SO LONG 2016….

Well, we’ve finally made it to the end of what I would say was a pretty great, but also kind of rough year. I can only describe it as a rollercoaster of ups and downs, joy and frustrations. Through it all the internet provided a front row seat to content from all over the world.

In celebration of a truly fascinating year in social media land, I would like to share with you my personal TOP FIVE “things that have happened on the Internet in 2016”:

5. Leo Broke the Internet

Leonardo Dicaprio finally wins an Oscar… how long had we been waiting for this moment? I mean, the guy has had FIVE Oscar nominations (3 best actor) before finally taking home the goods in 2016 for The Revenant. And it wasn’t just a win for him, we all celebrated.

4. “Going Live”

This changed social media in a big way. Anyone, anywhere now has the ability to broadcast live from major social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and most recently Instagram. I have seen everything from social media influencers doing Q&As to small town business owners trying to decide if they should have a car towed. Incredible.

3. Pokemon Go

This phenomenon stole the show this summer, and while the warm weather lasted, you would see people congregated in groups around pokéstops (typically historical sites or some public place). It was actually pretty neat to see the comradery of players, who in normal circumstances would not interact with each other. And I will admit, it got me out and walking around much more than I had previously. Though it may not be the force it was six months ago, this game really introduced the world to augmented reality (AR) based games, which I believe we are going to see much more of in the future.

2. Mannequin Challenge

I’m sure you have all seen some form or other of the mannequin challenge. While some of these viral challenges can be quite goofy, this one struck me as incredibly creative – each one I saw was better than the last. This one is my favourite.

1. Rio 2016

Ahhhh the Olympics. I love a good Olympic Games, and I know while many of us were watching for any sign that something may go awry, you can’t help but tip your hats to the Internet and the way the Olympics was captured.

My experience with the CBC app and their coverage was excellent, and I was able to enjoy more events than any other Olympics due to the use of the second screen.

This event was not only interesting as a consumer, but also as a marketer. We have been seeing a shift away from purchasing ad space on TV, to purchasing digital ads. In fact, the U.S. actually surpassed TV, with digital ad spending ad spending in 2016 .

While there are SO many more events that happened online, I hope you enjoyed my favourites, and I hope you’ll share some of yours in the comments!

Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

BONUS:

worth every penny.