Brands can expand their customer bases without starting from scratch by participating in conversations that are already happening on TikTok via “edutainment,” or informational content, Colleen Conkling, CMO of stationary company Papier, said at The Lead Innovation conference in New York City last week.

Banks’ top priority in H2 2023 will be growing their customer bases. The result? Better messaging and targeting, stronger digital capabilities, and industry consolidation. At the same time, generative AI will start driving meaningful efficiencies.

On today’s episode, we discuss how Gen Zers are different from older generations in that a lot of their financial services product consumption will be embedded within non-financial service-specific experiences. In our "Headlines" segment, we examine how convenience plays a major factor into Gen Z decision-making. In "Story by Numbers," we discuss Gen Z’s use of Apple Pay in consumer finance and if consumers can find competitive prices while using embedded finance experiences. And in "For Argument's Sake," we debate if more than 10% of Gen Z or Gen Alpha will go their whole lives without establishing direct relationships with financial service providers. Listen in to the conversation with host Rob Rubin and our analysts Grace Broadbent and Eleni Digalaki.

On today's episode, we discuss the state of millennials' health, the most popular ways this generation engages with healthcare, and what digital health tools interest them the most. "In Other News," we talk about who's selling unapproved weight loss drugs, and how and why healthcare providers and Gen Z consumers are meeting on TikTok. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Rajiv Leventhal and Lisa Phillips.

Gen Z shoppers diverge from the general population in terms of where they find and buy products, consumers are still into influencer-driven ads, and live shopping hasn’t taken off yet. Here are five charts to help elevate your social commerce strategy.

Gen Z’s buying power is rapidly growing: Food and beverage companies looking to cater to the demo’s unique tastes can’t do so without incurring some risks, however.

On today's episode, we discuss the advertising industry's recent love affair with generative AI, what happens inside the minds of Gen Z consumers, why Spotify is pivoting, Twitter's new CEO writing the the company's next chapter, how podcast advertising is doing, how much people spend when they go to Las Vegas, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Bill Fisher and Max Willens.

Gen Zers in the US want their brands to support mental health more than any other cause, cited by 53% of those surveyed by ICSC and Big Village. Tied for second place are environmental causes, including climate change and sustainability, and racial and gender equity (47% each).

Google continues to lose ground to Amazon: Amazon is holding steady as shoppers’ search engine of choice for products, even as TikTok and other social platforms attract Gen Z consumers.

Cosmetics and beauty make up a nearly $100 billion industry in the US, and next year more than one-fifth of those sales will come from ecommerce, according to our forecasts. In order to win over beauty shoppers, and Gen Z ones in particular, brands need to pay close attention to where their digital ad dollars go. Here are five charts to help you out.

Gen Z consumers of beauty and skincare products are most attracted to brands for their pricing (48%), samples (46%), and sustainability (44%), according to Bolt. Pricing is a bigger influence for older consumers, cited by 61% of those ages 18 and older.

Leaning into festival culture helps Forever 21 connect with Gen Z consumers. Abercrombie & Fitch uses generative AI to speed up the product design process. And Solo Brands embraces the changing definition of the D2C model.

Social platforms are already great vehicles for introducing consumers to products and brands they may want to purchase. Advertisers should lean into that strength and:

Every year, there are a handful of topics that dominate the conversations at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. AI was this year’s buzzword., with Gen Z making a large appearance.

Every marketer wants to know: What do Gen Z consumers care about? How do they shop? What motivates them to make a purchase?

Embedded channels will make up a large chunk of life insurance transactions within the next five years. Insurers that form the right partnerships today can reach coveted younger demographics and grow their customer bases.

What banks can do to stay true to their commitments to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.