Hootsuite has released research on the state of social media, gathered from almost 4,000 marketers across 99 countries and 16 industries.
Key findings from the research:
- 43% of organisations tried a new tone of voice, personality, or persona on social media in the past year—goodbye consistency, hello, chaotic content.
- Scepticism about going viral: More viral posts in 2024 carried negative sentiment rather than positive. Brands need to let go of the pursuit of going viral – attitudes have soured.
- Entertain first, promote later: Over 60% of social media content now entertains without overtly promoting the brand. Consumers aren’t looking to buy, they’re looking to be entertained and then buy as a result.
- Social media marketers turning to AI: The findings reveal that brands should be aiming to post 48–72 times per week across platforms. But good luck without AI – in fact, 77% of social marketers now use AI to create content from scratch, hitting this goal without AI would be tough.
The full global report is available here.
Ozone, the premium digital advertising platform built for brands by the UK’s leading publishers, today announces the integration of Ipsos iris data for validating audiences across the Premium Web.
Ipsos iris is the UK’s online audience measurement solution, endorsed by UKOM to provide transparency and understanding across the media industry. In the first instance, this partnership will validate demographic profiles of the huge audiences seen through Ozone’s unique single view of online reading behaviours.
At the heart of this new partnership lies an unwavering commitment to data privacy and compliance. Central to the Ipsos iris solution is a high quality single source passive panel that enables the validation of audiences into proprietary solutions. This future ready and scalable approach utilises the fully consented panel without the use of personal data.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has launched Levi’s® Jeans Fit Guide, available on Alexa. The feature – exclusive to Germany from now until the end of December – is an interactive voice-driven questionnaire, which helps customers select the right fit and style of jeans, without the need of trying them on.
The experience makes Levi’s® the first fashion brand globally to run a branded experience on Alexa and helps to educate shoppers on their best jean fit through an efficient, personalised shopping experience – all from the comfort of their homes.
Consumers can test the new offer on their Alexa-enabled device simply by saying, “Alexa, starte den Levi’s® Fit Guide”. Shoppers are then guided through a series of questions, determining their gender, style and fit preferences, before being recommended the fit that best matches each answer, selecting from 18 men’s and women’s Levi’s® jeans styles available on Amazon.
Coca-Cola’s new, iconic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Advert has launched, with the first airing of the “Holidays Are Coming” launches with a special twist. For the first time, Coca-Cola is introducing an AI-generated reinterpretation of the classic advert, developed through a unique collaboration of human creativity and cutting-edge advanced technology to usher in the start of the Christmas season.
Nexer Digital has partnered with Manchester-based Digital Skills Training Charity, Digital Advantage to improve inclusivity in the tech industry.
The collaboration will help provide meaningful work placements and opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), helping them move towards careers in the creative and digital sectors.
Nexer Digital has appointed its first successful candidate, who started this month. Ryan Hill, 20, will work two days a week until the end of the year, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
The initiative will give students practical knowledge to prepare them for future careers in the digital industry. As a human-centered design agency, Nexer Digital will cover a range of disciplines, including user research, user experience design, software development, testing, and accessibility.
Independent global media advisor MediaSense, has acquired R3, the creative and media advisory specialists, significantly expanding its global footprint in North America and Asia.
This is MediaSense’s second growth deal in six months, following its acquisition of PwC’s Marketing & Media advisory team, announced in May 2024, and expands its service to clients beyond media operations into marketing operations, including content and creative.
The deal further delivers on MediaSense’s growth strategy, developed and implemented since Apiary Capital acquired a significant stake in MediaSense in 2021.
Kearney has released its 2024 Global AI Assessment (AIA), which finds that just 4% of global businesses qualify as “leaders” in AI and analytics—including in their approach to generative AI.
The study surveyed more than 1,000 leaders from 12 industries and 25 countries in mid-2024, ranking their maturity in AI and analytics processes, particularly the new technologies surrounding AI.
Kearney’s report confirms that businesses are not only aware of how big data, AI, and analytics will impact revenue generation and enhance business strategies, but they are investing to stay ahead of the curve, too.
More than three-quarters of organizations (77%) anticipate that GenAI will improve customer experience and believe it will boost future revenue by making processes more efficient (76%), helping them make better decisions. With these benefits in mind, global companies have increased their GenAI budgets by 22% in the past year, and GenAI now constitutes more than a quarter (26%) of their total data and analytics budgets.
