As a potential TikTok ban looms, brands are considering what a world without TikTok Shop would look like. I probably won’t look all that different, but there are a few places where TikTok’s absence will be felt more than others.

Gen Z consumers are tech-savvy digital natives that feel more comfortable searching for products on social platforms like TikTok over traditional search engines like Google. Even when they’re shopping in-store, they employ technology to help them, browsing mobile phones and using self-checkout to make the shopping experience more seamless.

Until Google rolls out generative search to all users, most consumers won’t adopt the technology. That means AI isn’t driving search ad spending—yet.

Gen Z embraces messaging, search, and shopping: Social media trend reports shed light on 2024 priorities.

Social commerce has yet to reach its potential in the UK. Social buying is still on the rise—and there is plenty of headroom to grow spend.

Social commerce still has plenty of room to expand in the US. With discovery and inspiration as the key characteristics of social commerce, TikTok won’t be Amazon—but it will bring in new Gen Z shoppers.

The vast majority (96%) of Pinterest searches are unbranded, said Brittan Bushman, Pinterst’s director of strategy, during a session at Advertising Week New York 2023. This means that consumers turn to Pinterest to learn what kinds of products are out there, unlike traditional search engines like Google, where they go to refine their search for something they already know exists.

Which platforms are Gen Z’s top choice for key social media activities? Our proprietary survey sheds light on how they spend their social media time.

Retail’s resilience and its outsized role in digital ad spending will help offset the impact of a broader slowdown in growth in the US digital advertising market.

On today's episode, we discuss how much people are searching for things on social media, where they're looking, and how advertisers should approach social search. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Debra Aho Williamson.

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.

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:

Search is positioned to be generative AI’s first major consumer-facing playground. This is unexplored territory, and advertisers are bracing for big changes.

Generative AI is poised to reshape the search advertising market. With a significant first-mover advantage, will Microsoft grow its share of search ad budgets? How can advertisers stay ahead of the curve?