//Phase Two: what to do and where to eat?

With New York heading into Phase 2 of reopening next week, there’s a lot of “Do we?” or “Don’t we?” questions bouncing around.

Phase Two means outdoor dining options, some in-store shopping, hair salons, barbershops, real estate firms and offices in the city now have a real, tangible option of reopening. From a community standpoint, Phase Two means some of our favorite local spots are reopening and hoping back in the game – are things going to start shifting back to normal?!

Eh, maybe.

There is still a very real threat of a potential second wave of the virus showing face, so really it’s still better to take the, “better safe than sorry” approach. AKA – maintain social distance, keep that nose and mouth covered, and keep things virtual when possible. This also means that even though restaurants are starting to open outdoor seating, it’s still better to remain cautious and continue to make takeaway the primary restaurant interaction.

So while NYC is still in this strange COVID-19 limbo, it’s still possible to continue to support your community and be an active part in the uplift and regrounding of your favorite spots. To take your active stance further, why not make it a point to support even more specifically the black restaurant owners in your community?

Check out some of our black-owned NYC restaurant recommendations below.

Sisters Painkiller

Sisters

Clinton Hill

Chic cafe by day, cool bar, restaurant and music venue by night. Their menu is an eclectic New American style with something for everyone.

[I’d totally be down for a Sisters Painkiller right now.]

Takeout available on Caviar or by calling them directly 347-763-2537

Due to COVID-19, Sisters recommends keeping an eye on their Instagram for updates on menus and hours of operation.

Melba’s

Harlem

After taking down celebrity chef, Bobby Flay, in a Throwdown – Melba’s founder, Melba Wilson, continues her reign as the Queen of Comfort Food.

[Comfortizers?! Gotta get a hand in some of that fried catfish!]

Takeout available on Seamless or by calling them directly 212-864-7777

Personalized Bowl from Urban Vegan Kitchen

Urban Vegan Kitchen

West Village

Comfort food, but make it vegan. Urban Kitchen was founded by NYC’s most successful vegan restaurateur, Pamela Elizabeth.

[Chili cheese fries! No wait, a burrito sounds good. Or do we go for chick-un waffles?!]

Takeout available on Postmates, Seamless, GrubHub, DoorDash, & ChowNow.

Harlem Shake

Harlem

The old school interior of Harlem Shake perfectly matches its satisfying menu of rich milkshakes and one of a kind hamburgers.

[10/10 for whoever can guess the cost of the Dimepeice combo.]

Takeout available on Seamless, GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash, Delivery.com, & ToastTab.

Pie from Brown Butter

Brown Butter

BedStuy

Myriam Nicolas’s Brown Butter Craft Bar & Kitchen has brunch lovers and southern comfort food aficionados ready to chow down.

[I honestly can’t stop looking at the pie pics #drooling]

Takeout available on their website.

Sweet Chick

Williamsburg + Lower East Side

Sweet Chick brands themselves as “New American Comfort” and with fun cocktails and bomb fried chicken…they’re doing it right.

[Hi, yes, I’ll take one – make that two – Purple Dranks pls!]

Takeout available on GrubHub: Lower East Side Link & Williamsburg Link.

Above we only mentioned six restaurants, but we found this app called EatOkra that shows you a wide selection of black-owned businesses across the country. You can download the app on both Apple and Android.

//A Houseparty everyone is invited to

Social distancing and quarantine are our current reality. People are working from home and meetings have been moved online. In our social life, virtual happy hours have basically replaced all other forms of social interactions and the platform options are plenty – from FaceTime and WhatsApp video calling to Zoom and Teams.

The current talk of town, however, is Houseparty. An app that has seen a surge in downloads from 130,000 a week in late February to over two million a week in late March, right after social distancing and shelter in place orders have been issued around the world.

Houseparty has been around since late 2016 and back then, Forbes has hailed it as the latest teen hangout rivaling Snapchat by offering “spontaneous togetherness.” However, the app remained mostly in the realms of Gen Z. Four years later, Houseparty is now getting attention from all sorts of demographics given the newly gained free time and also the need for an engaging way to digitally connect amidst the Covid 19 pandemic.

Be prepared for people to pop onto your screen

One of Houseparty’s features that sets it apart from other video chat apps: Games

The concept is simple: Houseparty is a video chat app for friends. But how does it differ from other video chats? The idea is that when you are “online” (= you’re actively using the app), your friends can automatically join you. Meaning, they will pop right onto your screen without you having to accept the call. You should therefore be prepared whenever you open the app, because at any time a friend could appear on your screen and your camera would automatically turn on.

Your friends will be notified that you just “entered the house” when you log in. The app allows you to turn off those notifications or alternatively, “lock your room” which then requires you to invite someone for a conversation. That would, however, neutralize Houseparty’s unique proposition of spontaneous connections. The idea is that being notified of a friend entering the house will prompt an unplanned conversation, therefore leading to increased interactions.

Up to eight people can join one party which allows you to meet friends of friends by spontaneously joining their ongoing conversations as long as they didn’t lock the room. Houseparty also offers a gaming feature that clearly sets it apart from the competition. Currently, you can choose between Pictionary, trivia quizzes, a game called ‘Chips and Guac’ that resembles a simplified version of Cards Against Humanity, and Heads Up.

An ad-free oasis or the next marketing channel?

Given its surge in users, the question right now is how much longer Houseparty will remain an oasis for private conversations between friends before it turns into another marketing channel. Co-founder and COO Sima Sistani told The Verge that the company “hopes to profit by selling products that enhance the time people spend together in the app” instead of selling ad space. They do that by offering paid-for gaming add-ons such as packs of words for the Heads Up game.

Brands are, however, trying to find ways to join the party. Just this week, Chipotle is running a promotion offering free food for people’s next Houseparty. Even though Chipotle is not using Houseparty for the promotion itself, but Instagram, the fast food chain is aiming to exploit the current popularity of Houseparty.

Marketing website ‘The Drum’ predicts that traditional ads won’t work for the app but formats need to be bespoke. Suggestions include brand-sponsored games or influencer campaigns that offer exclusive video chats with brand ambassadors.

Will it outlive the virus?

The app offers a fun way to spontaneously connect with friends and will probably initiate more face-to-face interactions, which is important and helpful in our current situation where social distancing is key. It will be interesting to see, though, if people will keep bouncing between houseparties once we are all out and about again in real life with less time and most likely with texting returning as the main form of digital communications.

//Livestreaming 4.0: Why video alone is not enough

multiple screens

The cancellation of major trade shows, conventions and events has prompted companies and brands to switch to a digital presentation of their newest products. Many of those brands have turned to live streaming in order to deliver the “live experience” to their audience’s homes or to editorial offices. However, an online press conference or web-based product launch should offer more than just a simple broadcast of moving images. This is particularly true for special and demanding target groups such as media, investors and also generally for B2B communications. 

The cancellation happened at very short notice. Only two days before the first press day, the organizers of the Geneva International Motor Show announced that one of the most important trade shows of the industry would not take place. As a result, many car manufacturers moved their product presentations and world premieres online. They presented their latest models via livestream.

In general, livestream formats are a good way of providing media and other stakeholders with content and information they cannot obtain in person. However, demands of modern digital PR and communications won’t be satisfied by simply showing videos and presentation slides. The quality of information, the experience of that content, and the framework for its presentation have to perfectly fit together – just like at a physical event.

Rule of thumb: A digital premiere does not necessarily have to be expensive. However, it can only be effective if you give it as much attention to detail as you do with a conventional product launch. This applies to the preparation, the content, the protagonists and the “information logistics”. Only a true multi-faceted digital experience can come close to an in-person experience – a plain broadcast of images will certainly not.

Diversity is king

A modern and powerful tool for live PR offers professional users additional and in-depth information in a wide variety of formats. And it presents this information in context, on a proprietary platform with a proprietary setup, in a multimedia manner and in top quality. In addition, there should be download and magazine areas, high-quality photos of protagonists and products, video clips, prepared quotes (or even entire transcripts) as well as detailed fact sheets. 

The diversity of the content not only provides a wide and ideal working basis, but also takes into account the native integration of the content on the stakeholders’ individual communication channels.

UX is queen

Apart from the content aspect, modern PR platforms convince by providing an intuitive and compelling user interface. The decisive factor here is a visceral experience – regardless of whether users access the platform on a desktop or with their phone or tablet.

Interactive elements are equally important. Is it possible to show individual subtitles in the livestream? Is there an additional level of information that allows users to learn more about the product and the formation process?

Further usability criteria are multiple viewing angles in the livestream, search and filter options as well as the possibility to share content to other platforms by simply clicking a button.

Best practice: Mercedes me media

A modern PR tool for live communications can be compared to a digital content hub. While visitors at a classic trade show have to take notes and photos themselves and look and ask for additional information, the content hub is a place where all these assets are provided as a package.

A prime example is “Mercedes me media” – the digital media platform that has been developed by Mercedes-Benz in close collaboration with OSK. It is currently the most powerful tool for live PR and it offers journalists and other users a comprehensive service package, from speech transcripts to a snapshot function for generating high-res images. The application includes the audience authentically into the digital live event despite spatial separation. While some manufacturers simply posted pre-produced videos online after the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled, Mercedes-Benz used the “Mercedes me media” platform to vitalize a digital live press conference with appealing video sequences, engaging interviews and, last but not least, a real product presentation.

Mercedes-Benz is using the technological possibilities of this innovative communications platform even beyond Coronavirus-impacted situations. Early December 2019, the brand presented their latest compact car model, the new GLA, in a purely digital world premiere for the first time ever. The audience watched the product launch with augmented reality, had the possibility to switch between different camera angles, take snapshots of the livestream and turn on the speech transcript. 

This first digital world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz GLA on “Mercedes me media” accurately underlines the digital transformation the brand is undergoing. It moreover showcases the vast possibilities the platform offers for modern digital PR.