“In the digital era, each step along the path to purchase has become significantly more complex,” our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent EMARKETER webinar. “The store remains a vital centerpiece, but the number of digital channels that consumers are using to discover and evaluate brands continues to grow at a rapid pace.” Brands and retailers need to stay on top of evolving purchasing behavior to meet their customers where they are. Here are three trends and opportunities that can help.

Canada ranks near the top of the list of countries for average daily time spent with media, with digital formats driving consumption to new levels.

Black consumers are tech-savvy and eager to stay up to date on the latest digital and pop culture trends.

Here are five charts that size social network usage on a worldwide level by platform and by country and region.

Retail media is taking Latin America’s digital ad industry by storm, with advertisers spending nearly $2 billion this year, per our inaugural forecast. Here are the latest trends you need to know.

Meta monetizes Messenger: Brands can now send messages to consumers who opt in, encroaching on SMS messaging platforms' value proposition.

Brands can no longer solely rely on the feed or Stories to capture users’ attention. Marketers are showing up in spaces where users are spending time and where running a traditional ad isn’t an option, like a post’s comments section or in group chats.

Paid social search offerings differ significantly from traditional search ads

The smartphone remains Gen Z’s favorite device, as it’s the quickest way to access digital video and social media. But adoption of CTV and VR continues to rise.

Social network user growth is stalling in Western Europe. Marketers should look toward changing platform dynamics, particularly among generational cohorts, to best manage their social media strategies.

Google and Meta will account for just over 50% of worldwide digital ad spending in 2024, marginally higher than their 47% share in the US market. Amazon’s share will be much lower (8.8%)—although it will be among the leaders in revenue growth.

Younger generations have embraced TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube as search engines. Although TikTok’s future in the US is uncertain, the social search opportunity remains robust.

Are walled gardens a thing of the past? Shrinking market share and distrust of major platforms is leading to a shift toward open-ended ad solutions.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss if influencers can actually deliver both upper- and lower-funnel outcomes, the common successes (and mistakes) brands make when blending influencer and affiliate tactics, and how best to align influencer content with a brands message. "In Other News," we talk about Frank McCourt's bid to buy TikTok and what to make of Meta shutting down 'Workplace'. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Max Willens and Carissa Flinders, the team lead of influencer partnerships for AWIN.

Digital, traditional, and total media ad spending growth will all accelerate in 2024, although only modestly. The outlook has stabilized for most countries and regions, even if spectacular growth is harder than ever to find.

TikTok parent ByteDance has until January 19, 2025, to sell the company or face a US ban. The company is suing to avoid the ban, but if the platform goes away, marketers need to know how to reach TikTok users on other platforms. From Gen Z to niche communities, here are five key stats showing the places marketers should be able to reach TikTok users.

The pandemic gave advertisers in Germany a taste for digital. Digital advertising will see record levels of growth for the next three years—with retail media as the main driver—far ahead of spending on traditional media.

In the last of five reports in our “Payments Ecosystem” collection, we look at what’s influencing retail sales growth across in-store, online, and social commerce channels—and what it means for payment providers.

France’s relative digital immaturity is shifting, with digital advertising growth leaving traditional channels behind. Retail media is leading the way, and Amazon is benefiting the most, with the creation of the new triopoly.

Major players like TikTok, Meta, and Google unveiled new partnerships, AI innovations, and streamlining solutions. Here are three key developments you may have missed.