We pulled together some of the most interesting articles we’ve read recently – and included the quotes that got us talking the most.

Macallan Scotch Courts Millennial Drinkers with Help from Instagram
Source: Digiday
How exactly does a liquor with a premium, old school stigma reach a millennial audience? Through Instagram, that’s how. Last month Macallan launched its newest collectible scotch, Edition No. 1, with the intention of targeting Millennials strictly through photos. Their main account features “Did you know?” posts with facts about the drink as well as advice about how to pair scotch with different meals, how to serve it, how to talk about it, etc. By making the brand more approachable, Macallan quickly proved this strategy a hit. The Instagram follower count increased 350% to 53.7K in the last quarter and they earned a digital IQ of 130, making them “gifted” in digital marketing. After scrolling through the feed just now, it’s safe to say Macallan has gained another follower.

Facebook Hops on the Face-Swap Bandwagon
Source: USA Today
Face-swaping has become the next (quite creepy) social media trend thanks to the newest Snapchat lens that allows two people to switch faces in their selfie. Facebook is now taking a page from Snapchat’s book with the purchase of an imaging software called Masquerade, which adds filters, masks and special effects to selfies and videos. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought this software in hopes of getting younger users to become more active on his website again. He hopes that this app will increase video content on Facebook and “continue enhancing the Facebook video experience.” Video has become such an integral part of Facebook, so much so that users now watch 100 million hours of video every day. If only I had that many hours in my day.

Google Wants to be Your Travel Agent
Source: CNN
Google is at it again with the introduction of their newest feature called “Destinations on Google.” Simply type in a specific continent, country or state in your Google search bar on your mobile device followed by the word “destinations,” and Google will provide you with a collage of travel options. It allows you to change your travel dates, look at price trends over time, and customize your travel preferences while also providing you with suggested itineraries and suggested “value” travel dates. Absolutely genius if you ask me. Don’t bother trying this on your desktop just yet, though. Google released this service strictly on mobile for now because they cited mobile search as one of the primary reasons for website sales growth and because, let’s be real, people do everything on their phones nowadays. There’s no doubt I am going to be using Destinations on Google in the next few months to plan my summer vacation. Bermuda, here I come!