2025 Digital media trends study just released by Deloitte; social video platforms offer a seemingly endless variety of free content algorithmically optimized for engagement in advertising, and it's working. The report states that it's resulting in social media platforms now drawing over half of all US spending.

While consumers are driven to go beyond loyalty these days as a result of supply chain issues, inflation, and price sensitivity over the last five years, other reasons for declining loyalty are due in large part to intense competition, as well as increased discounting.

US Census Bureau reports that the threats of tariffs, government shutdowns, and mass firings of government workers have sparked more economic uncertainties for Americans over the past month which has triggered a pullback in consumer spending w/ only a slight increase month over month in February over January.

Is marketing work becoming more marginalized and homogenized? Are we losing touch w/ what it means to be successful with our creative work? In an age when AI is even becoming a creative force in the creation of content in business today, it's important to foster the human element in all of this. One of the hallmarks of small businesses is that they tend to be more creative and more human when doing their work. And wouldn't it be shame if we lost that?

Monica Longoria, head of Marketing Insights at LG Ad Solutions, says this about the study's results. While secondary screens like mobile devices remain integral to shopping and the broader advertising ecosystem, it's clear consumers want more when it comes to TV, and emerging technologies are set to drive this next wave of innovation, eliminating friction and paving the way for a more seamless, intuitive, shoppable TV experience.

Inc 5000 ranks the fastest-growing companies by industry, metro area, revenue, and number of employees, and it also highlights women and minority-run companies. If you've got a fast-growing privately held business, one that can demonstrate dramatic growth over the last three years, you need to apply.

The deadline to apply to the Inc 5000 at the preferred rate is next Friday, March 21st at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Simply go to inc.com to get your application started now.

A study from the Kaplan Group makes clear just how popular having a side hustle is. According to the study, 5 it's pet sitting, 4 lawn care, 3 photography, 2 landscaping. And at number one, it's drop shipping. Notably, three of the top five landscaping, lawn care, and pet sitting fall under the category of home services highlighting the continued demand for businesses that enhance the home aesthetic and maintenance.

New data from the S&P Global Mobility Award, shows who's winning at brand loyalty today. General Motors and Tesla at the top, which were recognized as leaders in customer loyalty for 2024. Analysis of over 13.1 million new retail vehicle registrations in the US during the 2024 calendar year highlight the importance of brand loyalty determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to the market to acquire another vehicle of the same make model or manufacturer.

One of the biggest challenges for online companies and those who operate them is that much of the traffic on the web today is driven by bots, not humans. Bots now account for 80% of all web traffic. According to new data just released from Design Rush, meaning only 1 in 5 visitors to the web is human, and that is forcing businesses to rethink their marketing, analytics, and engagement strategies.

As our world becomes more driven in every way by AI, the trend is actually favorable despite current reticence. 38% of shoppers now like the idea of personalized product recommendations made by chatbots. 31% say AI helps them discover new products faster. Large scale adoption of AI purchasing requires a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, and that's just not happening currently and likely won't be anytime soon.