Trends Identified
Social commerce: take 2
It has often been assumed that social commerce will transform the way we shop online. As we enter 2018, however, it’s a trend that has gained traction in parts of Asia but is yet to take hold in the West, where online shopping is still rmly rooted in traditional online retailers.
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
Sports' online revolution
In a splintering media landscape, live sports have managed to retain their appointment viewing status. But with the likes of ESPN, BT and Sky now reporting some declines for their sports broadcast audiences, it’s clear that even sports are no longer immune to the ‘cord-cutting’ phenomenon. How serious could this digital disruption be and how should the industry respond?
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
Digital lessons from Africa
More than in any other world region, mobiles have played a central role in the development of internet behaviors in Africa. This is borne out in the habits of its digital consumers; many online behaviors in Africa are distinctly different from those seen in other parts of the world, and the trends emerging in this region offer us a glimpse into how the coming era of mobile primacy could impact other markets.
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
Do smart consumers want smart homes?
By early 2018, Apple will have launched its HomePod device, a smart home speaker/assistant to rival the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home. With Samsung, Sonos and others also set to enter this space, competition to become the default name in this area will be erce.
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
The mobile payment race
It’s easy to think that the most inclusive and developed financial infrastructures will shape the future of mobile payments. In actual fact, it’s in emerging markets where the potential of mobile payments is being realized, as rapidly expanding smartphone penetration rates help mobile payments leapfrog relatively undeveloped financial infrastructures. Two payment providers in particular – Alipay and Apple Pay – are eyeing up this window of opportunity to establish themselves in these markets, and both services have the financial backing and technical know-how to seriously shake up the industry.
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
The advent of social music
Across 2017, video established itself as the new driving force of social media innovation and engagement. With both Facebook and Snapchat now investing in original TV content to be made available via their platforms, the commitment of the social media giants to stake a claim to a portion of TV revenues is clear. So, what media will social services engulf in 2018? Well, a glance at the acquisition and hiring strategy of Facebook suggests that this social behemoth, at least, is beginning to take music seriously.
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
Is the influencers marketing boom sustainable?
Influencer marketing has become the industry’s hot go-to strategy – just take a look at the host of celebrities on your social media feeds encouraging you to visit this hotel and try that beauty product. Many brands have invested heavily, attracted by the opportunity to amplify their content and organically build new relationships. But is this buzzworthy trend all that it’s cracked up to be and, importantly, is it set to be a sustainable strategy for brands?
2018
Trends 18
GlobalWebIndex
The evolution of social ROI
For years, we’ve been predicting the death of short-sighted vanity metrics. In 2018, we’re seeing this long-promised shift finally take place. What’s dfferent? While organizations have traditionally used social media to increase top-of-funnel engagement, many are exploring and discovering the value of social in other phases of the customer journey. In addition to brand awareness, social media is also helping organizations achieve business objectives such as lowering customer service costs, tracking changes in brand perception, mitigating risk, attracting top talent, and even feeding social insights into supply chain analyses. But this evolution requires new metrics—and alignment of social media strategies with your organization’s most urgent business challenges.
2018
Social media trends 2018
Hootsuit
Mobile fuels the growth of social TV
Mobile usage, shorter attention spans, and the thrill of novelty have accelerated the consumption of video content. The old buzz phrase used to be that “brands need to be publishers.” But in 2018, social networks will encourage brands to become broadcasters as mobile video and social-TV style programming take the spotlight. Creating broadcast-style content won’t work for every brand or product category. And the metrics that bump the stock price of social networks—such as engagement rates or video views—might not help your organization achieve your specific business outcomes. However, for many industries, this will open up innovative social advertising formats and bold new ways to engage social audiences.
2018
Social media trends 2018
Hootsuit
Trust declines, while peer influence rises
2017 was a tumultuous ride—we saw the explosion of fake news in public discourse, U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected triumph over traditional media, and an erosion of public trust in mainstream institutions. Politics aside, these cultural and technological shifts impacted both businesses and consumers. As Edelman found in their global study of consumer confidence, for the first time in history consumers trust peers just as much as technical experts and more than CEOs, governments, and academics. Marketing leaders are also more skeptical of inflated influencer metrics and wary of paying to reach social media bots instead of humans. We’re moving away from trusting institutions, vanity metrics, and mega-influencer celebrities—and moving towards smaller and actual spheres of influence where customers advocates, genuine customer communities, and engaged employees matter more than ever.
2018
Social media trends 2018
Hootsuit