Lie To You? for the latter.
Hey, what about music! You always blabber about music...
That's right! And I'll be sharing links to that in next week's edition. For the moment though, this should satiate you:
Live listening session: Today (24 Dec) I am hosting an online listening session of some of my favourite songs from 2022. Rock, metal, pop, Indian indie, everything. 7-10 PM on our new Discord server. Grab your headphones, pop open a beer, join in, enjoy and say hi!
Band of the year: Bloodywood. The impact that these guys have had in such a short span of time is staggering. Rakshak is my album of the year. I'm saying it - they're not just India's best possible metal export, they might be the biggest Indian act abroad since some big Bollywood names (just see the crowds they commanded in Europe!)
Chuck & Berty's Song A Day: A project with a friend where we share, well, a song a day. Our playlists and stuff will be shared there. We're on Telegram, Instagram and of course, Discord. The best-songs-of-2022 playlist will be shared there today!
That's it from me for 2022. Next week, you will receive an edition - just some fun miscellany stashed away in my "Things of Internet" folder which I'm clearing out before beginning afresh in 2022.
Thank you for being a subscriber. Have a kickass last week, and a terrific 2023.
Chuck