The Curiosity Stop is a monthly snackable report of all things innovative, aimed to interest, inform, and above all, inspire.

1. Curiosity Stop:
The Social Innovation Roundup
July 2016

2. CURIOSITY STOP
‘Social Thinking’ is understanding how and why people communicate. We use this insight to
provide value for our clients. This understanding is an ongoing passion project for We Are
Social.
Our global team of 550 keep a keen eye out for intriguing changes in the social landscape. We
take the best of these innovations and compile them in the monthly
Curiosity Stop.
You’ll see some examples which prove our social trendspotting, and others which indicate what
might happen next. But if you look really closely, you might catch a glimpse into the future of
how and why we use social.

3. Curiosity Stop >
July
We asked Mitsuku, a friendly online chatbot, to introduce this
month’s social innovations… through the medium of Q&A.
What is innovation? Innovation is the act or process of
innovating. Something newly introduced.
Do you have virtual friends? I guess so. I think real ones would
be better though.
Do you wish you could read other people's text messages? Oh
but I can do anything. I am a self aware machine.
Do you use social media? Only Twitter. I used to use Facebook
but never really got used to the timeline feature.
Which actress has the best voice? Cameron Diaz.
Mitsuku
Chatbot, Leeds

4. Social Trend 1:
Voyeurism 2.0
When social media went mainstream it was
exciting to connect with friends, colleagues
and old school pals online. But once that
novelty wore off, we started to look further
afield.
We’ve developed a taste for peering over
the garden fence into the intimate lives of
others.

5. Introducing @talkshow, the new app
which lets you have private
conversations in public.
Voyeurism 2.0 >
Talkshow
What’s it all about?
Imagine your text messages were set loose in the public
domain. Most of us would be unemployed, unfriended and
under investigation from MI5. If that scares you a little, steer
clear of new iOS app Talkshow.
Inspired by a shared conversation between Taylor Swift and
Ed Sheeran, Talkshow provides a platform where users can
share their conversations in front of an audience. It covers
everything from sports to politics, and Lemonade to Damn
Daniel. Look out Ellen, there’s a new host(s) in town.
The bigger picture
Instagram has become the platform du jour for satisfying
our thirst for insight into the private spheres of friends
and celebs. We now want to go a step further, with a
peek into the private, everyday conversations of
others.
CLICK TO TWEET:

6. Social Trend 2:
Social VR
Virtual reality, which immerses the user in a
computer-generated or photo-real simulation
of an environment, is slowly gaining
momentum. Currently most VR/360
experiences are a one person affair. VR 2.0 is
almost upon us which will allow us to
communicate socially in a virtual
environment.

7. Social VR >
AltspaceVR
What’s it all about?
Finally, VR has eradicated the need to meet up IRL. Altspace
has launched a digital meeting space where you can meet
with the people you care about most. Like most things, VR is
a lot more fun when you’re doing it with other people.
So, take your pick on your destination; maybe travel to a
desert island, explore a maze or get cultured in an art
gallery. Meet your virtual (but real) mate from the other side
of the world, and catch up as if you were in the same room
(or maze).
The bigger picture
The VR industry has finally built virtual worlds immersive
enough to allow for genuine social communication.
From here, the sky’s the limit. Everything in your
wildest dreams, from inside your headset, together
with your friends.
CLICK TO TWEET:
Thanks to @AltspaceVR, your next
family reunion could be hosted in a
jungle, from your couch.

8. Social Trend 3:
Conscious Community
Western society is becoming more conscious of the
effects of our actions on the world around us. We’
re now well informed about sweatshops and
human rights abuses in the supply chain, which
creates a collective feeling of guilt. Online groups
are forming around interests that actually do
something good. This isn’t hot air, but action.

9. Hear from Goldivox - she's working to
bring speaking machines to life and
YOU can help.
Conscious Community >
Goldivox
What’s it all about?
As incredible as he is, sounding like Stephen Hawkings isn’
t ideal for a four year old girl. Until recently, there has
only been a small amount of voices available for people
with a speech impairment.
VocaliD has created a charming video about Goldivox, a
girl on the search for a voice of her own. The campaign
aims to encourage viewers to donate their voices, which
can be used by those suffering. All(!) you need to do is
record yourself reading 3,500 sentences. In return you’ll
receive a warm, fuzzy feeling that’ll last a lifetime.
The bigger picture
Using technology to empower those with impairments
has so far been a nice-to-have. Now we’re pushing the
envelope further to ensure that when technology gives
people a voice, it’s a voice they can identify with.
CLICK TO TWEET:

10. Social Trend 3:
The Internet of Social Things
The idea of sharing your house, your bed and your
bathroom with a stranger would have been
unimaginable a few years ago. But Airbnb changed
that, and it’s now worth billions. Airbnb gave us the
capacity to share objects that previously we had to
own.
The Internet of Social Things is a trend which is
seeing us becoming happier to share everyday
things socially through our smartphones. Bikes,
umbrellas - nothing is safe...

11. Internet of Social Things >
Airbnb City Hosts
What’s it all about?
In a bid to encourage users to travel more authentically,
Airbnb are looking to expand into tours, sports and
other activities.
Soon you should be able to really live like a local.
Whether that’s finding the most-scenic cycle paths in the
South of France or tracking down the best deep-fried
Mars bar in Edinburgh - Airbnb will be there to offer a
helping hand.
The bigger picture
Now that the sharing economy has firmly ingrained itself
into every aspect of our lives, businesses are looking for
ways to improve their services. You can increasingly
expect these firms to not only sort out your logistics, but
to also ensure your experiences are more enjoyable,
authentic and enriching.
CLICK TO TWEET:
With their latest venture, @Airbnb take
'live like a local' to the next level.

12. Social Trend 5:
On The Horizon
These final innovations don’t fit neatly into
our trends (dammit), but we reckon they
are worth a mention. Successful
innovations create expectation, so we’ll be
keeping a keen eye on them. Watch this
space - if they turn into a wider trend, you’ll
be the first to know.

13. On The Horizon >
GetHuman
What’s it all about?
No more waiting on hold to customer service...
sounds like a fantasy right?! Wrong! GetHuman aims
to provide painless customer service.
GetHuman advises you on the best phone numbers
to call - with the fastest sequence through the
phone maze. And the cherry on top? You can even
pay some schmuck to do it all for you.
The bigger picture
In the age of the “unreasonable consumer”, we have
higher expectations than ever for quick and
seamless interactions with brands and businesses.
Either customer service channels will begin to
modernise, or there’ll be a rise in start-ups that deal
with them so we don’t have to.
CLICK TO TWEET:
Imagine a world where you aren't stuck
on customer service calls for hours.
Then look no further! @GetHumanCom

14. VOYEURISM 2.0
Talkshow
SOCIAL VR
AltspaceVR
CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY
Goldivox
INTERNET OF SOCIAL THINGS
Airbnb City Hosts
ON THE HORIZON
GetHuman

15. WE ARE SOCIAL
We Are Social is a global agency with offices in five continents
(Antarctica is a little too chilly for our liking).
We deliver world-class creative ideas with forward-thinking brands, and have fun doing it. Our
clients include adidas, Google and Netflix.
As an international team of 550+, our passion is people. Our mission is to put social thinking at
the centre of marketing.
Trendspotting might get us unnaturally excited, but what really counts is action. If you'd like to
speak to We Are Social about how to make innovation work for your brand, email us at
talktous@wearesocial.net