NEWS IN NUMBERS
“It’s time to be where your audience is”: 92% of TikTok users are ‘purchase ready’
The TikTok audience is more receptive to influencers and social commerce than on any other platform. Just don’t make your content look like an ad, new research suggests…
AA/WARC: forecasters warn of a decline “in real terms” for UK 2023 ad market
3.8% forecast growth for adspend this year, with search and online display propping up many traditional channels, but 2023 set to see slowest growth for the market in a decade bar pandemic-hit 2020.
100 million TikTok views gets you a side hustle – worth the average UK salary
8.6 million YouTube views. 97 million TikTok views. No, we’re not talking about the latest stats, but what you’d need to earn the average UK salary with a social side hustle.
Performance marketing roles among top 15 fastest growing jobs in the world
Despite hiring slowing in many countries, the need to drive business growth is creating opportunities for marketing and sales professionals in 2023, LinkedIn research reveals.
IPA Bellwether: marketing budgets weather economic storm… for now
Cost of living crisis weighs heavily on marketers in the UK, with adspend forecast to fall this year by 0.3%, but opportunities remain with increased reliance on digital and “the importance of investing in resources” to get through the downturn.
Seven in 10 brand-side marketers plan to increase spend outside ‘walled gardens’ on the open web
Despite more than nine in 10 marketers believing that Google will finally stick to its 2024 deadline to withdraw third-party cookies, 73% admit their organisation is only “somewhat” prepared for the withdrawal of third-party cookies.
Mobile ad spend to top $360bn but growth to slow in 2023
Growth in mobile ad spend dropped to 14% year-on-year in 2022, while short video apps expected to drive ad spend this year.
KIA should have gone to Specsavers
44% of people can’t identify KIA’s new logo but confusion creates search queries. Was the redesign actually a success?
Meta cheaper than 2021 pre-Black Friday, as tech giant ‘reels’ in spend with 4000% rise on short-form video
Conversion rates recover post-iOS 14 as Black Friday alone attracts a 47% increase year-on-year, but TikTok shown to trump Meta in efficiency for Q4 2022.
Finance influencers outpace other industries in subscriber growth
Users are heading to social media for financial advice, as trust in government is tested.
Trust issues: 77% of marketers name a drop in consumer trust as biggest issue for social media advertising
Survey of marketing experts reveals that nine in 10 still plan to use social media to advertise this year, but most platforms will see a drop in advertising or monetising content.
Instagram stars and brands of 2022: Tom Holland, Dua Lipa and Mo Salah top list
With many UK sporting triumphs this year, sports accounts have had the biggest gain on social media platforms.
Blake Lively and the Kardashians battle for most influential fashion moment of 2022
The Met Gala’s influence ripples throughout the year. What other top fashion moments feature in 2022’s search trends – and how do they influence buyer behaviour?
Digital publishing revenues climb as subscriptions see positive growth
Multi-platform and mobile devices were the winners of revenue growth in Q3, while a growth in subscriptions indicates that even in a cost of living crisis, consumers will pay for quality content.
Going remote: marketing comes top in remote-working friendly industries
Marketing and media are the top two industries for remote roles, beating HR, finance and recruitment sectors.
Global adspend to grow next year to $741bn, but media price inflation drives the rise
Digital channels will see the strongest rates of growth and the biggest share of advertising investment in 2023 and 2024, but without inflation, adspend would actually fall next year.
Top 10 subscription services that Brits will cancel next year
A new study looks at which subscription services – including Amazon Prime, Spotify, Apple TV and Disney+ – consumers are likely to cancel in 2023. Which came top?
Tech talent search: 27% of UK businesses are looking abroad and even making the leap to emerging hubs
Tech professional? On the hunt for a new job? Then businesses are on the lookout for you – wherever you are – with one in four UK firms looking to hire abroad to curb their skills gap.
Christmas ad tracker: who’s in tune with their brand?
John Lewis loses out to Aldi, Lidl and TK Maxx in UK Christmas ad music league table.
Six in 10 SMBs will see static or slashed marketing budgets next year
UK small to medium businesses will zero in on acquisition in 2023 despite it costing more than retention.
Pinterest search trends reveal style ‘cheat sheet’ for 2023 marketing plans
Pinterest users are planners, and “guesswork is not enough”. How can brands use the platform’s search data to prepare for the year ahead?
Brand loyalty out the window as 64% of consumers switch to cheaper brands
Food and drink prices soar to their highest in 40 years, impacting consumer behaviour in the grocery sector.
Is client still king? Agencies now more comfortable being honest with clients
“Wrong KPIs” are a rising concern, as agencies don’t believe compensation should be linked to performance, WFA research reveals.
Cash flow concerns: 43% of marketing firms concerned about keeping up with salary expectations
Marketing and media firms are more likely to find running a business challenging in the current climate, with payroll and benefits named as the biggest single cost increase.
Black Friday rivalries: retailers focus on big ticket items and researching competitors
Businesses spend more time researching rivals this year as retailers shift away from non-essential Goods in 2022's Black Friday with internet sales to generate $1.12trn globally.
One in five Brits ‘can’t afford to be loyal’ to brands
More than half of UK consumers have switched brands they were previously loyal to because of the cost of living crisis.
Celeb-led, ambitious and young: are you reaching a ‘typical’ Reddit user?
New data profiles Reddit’s core visitors beyond standard demographics, revealing an affinity with influencers (and doing some influencing themselves).
Under pressure: CMOs feeling the push to prove short-term marketing ROI
The current climate is causing concern among CMOs that creative campaigns are to be curbed as budgets come under the microscope.
Six in 10 consumers will leave a brand if it’s advertised next to ‘misinformation’
Stay at home’ content consumption is on the rise amid cost of living concerns, but if your ad doesn’t catch interest in the first five seconds, you lose your customer’s attention…
Great British Bake Off final: who’s the Instagram showstopper?
Instagram’s most popular Great British Bake Off contestants are ranked in a new study, as the final takes to UK screens at 8pm tonight.
Data clean rooms: how urgently are marketers and publishers reacting to the cookie phaseout?
Over a third of publishers worldwide are more likely to use data clean rooms than marketers, but both cite privacy and budget as major challenges. The strategies for identity adoption are dividing opinions in the industry.
Meta tops the ranks as most used e-commerce platform but TikTok reach is on the up
New research reveals that despite tech giants pulling out of live shopping in the UK, almost two-thirds of surveyed customers bought more than one thing through a social platform over the summer.
The top Twitch streamers in Europe: revealed
US streamer Ninja is the top Twitch streamer on the continent, while France and Germany are the European countries that use Twitch the most.
APAC CTV adspend drops 41%, as Roku dominates the US
Programmatic ads on connected TV are soaring in North America and EMEA, but stagnating across Asia. Yet the arrival of closed premium networks on Netflix and Disney+ is heralding a two-tier ad ecosystem...
Money down the drain: 75% of marketers admit to customer data blindspots in their team as two-thirds are worried about budget cuts
Most marketers believe they’re under more pressure to prove ROI and ROAS during the cost of living crisis, but research reveals that marketers in Europe and the US have wasted at least 30% of budgets in the past six months.
59% of UK won’t be watching the World Cup this year
A winter World Cup has changed consumer behaviour and where they watch the global tournament. Will it be as popular as advertisers hope?
UK adspend forecast to hit £35bn in 2022 with more muted growth prospects next year
The downgrade from July’s previous forecast reflects the reality of the impact of high inflation and the cost of living crisis, but Q4 adspend is set to near £10bn amid Christmas and the FIFA World Cup.
Top costumes we’ll be wearing this Halloween: Google searches ranked
New research analyses thousands of Google searches to reveal the top make-up looks and costumes this spooky season.
The travel sector’s renaissance: 63% of UK travellers planning a holiday abroad
‘Brands should take note and offer flexibility’ as new data shows a clear appetite for holidays, but travellers remain cautious.
Stunting growth: Marketing budgets rise at slowest pace since pandemic-ridden 2021
While much weaker than the start of the year, marketing budgets remain in growth as companies continue to invest in their brands – with digital channels getting the bulk of the boost.
Who’s really leading the VOD subscription race?
Netflix share prices rise 14.4%, whilst Paramount+ skyrockets with subscription sign ups.
Reading the finance room: Reddit users show due diligence for budgeting and buying
All is not lost for big-ticket purchases providing they are essential, as Reddit’s community becomes more engaged in conversations on spend-tracking and trim back on non-vital buys.
Increased spend in TikTok in 2023 planned by 85% of brands - while just 39% plan a hike in Meta budgets
Latest research of Meta ad trends shows year-on-year hikes in CPM and CPC globally, with the US seeing dramatic rises in click-throughs compared to 2021.
Are over-55s underrepresented in ads because they’re hard to please?
Advertisers under-represent older demographics despite their commercial potential, finds ITV and System1. Over-55’s account for 65% of TV impressions, but are hard to please.
Make it snappy: 31% of Brits want to communicate in one line or less
With almost none of us preferring to speak on the phone, ‘One Line Wonder’ is the most common communication persona, making ‘less’ definitely worth more.
Social media and search engines are neck and neck in guiding young shopper habits
Whether it’s influencer recommendations, trending products or reviews of services, will social media take over the likes of Google?
Opening purse strings? CMOs looking to increase marketing spend
More than half of CMOs expect to outsource their marketing activity to agencies, with platform integration and digital strategy needing the most support.
37% are prioritising buys to help cope with less heating this winter
Survey of UK consumers find that alternative ways to keep warm this winter and more ‘socialising’ at home are just some of the measures people are taking to save money.
UK’s top brands valued at $283bn, but are falling behind global competition
Price conscious consumers will pay 14% more for brands that they think are worth it, as Vodafone tops the charts of most valuable UK brand for the fifth year in a row.
Tracking the trackers: UK retail brands use on average 10 online trackers (with half used to share info to third parties)
Fashion retail brands use the most online trackers for advertising, while the UK’s top retail brands are not trusted by one in five consumers.
UK consumers would go back to shopping in the 80s and 90s if they had the choice
Shoppers pine for the shopping experience of old as nearly half regularly buy vintage.
Less than half of marketers are making use of their tech stack capabilities
Social commerce, audio and CTV are among the top tech support adoptions being explored, piloted or deployed.
70% of US consumers have shopped online from abroad in the past year
High delivery costs are named as a key barrier to shopping globally, but it hasn’t stopped many US shoppers, but 22% would abandon their carts if they can’t use their preferred payment method.
What do you listen to on your commute? 15 most popular business podcasts revealed
Start your day right, with a ranking of the top business podcasts according to Google’s monthly search results.
47% of UK shoppers expect bigger discounts this winter as bargains and family-only gift shopping takes priority
Three-quarters of UK consumers state they’ll cut back on Christmas spending this year, and almost half care less about Black Friday shopping. What are the lookouts to get people to spend in the festive quarter?
Stick or twist? Four in 10 consumers less loyal to brands than a year ago
Cost of living crisis hits consumer loyalty as well as spending, as brands grapple with chasing possible switchers with offers versus building up loyalty among their customer base.
Two-thirds of marketing bosses suffering from ‘data overload’
The growing numbers of channels and platforms is distracting a third of CMOs from monitoring increasingly complex consumer behaviours.
Digital display ad spend up in the first half of 2022, while paid social remains stable
Latest Ad Intel data from Nielsen records spend returning to pre-pandemic levels across UK media, but advertisers may have to reassess spend in H2 amid the cost of living crisis.
Top 10 skills for marketing professionals have changed by 50%
SEO soars and PR plummets: LinkedIn’s new data reveals how the ‘resourceful modern marketer’ has changed since 2015, and what marketing skills are deemed most valuable today.
68% of consumers uncomfortable with their data being used for ads, but two-thirds are still likely to visit a site after being targeted
Despite six in 10 media experts naming privacy policy understanding as a priority, 29% have not taken any action to manage policy changes.
Social media is top of class for ‘back to school’ ads as almost nine in 10 consumers plan to shop online
Consumers prefer to see ‘back to school’ ads on social media compared to other channels, but they’re more likely to go the route of retail or e-commerce to shop for the new term.
Christmas (shopping) comes early: 29% plan to start by the end of August
Value for money trumps the priorities lists for peoples’ Christmas shopping this year, with more than half concerned about affording Christmas amid the cost of living crisis.
Global adspend to slow as social media warned of $40bn black hole
Social media companies are set to record a multi-billion dollar shortfall over 2022 and 2023, while growth forecasts for adspend across all channels and markets are cut by $90bn.
Marketing and IT leaders at war, who’s in charge?
86% of marketing and IT leaders want to improve website agility but disagreements over website ownership and competing priorities are putting up barriers.
“Creators are the new retailers” – but influencers are losing brands in an economic downturn
Latest poll from US and UK influencers reveals payment issues from brands in the last year, whilst LTK says spend on influencer marketing is growing.
Desktop adblocking creeping back up to 2018 high
Declining numbers of publishers use adblock walls as a revenue recovery strategy for adblocking.
Make it relevant: ads are acceptable on smart TV in return for free content say almost 7 in 10 consumers
UK consumers find it acceptable to watch ads on their smart TVs in return for free content, but there are caveats…
Global consumers rate DOOH ads as trustworthy, 7% more so than social media
DOOH ads gaining traction for performance with half of consumers encouraged to buy ‘there and then’ after seeing a DOOH ad.
Top 6 global media agencies for activity growth: dentsu X leads the way
International league table singles out Dentsu X as the most active agency in terms of client work, while Mediabrands takes the top slot among holding companies.
Online adspend grows by £1.5bn, but threat of “real-term contraction” looms across whole UK ad market
Forecasts for 2022 adspend upgraded, and online advertising to account for nearly three quarters of all spend this year, but pressures ahead for 2023.
One-third of subscriber churn happens in the first 24 hours
The first 24 hours are critical to engage with your new subscribers while a multi-channel referral approach is a key to conversion.
Brand trust is in decline as 75% of US and UK consumers are not comfortable buying from companies with poor data ethics
The survey underscores declining consumer trust in targeted advertising and the need for responsible data strategies.
Brits swap staycations for Euro breaks as searches for airlines soar in summer travel peak
Package holiday firms also enjoy a rise in search, while in the fashion sector Shein continues to rise in growth and Next search volumes slump.
Top 15 tech tools to future-proof marketing outcomes
Latest ‘state of the industry’ report finds that marketers are hunkering down their Web3 preparations while AI remains the most significant tech out there.
How do you maximise ROI as a marketer? Answer: don’t be afraid to spend on your campaigns
Nielsen report finds underspending in 50% of media plans, with maximum ROI in jeopardy.
E-commerce competition holds up in Q2 as CPM rises 27% across the globe
Latest reporting on Meta ad trends indicates a dramatic drop in US click through rates, while sustainability-based messaging drives higher than average conversions across the world.
Targeting campaigns by age is four times less effective than by life stage and behaviour
Outdated assumptions mean brands are missing out on whole demographics. Targeting by life stage and behaviour could transform marketing effectiveness.
Half of UK retailers using BNPL see sales growth, but 37% of businesses will not be tempted
More than 17 million people are buying now and paying later, but debt concerns and lack of relevance are holding businesses back from offering BNPL services to boost product purchase and consideration in the sales funnel.
Global ad spend forecasts: digital now makes up majority of overall spend worldwide
Soaring media price inflation, geopolitical tension, key elections and the FIFA World Cup are accelerating brands' reliance on data and digital channels to navigate an uncertain world in 2022 and beyond.
Referrals cited as important by 96% of marketers – but importance doesn’t translate to spend
Email remains the preferred communication channel for consumers – but the channel does not encourage a repeat purchase compared to discounts and rewards for loyalty and advocacy, finds research.
“Brands must put creators front and centre”: 55% of UK brand marketers set budget aside for the metaverse
91% of creators are keen to know more about the metaverse, with 55% of UK brand marketers already set budget aside taken from other marketing channels. Are you ready?
Digital ad spend up 30.5% in Europe in strongest year-on-year rise since 2008
All 28 markets covered by new research grew ad spend in 2021, and social and video drives display demand.
41% prefer streaming TV over traditional, pointing advertisers towards CTV
Research from Rakuten Advertising reveals the importance of context when connecting with your audience to improve recall, resonance and ROI.
Cost of living crisis fuels UK searches, while people look for aid to get on the property ladder and travel still high on the agenda
‘Cheap’ make-up and ‘package holidays’ see a rise in search, and a special report from MediaVision shows interest in second-hand fashion climb this year at the expense of ‘fast fashion’ stalwarts.
34% of Brits spent more online in the past six months, but purchasing power likely to reduce
Growth in online retail spend looks set to be “cut back down to size” as the cost of living crisis bites consumers. But search engines are the prime place to start an online shopping journey.
Investment in marketing drives growth and ROI for seven in 10 professionals
Automation was found to help individuals hit sales targets, while integrated sales and marketing teams are more likely to exceed forecast revenue.
Business deaths rise in Covid-era: Information and communications hit hardest
Drastic drop in new businesses across the UK over the course of the pandemic means the rates of business ‘births’ and ‘deaths’ are almost neck and neck.
The Great Resignation renders email databases out of date: bounce-rates increase
The majority (69.4%) of marketers have seen email bounce-rates increase over the past two years, causing databases to become out of date more quickly.
Attention favours context: 14% increase in purchase intent when display ads placed in context
New eye-tracking highlights increased brand favourability and recall when display ad was placed in a relevant context.
“Brands’ emotional intelligence is more important than ever” as they outperform stock markets
A massive +910% share price growth for leading emotionally intelligent (EQ) brands, with Google achieving the world’s highest EQ score.
62% of consumers will shift loyalty elsewhere if brands don’t give a personal experience
Personalisation will aid ROI, says new research, with almost half of consumers claiming they’ll return to a retailer if their experience has a personal touch.
Streaming is the most inclusive media platform for LGBTQ+ community
LGBTQ+ members view streaming content as the most inclusive programming across media platforms, reveals new report from Nielsen.
Up to 30% of premium video ad budgets allocated to streaming
Programmatic campaigns set to account for half of premium video selling by 2026 with an 80% year-on-year growth in programmatic ad views in 2021.
Dedicated followers of (80s and 90s) fashion and the festival season drives apparel search demand
Fashion of eras past are bouncing back in the search term ranks, while the summer hails more than the sun, as festival season means searches for the garb and gear to hit the fields.
Ad-funded versus subscriptions: 82% of revenue for non-game apps comes from subs offers
Just 36% of gaming app revenue is driven by subscriptions, while gaming apps see a drop in demand in eight months to March 2022.
Brand versus performance marketing: is the classic ‘60:40’ split now defunct?
Survey of global marketers reveals that many multinationals still don’t use profit and revenue based KPIs to assess their e-commerce performance.
24% of Brits “subscribing” to signing-up for more regular services
93% of consumers spend up to £150 a month on subscriptions, reveals survey.
Nearly half of performance marketers rate pay as most important to them in their job. Do you agree? Join the conversation
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67% of consumers “have left a site due to concerns about how their data is used”
Study shows that 81% of consumers are concerned about how brands handle their personal data, despite GDPR and big tech players Apple and Google introducing new privacy policies.
B2B marketing gets more creative: eight in 10 marketers say “creative confidence” is on the up
Majority of senior B2B marketers believe brands are increasingly producing creative campaigns to rival consumer output, with short-term performance marketing and long-term branding results getting equal investment.