Flipping the focus from burgers to social media

Maysoon El-Ahmad on Nov 5, 2018

WHAT’S GOING ON

  • As AI, robotics and sensor-based technologies put the future of low skilled jobs in jeopardy, the youth of today are turning to social media for part-time income
    • Retailers and Food Service operators globally are replacing low paid / low skilled jobs with more efficient technologies
    • Amazon plans to open 3000 of its Amazon Go cashier-less stores by 2021
    • Store chains like Standard Market (Canada), Moby Store (China) and even Woolies in Double Bay (Australia) are investing in ceiling cameras, scanners, payment apps and AI all in an effort to improve customer convenience and operational efficiencies
  • So if you can’t flip a burger or be a check-out chick, where do you go for a casual income in 2018? Where you go for just about everything else – social media
  • Anyone under the age of 18 has grown up with social media so they know how to use it to their advantage
  • Platforms such as Instagram are a hunting ground for brands wanting teen attention and therefore teens who want to earn an income through sponsored content
  • Brands such as Icewise have chosen teens over celebrities to promote their accessories – not only are they cheaper, brand owners believe they’re better. Matthew Weisberger of Icewise said that working with teens “was like striking gold….these girls are excited to create an entire meme around your product and charge you $20”
  • Sound like extortion? It’s actually a pretty fair value exchange, the brands build awareness and even pre-teens as young as 12 develop skills in sales, negotiation, photo editing, marketing and management – and they don’t even have to get out of bed!

GROWTH MANTRA’S PREDICTION

  • This “grey” market will increase and result in a new cohort of employees in the future who have mature negotiation and sales skills and will not rely on traditional income streams
Growth Mantra
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