Reports

Social Media Beyond the ‘Like’, with Lisa Hale, Specsavers Head of Brand Communications

rose.keen@econsultancy.com (Rose Keen) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:42:51 GMT

Digital Shift: What’s next in CX special

info@econsultancy.com (Neil Perkin) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:15:41 GMT

Digital Shift Q1 2026: Agentic latest, Context engineering and AI/Human collaboration

info@econsultancy.com (Neil Perkin) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:50:49 GMT

Social Trends Quarterly: Q4 2025

info@econsultancy.com (Rebecca Sentance) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:49:26 GMT

Overview: Key stories this quarter
Brand content: Why is social-first episodic video the hot new brand content? | Reddit makes its pitch to pharma and healthcare brands
Social commerce: TikTok is doubling down on holiday shopping despite US app uncertainty | QVC sees positive results from TikTok – but can it save the brand? | Pinterest rolls out shopping assistant as Snap teases foray into conversational commerce
Audiences: Facebook is courting younger users in its first brand campaign in 4 years | X shifts to Grok-based discovery | Meta encourages users to gather with Threads Communities

1. Overview

Even as 2025 draws to a close, there’s no shortage of developments in the realm of social media as brands set out to court consumers ahead of the key holiday shopping period – and social platforms set out to court them.

Ecommerce Trends Quarterly: Q3 2025

rose.keen@econsultancy.com (Rose Keen) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:13:24 GMT

Contents:

Digital Shift Q4 2025: GenAI growing pains, defending against ‘workslop’ and shopper agents

info@econsultancy.com (Neil Perkin) — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:00:59 GMT

Bridging the Gap Between GenAI Ambition and Execution

rose.keen@econsultancy.com (Rose Keen) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:03:04 GMT

Foreword

No one doubts that generative AI will transform marketing and ecommerce practices. The debate, for me, isn’t if transformation will occur but when it will happen. What this research reveals is that different organisations are at very different stages of adoption. Sci-fi author William Gibson’s quote from 2003 seems spookily accurate: “The Future is already here…it’s just unevenly distributed.”

Social Trends Quarterly: Q3 2025

info@econsultancy.com (Nicola Smith) — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:05:40 GMT

Overview: Key stories this quarter
Changing spend: Airbnb shifts ad focus ‘from TV to social’ | Brands are moving budget to social media: report
The influencer economy: Substack renews its push into becoming a broader creator platform | Brands grapple with complexities of creator economy | Major creative groups snap up indie players
Evolving ad channels: Reddit’s ad success highlights community platform potential | Advertising arrives on WhatsApp | Musk puts Grok at the centre of renewed ads push for X
Audiences: Duolingo weathers community backlash, but are its fortunes still at the mercy of social sentiment? | Instagram’s new insights shed light on engagement

1. Overview

There’s no let-up in the pace of change in social media this quarter as tactics continue to evolve, budgets shift, influencer marketing matures, and new channels open up for advertisers to venture into.

Digital Shift Q3 2025: Brand building in the age of AI

info@econsultancy.com (Neil Perkin) — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:09:17 GMT

Social Trends Quarterly: Q2 2025

info@econsultancy.com (Rebecca Sentance) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 09:00:50 GMT

Overview: Key stories this quarter
Economic impact: US social ad spend suffers due to tariff uncertainty | Social platforms’ quarterly reports strike notes of optimism | Pinterest defies predictions that ‘Tier two’ platforms will suffer | Trade wars prolong TikTok uncertainty
Platform prospects: Substack, Discord position closed communities as the future of social media | Facebook and Instagram have become inundated with suspect ads | X plans campaign to rehabilitate its brand | Snapchat and Pinterest vie to be the Gen Z social shopping platform of choice
Influencer marketing: LinkedIn’s influencer economy is growing | Unilever pivots to a social-first, influencer-first marketing strategy

1. Overview

This edition of the Social Trends Quarterly covers a particularly turbulent time, as trade wars and tariffs impact advertiser confidence and spend on social media. This report takes a close look at how the major platforms are weathering the storm, with some surprising positive performance from ‘dark horse’ Pinterest, which may be succeeding due to a perception that it is more brand safe than other social platforms.