The world of social moves pretty fast. To quote Ferris Bueller on his day off, “If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So take a look at our guide to social media in 2024. Get the vibe right every time, and stretch your ROI without stretching your budget. Okay, enough about us…
Scroll down to read about Dunkin’, dislike buttons, and endometriosis.
Stats to power your week
🍩 You know who’s enjoyed a good couple of years? Dunkin’. Since 2020, it’s experienced pretty impressive growth in customer numbers in Switzerland (+131%), Egypt (+142%), and South Korea (+189%). Check out this TikTok for more insight on how the brand adapted to the Korean market, including the lesser-spotted eggs benedict donut. GWI Core
🪡 Etsy has launched a new ad campaign targeted at creatives feeling anxious about the emergence of generative AI. And with good reason – while 27% of Americans are worried about AI, that rises to 37% of Americans who say Etsy is their favorite retailer. GWI USA
🛍️ In an effort to compete with Prime Day, Walmart, Target, and Shein are hoping to entice parents to start their back-to-school shopping earlier than usual – in July, that is. We’ve seen the same thing happen around Christmas time, and it’s not a bad idea. 61% of US back-to-school shoppers say they start looking for purchase ideas in July or earlier. GWI Zeitgeist
💆♀️ The link between gut, mind, and body is getting more air time; and “psychodermatology” is set to play a larger role in tackling skin problems, according to leading formulation experts. We like the sound of a skin-deep approach, as Americans who experience stress regularly or often are 88% more likely to say they suffer from skin conditions than average. GWI USA
What’s on our radar
Creators will be happy to know that YouTube just announced a bunch of new features for Shorts, like a new text-to-speech video narration that lets you add an artificial voiceover.
A nifty study looked at how useful AI can be in creative writing contexts. The conclusion? It benefits those who struggle with original ideas, while offering less advantage to the most imaginative people.
X seems to be taking a leaf from Reddit’s book by building a ‘dislike’ button for downvoting replies.
The EV rollout may be struggling to get its foot off the brake in some places, but plug-in hybrid sales are apparently on the rise over at Mercedes-Benz and BYD.
We’re not sure if it’s down to “Sephora kids”, but the brand is continuing to bag new locations in the UK. On a related note, Selfridges' Snapchat-powered AR locker rooms are surely aimed at the next generation of luxury shoppers.
Endometriosis Australia is launching its first ever TV commercial in a bid to get women talking and raise awareness about period pain.
Chart of the week
Now that the Euros is over in typically heartbreaking fashion for England fans, thoughts are turning to the next domestic season (the next Champions League has in fact already started).
One item likely to be on the agenda over the next 12 months is which brand takes naming rights for Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. The situation got us thinking: does having a company sponsor your team’s home ground make you more likely to use their services?
The answer is yes, most of the time. John Smith’s beer has the biggest relative impact with fans of the team whose stadium it sponsors, though Huddersfield fans aren’t actually the biggest John Smith’s drinkers around. That honor goes to supporters of Brentford, which makes a lot of sense as, until recently, their team’s stadium had a pub on each corner.
Local lowdown
Bottoms up, Bulgaria
We added Bulgaria to our list of 50+ markets at the end of 2022, and with a couple of years of research behind us, we now have a taste of some of its consumers' most distinctive traits. Among them is their high levels of alcohol consumption.
After joining the ranks, Bulgarians immediately stole the top spot for weekly alcohol consumption, leaving the UK, Japan, and Ireland in the dust. And while Bulgaria’s national drink is probably rakia, a spirit made from fermented fruit, they do also lead the world for whiskey drinking.
The exact reason why is hard to pin down, but there is one point in Bulgarian history that seems to embody its popularity in the country. After the mausoleum containing the founder of communist Bulgaria was destroyed in 1999, for a time its space was taken by a large ad for Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.
