Yahoo is so 2002
D&AD Ask: Create the next generation of consumers for the brand
Do so with a brand activation
Yahoo was once the peak of innovation on the internet having pioneered web directories, web portals, free email, user friendly UI, and so much more
They have however been losing market share the entirety of this century, having seen very little success stopping this bleeding over the years
Yahoo needs to make its mark on the future generations, specifically Gen Z, and Gen Alpha if they want a shot at regaining and holding onto some of their former glory
Comparison of Yahoo’s market share in 2002 vs 2024
Methodology
Social Listening
Gather information about what Yahoo is used for nowadays
Get an idea of how Yahoo’s perception has changed over the years across various generations
Open-Ended Survey
Gauge Gen Z’s perception and awareness of Yahoo
Understand Gen Z’s relationship with the internet
Interviews
Gen Alpha’s awareness and perception of Yahoo
How Gen Alpha interacts with the internet
What Gen Alpha thinks about the internet
The Internet Sucks
The Problem: Gen Z and Alpha feel that the modern internet has lost it’s sense of fun and freedom
A majority of Gen Z and Gen Alpha respondents reported that the internet likely has a negative effect on their lives
Gen Z tends to believe that the internet has overall gotten worse in the past 5 years
Overall opinions of the internet have drastically shifted away from it being something for fun and exploration
Gen Z strongly dislikes the modern big 5 tech companies (Alphabet, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon)
The Feed is Feeding on You
The Insight: Gen Z/Alpha are exhausted because the internet milks them for their time, attention, emotions, and money
This dissatisfaction stems from 3 main factors
Proliferation of AI
Negative news and politics
Ads and monetization
The last two issues have always existed, but all 3 have gotten infinitely worse in past years due to algorithms constantly growing in power and effectiveness. These algorithms are prioritizing these 3 factors on most any social media platform you go to, pretty much being unavoidable online nowadays
Step Into the Web, Not the Machine
The Strategy: Yahoo is the portal to a better internet
Harkens back to an internet before algorithms were so aggressive, when the internet was made for exploration and the consensus was that the internet would improve everybody’s life and bring joy
Aims to make Yahoo the hero in an era where Big Tech are viewed as the bad guys more so than ever
Gives Yahoo a unique selling point that they have been lacking in the eyes of consumers
Scroll Like You Eat
The Brand Activation: Yahoo! Feed
People like burritos. People like onions. But no one wants an onion burrito, it’s all about balance. Your social media feed should be the same. It doesn’t have to be all politics or all sports just because the algorithm says so. You should control what you see
Yahoo! Feed is an experiential activation at Lollapalooza that lets Gen Z and Gen Alpha break free from the algorithm. Through an immersive experience, they can curate their new Yahoo home page as they are ordering/portioning the meal that will be served to them
Consumers can instead let the algorithm build their meal, which gives them a standard bland meal bar, showing that for both a meal and your feed, it is important for you to have the power of choice
Yahoo! Feed solves festival pain points of food and Wi-Fi, giving consumers a reason to stop by during Lollapalooza
Positions Yahoo as the place for people who know what they want
Video Outputs
Case Study Video