Kevin Hein, Chief Growth Officer at GIPHY within Shutterstock, on why the shift from feed-based to chat-based digital culture is the most important change in how culture forms online, what 13-plus years inside Facebook at its most transformative period taught him about community and creativity, and why GIFs are one of the most uniquely powerful formats for brand expression.
"In a feed, you scroll. In a chat environment, people are having real conversations. The mindset is completely different."
Why the shift from feed to chat changes how culture forms and what it means for brands trying to earn a place in those conversations
Kevin Hein started his career at CNET, moved to Yahoo, joined Facebook two years before its IPO and stayed for 13-plus years as it grew from fewer than 2,000 to around 80,000 employees. He has since consulted and now serves as Chief Growth Officer at GIPHY, which was acquired by Shutterstock after Meta's deal with GIPHY was blocked by UK regulators.
In this conversation he describes what 13 years inside one of the most transformative technology companies taught him about the relationship between affiliation, community, and brand connection, and why the move from feed-based to chat-based digital culture represents a fundamental shift in how brands can and should participate in online conversations. GIFs, as a format, sit naturally in the chat environment and represent a universal emotional language.
"It started at CNET, then I moved to Yahoo. Around 2009 I was consistently hearing from marketers: we are looking at Facebook. At the end of 2009 I made the journey over to Facebook two years pre-IPO. A nascent platform. 13 years later that journey led me into consulting and then to GIPHY."
The move to Facebook as the career-defining bet.
"In around 2011 there was a deep study on affiliation. If you are in line at the bank and the person in front of you is wearing a t-shirt from your university, you are more likely to trust them, to give them your money just because of association. That was the springboard for building out a friend network and then enhancing communities. Shared affiliation is the foundation of trust."
The research insight that shaped a decade of product and community thinking.
"Think about your mindset when you are scrolling a feed, whatever surface that might be. Then switch yourself to a messaging environment where you might be in a group chat with friends discussing a birthday party or a trip. The mindset is completely different. In a chat environment people are having real conversations. Brands that earn a place in those conversations have something very powerful."
The most important current shift in digital culture.
"GIFs are a universal language of emotion. When you see the right GIF in a conversation, everyone understands immediately what it means and everyone smiles. In a chat environment where human emotion is the currency of connection, GIFs let brands participate in a way that feels natural rather than intrusive. That is a very unique and powerful format."
GIFs as emotional language in the context of the chat shift.
"GIPHY is one of the world's most loved creative platforms, now inside Shutterstock. The opportunity is to turn that love into a high-growth business while staying true to what makes the platform special: the joy, the creativity, the universal emotional language. That combination of beloved platform and commercial ambition is the exciting challenge."
The growth challenge: commercial ambition without destroying the joy.
"GIFs are a universal language of emotion. When you see the right one, everyone smiles."
Host Tell us about your career journey.
Hein Started at CNET. Moved to Yahoo. Joined Facebook in 2009 two years pre-IPO. 13-plus years there from fewer than 2,000 to around 80,000 employees. Multiple MBAs in affiliation, community, and brand connection. Now Chief Growth Officer at GIPHY inside Shutterstock.
Host Tell me about the shift from feed to chat.
Hein In a feed you scroll. In a chat environment people are having real conversations with people they know. The mindset is completely different. Brands that earn a place in chat conversations have something more valuable than feed impressions. GIFs are a universal language of emotion. When you see the right one, everyone smiles. In a chat world that format is uniquely powerful.
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