In 2021, affiliate marketing investment drove $71 billion in ecommerce sales and a 12-to-1 return on ad spend, illustrating that this area is still booming for creators and the brands that support them.

Reports that Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are abandoning some of their shopping features are not a reflection of the platforms’ overall commerce ambitions. But as social commerce buyer growth slows, brands should focus more on reengaging existing customers and less on direct buying capabilities like native checkout.

The digital ad industry is under regulatory scrutiny: Reforms laid out by the Biden administration focus on the use of personal data for advertising purposes.

Facebook is still the king of social commerce in the US. More than 60% of US social media users ages 14 and older will make a purchase via the platform this year, and about 40% will do so via its sister app Instagram. TikTok will grow the fastest in this regard, drawing nearly one-quarter of social buyers in that age group.

Instagram retreats from social commerce: The move comes a little more than a month after parent company Meta reported its first year-over-year revenue decline this quarter.

Google and Meta have maintained a steady lead in digital ad revenues worldwide, ahead of the likes of Amazon, Twitter, and Snapchat. But that's not without their own growing pains. Both Meta and Google saw revenues dip by several billion dollars in Q1 of this year. Still, the companies are tens of billions of dollars ahead of triopoly competitor, Amazon, in digital ad revenues.

WhatsApp users in India can shop for and pay for groceries within the app, which could boost engagement with its payments tools.

AI is moving fast and might break things: Keen Technologies’ goal for human-like AI is part of a trend that’s triggered an ethical AI backlash. But there’s a common-ground approach.

Shipments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices will increase more than sixfold worldwide over the next four years, from 14.3 million this year to 87.7 million in 2026.

Data center scrutiny rises in Europe: Data centers’ energy intensity and water use are running up against Europe’s energy crisis. Ireland’s data center moratorium puts facilities’ sustainability measures in focus.

Instagram is jealous of BeReal’s attention: But if it wants to copy the newer app’s core features, its own reputation and clutter will get in the way.

Zuckerberg’s slipup is a bad omen for its metaverse: Meta’s CEO shared an ugly photo of its metaverse platform that kicked off a week of mockery and concern.

Google tackles AI’s biggest challenge: Under its Everyday Robots subsidiary, the tech giant is building bots that understand what humans really want. But internet data could steer the project off-course.

The creator economy is thriving, with a market size of more than $100 billion. Here’s how two leading creators, including Amanda Hirsch of Not Skinny But Not Fat, are leveraging the power of community to drive success.

TikTok’s rapid entry onto the social scene in Canada makes it a prime venue for marketers to increase investment. Brands of all stripes should test new ad formats, work with creators to engage audiences, and aim to trigger social commerce transactions from TikTok.

On today's episode, we discuss the most important figures from Meta's Q2 earnings, the biggest challenges for the company, and how much of a competitor TikTok really is. "In Other News," we talk about the new social media app BeReal, its impact on the space, and what changes we can expect to see as Gen Z takes over social media from millennials. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

In the US, digital retail media and the ecommerce channel are growing faster than any other major ad format except connected TV. This report analyzes our latest retail media forecast and examines the role market uncertainty could play in this space.

Big Tech’s existential crisis: Following a decade-long heyday, announcements from tech leaders, layoffs, and hiring freezes indicate an abrupt cultural shift. A crisis looms as economics distracts from innovation.

As digital fitness goes mainstream, leading brands Nike, lululemon athletica, Peloton, and Apple are trailblazing a path for lifestyle brands toward a more profitable future.

As Apple’s ad business expands, ATT’s reputation suffers: The mobile ad industry is reeling from the change, while Apple’s services unit grows ever larger.