The short-video landscape is bigger than just TikTok. Marketers must develop a strategy to make the most of this form of marketing across multiple venues.

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.

Social entertainment is here to stay. With the dramatic rise of TikTok, along with the growing number of traditional social platforms and standalone apps in this space, we are convinced that short, user-generated videos will be a lasting part of the social media landscape, particularly for organic and influencer marketing, paid advertising, and social commerce.

Augmented reality (AR) is becoming more widely available on social platforms. It’s mainly been a tool for entertainment and brand awareness, but the pandemic is pushing marketers to explore new use cases.

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst Jasmine Enberg, and junior analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch discuss what they're paying attention to in 2021, and why: the rise of social entertainment, WhatsApp's next move, and stalling social commerce.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing how people interact, and mobile devices have served as a social and entertainment lifeline as Americans stay at home and practice social distancing measures. This report looks at how US adults are using those devices.

In this year’s “Key Digital Trends” report, we examine changes coming to the digital media and technology landscape in 2021—including legislation, privacy, entertainment, social media, and more—and why they matter to marketers.

But since memes also tap into several of the trends that the pandemic has accelerated—from the growth in user-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing, to “making social media fun again” through social entertainment—it’s likely that memes will continue to flood many social feeds in 2021 and beyond.

The number of social network AR users continues to grow, and social networks are moving to offer more useful applications. They’re working to capitalize on more monetizable shopping, branding, and entertainment experiences. The rollout of 5G wireless networks will be a boon for XR applications.

Extended reality (XR) technologies are still mostly related to gaming, entertainment, and social media, but their applications are evolving quickly as more consumers and businesses test out immersive experiences.

Pluto TV also devoted a sizable portion of its digital budget (24.3%) to social ads between January 2019 and July 2020. In terms of desktop/laptop advertising, the media industry will decrease its spending by 7.5% to $2.57 billion in 2020. The entertainment industry will see a more significant decline in desktop/laptop spending, decreasing by 17.5% to $1.51 billion this year.

The pandemic has caused the US automotive industry to reduce its digital ad spending by 18.2% in 2020. As car sales plummeted, dealerships closed, and manufacturing slowed, marketers backed off from performance initiatives and focused on branding efforts.

That’s trickled down to increased investments in video, both on social and connected TV (CTV). While display will make up 50.7% of ad dollars spent in financial services, that’s still lower than the percentage of total ad dollars that go to display (55.6%). Search. US financial services companies will spend $9.01 billion on search advertising in 2020, up 9.1% year over year.

While much of the above describes the funnel of gamers leading into esports fans, there is also an audience that exists within esports that don’t have much interest in playing these games at all but tune in for the entertainment.

Entertainment One. Entertainment One’s podcast network was formed in late 2017. Today, it makes available 11 original podcasts, including “Notes from the Frontline,” a weekly look at COVID-19 developments from the viewpoint of frontline workers and the people supporting them.

KEY STAT: As the social entertainment trend takes root, more than one-third of US social network users will use TikTok this year. What Will Happen in 2021. This year’s top trends range from the growth of TikTok and social commerce to the challenges presented for brand safety and the cookieless future. Trend No. 1: The Future of Social Media Is Entertainment.