According to a March 2024 Bizrate Insights survey, 61% of US respondents value loyalty programs tailored to their buying preferences.

“Consumer data is key to creating a more personalized experience for consumers,” reported EMarketer.

According to a Vanson Bourne survey conducted in September 2023, Gen Z consumers are the most comfortable providing personal data to marketers in exchange for a better experience, while baby boomers are the least.

Brands may use AI tools to assess and utilize customer insights. According to a Bolt poll conducted in December 2023, nearly three-quarters (72%) of US internet retailers believe AI-driven customization and generative AI will have the greatest impact on their businesses in 2024.

Qualtrics and Klaviyo’s February 2024 data show that 37% of e-commerce marketers worldwide utilize AI for customer service and assistance.

Another 29% of e-commerce marketers worldwide would consider using AI-powered customer service and support in the future.

According to IBM data from October 2023, reported EMarketer, consumers also want AI assistance. Over eight in ten adults (86%) worldwide want AI to help deliver services or address difficulties.

In the US, 53.1% of Gen Zers watch long-form videos on social media.

However, short-form videos are more popular among this age group, with 61.6% watching it, according to an October 2023 EMarketer study.

According to Teachable’s July 2023 poll, more than half (51%) of Gen Zers like long-form social content, whereas only 40% of millennials do.

According to EMarketer’s Social Video 2024 report, Generation Z uses TikTok to watch news, tutorials, and movies.

EMarketer stated that longer films are easier to monetize since they can hold more ads, so anticipate social platforms to embrace this format.

According to an LTK study conducted in March 2024, nearly half (49%) of US adults will start buying back-to-school supplies by early July.

According to EMarketer, back-to-school retail sales in the United States are expected to increase by 3.2% this year to $81.16 billion.

“The majority (65.1%) of those sales will take place in physical retail locations. However, e-commerce’s portion of back-to-school sales has risen from 31.5% in 2021 to 34.9% in 2024,” noted the report.

If the first half of the year is any indicator, merchants must rely significantly on offers and promotions to maintain their share of retail sales. However, companies must ensure they are carefully placed throughout the summer to appeal to the largest number of consumers, stated EMarketer.

TikTok’s parent firm, ByteDance, must sell the company by January 19, 2025, or face a US ban.

The company is suing to avoid the ban. Still, if the site is discontinued, marketers must understand how to reach TikTok consumers on alternative platforms, according to a report by EMarketer.

The first way to reach Gen Zers is on YouTube. According to an EMarketer May forecast, 89.3% of American Gen Zers watch YouTube videos, and 73.3% of US YouTube users watch Shorts. The forecast notes that 71.2% of Gen Zers use TikTok.

The report stated that 58% of US TikTok users would move to Instagram Reels if the app were banned. EMarketer estimates that 143.2 million people in the US use Instagram, while 112.4 million use TikTok.

The report noted that Pinterest has the potential to supplant TikTok after a TikTok ban, with 85.4 million US users this year.

Almost half of all US adults who have purchased through shoppable commerce did so via social media, according to EMarketer’s Bizrate Insights’ February 2024 poll.

Paramount tested a shoppable experience at the CMT Music Awards in April, using the Shopsense AI platform to allow fans to purchase products and curated collections inspired by what stars are wearing on television.

According to EMarketer, TalkShopLive and other livestream platforms can also assist brands in capitalizing on live events such as concerts or sporting events.

“Shoppable media condenses the shopping journey, enabling consumers to transition from discovery to purchase more quickly,” stated the report.

According to EMarketer’s forecast, 98.4 million US customers will purchase through shoppable media this year, representing a 4.4% increase over last year.

Short-form videos are tough to monetize since they do not include pre-, mid-, or post-roll advertisements, reported EMarketer.

Instead, ads are interspersed between videos, making them easy to skip. As a result, platforms that promote lengthier films stand to earn more ad revenue.

EMarketer predicts US social network video ad spending will reach $48.89 billion this year (without YouTube), a 24.6% increase from last year.

“Platforms hope longer-form videos could reverse the slowdown in time spent. That’s why they’re encouraging creators to create longer content,” according to EMarketer.

Meanwhile, in September, YouTube began allowing Shorts creators to link to longer-form material.

The share of US digital holiday consumer spending in October and November has not increased consistently since 2018, despite businesses moving their holiday sales earlier, according to Comscore’s April 2024 study.

According to an Emarketer February 2024 forecast, US holiday retail e-commerce sales will smash records this year, reaching $271.58 billion, a rise of 9.5% from 2023.

E-commerce will account for 19.8% of holiday retail sales, projects EMarketer.

Comscore reported that 28% to 29% of e-commerce sales occurred in October, but EMarketer’s forecast only covers November and December.

A March 2024 survey by IZEA found that 67% of US social media users are at least somewhat likely to look up information about products on social media sites before they buy them.

According to a forecast by EMarketer, US influencer marketing expenditure will total $8.14 billion this year.

However, an effective social media presence extends beyond influencer posts. “Brands need to make sure they have an organic presence on social media, where existing customers are broadcasting their use of products, in order to encourage prospective customers to buy,” reported EMarketer.

According to an EMarketer July 2023 study, YouTube is the most common social media tool among Gen Zers investigating products, with 35.0% routinely doing so.

Almost half of retail marketers globally recognize performance-driven paid media as their most crucial media investment, according to data from TechValidate and Mediaocean from November 2023.

The importance of measurement and attribution capabilities is endorsed by over half (53%) of global retail marketers, according to the same TechValidate and Mediaocean report.

Performance, measurement, and attribution are becoming increasingly important for marketers as they react to the devaluation of third-party cookies, according to EMarketer.

According to a WARC survey published in December 2023, four out of every ten marketers worldwide aim to raise their performance marketing investment this year.