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Social media is seen by many Gen Zers as a tool for connecting with others鈥�35% of Gen Zers say technology and social media make them less lonely, compared with 29% who say it makes them more lonely, according to a survey from YouGov and Business Insider.

This is likely to be driven by Gen Zers, who are more open to using genAI-based chatbots to find friendship and companionship, according to a recent survey by social network Soul. Tech giants ByteDance, Baidu, and Tencent have all launched AI chatbots to capitalize on this trend.

Millennials express the highest interest in AI-powered products and experiences, at 53%, followed closely by Gen Z, at 49%, according to Vox Media Insights and Research. Marketers should prioritize targeting these demographics when highlighting AI features. Still, Gen X鈥檚 39% interest and boomers鈥� 27% are valuable market segments and should not be overlooked.

Sorry Gen Zers, Gen Alpha was the next big focus for brands in 2024. This was particularly true of beauty products, which young influencers like Evelyn GRWM have been showcasing on their own accounts. Shein and Casetify worked with Gen Alpha influencers, while Claire鈥檚 focused on the generation with a new fragrance line. Drunk Elephant made a post about which of its products were safe for children.

鈥淲hile 76% of Target guests use the app while they're in store, that number jumps up to 90% for Gen Z,鈥� said Nikhil Sharma, senior director of performance and insights at Roundel on a June episode of our "Behind the Numbers" podcast. And it鈥檚 not just Target where consumers are looking at retail apps.

Gen Z is gravitating toward longer videos. Short-form video still reigns among the TikTok generation, but more than half (51%) of Gen Zers cited long-form social content as one of their favorite formats, per a July 2023 survey from Teachable. (Only 40% of millennials said the same.)

Content is pulled from Marketplace, Groups, and Events, all areas of the app where Gen Zers spend their time. Snap is prioritizing Snap Map. It鈥檚 already one of the app鈥檚 top features, and its new 鈥淧romoted Places鈥� ads are designed to drive foot traffic to local businesses. Instagram has added location sharing to DMs.

These highly regulated industries have started to partner with experts to build brand recognition and loyalty, particularly among Gen Z. In 2025, measurement tactics will have to catch up. Without a standardized and reliable measurement framework, many marketers have struggled to justify influencer marketing spending.