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SHOPPING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL
Evolutions of the modern shopping and ecommerce experience.
WE MADE THIS JUST FOR YOU
Consumers want personalization and they want it now. How are consumer expectations shifting and how can brands be ready to respond?
DO IT FOR THE ‘GRAM
How social media is upending industries and shaping our behaviors.
TASTEMAKER, TRENDSETTER AND MARKETER
How influencer marketing is maturing and why it matters.
GEN Z FAST FACTS
A look at some of the qualities that define Gen Z.
A HELPING HAND
The role of brands in helping and improving the customer journey.
SOCIAL MEDIA FAST FACTS
The latest updates and cheat sheet.
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LIKE SHARE FOLLOW
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Social media does not talk at you.
It talks with you. Nestled in the heart of Times Square in New York City, Social Media Week held its annual
conference for professionals at the intersection of media, marketing and technology. With an
aim to celebrate the platforms that connect us and the innovations that bring us ever closer
together, we learned about trends on the horizon, why they matter and how to take action.
Read on for our insights from Social Media Week NY.
VIEW QUOTES, HIGHLIGHTS, PHOTOS
AND MORE ON TWITTER.
@YOUNGRUBICAM #SMWNYC
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SHOPPING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL
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ECO
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In 2017 we witnessed brick-and-mortar stores closing at unprecedented rates. In fact, the U.S. saw
more stores close last year than during the Great Recession of 2008. While there may be an
argument for the future of physical retailers, more importantly, what’s clear is the wide-reaching
implications of our evolving consumer habits.
Marketers and advertisers across the industry agreed throughout Social Media Week: we’ve only
skimmed the surface when it comes to social eCommerce. During his session, Diply President, Dan
Lagani, cited the many ways social media sites are dominating as the primary source of purchase
inspiration. And as technology makes the shopping experience as seamless as ever, it’s no surprise
that social commerce is growing at an explosive rate; 8 in 10 consumers are shopping online every
month and eCommerce sales are expected to reach $800 billion by 2021. In the U.S., half of social
media users have made a purchase from Facebook directly.
The viral sensations we’ve come to associate with social media have also extended to retail. Nike
dropped the Air Jordan III “Tinker” exclusively on Snapchat earlier this year — and it sold out in 23
minutes. But as the ease of social and eCommerce have risen, so too have consumer expectations.
It’s no longer enough to link to your site for purchase. Lagani stressed that consumers expect fluid
mobile experiences, on demand customer service, 1:1 relationship with brands, voice services, and
ease of purchase through payment systems like Apple Pay.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE MODERN SHOPPING AND ECOMMERCE EXPERIENCE.
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In China, the popular messaging app WeChat
dominates the market with over 1.5 billion users
who spend an average of more than 90 minutes
per day (for reference, the average time on
Facebook is 20 minutes).
What started as a simple messaging app evolved
to address key areas of importance for the Chinese
(and arguably global) consumer: personalization,
interactivity and convenience. WeChat now
features payment capability and apps that do
anything from booking a taxi to paying bills. “Eight
in 10 people are shopping online, not just for small
purposes. In China, a fashion blogger sold 100
cars on WeChat in 5 minutes,” said Hot Pot Digital
MD, Jonathan Smith.
The platform makes everything accessible and
integrated in-app. And with all that in-app data,
brands have the power to push targeted rich media
messages direct to consumers—and for consumers
to talk back to brands. The data rich platform
allows for hyper-targeting that nearly guarantees
they are serving their messages to the right people
at the right time.
Ecommerce isn’t just the next big thing; it’s already
here and gobbling up business. The brands who
will grab the biggest piece of the $800 billion pie
are those who are already embracing social
commerce and are innovating for new, improved
and positive customer experiences.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MARKETERS?
• Brands need to integrate seamless shopping
experiences where consumers already are —
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat.
• They need to engage with consumers on a 1:1 level
through technology like chat bots, so consumers
feel there is a direct connection.
• They need to remove friction and steps to check
out. And make personalization a priori ty in
advertising and product offerings.
• Brands must also invest, test and learn in social
content, utilizing media in ways that feel natural to
the platform and drive commerce.
ECO
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The future of impulse buys won’t be made at the register.
It will be with a single click online.”
LEADING CATEGORIES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA IMPULSE PURCHASES INCLUDE CLOTHING AND PERSONAL CARE, WITH ITEMS PRICED BETWEEN $21-50.
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WE MADE THISJUST FOR YOU
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As social media becomes integral to our daily lives and user data becomes more readily available,
brands have an unprecedented opportunity (and obligation) to connect with consumers in
personalized and meaningful ways.
Pinterest’s Head of Global Marketing Communications, Eric Edge, stressed this consumer
expectation during his session; the future of marketing and advertising is about speaking to the
individual, not the masses. Technological innovations are helping brands do this in better ways.
“People are looking to brands for ideas that will help them discover the next thing,” Edge said. The
opportunity is for marketers to fuel those ideas and why AI powered algorithms can be so effective.
The right personalization strategy has the power not only to boost conversion, it can also fortify
customer relationships and create life-long fans when customers feel a brand truly cares about
them. Machine learning can efficiently identify subject matter and ways to have personal
conversations with consumers.
CONSUMERS WANT PERSONALIZATION AND THEY WANT IT NOW. HOW ARE CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS SHIFTING AND HOW CAN BRANDS BE READY TO RESPOND?
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Edge cited examples like Sephora’s quiz that
would lead customers to a custom Pinterest board
full of makeup inspiration just for them, based on
an algorithm. Valspar Paints also created a
system where consumers could upload a Pinterest
board (say, of living room inspiration) and the
software would scan the colors the pins to
recommend paint colors. These initiatives help
create an emotional connection with consumers
who feel like they are getting solutions tailored to
them and their needs.
Chatbots can help mange the burden of customer
service needs, with the ability to hand off to a live
person when needed. For now, the goal isn’t to
pass a Turing test. Rather, the goal is to create a
natural flow and reduce friction.
It is also important to remember personalization
goes beyond communication — it can start at the
product level by meeting the rapidly changing
needs of consumers. Away, a high end luggage
lifestyle brand for passionate travelers, and Bark,
a monthly subscription dog toy & treat box, are
two direct-to-consumer brands that have found
enormous success through customer data-
informed product innovation.
Away and Bark are brands that found white space
in the market and crafted direct relationships with
likeminded consumers. As both brands took off,
they used those relationships to gain insights that
informed product extensions and other offerings.
For Away, that led to an editorial magazine about
travel and retail store expansions that host events
and serve as community building locations for
travel lovers. For Bark, that led to more box
options for all different kinds of dogs and dog
owners. Both brands have grown by keeping their
purpose central and by understanding what their
consumers wanted.
As the demand for personal solutions increases,
so does the demand for content. Brands have to
make more and more content to stay relevant and
gain that emotion connection with consumers. But
not all of it has to be high value productions - that
often won’t feel native to social media. Keeping an
eye to “high polish amateur” content might be the
way to go as the industry is challenged for ways
to optimize production and create more content
for more people.
One in three marketers relies on machine learning personalization.
!9
Roughly 33% of marketers rely on
machine-learning personalization like
algorithms and predictive analytics to
present custom recommendations and
individualized experiences to customers.
Where are they investing? Marketers are using personalization in email campaigns (72%) most prominently, as well as on their company’s website (57%), mobile site (28%), web app (20%) and mobile app (18%).
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Website
Mobile
Web App
Mobile App
20 40 60 80
DO IT FOR THE ‘GRAM
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FEED
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Instagram recently racked up 800 million monthly users, and collectively it seems we’ve never been more
obsessed with getting the perfect shot. As the platform continues to rocket in popularity, much has been
written about our Instagram obsessed culture.
Categories like food, tourism, travel, finance, beauty, fitness, and entertainment are being upended by
social media and its users who are endlessly in search of photographic moments. Is everything we do for
the ‘gram? Whether or not our answer is affirmative, brands and businesses are beginning to respond by
designing with the feed in mind.
Big Spaceship’s Cedric Devitt and Victor Pineiro looked at some influential feed novelties like the viral
Black Tap Shake in New York City. The insane cavity-inducing, candy-topped milkshake was actually
revealed to have been invented by the restaurant’s social media manager. The so-called insta-bait tactic
undeniably works. Refinery29 introduced 29 Rooms, an interactive fun-house event that received
widespread press coverage and viral popularity with visitors eagerly snapping selfies in the space.
Even games and toys are seeing a revival of sorts from an Insta-driven consumer base. Pie Face, a dusty
and simple game from the ‘60s came roaring back into popularity and onto store shelves after a Facebook
video of a grandfather and his grandson playing went viral.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS UPENDING INDUSTRIES AND SHAPING OUR BEHAVIORS.
THE
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Monopoly, Clue, Battleship—these may be fun
games for the family… But board games of the
future are much more fun to watch and definitely
more fun to share (even if, in honesty, they aren’t
that fun to play).
The category has shifted from playability to
shareability. From the LOL Surprise craze of our
most recent holiday season driven by YouTube
unboxing trends, to the Paqui Challenge featuring
the world’s “hottest” chip — the entire purpose of
buying has moved from simply eating or playing,
to filming yourself in the process.
So why do we care? Because hacking can mean
powerful forms of organic marketing and reach. It
may also give way to more marketers innovating
for social in ways that go beyond content and into
product lines. Whether it’s a milkshake, an
immersive space or a game, these products are
being created because it’s clear they’ll perform in
the feed—and the feed sells.
But these things don’t come without risk. The
balance is a delicate one. Hijack a culture too well
and your core brand could suffer; the Starbucks
Unicorn Frappe was massively popular, but found
itself at odds with a millennial consumer segment
trying to adult into serious coffee culture. On the
other hand, culture can sometimes hijack your
brand; McDonalds learned through boycotts and
backlash that harnessing rabid fandom isn’t as
easy as refilling the Rick and Morty ketchup. The
pendulum of social trends is always swinging, and
the backlash is never too far behind.
TASTEMAKER, TRENDSETTERAND MARKETER
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INFL
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A recent survey showed 88 percent of consumers trust online peer reviews more than traditional
advertising. It’s for reasons such as this that influencer marketing has been a burgeoning space in the
modern marketer’s toolbox. For the first time, 2018 marks a true maturation of the market as brands and
agencies have begun to invest in truly integrated strategies.
Effective influencer marketing offers brands a direct line to customers via existing trusted relationships. The
flip side is also true: get it wrong and you risk alienating consumers or even entire communities.
“Think of influencers as an extension of the modern creative team,” said Amplify’s VP Brand Partnerships
and Strategy, Lindsay Fultz. “Give your influencers the freedom to promote your brand; they're some of the
best content creators out there.”
Fultz argued that successful influencer strategies should touch and collaborate with various part of the
business: events, PR, digital, social, content marketing, ecommerce, shopper and more. And SEO too. A
strong influencer plan should take into consideration identification, measurement and amplification.
HOW INFLUENCER MARKETING IS MATURING AND WHY IT MATTERS.
INFL
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A common misstep among brands is to gloss over
identification, opting for trending figures or star
power rather than an honest evaluation of their
relevance to a target audience or business goals.
Many in the audience agreed micro-influencers
would continue to be a major focus in the year
ahead. Although micro-influencers capture a
smaller following than their celebrity counterparts,
they can often be a strategic choice for brands.
They offer close, personal relationships to their
fans, they can be more cost effective, and they
yield high engagement and conversion rates.
Regardless of the influencer choice, marketers
must also emphasize measurement and establish
clear expectations and transparency with their
partners. KPIs and measurements should always
align to overall marketing efforts.
Lastly, while the organic reach of effective
influencer content can be high, paid amplification
can help scale the content even further.
QUICK TIPS
• Have an investment mindset. Invest in a lot of d i fferent content and more bi te s ized content, mediums and interact ive formats.
• Create content that moves people. Seek authent ic messages that resonate.
• Don’ t create content in a vacuum.
• Pick your inf luencers careful ly, and then trust in the partnership and give them creat ive f reedom.
BYE BYE BINARY
Gen Z rejects the world of labels. It’s not about
being binary — it’s about celebrating being human.
PERSONAS + CREATIVITY
As digital natives, Gen Z carefully craft and curate
online personas. But they’ll call out fake people
and brands when they see it.
CONSUMING WITH PURPOSE
50% of Gen Z feel that they really can contribute to
changing the world. And they seek to support
brands whose values align with theirs.
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GEN Z FAST FACTS
REMIX: THE P2P EDITION
Gen Z isn’t afraid to share, borrow or remix ideas,
popularizing peer-to-peer applications and the
sharing economy.
MARKETER CHECKLIST
‣ Bui ld your character: Can your Gen Z target audience express themselves?
‣ Make a connect ion: Is you brand enabl ing customers to connect and bui ld community?
‣ Play the game: Do you act l ike a peer?
‣ Change the wor ld: Do you have a purpose and something to ta lk about?
In their Gen Z Social Media Forcast, Piers Fawkes
and Avery McCaffrey of PSFK spoke about
distinguishing features of this rising group. By 2020,
40% of consumers will be Gen Z and 60 million
strong in the US, outnumbering Millennials.
A HELPING HAND
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ASS
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The smart phone was introduced more than 10 years ago and has since made an incredible impact on how
we interact with brands. We can get anything, from anywhere, at any time, giving rise to a new empowered
generation of consumers. By integrating into their lives, brands can take advantage of “micro-moments” to
help consumers along their journey.
Assistance has become the new battle ground for growth. You need to know where consumers are and
what they want to make an impact.
While voice assistants are on the rise, it isn’t always about voice. It is about understanding intent and
anticipating needs in any medium.
An effective digital assistant must embody three things:
Be Helpful - As the digital world and real world intersect, brands can help bridge the two by identifying
when people are searching, what are they searching for and their intent.
Be Personal - Make it as 1:1 as possible. Know who they are, and where they are.
Be Frictionless - Understand the conversation and the context. Interactions are beyond keywords.
Instead, it’s about having a conversation, behind helpful and being natural.
THE ROLE OF BRANDS IN HELPING AND IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY.
500 million people are watching videos and scrolling through 300 feet of content every
day. It’s important to stay on top of best practices and innovate with new formats to drive
engagement — especially in video.
Some things to keep in mind:
• Size matters (look at your units)
• Sound matters. Design for sound off, delight with sound on.
• Be relatable
• Know when to use Paid. 80% of social is paid. You can’t buy attention, but you can
buy the opportunity to earn attention. It’s vital to have your paid strategy go in hand
with your content strategy.
Instagram is a platform of passions and emotions, with videos and stories now
spearheading the engagement. Over 300 million Instagrammers use stories and the
volume of videos produced has increased 4x year over year.
There are over 68 milllion people on twitter in the US. Twitter is the channel for topical
conversation to drive engagement. Copy should be short, tweets with less characters do
best (less then 100) and tap into human truths. If you tap moods, moments, and human
truths - you will have wins.
PLA
TFO
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SNAPCHAT
The ephemeral platform turned AR hub. Snapchat hosts over 10+ billion video views daily
with geo-filters leading the charge.
Pinterest in the visual discovery engine that helps you discover and do what you love.
People use Pinterest when they are actively considering what to do or buy next. 97% of
searches on Pinterest are unbranded, which means people are going to Pinterest when they
are undecided. It’s important to understand the context of what people are looking for and
be personal, relevant, and valuable.
SOCIAL MEDIA FAST FACTS
… ’til next year!
CONTRIBUTORS
SARAH BURKE, PEPPERIDGE FARMCATHERINE CURTICE, PEPPERIDGE FARM
ALEX GIROUX, Y&RCARA DROLSHAGEN, Y&R
JINIE KWAK, Y&RNICOLE LOMBARDO, Y&R
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