After its US launch in September, TikTok Shop faces its first holiday season, heating up competition in the social commerce space.

Dramatic shifts are in the works for 2024, as genAI, changing media norms, and innovative commerce redefine the business landscape. Our top nine trends explore what’s in store.

Walmart is launching its first shoppable video series: The first episodes of the holiday-themed “Add to Heart” will be available on Roku, TikTok, and YouTube beginning on Dec. 2.

OpenAI turmoil’s ripple effect on social media: The chaos could create opportunities and challenges for platforms in the red-hot genAI market.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss whether TikTok Shop will face the same challenges as Instagram's social commerce efforts, how much Amazon's partnership with Meta's social media platforms will affect TikTok, and if TikTok Shop is ruining TikTok. Then in a newish segment, "Loyalty Point, Counter Point," we discuss whether Instagram or TikTok has a better overall ecommerce experience. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

Time spent on Facebook and Instagram this year was up 7% and 6%, respectively, according to Meta’s Q3 earnings. “It’s just incredible growth considering how much time people are already spending on these platforms,” our analyst Jasmine Enberg said on a recent episode of the “Behind the Numbers” podcast. “And that, of course, is a really important metric to advertisers.”

Despite Meta’s strong year, ByteDance is close behind: TikTok owner’s $29 billion in Q2 revenues rivals US giant, which lags far behind in growth.

Amazon turns to Meta, Snap partnerships to keep TikTok at bay: As the retailer moves in on social commerce, TikTok is beefing up its supply chain.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss a new lawsuit against Meta for designing its products to be addictive to kids, new paid ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram, and where Threads engagement is at. "In Other News," we talk about whether we will ever come together again on social media and if AI can help us get there. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Meta showcases robust Q3 growth with $34.15 billion in revenues: Facebook and Instagram parent surges, despite Threads struggling to find its footing.

Overly complicated ideas don’t go viral on Reels. “Be brutal in the simplicity of your idea,” Rory McClenaghan, group strategy director at Molson Coors’ internal agency, Volt, said at Advertising Week New York 2023. If you can’t explain the Reels idea in four frames or fewer, it’s probably too complicated.

Meta introduces Broadcast Channels to Facebook and Messenger: The goal is to improve user engagement—but subscribers could get notification fatigue.

Even as TikTok ad revenues tick up, Meta will still account for 75.0% US ad dollars spent on social media this year, according to our forecast.

Facebook and Instagram Reels are growing in popularity, and provide an opportunity for brand marketers to extend their reach and engage with key audiences. With Meta’s new AI-powered brand suitability controls for Reels, marketers will be more empowered to craft suitable environments for their ads.

Next year, US influencer marketing spend will hit $5.89 billion, and 82.7% of marketers will use influencer marketing, according to our forecasts. While that figure still pales in comparison to the $75.08 billion going to social network ad spend, influencer marketing is growing at a faster rate.

Meta proposes ad-free subscriptions for EU users: A strategic shift ahead of 2024's Digital Services Act, with global implications.

In July and August, the US ad market saw its first consecutive two months of growth in over a year, according to Standard Media’s US Ad Market Tracker. Platforms are focused on keeping that momentum alive with several updates. Multiple platforms are boasting improved AI targeting and enhanced connected TV ad solutions. Here is everything new in September.

Just over 80% of US Gen Zers ages 15 to 26 use YouTube monthly, and almost the same percentage use Instagram or TikTok, per our July 2023 survey. More than half still visit Facebook. And though BeReal was the trendy app last year, only 15.1% of Gen Z respondents use it.

As retail media grows, it is changing. At the moment, search remains retail media’s bread and butter and sales ads are the best awareness drivers. In the future, in-store media and shoppable video ads may take on a bigger role. But no matter how ad formats change, one thing is for certain: Measurement will be key for retail media’s continued growth.

Streaming video and music top Gen Z adults’ media activities, but their digital lives aren't just about entertainment. The multitasking, multidevice cohort treats the intersection of media and technology as a lifeline for socializing and staying informed.