Games industry leaders have suggested that widespread job losses across the market last year will continue throughout 2024 and likely stretch into next year too.
03.01.2024 - 04:03 / tech.hindustantimes.com / Narendra Modi / Will
Cinema or politics, chocolates or perfume... social media influencers cover it all and are set to spread their influence further and wider in 2024 with MNCs, movie stars and even politicians using them to reach target audiences, bypassing mainstream media and traditional marketing avenues.
‘Influencer' entered the lexicon in a big way in 2023. The tribe will become more visible and more effective in disseminating myriad messages as a new year in which the growth of social media platforms is a virtual certainty stretches ahead.
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An influencer can be any person who has a significant following on a social media platform and holds considerable sway or ‘influence' over his or her followers. A product, brand or celebrity endorsed, used or reviewed by this person is what entails influencer marketing.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) estimates the social media influencer industry at USD 150 million, approximately ₹1,200 crore.
The wide reach, relatability and ability to connect brands with their audiences make influencers the next big thing in marketing campaigns, say trade experts.
And perhaps the most celebrated of them all in 2023 was fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria, propelled to stardom when Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared screen space with him while leading a nationwide cleanliness drive in October.
Sharing a four-minute video on his official X account, Modi posted, "Today, as the nation focuses on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and I did the same! Beyond just cleanliness, we blended fitness and well-being also into the mix. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe!"
The prime minister even said “Ram Ram bhai sara ne”, a phrase popularised by the Haryana wrestler in his exercise videos. The 25-year-old has over 7.6 million followers on Instagram and a huge following on YouTube where he regularly posts his workout videos.
By sharing the screen with Baiyanpuria, Modi spoke directly to the increasing number of those who are “influenced” by the wrestler and also reflected his own ear to the ground attitude.
What makes an influencer like Baiyanpuria the means for a mass message by a tall leader such as Modi?
Manish Solanki, co-founder of social media marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea, credits the “genuine, unscripted connection” of influencers with their followers that cuts through “advertising clutter”.
“Influencers allure brands with authentic, word-of-mouth appeal… Trendsetters by nature, influencers navigate cultural currents, guiding brands to the forefront of what's in vogue. Whether mega or micro, their reach fosters engaged communities, transcending mere numbers. One of their fortes is versatility – creators, storytellers, and brand
Games industry leaders have suggested that widespread job losses across the market last year will continue throughout 2024 and likely stretch into next year too.
On January 23, viewers and fans of comedian Kevin James can catch him in his first comedy special Kevin James: Irregardless. This one-hour special will premiere in over 240 countries and territories. In this special, Kevin James will cover a wide range of topics such as marriage, parenting, and getting older in an unfiltered manner.
The Xbox Developer Direct 2024 was a cornucopia of reveals, footage, and information about what's coming to Xbox this year. We got a formal reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a release date for Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga, more information about Obsidian's Avowed, a surprise appearance from Square Enix with an update on Visions of Mana, and an in-depth look at Ara: History Untold. But fans also spotted something else on MachineGames' whiteboard: the words Quake 6, right next to the iconic Quake logo. Naturally, they're freaking out.
AI PCs for consumers and AI servers are expected to witness huge growth in 2024 with Microsoft propelling the memory segment with its new baseline of 16 GB system RAM.
The era of AI PCs is upon us, & the upcoming PC markets will evolve into something that the world hasn't seen yet, as hinted by several manufacturers at CES.
On the day the South Korean tech major launched its flagship smartphone series at the Unpacked product launch event in San Jose, California, it also teased a new product - Samsung Galaxy Ring. This is its latest push into the personal and health fitness segment and here it will come face-to-face with rival Oura Ring. The Samsung Galaxy Ring will also look to take on Apple which is well established in this segment with its wearables gadgets. The new Galaxy Smart Ring packs sensors that the company believes will be enough to persuade consumers to consider it a viable gadget vis a vis the competition.
Just like the gangly, spider-like monsters that scurry through its industrial corridors, Lethal Company appeared to come out of nowhere. Created by a solo developer who goes by the alias Zeekerss, the video game became an absolute sensation on platforms like Twitch and garnered more than 239,000 concurrent players on Steam within months of its October release.
Twitch has released details of its next TwitchCon events in both Europe and the US.
We're just a day away from the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event that will see the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, the company's flagship smartphone. The event, which takes place annually, is being held in San Jose, California, USA. At the event, The Galaxy S24 series is likely to feature the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. It is also reported that the tech giant will make big announcements in AI, namely Galaxy AI. While Samsung has allowed potential customers to pre-reserve their devices, the preorder offers on the Galaxy S24 series have been leaked. Check out all the preorder offers on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
Grand Theft Auto 6 was officially unveiled last month, but with the open world behemoth still at least a year away from launch (probably more), there’s still plenty yet that we don’t know about it. When Rockstar Games will choose to begin revealing further information on the game remains to be seen, but as always, some little tidbits keep finding ways of filtering through via unexpected sources.
It’s no secret that Daredevil: Born Again is going in a new creative direction. According to a new report, the show will feature the return of Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively.
Microsoft Xbox is kicking off 2024 with a bang. The Washington-based tech giant has announced the first Xbox Developer Direct of 2024 and it is scheduled for January 18. The event will offer die-hard Xbox fans a great opportunity to get an inside look into the games that are currently in development for the Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass. It will include a highly anticipated look at the upcoming Indiana Jones game trailer, among other offerings. Check out what's planned.