Abu Dhabi Media has announced the launch of ‘UFC Arabia,’ the first Arabic language UFC application in the MENA region, following their partnership with the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion. IT’S TIME to allow fans in the region’s 21 countries to exclusively live stream events as well as access a range of fight videos.

The application ‘UFC Arabia’ is downloadable through all major online stores, such as Apple Store and Google Play, and will be available on web, smart phone, and tablets. It will allow fans to track real-time updates of all UFC events and live-stream fights, anytime, anywhere, enabling them to switch from English to Arabic with ease.

“We are very excited to welcome back UFC to Abu Dhabi through the launch of this first Arabic language application, UFC Arabia. We are thrilled to allow all passionate fans in the UAE, and MENA, a chance to exclusively live stream all UFC events, and this step reaffirms our commitment to bringing all major sports to our viewers in the region,” said Abdulrahman Awadh Al Harthi, Executive Director of Television at Abu Dhabi Media.

“Abu Dhabi Media is keen to serve its audiences by diversified media channels, and reaching out through unique online and digital platforms. We are proud of this launch which identifies our efforts to adapt the best practices by providing the best entertaining and useful content,” he continued.

“UFC Arabia will provide fans in the MENA region with one place to view all UFC live events as well as hundreds of hours of shoulder programming,” commented David Shaw, UFC Senior Vice President, International and Content. “We are committed to growing the sport across the region and the new app will help us achieve this common goal.”

The digital subscription service will offer customers live online access to all UFC events, as well as a comprehensive content library, which will be available in English and Arabic.

“We are very proud to cater to our audience in the region by offering exclusive access to UFC live events, and various other content types, through this one-of-a kind app. Subscribers of the application will be able to enjoy a 30 day free trial period, which can be cancelled at any time, free of charge before the expiration of the trial period,” added Al Harthi.

Following the trial period, the service will be available for a fee of $4.99 and $49.99, monthly and yearly, respectively. The app will be available to all included countries in US dollars, except for UAE and KSA, where it will be available in local currency: Monthly subscription will be at 18.99 AED / month in UAE and 18.99 SAR/month in KSA, while, annual subscription will be at AED 189.99 / year in UAE and SAR 189.99 / year in KSA.

All subscriptions are set to auto renew on the expiration date, and payments can be made via credit card (VISA and MasterCard) on www.ufcarabia.com or through in-app purchases (Apple Store and Google Play).

UFC Arabia will be available in the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Live-stream of events will be provided for subscribers only within the countries specified in the Territory list.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about radio, it’s that its mass appeal has been consistent over time as America’s top reach medium. The original electronic media, radio continues to reach more Americans than any other platform measured by Nielsen. Among adults 18+, radio reaches 92% of U.S. adults every week.

Radio is in high demand and has a diverse listenership when considering how many people tune in across age, gender and ethnicity. Not surprisingly, adults 18-49 are the demographic that tunes in the most. The monthly reach for these listeners is 132.4 million (98% of the population), and Country is the format they prefer most. Adults 25-54 are the second most reached demographic for radio, with 123.6 million (99%) of the population listening each month.\

When we look at these demographics by gender, listenership remains strong. Both women and men 18-49 use radio in large numbers, with their listenership nearly equal at 65.9 million (97%) and 65.4 million (98%), respectively. And again, Country is the top format for both genders.

Radio’s popularity also extends to teens, reaching 93% of the U.S. population monthly. That translates to 23.3 million 12-17 year-olds who tune in to radio each month. With this young demographic, Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) is the top format of choice while Country ranks number two. Black and Hispanic adults are also easily reached by radio—98% of each group listens on a monthly basis, which translates to 35.1 million Black listeners and 45.6 million Hispanic listeners.

Radio connects with the right audience at the right moment, particularly when consumers are out and about and ready to shop and buy. Consumers use radio primarily when they’re away from home. Out-of-home listening during the full week is more than twice as high (69%) as in-home listening (31%).

Since most radio is consumed away from home (particularly when driving to and from work or running errands) it offers a significant opportunity for marketers and advertisers to deliver their message just before a potential point of purchase. Radio’s continued success and resiliency is due in large part to the enviable space it occupies in the automotive console. It’s free, ubiquitous and at the fingertips of virtually every consumer on the road today. Most of radio’s away-from-home listening happens in the car: 66% occurs during the total week, 71% during normal commute times Monday-Friday, and 79% on weekends.

Looking ahead, new technologies and distribution platforms including podcasts and smart speakers are expanding the audio landscape, providing consumers with more specialized content and ways to listen. When gauging podcast use by market, Washington D.C and Seattle-Tacoma (46%) had the highest penetration among all households in Nielsen’s Portable People Meter (PPM) radio markets. New York was tops in smart speaker ownership by market (46%), followed by Minneapolis St. Paul and Philadelphia (36.9%).

Radio continues to be a dynamic medium for consumers to engage with, as it evolves and augments through emerging platforms and technologies.

Consumers will spend up to $150 billion on sustainable products by 2021. However, they don’t value all attributes considered “sustainable” equally, and different attributes resonate best within different product categories. Brands should take care to focus on products with sustainability claims that build credibility and trust—or they could end up alienating their customers.

Given the many overlapping sustainable attributes that shoppers encounter today, we examined which sustainability related product attributes, claims and ingredient profiles could translate to price premiums for brands, with consumers willing to pay more for specific sustainability related attributes.

So, what matters most for U.S. consumers across categories?

In our April 2019 Omnibus study of more than 21,000 U.S. households, we found that products that are environmentally friendly and use recycled packaging resonate most strongly with consumers overall. Consumers find both of these qualities to be the most important to their decision making, as well as top attributes they would pay more for across all categories. 

This is good news for all marketers seeking to connect with sustainability minded consumers. Brands across most categories can incorporate recycled packaging into their products, whereas other top attributes—such as farm raised—might be relevant only within specific categories.

With sustainability, as with any other aspect, an awareness of an attribute’s value can increase consumers’ willingness to pay more. Across categories, consumers’ familiarity with an attribute strongly correlated with their willingness to pay more for it. Consumers could note if they were willing to pay “a little” or “a lot” for each sustainability benefit. The top attributes that more than one-third of consumers were willing to pay more for included: cruelty free (31%), farm raised (32%), organic farming (33%) and environmentally friendly (33.5%).

 Whether you’ve incorporated these sustainability attributes into your products today or not, a better understanding of both your consumers’ awareness of and interest in different sustainability attributes can help you plan for the future while delivering on consumers’ expectations today. 

Putting a sustainability lens on your everyday analytics—in this case, consumer awareness and pricing optimization—can create new opportunities for your brand to win.

Authored by Julia Wilson Vice President, Global Responsibility & Sustainability

Starting a business is one thing but scaling up a successful start-up is a whole different ball game.

Business owners need new skills and focus areas to generate sustainable growth over an extended period, while managing risk.

Here are a few smart, simple places to start:

1. Stand out. Develop a clear, unique message for your offering by focusing on your strengths. The best way to differentiate your business is through efficient and friendly customer service. For instance, Lush cosmetics, who champions banning animal testing of cosmetics and provides, offers fresh organic soaps, face masks and cosmetic products. The brand differentiates itself by producing environmentally-conscious products that are both organic and fresh and tend to expire after a certain period.

Tip: You might be one of many retailers selling children’s clothes but perhaps your material is ethically sourced or you commission unemployed mothers to make the clothes. These are great selling points.

2. Go digital. Consumers research products online before buying them, which means if you’re not online, you might as well not exist. Develop a mobile-friendly, visually appealing and easy to navigate website and build your presence on social media where you can engage with your customers. In the Middle East, and especially in UAE, companies in different industries have developed mobile applications to offer mobility and convenience to consumers. From the Road and Transport Authority to retail outlets like Noon.com to financial services like Liv bank – all offer a range of services on their mobile applications.

Example: As an agricultural business owner, you might think you don’t need a website because you have regular customers but it’s the best place to let those customers know that you’re expanding your product line, for example.

3. Delight your customers. Consumers have higher expectations and more choice than ever before. Understand what your customers want and how you can help.

Tip: A good experience means happy customers and happy customers are loyal customers

4. Find new markets. Expanding into new markets is one of the fastest ways to scale up. But with each new market comes new competitors, different customer needs and unknown threats. Do your research and identify markets with strong demand and weak supply. A great example would be Uber, ride-hailing application, expanded to UAE after observing the need of additional taxi services. However, they did face tough competition from Careem, a local ride-hailing company, which was acquired by Uber this year.

Tip: You may need to modify your product or service to meet the nuances of different markets. A service or solution that works well in Bahrain might not work as well in UAE or Saudi Arabia, which has different laws and different skillsets.

5. Attract the right people. Today, everything is fuelled by technology, which makes people your real competitive advantage. Investing in passionate, trustworthy and customer-focused people can build the foundation for a successful business.

Tip: Hire the best people you can afford or develop young, talented individuals. Services industries are the ideal training grounds for getting customer service right.

6. Plan for success. A business plan forces you to think about the future. But plans should not be rigid or overly complicated. They should be living documents that can adapt to the changing needs of your customers, the environment you operate in and regulatory requirements.

Tip: The mining sector, for example, is a high-risk, heavily regulated industry. It cannot be bound to a rigid business plan as it might need to adapt to conditions that change in an instant.

7. Formalising processes. Formalising the company’s structure and processes gives management better visibility and control of the organisation’s finances, speeds up paperwork, and helps align everyone in the company behind its values and strategy. It can be good for employee morale because people will feel confident about their purpose and responsibilities.

Tip: To survive, you’ll need to have suitable software systems in place, start documenting policies and formalising other aspects of the business to ensure compliance and productivity and reduce the risk of reputational damage.

8. Manage your cashflow. Scaling up will require investment in research, people and marketing – make sure your business can cover this without going insolvent and that you have more cash coming into your business than going out.

Businesses ultimately operate in a trust and knowledge economy. If you can build trust among your customers through excellent service, while leveraging the experience of a skilled team, you’re well on your way to growth.

Authored By Viresh Harduth, Vice President: New Customer Acquisition (Small & Medium Businesses) for Africa & Middle East

Now more than ever, global consumers are flirting with and cheating on their favorite brands—many of which they’ve held near and dear for years. Whether they’re doing so to stay current with the latest trends or to simply try something that piques their curiosity, “new” has greater pull these days than tried and true. But while choice is fantastic for consumers, this new addiction to newism is leaving established companies heartbroken and desperate for a second chance. 

Fast and fickle consumers—those whose curiosity and changing interests are driving their buying habits—are fanning the flames of brand disloyalty around the globe. With only 8% of global consumers committed to the brands they purchase, it’s critical for brands and retailers alike to identify the tendencies of the fast and fickle in order to better understand what these consumers prioritize. From there, they can readjust their marketing strategies to boost—or more likely recapture—retention. 

In addition to their newfound infatuation with the new and different, fast and fickle consumers aren’t afraid to try brands they’re not familiar with. Depending on their buying patterns, we’ve split these consumers into two categories: active explorers, those who frequently purchase new brands, and conscious considerers, those who prefer to stick to brand names they know but still experiment from time to time. Though different, each group plays a major role in the growth of brand disloyalty.

Naturally, of course, price is a considerable factor in consumer purchase decisions. However, if price was once the most important factor, that’s no longer the case. With global consumers wanting more bang for their buck, price promotion as a choice driver—a characteristic that holds significant weight in a consumer’s purchasing decision—is proving to be less important to shoppers than the value a product offers them.

It’s also important to note that the power of social media and the interactiveness it promotes are critical to brands today. Although ads on TV, radio and in print still play a role in consumers’ purchasing decisions, independent opinions and reviews are actually more influential in persuading a consumer to buy one product or brand over another. Brands should capitalize on the ability to generate personal dialogues with consumers through social media while also allowing prospects the opportunity to provide feedback. These efforts will go a long way in fostering consumer acquisition and retention.

Country of origin is also a big purchase driver and a factor that can have a large impact on both brand loyalty and the global marketplace in general. Because of the high value shoppers place on “homegrown,” brands should leverage their locale in their marketing tactics to boost loyalty among their consumers.

The bottom line in today’s market is that established companies can no longer rely on the heritage of their household names to keep customers coming back for more. With an overwhelming 92% of global consumers stating that they don’t consider themselves brand loyal, the halos above well-known brands are losing their radiance. Brand disloyalty, however, isn’t just a challenge for established brands. While it’s true that many might jump to think global brands are most at risk here, the reality is that consumer disloyalty doesn’t play favorites. That means no brand is safe to rest on its laurels. As long as product variety and access to it continues to expand, global disloyalty will grow as well—no matter how recognized a brand is.

On the bright side, not all hope is lost. While it may seem as though brand loyalty is growing obsolete, brands do have an opportunity to turn the tables. Here’s some good news: 28% of consumers are drawn to the strength and confidence that’s associated with a familiar brand. So as long as companies manning those brands adjust their strategies to capitalize on their core strengths, their futures should be promising. It’s also worth noting that almost 50% of global consumers prefer to stick with what they know but can be persuaded to make a change. So even though disloyalty is the new normal, your brand doesn’t have to fall victim to it.

Jaguar Land Rover partners with BASF in a pilot research project which aims to tackle the challenges of plastic waste

ChemCycling project takes plastic waste and recycles it into premium material for potential use in future Jaguar and Land Rover models

Recycled plastic material is tested on prototype production parts in the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE to ensure it meets Jaguar Land Rover’s exacting quality and safety standards

Collaboration is a step towards delivering Jaguar Land Rover’s vision for a Destination Zero future 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 21 July 2019: Jaguar Land Rover is trialling an innovative recycling process which converts plastic waste into a new premium grade material that could feature on future vehicles.

It’s estimated that the amount of waste plastic is predicted to exceed 12 million tonnes globally by 2050*. Today, not all of this plastic can be recycled for use in automotive applications – especially in vehicle parts that are required to meet the most exacting safety and quality standards.

Working in conjunction with chemical company, BASF, Jaguar Land Rover is part of a pilot project called ChemCycling that upcycles domestic waste plastic, otherwise destined for landfill or incinerators, into a new high-quality material.

The waste plastic is transformed to pyrolysis oil using a thermochemical process. This secondary raw material is then fed into BASF’s production chain as a replacement for fossil resources; ultimately producing a new premium grade that replicates the high quality and performance of ‘virgin’ plastics.  Importantly, it can be tempered and coloured making it the ideal sustainable solution for designing the next-generation dashboards and exterior-surfaces in Jaguar and Land Rover models.

Jaguar Land Rover and BASF are currently testing the pilot phase material in a Jaguar I-PACE prototype front-end carrier overmoulding to verify it meets the same stringent safety requirements of the existing original part.

Pending the outcome of the trials and progression in taking chemical recycling to market readiness, adoption of the new premium material would mean Jaguar Land Rover could use domestically derived recycled plastic content throughout its cars without any compromise to quality or safety performance**.

Chris Brown, Senior Sustainability Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Plastics are vital to car manufacturing and have proven benefits during their use phase, however, plastic waste remains a major global challenge. Solving this issue requires innovation and joined-up thinking between regulators, manufacturers and suppliers.

“At Jaguar Land Rover, we are proactively increasing recycled content in our products, removing single-use plastics across our operations and reducing excess waste across the product lifecycle. The collaboration with BASF is just one way in which we are advancing our commitment to operating in a circular economy.”

This is the latest example of Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to addressing the challenge of waste plastic. The company has collaborated with Kvadrat to offer customers alternative seat options that are both luxurious and sustainable.  The high-quality material, available initially on the Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque, combines a durable wool blend with a technical suedecloth that is made from 53 recycled plastic bottles per vehicle.

Jaguar Land Rover has already met its 2020 target for Zero Waste to Landfill for UK operations. This includes the removal of 1.3 million m2 – equal to 187 football pitches – of plastic from its manufacturing lineside and replacing 14 million single use plastic items in business operations.

Together, these efforts are driving towards Jaguar Land Rover’s vision for Destination Zero; an ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner. Delivered through relentless innovation to adapt its products and services to the rapidly-changing world, the company’s focus is on achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.

Medallia to Provide Experience Management Technology and Expertise for all Four Red Roof Brands

Medallia, Inc.the global leader in experience management, has announced that Red Roof, the award-winning leader in the lodging industry, has selected Medallia to power its experience management program to take advantage of real time feedback capabilities and seamless insights across channels.

Utilizing Medallia Experience Cloud, Red Roof will receive a detailed experience profile of each guest across their journey that they can use to improve their business operations, loyalty and profitability. Insights are collected in real time, which will enable Red Roof to adapt systems and services in the moment to ensure guest experiences exceed expectations. In addition to direct feedback, Red Roof will leverage Medallia to analyze its social reviews and take action to continue to increase customer loyalty. Medallia will provide real time insights to front line employees and senior operational leaders at all Red Roof brands, including Red Roof Inn, Red Roof Plus, The Red Collection, and HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof.

“We are thrilled to welcome Red Roof back to Medallia’s hospitality community,” commented Geoffrey Ryskamp, Medallia’s Global Head of Hospitality, Travel & Leisure. “Red Roof is taking an innovative approach to enhance the guest experience across their brands by gathering feedback during stay and within moments of departure.”

The partnership reflects Red Roof’s unwavering commitment to providing unmatched experiences on property and while booking, with frequent innovations driven by continuous customer feedback.

“Red Roof is known for obsessively listening to customers and making changes in our business to better the guest experience based on their needs,” said Andrew Alexander, Red Roof’s President. “We are excited to partner with Medallia to accelerate customer-driven innovation and grow our business through loyalty.  We know that providing customers with an experience tailored to their needs will drive repeat, sustainable business.”

Red Roof joins a roster of international hospitality leaders that rely on Medallia to anticipate and adapt to meet the high expectations of guests and employees. The platform is used by 7 out of 10 of the largest hospitality companies in the world, including Marriott International, Hilton, IHG, Four Seasons, and MGM Resorts International. Medallia’s Experience Cloud connects frontline staff and managers to real-time feedback from guests while measuring customer happiness, franchisee and employee experience, and the root causes to help brands get better.

Although most people in the country choose to visit these parks, many prefer wildlife outings and adventurous getaways for short breaks

More than half of UAE residents (54%) said they prefer taking staycations visiting an amusement or water park in the country, new YouGov research reveals.

In recent times, there has been an affinity among travelers globally towards a staycation- a shorter holiday within the country or day trips exploring destinations in one’s own city. YouGov’s research shows that after amusement parks, a trip to nature or wildlife retreat is the second most preferred type of staycation by UAE residents (45%), followed by an adventure or sports-related outing (40%).

Furthermore, more than a third (35%) like taking luxury-related trips and just more than a quarter (28%) prefer going to special events or concerts in the county. Comparatively, staycations that are wellness-related (19%) and spiritual in nature (18%) are less popular among people.

YouGov’s research shows that the preference for a staycation seems to vary according to one’s place in the family life cycle. Although an amusement park is the top preference of all, singles and married couples without children are more likely than families (with children) to choose an adventurous outing (45% vs 36%), while families are more likely than those without children to pick nature (48% vs 42%) and luxury-related trips (38% vs 32%) for short getaways.

At present, around seven in ten people (69%) said they have taken a staycation at least once in the last year, with just under a third (29%) claiming to have taken such a break two to four times a year. Arab Expats seem to be the most rejuvenated and just over a fifth (21%) said they took more than ten staycations in the last year.

Spending time with family (said by 56%) and relaxing and unplugging (54%) are the biggest pulls for a staycation. Some people even plan to explore places and meet new people (31%) or to celebrate special occasions (24%). Moreover, the affordable nature of a staycation makes it the most ideal holiday option for the majority (60%), especially families, who are more likely than the singles or couples to choose a staycation for its pocket-friendliness (65% vs 56%).

With an array of tourist offerings, it is not surprising that most of the surveyed respondents (45%) are likely to consider Dubai for their next trip within the Emirates. Large numbers are also considering Ras Al Khaimah (39%), Abu Dhabi (37%) and Fujairah (34%). While more men than women said they are considering Dubai for their next staycation (49% vs 38%), a higher proportion of women are planning to visit Ras al Khaimah (47% vs 36%).

Focusing on perceptions of the UAE’s amusement parks over the past 12 months, YouGov BrandIndex, the daily brand tracking tool, reveals that Global Village is the top amusement park in the UAE with an Index score of 38.9, followed by Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (27.6) and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi (20.6).

Despite being a seasonal destination, Global Village is one of the most popular attractions in the UAE. The Ferrari-themed park and Yas Waterworld are some of the other hotspots with a range of family-friendly rides and attractions.

Data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1,007 respondents in the UAE between 22nd and 29th April using YouGov’s panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult online population in the country.

Snap Inc. eleased a global study of 10,000 people across Australia, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, U.K., and the U.S. to explore how culture, age, and technology shape preferences and attitudes around friendship.

Ten experts on friendship from around the world contributed to the report to contextualize the data.

“Snapchat was designed from the outset as a platform to enable self-expression and deeper relationships with your real friends, which has driven our interest in the complexities around friendship and differences across cultures,” said Amy Moussavi, Snap Inc. head of consumer insights. “While friendship looks very different across the world, we know it plays a central role in our happiness and we remain deeply committed to finding new ways to celebrate and elevate it through Snapchat."

Across all markets surveyed, people’s average social circle consists of 4.3 best friends, 7.2 good friends, and 20.4 acquaintances. Globally, most people meet their life-long best friend at the average age of 21. Respondents noted that “honesty” and “authenticity” are the most important qualities of a best friend and “having a large social network to tap into” is of least importance when making friends.

The Friendship Report sheds new light on the nature of friendship, including:

● How different cultures interpretation of friendship impacts friendship circles and values.

● How friendship is linked to happiness, but that the nuances of what we share and how we feel when we talk to friends can vary substantially based on our circle size, gender, generation, and more.

● The generation we’re born into heavily influences our attitudes towards friendship—and that Gen Z is adjusting their approach away from the millennial desire for widespread networks in favor of the closeness and intimacy of a smaller group.

“The big thing that differentiates friendships from other relationships is the fact that they’re voluntary,” said Miriam Kirmayer, therapist and friendship researcher. “Unlike relationships with our family, partners, and children, there is no outright expectation with our friends that we have to stay involved in each other’s lives. We continuously need to choose to invest in our friendships—to remain involved and to show up. It’s an ongoing implicit choice that makes our friendships so hugely impactful for our sense of happiness and self-esteem.”

A sampling of insights gained from this global survey include:

Cultural Impact

● In India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, people report having three times the number of best friends than those in European countries, the U.S., and Australia. Saudi Arabia has the highest average number of best friends at 6.6, whereas the U.K. has the lowest at 2.6. People in the U.S. have the second lowest average number at 3.1 best friends, and are more likely than any other country to report having only one best friend.

● Having friends who are “intelligent and cultured” is more valued by those in India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, whereas being “non-judgmental” matters more to those in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.

● Those in India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are four times more likely than other regions to say that a “large social network” is an essential quality to have in a best friend. In fact, on average globally, “having a large social network” is the least important quality people seek out in a best friend.

Friendship Circles and Communication

● Globally, 88% of people enjoy talking to their friends online. Our respondents were able to select multiple options to explain what they enjoy about online communication, and there is agreement about the benefits. Across all regions, 32% of people chose the ability to “talk to their friends faster and more easily” as their favored explanation.

● Interacting with friends, whether in person or online, leaves us feeling overwhelmingly positive emotions: “happy,” “loved,” and “supported” are the three most reported globally. However, women are more likely to report feeling these emotions than men following online conversations.

● We see that when it comes to the average number of types of friends, users of more public platforms have larger groups of connections, but less true friends than those who prefer private communication platforms. Snapchat users have the highest number of “best friends” and “close friends,” and the fewest number of “acquaintances,” while Facebook users have the fewest number of “best friends;” and Instagram users have the highest number of “acquaintances.”

Generational Influences

● Globally, Gen Z and millennials are unsurprisingly emphatic in their love for talking with friends online—only 7% and 6% respectively said they don’t enjoy it, compared with 13% of Gen X and 26% of baby boomers. Younger generations also see value in visual communication—61% believe that video and photos help them to express what they want to say in a way that they can’t with words.

● Throughout the research, millennials globally come out on top as the most “share happy" of the generations. Millennials are the least likely to say “I wouldn’t share that” across all categories surveyed. Millennials will also share issues publicly via platforms like Instagram or Facebook more than any other generation. Furthermore, they are more likely to want a best friend who has an extensive social network. Millennials are also more likely to want “as many friends as possible” than any other generation.

● Gen Z doesn’t appear to following in millennials’ footprints, rather they are seeking intimacy in their friendships, and craving open and honest relationships more than any other generation.

● Boomers are the most conservative with regards to the topics they discuss with their best friends, contrasted again by millennials. More than one-third of boomers say they wouldn’t talk about their love life (45%), mental health (40%), or money concerns (39%) with their best friend. Only 16%, 21%, and 23% of millennials wouldn’t talk to their best friends about these same topics, respectively.

New emoji characters are coming to iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch this fall.

To celebrate World Emoji Day, Apple is previewing a selection of new emoji coming this fall, revealing the newest designs that bring even more diversity to the keyboard, alongside fun and exciting additions to popular categories of food, animals, activities and smiley faces.

In a major update to the Holding Hands emoji typically used to represent couples and relationships, users will now be able to select any combination of skin tone, in addition to gender, to personalise the people holding hands, opening up more than 75 possible combinations. 

Following Apple’s proposal to the Unicode Consortium last year to introduce more disability-themed emoji, a new guide dog, an ear with a hearing aid, wheelchairs, a prosthetic arm and a prosthetic leg will be available in the emoji keyboard. Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple’s values and these new options help fill a significant gap in the emoji keyboard.

Many additional emoji categories are getting exciting updates with a new smiley face for yawning, a one-piece swimsuit, new food items including a waffle, falafel, butter and garlic, and new animals like the sloth, flamingo, orangutan and skunk.

Fifty-nine new emoji designs will be available this fall with a free software update for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Thousands of emoji are currently available, including emotive smiley faces, gender-neutral characters, more professions, various clothing options, food types, animals, mythical creatures and more. New emoji are created based on the approved characters in Unicode 12.0.