This episode is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In this episode of the Contrarian Marketing Podcast, we discuss Apple's VR headset, WhatsApp channels, and the future of Meta, formerly known as Facebook. With TikTok taking headlines at the Mobile Apps Unlocked conference and Meta nowhere to be found, what does this mean for the future of tech companies? Can we really count them out? As Kevin says, "I think you can never ever count a tech company out, especially a tech company with tons of cash." They also delve into * The psychology behind contrarian marketing strategies * How Apple's VR headset might change the game for communication and productivity * Whether WhatsApp channels disrupt conventional brand marketing * If AI can change the playing field in search Join Kevin and Eli as they dissect these questions and much more! Transcript [00:00:00] Contrarian Marketing Podcast: Apple's VR headset, WhatsApp channels, and TikTok at Mobile Apps Unlocked [00:00:00] Kevin: Stop. [00:00:05] Eli: Hi, welcome to another episode of the Contrarian Marketing podcast where we give you ideas you might not be thinking about today. [00:00:11] Eli: We're talking about Apple's VR headset, WhatsApp channels and other news. [00:00:16] Eli: Eli, you just went to an event that is not the Apple WWDC. [00:00:21] Eli: Tell us about it. [00:00:22] Kevin: So I went to an event in Vegas call the Mobile Apps Unlocked conference and they did an interesting thing where they allowed all marketers who are not at agencies to go for free. [00:00:33] Kevin: So I'm not a big fan of paying 1000 $502,500 to go and attend a conference because if anything we've learned from the Pandemic, you could do a lot of learning without going anywhere. [00:00:44] Kevin: I go for the network, but I don't know necessarily if a network is worthwhile. [00:00:48] Kevin: So I don't really want to invest 1000 $502,500 in that conference because I can't go to that many. [00:00:52] Kevin: Like I would certainly do that for most the most awesome conference, but for a conference I've never heard of before or vaguely knew about, not sure I'd do that. [00:01:00] Kevin: But this conference was free for marketers. [00:01:02] Kevin: Obviously I had to pay my own travels in Las Vegas. [00:01:05] Kevin: It's called mobile apps. [00:01:06] Kevin: Unlocked. [00:01:06] Kevin: I think it was 1000 2000. [00:01:08] Eli: People talks about mobile. [00:01:10] Kevin: Of course, a lot of growth marketers there met fascinating people. [00:01:13] Kevin: But TikTok was a headline sponsor and they had dozens of TikTok employees. [00:01:18] Kevin: And they talked about all the things that TikTok does gaming, creative partnerships, a lot of things that go well beyond influencers. [00:01:26] Kevin: Dancing to the latest pop on TikTok videos, but really like how they integrate and how they monetize and how they can partner with creators. [00:01:34] Kevin: But what I felt was thought was fascinating was TikTok was headline sponsor. [00:01:38] Kevin: Facebook was not there. [00:01:40] Kevin: Meta was not there at all as a sponsor, as a booth, as anything, and they didn't even have any employees there. [00:01:47] Kevin: Now I get there are austere times at Meta, they're doing layoffs, maybe they are not out there as much as they used to be, but to not be there at all seemed fascinating to me. [00:01:57] WhatsApp and the future of Meta [00:01:57] Kevin: So we're going to talk today about WhatsApp which is a Meta company. [00:02:02] Kevin: But I think it's interesting that where Facebook is going and how they're going to retrench and how they're going to pivot. [00:02:08] Kevin: I think you can never ever count a tech company out, especially a tech company with tons of cash. [00:02:13] Kevin: Like how many times has Microsoft been counted out or how many times has even IBM been counted out? [00:02:18] Kevin: And then they came out there with Watson and you're like, oh, IBM is cool again. [00:02:21] Kevin: