From Netflix recommendations to the rise of voice assistants, AI is increasingly finding its way into our daily lives. Just yesterday, Nike announced that they are buying an AI startup to predict what consumers want. You can’t deny AI is everywhere.

How do we accept, understand and trust AI in our day to day lives? Look no further than our very own Retail Revolution research study, which this week was featured in Business Insider series How AI Is Changing Everything. 

The Tik Tok takeover continues! By partnering with Giphy, fans of both can now import stickers and create memes.

Are third party schedulers a thing of the past? Instagram rolls out their very own post creator studio.

Alexa, close your ears… Amazon are now giving users the option to opt out of human review of their voice recordings.

Social media marketers rejoice as Snapchat’s new tool makes it easier to create vertical video assets.

Pin, pin, pin. Shop, shop, shop! The number of retail products on Pinterest was up by 50% in Q2 of 2019.

This report of high-subscriber YouTube channels finds that children’s content received more views than other videos!

The 4 giants unite in their goal to simplify data migration between platforms, as Apple joins Google, Facebook and Twitter in The Data Transfer Project.

Introducing WhatsApp Pay! Messenger services plans to make sending money between their 400 million active users as easy as sending a voice note.

From Netflix recommendations to the rise of voice assistants, AI is increasingly finding its way into our daily lives. Just yesterday, Nike announced that they are buying an AI startup to predict what consumers want. You can’t deny AI is everywhere.

How do we accept, understand and trust AI in our day to day lives? Look no further than our very own Retail Revolution research study, which this week was featured in Business Insider series How AI Is Changing Everything. 

The Tik Tok takeover continues! By partnering with Giphy, fans of both can now import stickers and create memes.

Are third party schedulers a thing of the past? Instagram rolls out their very own post creator studio.

Alexa, close your ears… Amazon are now giving users the option to opt out of human review of their voice recordings.

Social media marketers rejoice as Snapchat’s new tool makes it easier to create vertical video assets.

Pin, pin, pin. Shop, shop, shop! The number of retail products on Pinterest was up by 50% in Q2 of 2019.

This report of high-subscriber YouTube channels finds that children’s content received more views than other videos!

The 4 giants unite in their goal to simplify data migration between platforms, as Apple joins Google, Facebook and Twitter in The Data Transfer Project.

Introducing WhatsApp Pay! Messenger services plans to make sending money between their 400 million active users as easy as sending a voice note.

As we mentioned last week, Instagram are alleviating the pressures that ‘likes’ place on users by hiding public like counts. Now it has been reported that young users are finding a way around it by switching to business accounts in order to access more audience data. The saga continues…

Howzat! The oldest rivalry in cricket between England and Australia starts today. Will streaming and social media help lead the Ashes to a similar commercial success as this summer’s Cricket World Cup?

Dazed is the latest publisher to experiment with TikTok to connect people with their content and tap into new audiences.

Next up on Facebook and Instagram’s social policy roll-out is their plan to tighten rules on alcohol and tobacco advertising.

Mejores decisiones, más rápido…Duolingo partners with Twitch to help users learn languages better and faster.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone wants to block ads. Ad blocking growth is slowing down, but not going away…

It is revealed that 2 million 12-15 year-old Instagram users currently have personal data publicly listed on the platform.

Everyone wants to be an Influencer… Check out the key takeaways from the 10th annual VidCon.

Twitter is trending! User surge means the network saw a profit of $37m in the second quarter.

Amazon extends Prime Sale day by 48 hours exceeding Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales combined.

As we mentioned last week, Instagram are alleviating the pressures that ‘likes’ place on users by hiding public like counts. Now it has been reported that young users are finding a way around it by switching to business accounts in order to access more audience data. The saga continues…

Howzat! The oldest rivalry in cricket between England and Australia starts today. Will streaming and social media help lead the Ashes to a similar commercial success as this summer’s Cricket World Cup?

Dazed is the latest publisher to experiment with TikTok to connect people with their content and tap into new audiences.

Next up on Facebook and Instagram’s social policy roll-out is their plan to tighten rules on alcohol and tobacco advertising.

Mejores decisiones, más rápido…Duolingo partners with Twitch to help users learn languages better and faster.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone wants to block ads. Ad blocking growth is slowing down, but not going away…

It is revealed that 2 million 12-15 year-old Instagram users currently have personal data publicly listed on the platform.

Everyone wants to be an Influencer… Check out the key takeaways from the 10th annual VidCon.

Twitter is trending! User surge means the network saw a profit of $37m in the second quarter.

Amazon extends Prime Sale day by 48 hours exceeding Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales combined.

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”

It has been almost 50 years since US astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. The anniversary of the moon landing gave brands an opportunity to celebrate mankind’s greatest achievement. Google’s Doodle was one of the best yet and Spotify took the opportunity to celebrate music’s place in space. The euphoria was only tempered by a recent study that found that kids would now rather be YouTubers than Astronauts.

Will you be using Pinterest’s new emotional health exercises and resources?

Binged out…Netflix is losing beloved shows, subscribers and confidence.

Amazon plans to talk it’s way into the automotive industry with it’s Alexa voice assistant.

Addicted to ‘likes’? Here’s how to quit: Instagram is trialing hiding likes in seven countries.

Another week, another massive data breach. This time for Equifax, slapped with a $700 million dollar fine!

Internet advertising is set to grow at 10%, which is the slowest rate since the dotcom bubble burst.

The Fall and Rise of VR and how it is now estimated to be worth a whooping $34.5 billion by 2023.

Insta- cravings! A recent Instagram report showcased that 39% of users spend time browsing food and drink.

Bricks and mortar stores are shutting at pace. What does it mean for eCommerce in the UK, and how is branded content a part of the mix? We have already seen the effects of consumers tightening their spending, resulting in the downfall of major names on the high street. Can social save the shops?

One of the primary reasons that many high street brands are struggling is due to a failure for bricks-and-mortar retail to keep up with digital expectations. Drab web design and questionable user experiences turned consumers off, and on to other more developed ecommerce propositions, such as Amazon. It’s, sometimes, about more than just price – it’s also about immediacy, seamlessness and simplicity.

So as users increasingly turn to the digital to make purchases of physical items, how can retailers adapt to survive? It’s increasingly less about your core website and more about being present at the perfect purchase moment. In 2019 Instagram will become a shopping platform in itself, with the introduction of a native credit card payment system. Browsing #ootd just became so much more dangerous.

Facebook will be implementing new AR ads, allowing users to virtually try out new products (such as makeup and sunglasses).

And WhatsApp is creating a business platform which will enable brands to respond to customers within 24-hours. In some countries, WhatsApp is already a common form of communication between retailers and consumers.

What does this mean for a waning high street? Brands can learn from the likes of IKEA, Amazon and Alibaba, which have transcended from online to offline experiential stores, designed not to aggressively push sales and stack up products, but to allow people to get hands on and experiment with the brands’ products. This experience encourages consumers to make their purchases online. The tactile high street shop may not quite be dead yet, resuscitated by evolving digital experiences.

Bricks and mortar stores are shutting at pace. What does it mean for eCommerce in the UK, and how is branded content a part of the mix? We have already seen the effects of consumers tightening their spending, resulting in the downfall of major names on the high street. Can social save the shops?

One of the primary reasons that many high street brands are struggling is due to a failure for bricks-and-mortar retail to keep up with digital expectations. Drab web design and questionable user experiences turned consumers off, and on to other more developed ecommerce propositions, such as Amazon. It’s, sometimes, about more than just price – it’s also about immediacy, seamlessness and simplicity.

So as users increasingly turn to the digital to make purchases of physical items, how can retailers adapt to survive? It’s increasingly less about your core website and more about being present at the perfect purchase moment. In 2019 Instagram will become a shopping platform in itself, with the introduction of a native credit card payment system. Browsing #ootd just became so much more dangerous.

Facebook will be implementing new AR ads, allowing users to virtually try out new products (such as makeup and sunglasses).

And WhatsApp is creating a business platform which will enable brands to respond to customers within 24-hours. In some countries, WhatsApp is already a common form of communication between retailers and consumers.

What does this mean for a waning high street? Brands can learn from the likes of IKEA, Amazon and Alibaba, which have transcended from online to offline experiential stores, designed not to aggressively push sales and stack up products, but to allow people to get hands on and experiment with the brands’ products. This experience encourages consumers to make their purchases online. The tactile high street shop may not quite be dead yet, resuscitated by evolving digital experiences.

The Super Bowl is one of the globe’s biggest sports events for brands with 160 million viewers, but how does that translate to social interest around the world? 

Super Bowl LIII wins the Americas but ‘soccer’ still the main event in Africa and parts of Asia

78% of buzz for the Super Bowl comes from the US despite its growing international appeal. Comparing the Super Bowl to other key sports events this weekend, Man City vs. Arsenal drew particular interest in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  In the UK, both the Super Bowl and Arsenal vs. Man City interestingly drowned out England’s win against Ireland in the Six Nations.

Super Bowl’s broader audience as a cultural event is revealed in its gender and interest splits across family, music, celebrities and entertainment.

OMD clients Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz and Disney feature in the most associated Super Bowl brands

The Super Bowl is known as being particularly fertile ground for entertainment properties with Avengers: End Game, Sponge Bob, Fortnite and Injustice: Gods Among Us all generating interest through ads. However, this year Pepsi’s half time sponsorship and Mercedes Benz stadium sponsorship sees them associated.

Of all branded content distributed on video channels, Amazon’s Not Everything Makes the Cut generated the most views. However engagement rates were under 0.1x for the most viewed ads, with significant spend by brands driving the top viewed ads.

When we look at it in terms of most engaged branded content, gaming leads the way with Microsoft Xbox and EA Sport both featuring. Fashion brands such as Pretty Little Thing and Nine Line Apparel’s anti-Kaepernick content drove engagement; both negative and positive.

In terms of most talked about celebrities, #ImWithKap saw Colin Kaepernick gained support a social media awareness campaign to raise money for the Know Your Rights Camp. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s performance also generating interest.

The Super Bowl is one of the globe’s biggest sports events for brands with 160 million viewers, but how does that translate to social interest around the world? 

Super Bowl LIII wins the Americas but ‘soccer’ still the main event in Africa and parts of Asia

78% of buzz for the Super Bowl comes from the US despite its growing international appeal. Comparing the Super Bowl to other key sports events this weekend, Man City vs. Arsenal drew particular interest in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  In the UK, both the Super Bowl and Arsenal vs. Man City interestingly drowned out England’s win against Ireland in the Six Nations.

Super Bowl’s broader audience as a cultural event is revealed in its gender and interest splits across family, music, celebrities and entertainment.

OMD clients Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz and Disney feature in the most associated Super Bowl brands

The Super Bowl is known as being particularly fertile ground for entertainment properties with Avengers: End Game, Sponge Bob, Fortnite and Injustice: Gods Among Us all generating interest through ads. However, this year Pepsi’s half time sponsorship and Mercedes Benz stadium sponsorship sees them associated.

Of all branded content distributed on video channels, Amazon’s Not Everything Makes the Cut generated the most views. However engagement rates were under 0.1x for the most viewed ads, with significant spend by brands driving the top viewed ads.

When we look at it in terms of most engaged branded content, gaming leads the way with Microsoft Xbox and EA Sport both featuring. Fashion brands such as Pretty Little Thing and Nine Line Apparel’s anti-Kaepernick content drove engagement; both negative and positive.

In terms of most talked about celebrities, #ImWithKap saw Colin Kaepernick gained support a social media awareness campaign to raise money for the Know Your Rights Camp. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s performance also generating interest.

We sent Piers Drake, our Head of eCommerce, and Chelsea Horncastle, our Senior Product Innovation Manager and AI/AR specialist, to Cologne to check-out DMEXCO 2018. Here they discuss what they found:

Piers Drake: So, Chelsea, that was a busy couple of days; my Fitbit tells me we covered 15miles lapping the halls of the Koelnmesse! Other than aching feet, the overall theme that jumped out for me was one of retrenching in these post-GDPR times. ‘Take CARE’ was the DMEXCO tag line, and every other booth had the words ‘Safety’ and ‘Transparency’ written large on their displays, with a somewhat apologetic tone!

Chelsea Horncastle:  On top of which the keynotes were frequently referencing the disruption of data, gender inequality and the bleak outlook for retail! Quite negative thematically, but the atmosphere was actually very optimistic and buzzy, particularly when it came to the application of newer tech to consumer problems. And the halls were absolutely packed!

PD: Definitely. This was a transitional year for the industry I think. For me personally, the most interesting and positive stuff was when we dug below the surface and asked the exhibitors what they had coming down the pipeline for 2019. I think we found the seeds of some very cool tech and new approaches, but these weren’t always obvious from browsing the displays.

CH: The narrative that kept coming up with vendors, Google and AWS for example, was getting the appropriate infrastructure in place now to take advantage of the vast amounts of data – video, images, and more – already being collected. Also making voice and visual search technology more accessible, and using it to free up people’s time rather than for it’s own sake. I think the story of the next 12 months will be baby steps around implementation of these technologies at scale.

PD:  One exhibitor that brought this to life for me was Oath, who were demoing their AR content via Ryot Studio and HoloLens. Beyond the novelty of playing with virtual Smurfs (!), crucially they were talking confidently about the need to unite the content and publishing with an ‘insights engine’ of data in the background; what I’d call an end-to-end approach.

CH: Yep. The tech is impressive, but we need to move beyond the ‘cool technology’ angle and take it back to consumer insights – what are our goals with using these new formats and how do they help real consumers? And, AI can generate insights from big datasets, which is one of the most actionable ‘today’ applications.

PD: Thinking real-world applications, I was excited by the computer vision and ‘visual search’ tools we saw from Google, Microsoft and a number of startups. The Google Lens demo was particularly good because they were emphasising the practical uses, for example where you can identify plants or shoes or paintings with a tap, but then the UI drives you directly to other Google tools such as Shopping, Maps or Translate for the next steps. It’s going to be a great timesaver AND drive business results.

CH: Google Lens is great! On the B2B side, we saw Microsoft analysing the faces of people walking past their stand and estimating their genders, ages and moods – all in real time. This kind of real time analysis of video is a potential gamechanger for lots of industries, retail in particular.

PD: Yes, let’s talk retail! eCommerce vendors were dotted around the show and my main takeaway was that online retail is no longer an awkward cousin of digital! Everybody is talking about commerce outcomes, trying to explicitly link investment to sales (at last!)

CH: Ha! eCommerce seems much more mainstream this year and I heard a lot about AI-led personalisation. Salesforce were talking about ‘Shoptimism’ and the benefits of AI-driven recommendations on online stores, with their data showing a 5x transaction value from that.

PD: Whether it’s via human curation, AI or a hybrid – recommendations and personalised experiences are a key area where rivals can offer something different to Amazon. They had a sizeable presence at the show but were characteristically reluctant to discuss their plans. The explosive growth of their Amazon Advertising platform was a frequent topic of conversation with third party tool providers like Kenshoo, who told me that Amazon Search is growing at 10x the rate of Google Search.

CH: From my side, I was surprised that Alexa was invisible among the other AI assistant demos on show. Meanwhile, you said eBay had some interesting ideas when you spoke to them?

PD: I think eBay is one to watch as they are launching new tools and trying to shift perceptions of it as a ‘second hand’ eCommerce platform – their data is that over 80% of product sold is brand new. They already have an upper-funnel proposition and potentially it could evolve into a brand-friendly ‘end-to-end’ platform that offers more control over the shopping experience than Amazon.

CH: Let’s talk social for a moment. Facebook, LinkedIn and Snapchat were all there. Snapchat was the most low-key of these, mainly letting the product do the talking. Facebook were primarily featuring Instagram and Blueprint, showing some neat upgrades to IG Stories with more animation and motion.

PD: Social was a little low-key all round. I was surprised by the lack of messaging platforms around DMEXCO given the predictions of how ‘conversational UI’ was going to be big by now. And social commerce was invisible. We’re out of time unfortunately, so what was your highlight overall?

CH: Overall, it was a demo that sparked my imagination. That is the best part of attending conferences like Dmexco. This demo used image recognition to create a connected car experience, where it could understand what people see as they drive past buildings giving additional information or actions as needed. The idea is still very new, but it allows us to think about what the future could look like. And, yours?

PD: It’s slightly off-the-wall, but one of the most crowded and best-looking stands was a replica of a general store with tins, bottles and bags of pasta on display, with ‘shopkeepers.’ The popularity of it really captured for me why the eCommerce story is becoming about joining online up with physical retail – because despite all the info available online, people love browsing real shops….and going to trade shows like DMEXCO!