Demographics

Meta to unveil Gen AI Personas this week: It’s part of a strategy to appeal to younger demographics and gain ground in the AI race. There are pitfalls ahead.

TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are where Gen Zers spend most of their daily time. Across the US population ages 18 to 24, time spent on TikTok will average 58 minutes per day in 2023, compared with 38 minutes for Instagram and 30 minutes for Snapchat.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what to make of Google turning 25 years old, how US shoppers feel about stores, why tiered rewards are all the rage, how Hispanic people think their values are reflected by advertisers and Americans, taxi drivers turning into robots, some mind-bending facts about US geography, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, forecasting analyst Zach Goldner, and director of forecasting Oscar Orozco.

Brands embrace Hispanic Heritage Month's business potential: Cultivating trust and aligning with cultural trends yield economic and reputational benefits.

TikTok to add Google Search integration: It’s part of the social media platform’s broader push for integrations pointing to possible “everything app” ambitions. Google could benefit, too.

Grocery shoppers are omnichannel shoppers, our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. That means consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands should employ a mix of digital and in-store advertising strategies to engage customers where they shop.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how younger Gen Z consumers are most likely to discover grocery products, whether this new wave of celebrity-backed brands is different from previous ones, and what social media's role in all of this is. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the four elements a celebrity- or creator-led consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand needs to succeed. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Blake Droesch and Carina Perkins.

TikTok Shop became available across the US last week. The social video platform has a lot to gain in retail and ad revenues, but it risks facing the same challenges Meta has had with social commerce on Instagram—users' reluctance to actually complete purchases in app. But with sister app Douyin setting the blueprint for TikTok’s social commerce endeavors, the platform isn’t starting from scratch. Here’s a look at TikTok’s social commerce strategy and potential in five charts.

TikTok continues to grow as a search platform: A report found 51% of Gen Z prefers the app over Google. Meanwhile, the latter braces for a search antitrust trial.

Price matters to everyone, but ease and convenience play an even bigger role in purchase decisions. Plus, retailers should consider revamping their apps to garner more sales and use their target audience to guide in-store and online strategies.

Gen Z patients avoid the doctor: Younger consumers are deferring care more often than older ones. Here’s how healthcare providers and marketers can effectively connect with Gen Z.

“Little treat” culture has taken over TikTok. The hashtag #littletreat has amassed 41.4 million views, and video after video shows users justifying their small purchases because they “deserve a little treat.” But little treats can add up. So Gen Z and millennial consumers are using rewards apps to pay for their little luxuries, according to Wes Schroll, CEO of the rewards app Fetch.

Key stat: 28.0% of Gen Z consumers have discovered grocery products via search engines, compared with 16.7% that have discovered products while browsing store shelves, per our forecast.

Gen Alpha is not a younger Gen Z, and brand messaging targeting the generation should be unique to what matters to them. As the most digitally native generation yet, they expect out-of-the-box digital experiences and forward-thinking tech capabilities. And YouTube is playing an outsized role in brand awareness and discovery.

What’s happening? Active user figures are falling on both X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) and Meta’s Threads, which started strong but has stumbled recently, with more than 80% of users logging off. Their loss could be LinkedIn’s gain, as both Gen Z use of the platform and B2B ad spend there increase.

Brand safety scandals prompt worries about Meta and YouTube’s size: Ads promoting illegal content and targeting children raise concerns about the ad duopoly’s ability to self-moderate.

Younger generations are more likely to discover new grocery products via social media and search engines.

Olipop uses TikTok and the promise of gut health to capture Gen Z’s attention, while Crocs leans on Gen Z’s sense of nostalgia and cool collaborations. Coach reinvented itself to appeal to a younger generation of fashion consumers who want to express themselves and GU makes its US debut as Uniqlo’s little sister.

Abercrombie & Fitch boosts full-year sales outlook after a strong Q2: The retailer’s popularity among Gen Z and millennial consumers helped it sidestep the spending slowdown seen by competitors.

Subtitles on the rise: Gen Z and millennial viewers are increasingly using subtitles when watching TV, influenced by social platforms like TikTok and foreign-language films.