Just as agencies came to terms with the pandemic wave, they were forced to contend with the war in Ukraine, ongoing supply chain disruptions, global political polarization and unrest, soaring inflation, and concerns of a recession

By 2025, nearly 60% of the US population and almost all social and communication apps users will be frequent augmented reality (AR) users, but brands are only just starting to recognize AR’s benefits.

For more than half of US social media users, a platform’s privacy and data practices are extremely impactful on their decision to engage with ads on that platform. Other top influences on ad engagement are reliable content and safety. The relevance of the ads themselves is less of a factor.

Among US adults 34 and younger, 30% had used visual search for shopping as of August, and 12% used it regularly. By comparison, 22% of US adults overall had used the functionality, and 8% used it regularly.

We’ve increased our forecast for US influencer marketing spend for next year from $4.6 billion to over $6 billion, following TikTok’s explosion.

Thanks to the pandemic and rising inflation, customer behavior seems more erratic than ever. Customers are not great at saying what they want, and understanding the motivations behind their purchases is difficult.

The pandemic upended the conventional process by which pharmaceutical sales reps pitch their drugs to healthcare professionals. Physicians now demand hybrid in-person and virtual meetings. Pharma marketers must assess ways to refine various digital detailing (aka e-detailing) strategies.

Though its new ad campaign claims to open the banking world to those normally left out, it misses groups truly in need.

See our latest industry KPIs for TikTok.

Across the board, links in creator bios are the most popular form of TikTok creator marketing. Duets and stitches, where creator content and brand content are joined in the same video, are also popular among mid-size businesses. This type of content, which is relatively inexpensive but requires original content in addition to creator content, ranks lower with small and large businesses.

TikTok’s influencer marketing takeover is nothing short of astounding. In 2019, the app accounted for 2.3% of US spending on creator campaigns. This year, TikTok’s share will reach 15.5%, beating Facebook’s 14.8%. Instagram will remain on top with 44.7%.

Marketing technology is the most important and difficult purchasing decision. CMOs rely on marketing technology to justify investment, navigate privacy regulations, and prove revenues have grown.

Brands working with influencers are focused on generating interactions and leads. More than 60% of US social media marketers partner with creators primarily to foster engagement, and roughly the same share do so to reach new audiences.

TikTok announced new Shopping Ads this week in an effort to streamline in-app ecommerce.

US banking digital ad spend will hit $13.54 billion in 2022, up 20.4% year over year. Growth was even faster in 2021, when banks anticipated an upswing in consumer spend. In the coming years, growth will decelerate but remain in the double digits.

Content creators offer brands the opportunity to advertise in an inexpensive, targeted, and authentic way on social media. In order to focus on authenticity, US social media marketers are most inclined to hire creators for educational content, testimonials, and product unboxings, which allow followers to learn and discover alongside their favorite influencers.

The number of financial services deals declined 31% compared to Q1.

The TikTok train continues to gather steam, with growing user numbers, engagement rates, and ad revenues. But UK marketers have a lot to consider when marketing on TikTok—where catching the eye of users is an entirely different proposition than it is on other social platforms.

EU tightens grip on Big Tech: Consumers will get sweeping data protection and sovereignty, while tech monoliths could be fined or banned unless they adhere to regulations.

A looming recession and economic turmoil will hinder neobanks’ ability to get in the black. They’ll have to fight to create profitable and sustainable growth—and put investors’ and customers’ minds at ease.