2000s Internet Revival: New Startups Compete
Summary of the Article: Nostalgia as a Marketing & Design Strategy for New Apps
This article explores how new apps, like Cosmos, Sitch, and Status, are leveraging nostalgia for the early internet (think Tumblr, Pinterest, and messy, customizable profiles) as a core marketing and design strategy. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Tapping into Memory & Craving: Apps are intentionally evoking feelings of nostalgia to attract users. They do this by framing themselves as combinations of beloved older platforms (“a love child of X and Y”) and focusing on the positive memories people have of the early internet.
Design Revival: The aesthetic of the early internet – “messy profiles, glitter fonts, custom skins and endless customization” - is making a comeback in app design, seen in platforms like PI and Noplace. This is seen as a rejection of the polished, algorithm-driven perfection of current social media.
Marketing Framework: Cosmos uses this nostalgia in its TikTok marketing, directly comparing itself to Tumblr and Pinterest. The CMO of Lore emphasizes understanding cultural cravings and positioning the product as a solution.
A Complicated Relationship with the Past: The article points out that our memories of the early internet are frequently enough idealized. While we remember community and creativity, it wasn’t entirely free of commercialism or curated self-presentation.
* Potential Motives: A University of Pittsburgh professor suggests this nostalgia might also be a way for startups to distance themselves from the negative “techlash” currently facing larger tech companies.
In essence, the article argues that nostalgia isn’t just a feeling, it’s a powerful tool being strategically employed by new apps to attract users and build a brand identity. It also raises a critical point about the selective memory we have of the past and how that memory is being used for commercial purposes.