Despite how consumers feel about it, politics remains a core part of the social media experience. This report explores how marketers should navigate social in the aftermath of the 2020 US presidential election.

The upcoming US election will determine the direction for technology policies that will have a profound impact for marketers. This report will lay out scenarios for what marketers can expect in several key policy areas in 2021 and beyond.

This report explores the latest developments in the social media landscape, including a look at TikTok Global, Instagram’s launch of Reels, and new election-related moves from Facebook and Twitter.

eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom joins principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Mark Dolliver, Jeremy Goldman, and Nicole Perrin to discuss the US presidential election: media usage, effective advertising, and how big tech protected its integrity. They then talk about Apple's new privacy "nutrition labels," how a virtual reality headset can tell who you are from your movements within 5 minutes, and why The Trade Desk had such a good Q3.

The US election on Tuesday pits fundamentally different visions of the US against each other. It might seem trivial to look at how the election could affect the marketing world—but the impacts will be real.

eMarketer junior analyst Blake Droesch and principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Debra Aho Williamson, Mark Dolliver, and Jeremy Goldman discuss how social media might change as a result of the continued spread of misinformation on the platforms and general negative sentiment surrounding them. They then talk about the best way to use Stories, influencer ad disclosure, and which consumer group has increased its social media usage the most during the pandemic.

Amid disinformation campaigns over the coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming presidential election, most US buy-side decision-makers are concerned about their ads potentially running up against controversial content on social media.

The influx of political content and ad dollars for the upcoming US presidential election will inevitably impact commercial advertisers on social media. Understanding the political ad cycle and consumer attitudes toward political content can help brands better reach their audiences.

eMarketer principal analysts Debra Aho Williamson and Mark Dolliver, and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Eric Haggstrom discuss Facebook's recent decision on political ads and how brands can reach social users over the coming months. They then talk about Facebook's plans to limit ads on pages, how this year's events have changed Gen Z's relationship with brands, and why Americans still pay for live TV.

The US will likely remember 2020 as a year of uncertainty, characterized by political and social division and the pandemic. With the election in the rearview mirror, the pandemic’s strain on the economy remains, leaving behind a softened advertising marketplace. In March, the pandemic triggered marketers to drastically cut ad spend.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch, and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss the we-used-to-share-things economy, Amazon's new online pharmacy, Twitter keeping some election tactics, the sudden surge in disappearing messages, the share of Facebook content that's political, why movie previews are called "trailers," and more.

On November 3, Californian voters approved Proposition 24 to pass the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). The final result was closer than pre-election polls suggested, but nonetheless 56% of voters approved the measure.

Heather Freeland, vice president of marketing at Lyft, speaks with eMarketer vice president of business development Marissa Coslov on how the brand has pivoted its marketing priorities in response to shifting consumer behaviors, including partnering with Grubhub and offering free rides to the polls on election day.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss the end of Quibi, Facebook's mini social networks called "Neighborhoods," Uber reclassifying drivers as employees, whether ads near political content affect brand perceptions, the state of Facebook post-election, how long Americans spend looking for things they've lost, a creature that sleeps while moving, and more.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch, principal analyst Jillian Ryan, and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss the major digital pivot to reimagined events amid COVID-19. Then, the usual suspects talk about Twitter's fight against election misinformation, TikTok's potential rivals, untapped marketing to lower-income customers, ecommerce within YouTube, and how cats aren't as heartless as they seem.

eMarketer senior analyst Ross Benes, forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Oscar Orozco discuss the gradual return of sports audiences and how advertisers are viewing these marketing opportunities. They then talk about Facebook halting political ads after the election, Twitch selling inventory on Amazon's advertising platform, and out-of-home advertising in Q2.

The current combo of supply and demand shocks leaves a lot of unknowns here, especially with the currently unknown length of quarantines or lockdowns across the US and elsewhere. The Olympics and a presidential election helped prop up traditional (i.e., TV) ad spending in 2008. Only one of those things will happen this year.

In terms of the “where,” we need to consider that these holiday shopping days are largely artificial constructs in the UK, imported from the US where the Friday following Thanksgiving is a public holiday.

US TV ad spending will drop almost 3% this year, and a 1.0% bump in 2020 from the presidential election and Summer Olympics will not stave off a long-term decline for ad spending on the biggest traditional channel. According to eMarketer’s latest US ad forecast, TV ad spending peaked in 2018 at $72.40 billion.

With a presidential election and expected record spending on voter persuasion in 2020, there’s no doubt political polarization will be a prominent feature of US culture this year. According to two recent pieces of research, this polarization extends to digital media habits, meaning marketers who know their audience spans the political spectrum will have their work cut out for them.

Growth in political ad spending is expected to slow dramatically during the 2019-2020 election cycle, according to Kantar Media, which predicts political campaigns for US federal office will spend $6 billion on paid media placements this year. But a greater share than ever will be directed toward digital channels.

As evidenced by “Chairman Sanders,” the US presidential election has been another catalyst for meme usage. According to a September 2020 study by The Harris Poll and Fast Company, for instance, 55% of US adults reported they had shared a political meme in the previous three months. Of those respondents, 54% said they were sharing more memes than they were one year prior.