Facebook's David Marcus Knows Why People Prefer the Messenger App
The way companies communicate with their customers is changing drastically, and Facebook’s head of Messenger says his company’s app creates a space for them to have a better dialogue.
David Marcus joined Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg from the WPP Stream conference in Ojai, California Friday. He points out that no one ever seems to call companies anymore. Not only is the process tedious, he says, but it’s not the way clients prefer to communicate. Marcus thinks Messenger is a more viable and effective option than even traditional texting.
This push for consumers and companies to communicate via Messenger, which was created in 2011, comes at a time where communication apps are on the rise. Data research firm Statista projects that by 2019 2.19 billion people will be using mobile phone messaging.
Marcus said in September that Facebook Messenger had 1.3 billion active users every month. The company’s other product, WhatsApp, has over 1 billion daily users on the platform. According to Statista, WhatsApp is the most popular option worldwide, and Messenger ranks #3.
Marcus argued that the number of people choosing to communicate via Messenger continues to increase. “As a result [the app] becomes a great platform for businesses as well,” he said.
He points to a survey Facebook conducted found that over 64 percent of people across demographics would prefer to communicate with a brand via a platform like Messenger. But there is a generational difference. A study by Goldman Sachs found that 34 percent of millennials like a brand more when it uses social media, but that number drops to 16 percent in individuals over 36.
Facebook has sought to monetize Messenger through advertising.
“We have ‘Click to Messenger’ ads … you can buy ads that direct people to opening more conversations with your brands inside of Messenger.”
Integrating a system where brands and consumers can increase communication is reminiscent of Facebook’s active advertisement strategy. The tech behemoth one of the two dominant players in the advertising industry -- the other being Google. It rules display advertising with a projected market share of 39 percent this year and revenues at $16.33 billion, according to eMarketer.
Season 13 "Shark Tank" contestant Tania Speaks secured a $400,000 deal for her Speaks Organic Skincare brand with "Shark" Mark Cuban while also being named one of the best pitches in the history of the show — all at 19 years old. Now 20, Speaks joined Cheddar News to talk about the skincare line, the clean beauty industry, and the moment that host Cuban was moved by her pitch. "I couldn't believe that he got emotional. I'm surprised I held back my tears that long," the young entrepreneur revealed. "It's just amazing for someone else to be inspired by your story, especially Mark Cuban himself."
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
The recent 7.5% year-over-year increase in consumer prices is the highest since 1982, and drew some strong reactions from investors, with speculations that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates by 50 points instead of 25. But other analysts believe that the Fed will stick with its original plan of 25 points next month. Chris Vecchio, Senior Analyst, at DailyFX broke down how the Fed could potentially react to the historically high inflation data.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
The Super Bowl might be over, but people are still buzzing about the players, commercials, halftime show, and more. Google tracks the top searches before and after the game every year, revealing the show-stopping moments of the biggest sporting event of the year. Sadie Thoma, Director of US Creative Partnerships at Google, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the top trends this year.
