Welcome to the TAKUMI insights subscription 📊.
If you’re looking for the inside scoop on influencer marketing 📱, social media updates ⚙️, creator culture 🤳, and Gen Z insights 📈, then look no further. TAKUMI’s insights team is curating the most impactful industry news and weekly developments right here 👇.
Substack #26 will be our final insights newsletter for 2021. Thank you to all of those who have read or subscribed this year- we’ll be back in 2022 with more insights, trends, platform updates and industry news. From the whole TAKUMI team, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! 🎄
THE 2021 TAKUMI WHITEPAPER IS LIVE! | 15th Dec 2021
Our research report, aptly named 'Influencer Marketing in the Pandemic Era', unpicks the shifting attitudes, perceptions and trends within our rapidly evolving industry.
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Surveying over 3,300 consumers, marketers and influencers across the UK and US, our 33 page report pinpoints their priorities and expectations of influencer marketing as it continues to prosper.
When it comes to conversion, influencer marketing was the only channel not to decrease in effectiveness since the onset of COVID-19 📈. It's no surprise then, that 7 out of 10 marketers said they are more likely to use creators in brand campaigns compared with pre-pandemic.
With influencer marketing spend set to exceed $15B next year, our sights are firmly set on the future of our growing industry. Whether it's a channel you have yet to explore, you're seeking some fresh consumer insights, or you simply want to peruse, download the report to find out more! 📑 Alternatively, get the key insights in Campaign Magazine!
TikTok Highlights the Key Brand Campaign and Product Trends of the Year in the App | 13th Dec 2021
“The breadth of trends attached to the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt movement underlines the rising opportunities, in many sectors, via the app, which likely extends beyond what you might expect. TikTok’s no longer just about dance trends and memes, as its audience grows, so too does the range of content and conversations available, which has lead to major opportunities for many marketers.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: As the year draws to a close, TikTok is looking back on the brands which have seen huge success on the app throughout 2021, and exploring how others can achieve the same next year. It is now abundantly clear that TikTok is a driving force for community commerce, with hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt sparking a global movement of organic product recommendations. A perfect example is the hashtag #littlegreenmachine which has garnered over 69M views, causing sales of the carpet cleaner to double in 2021 📈.
The platform has also inspired brands to create products in direct response to demand from TikTokers; GAP reinstated production of a particular hoodie that hasn't been stocked for over 10 years, leading to a GAP-TikTok campaign that allowed the TikTok community to vote on the colour of a new GAP product 🙌.
Jumping on trends is a key way for brands to establish a voice within the community, but taking it a step further and allowing trends to inspire product creation is a daring strategy which has certainly paid off for brands like GAP. For guidance on how brands and marketers can flourish on the platform, this highlights list is definitely worth a read 👀.
Instagram now lets users reply to comments with Reels | 13th Dec 2021
‘‘Now, when users choose to reply to a comment, they’ll see a new option that allows them to select the Reels button to create a video reply. The social media giant notes that the video reply will appear as a sticker.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Instagram's Reels Visual Replies are the latest feature to be plucked from the TikTok handbook. In announcing their version, IG explained that 'you can now reply to comments with Reels and the comment will pop up as a sticker'; *eerily* similar to TikTok's video replies tool 💭. The addition will provide a new way for creators to interact with their communities, and create new content in direct response to the comments and engagement they receive from their audiences. We know that Instagram is in the process of transforming the platform into an entertainment hub which places video front and centre, so the latest tool should be a lesson to brands who have yet to utilise video within their marketing strategies 📽. If you haven't quite cracked TikTok yet, it's time to tap into Reels.
Snapchat Shares New Data on the Marketing Benefits of Immersive AR Experiences | 9th Dec 2021
‘‘Snapchat has shared some new insights into the value of AR for advertising, by underlining just how immersive and engaging AR experiences can be, and how Snap’s AR tools, in particular, can drive better response.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: It's no secret that data-driven advertising strategies make for a more impactful consumer experience, and help to predict future behaviours. As we ease closer into the metaverse, AR advertising will continue to grow; but it's important to measure how these interactive experiences affect the purchasing decisions and ad experiences for consumers 📊.
The findings of this study show that, neurologically, AR experiences are indeed more immersive than other immersive entertainment avenues. As reflected in the data, Snapchat has long been a leading player in the AR game, with tools that competitors have yet to match; "Snapchat’s AR was measured at 1.7x ‘more immersive’ than any other app" ⚖️. As well as this, AR advertising can help brands anticipate consumer behaviours, with immersion predicting 'increased sales with 83% accuracy...purchase with 84% accuracy... hit TV shows with 88% accuracy". One thing is for sure: AR advertising is slowly entering the mainstream.
Brick-and-mortar sales will lapse back into stagnation after a strong 2021 | 9th Dec 2021
‘‘US ecommerce sales will surpass $1 trillion annually in 2022, up 15.9% from this year.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: This insights chart from eMarketer looks towards the future of eCommerce and non-eCommerce sales, suggesting that the latter will plateau in 2022. US non-eCommerce sales managed to recover this year, with an increase of 15.4% following the various lockdowns and store closures through the height of the pandemic which saw a 0.2% decrease in brick-and-mortar sales 🛍. However, predictions put next year's growth at just 0.3%, pointing to the continued growth and favour for shopping online. Conversely, US eCommerce sales saw a stark but unsurprising 32.4% increase in 2020, with numbers projected to steadily grow in the coming years 📲. Based on this, we can expect social media platforms to continue the supply-and-demand roll out of improved eCommerce functions, both contributing and responding to consumers' preference for digital.
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