Social commerce sales are continuing to rise steadily, reaching $82.82 billion in the US next year, per our forecast. But it’s getting harder to convert new buyers. Here’s how retailers can encourage more social media purchases and boost their social commerce sales.

To build loyalty, brands first need to establish a foundation of trust by delivering on the basics. From there, brands can use subscription programs to ramp up purchase frequency and social media to engage with brand advocates. But to keep customers coming back, brands need to be constantly optimizing. Here’s some advice from executives at DoorDash and Taco Bell on how to build brand loyalty and what it takes to retain a loyal customer base.

Apple uses safety and security to win over consumers. Birkenstock focuses on education, showcased through a three-part docuseries. And Taco Bell, with the help of Pete Davidson, apologized for “over-innovating” its breakfast menu.

Small banks and credit unions should focus on digital interactions, ease of use, and consumer safety to boost deposits in H2 2023.

The Big Tech firm’s financial ecosystem boasts a larger user base, but FIs offer different value propositions.

Patient empowerment is a double-edged sword: The Edelman Trust Barometer shows a growing number of consumers around the world are trusting friends, family, and social media for medical advice.

Consumers see pharmacists as a go-to healthcare source: Pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities evolved during the pandemic. Patients are noticing—and trusting them more than ever.

TikTok broadens effort to call out state-controlled media: US, China among countries added to labeling program in bid for greater transparency.

Telehealth apps are violating consumer trust: We unpack data from STAT’s recent report on direct-to-consumer telehealth companies’ shady data-sharing practices that could eroder consumers’ trust in digital health.

Healthcare providers need to reestablish trust with patients: Consumers don’t trust doctors and hospitals as much as they used to. We explore what’s driving that trend and how providers can earn their trust back.

Consumers are growing frustrated with ineffective digital ads: A new survey shows that the ad industry’s lack of a proper targeting solution is alienating consumers.

The metaverse is expected to be a major disruptor across industries, but it's still early days for the emerging realm. In this report, we look at how different markets are embarking on their own metaverse business models.

Nearly 75% of executives say that since the start of the pandemic, they’re having a harder time establishing and maintaining customer trust. With the right knowledge, companies can effectively navigate today’s trust landscape.

Issues of deceptive content, privacy, and safety continue to plague social media. Building user trust is critical for social platforms and their advertisers; it affects how users feel on social media sites and may also impact whether users want to engage with ads there.

Trust in mass media is down—but social media isn’t a perfect alternative: Media confidence is highly split on partisan lines, and using social media for news can reproduce the same problems.

More governments try to stymie content moderation: Texas' and Brazil’s laws to suppress social media “censorship” would only make it more difficult to combat misinformation on the already-mistrusted social platforms.

On today's episode, we discuss whether a federal privacy law is still expected this year, some case studies of how companies are building trust in emerging technologies through privacy, and some best practices on how to differentiate on privacy. We then talk about major retailers' Q1 earnings, why Google is opening a brick-and-mortar store, and whether kids being able to shop online by themselves will catch on. Tune in to the discussion with Insider Intelligence senior analyst Sara M. Watson and analyst Daniel Keyes.

Increased regulation, consumer awareness and media frenzy have led to a perception that data may in fact be bad for us. Consider some consumers who are concerned that voice-controlled assistant technologies listen to their every word. Acxiom CMO Jed Mole explains the realities of data today and the benefits of finding balance.