TikTok aims to generate $20 billion in sales via TikTok Shop, and is expected to launch its own US ecommerce store soon. The platform is also leveraging new search features to become a hub for retail ecommerce. TikTok is also pushing new AI ad tools, and getting involved in a host of new media ventures. Here’s what the platform has been up to over the past month.
On today's episode, we discuss the advertising industry's recent love affair with generative AI, what happens inside the minds of Gen Z consumers, why Spotify is pivoting, Twitter's new CEO writing the the company's next chapter, how podcast advertising is doing, how much people spend when they go to Las Vegas, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Bill Fisher and Max Willens.
Walls come tumbling down: OpenAI pauses ChatGPT's web browsing due to its unintended capability to bypass paywalls.
Meta hits the brakes on launching Threads in the EU: Privacy regulations put a damper on the Twitter competitor's European dreams.
Investments in generative AI have had favorable results, with two-thirds of marketers reporting a positive ROI—43% said they received a twofold ROI and 22% received threefold ROI, per a May 2023 survey by Botco.ai. Here’s a breakdown of how generative AI can help brands and retailers connect with customers throughout their buying journeys.
Google continues to lose ground to Amazon: Amazon is holding steady as shoppers’ search engine of choice for products, even as TikTok and other social platforms attract Gen Z consumers.
The Christmas Tree Shop is closing its doors. Overstock.com is becoming Bed Bath & Beyond. Party City went bankrupt and is closing stores. More than 50,000 stores that are open now may be closed by 2027, according to UBS. But what actually happens to retail spaces, brand identities, and competitors when a brand goes out of business?
On today's episode, we discuss what lawmakers are most likely to tackle first when it comes to regulating AI, whether AI songs can win a Grammy, and what happens when AI eats up—and learns from—other AI-generated content. "In Other News," we talk about the newly announced features for Apple's Vision Pro AR headset and how this device could change the whole market. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.
Apple considering Mac that doubles as smart home monitor: Struggling PC sales are sending device designers back to the drawing board. Not all features will win over reluctant consumers.
Fighting ad blockers to preserve revenues: YouTube’s global trial restricting video playback for ad-blocker users also nudges them toward YouTube Premium.
Brands need to prepare for third-party cookie deprecation now. “We’re going backward to less personalized ads and less relevancy, and consumers are frustrated with that,” said Logan Patterson, senior director of global business advisory services at Slalom. Patterson, along with two other senior digital marketers, weighed in on pressing questions about an impending future without third-party cookies at our recent Tech-Talk Webinar, “Designing the Future of Enterprise Customer Data Strategy.”
Computer and consumer electronics purchased during the pandemic are due for an upgrade, which is good news for Amazon and retail as a whole. But besides that possible bright spot, this year’s Prime Day event will likely be “unremarkable” as other retailers steal Amazon’s spotlight.
On today's episode, we discuss how time spent on smartphones is changing, what people do on different devices, and what digital time spent in your car might look like. "In Other News," we talk about the significance of Amazon's Sidewalk network and what to make of two new pieces of potential AI legislation. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Yory Wurmser.
Pride Month draws business support despite anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment: 2023 brought hard lessons for some brands.
Shoppers really hate waiting in lines: Eighty-two percent of consumers avoid going to businesses with lines, while longer waits are making both shoppers and employees unhappy.
Over half (53%) of executives worldwide say their leading concern regarding their digital advertising strategy is being able to reach target audiences effectively at scale, per IDC.
Publishers deal with AI’s existential threat to news: The New York Times and others could form a rare coalition to protect themselves from AI.
A growing share of parents is looking for back-to-school deals: As consumers are generally resigned to spending more this year, 69.5% are hunting for sales and coupons.
A major blow to trust in Google: A report alleges that Google violated its video ad standards 80% of the time for years, and industry figures are demanding refunds.
Creators descend on the Croisette: Influencer marketing spending is increasing as ad budgets remain tight.