Demographics

“Women hold up half the sky,” former Chinese leader Mao Zedong famously said. More than fifty years on, women in China are doing so online, driving digital trends and fast becoming a cohort that marketers ignore at their peril.

Mobile games to stop targeting ads to kids: Some major developers and ad tech companies will need to stop tracking children under 13 after settling a lawsuit, limiting their targeting abilities.

On today's episode, we discuss some digital audio developments from Spotify and iHeartMedia, how podcast advertising can add value, in-car audio entertainment, and what the first flavor of advertising on social audio platforms will look like. We then talk about what to expect from this years' Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Podcast Upfronts, how people are approaching podcast moderation, and the market for podcasts created for children. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Peter Vahle.

Instagram for kids draws government scrutiny: Two US senators and two US representatives made their skepticism very clear in a statement regarding the company's new plan to roll out an Instagram for kids.

The digital divide has widened, particularly over the past year, and left seniors worldwide in the lurch. This issue takes on added urgency in China, where gender imbalance, delayed marriage, and a declining birthrate only exacerbate the rapid aging of its population. In November, the government urged tech companies to cater to the elderly, and China’s digital giants are now tapping into the so-called silver market.

On today's episode, we discuss Clubhouse's content and competitors, how the pandemic changed social media, the future of social networking, the potential of Instagram Lite, Facebook launching a kids' version of Instagram, some eerily accurate predictions about 2021 from 100 years ago, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analysts Jeremy Goldman and Debra Aho Williamson, and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Peter Vahle.

Once relegated to the children’s market, virtual characters are entering the mainstream in China. Fictional as these digitally rendered avatars may be, they hold real jobs, from pop star to influencer, to even news anchor. And they’re becoming increasingly interactive and humanlike, thanks to improvements in technologies such as AI, motion capture, and virtual reality (VR). Recent advancements in augmented reality (AR), in particular, have enabled virtual avatars to step out of social media and make live appearances alongside flesh-and-blood celebrities.

On today's episode, we discuss representation in advertising: What does it mean to ban the concept of "normal," how are some advertisers pivoting toward realism, and how are demographic groups being portrayed in ads? Tune in to listen to the discussion as eMarketer senior analyst Bill Fisher hosts senior analyst Jasmine Enberg, research director Matteo Ceurvels, and senior researcher at Insider Intelligence Man-Chung Cheung.

Kidstagram is coming: Instagram’s new, 13-and-under app will help protect kids—and protect the company from legal peril. It could also be a way for the app to attract younger users, especially since it’s losing ground to TikTok and Snapchat among Gen Zers and younger.

Social networks will reach almost full penetration among adult Gen Zers this year, or 99.0% of users ages 18 to 24. The next-highest penetration rate will be among the 25-to-34 age bracket, younger millennials, at 90.9%.

On today's episode, we discuss how the coronavirus changed each generation, Twitter's ecommerce ambitions, what consumers want from brands one year into the pandemic, Virginia becoming the second state to enact a consumer privacy law, TikTok competitors from YouTube and Netflix, how to improve your art viewing experience, and more. Tune in to listen to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst Jeremy Goldman, analyst Blake Droesch, and director of forecasting at Insider Intelligence Oscar Orozco.

Roblox could become a brand advertising powerhouse: Brands flocked to video games for experiential marketing during the pandemic—but Roblox's lasting popularity with kids and its planned ad capabilities could keep it an appealing option even after lockdowns end.