U.S. consumers are ready to make up for shopping time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data released this week from several companies shows a rebound in May 2021 compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Consumers still buy online, but data released from Criteo this week shows that in the U.S., brick-and-mortar store sales returned to pre-pandemic levels -- and that U.S. in-store sales transactions increased 8% in May compared with February 2020.

Some 79% of U.S. consumers in a survey conducted by Yotpo also conducted in May cite they plan to shop more in the coming months. This study also looked at how consumers plan to shop and the type of relationships they prefer to have with their favorite brands.

The survey results from Yotpo -- a company that helps brands collect user-generated content for marketing purposes -- found that 53% of shoppers plan to do a mix of in-store and online shopping this year. Following new habits forged during the pandemic, only 10% of consumers plan to primarily shop at physical stores, while 37% say they plan to shop mostly online. About 53% plan to do a mix of in-store and online shopping. 

With 90% of shoppers planning to make purchases online, here’s how they will do it. About half will browse and shop using their mobile phones, and 47% will use their desktop or laptops.

Another key behavior that has changed since last year is consumers' preference for SMS or text messaging to interact with brands, Yotpo’s data shows.

Technology makes it easier for consumers to communicate with brands and their sales staff. Since June 2020, the number of shoppers who have signed up to receive text messages from brands increased 27%, with 75% now having signed up to receive text messages.

The number of shoppers who want the ability to text back and forth with their favorite brands to ask questions rose 31%, with more than eight in 10 shoppers wanting this level of access.

The number of shoppers open to receiving coupons, discounts and promotional offers from brands via text rose 31%, with 85% willing to receive the deals on their phones.

Among shoppers who decide to opt-in to receive text messages from a brand, 69% say they want news of sales and exclusive offers, while 58% want updates about their order status, and 42% want new product announcements.

Email also remains a major part of the equation, with 50% of shoppers saying they prefer brands to use a hybrid approach with communication, opting for both email and text messaging.

When it comes to time-sensitive promotions, 45% of shoppers say email is their preferred way to be contacted by a brand, followed by 35% cite text messages, and 16% cite social media.

Buying direct from brands — online or in stores — continues to increase. Some 60% of shoppers want to see brands offer non-subscription-based product bundles or kits for purchase, followed by co-branded special events. About 47% cited new product reveals or celebrity guest panels, and 49% cited co-branded subscription boxes.

It would be an understatement to say online shopping has undergone a major transition in the past year. Adoption of real-time payments grew by 41% in 2020, and consumers flocked online to buy their groceries. And while online shopping has changed, so have consumer expectations.

As marketers transition their targeting tactics, 27% of consumers said they are challenges to deal with inconsistent messaging across channels, 25% cite when brands fail to remember preferences based on previous purchase, and 24% pointed to irrelevant content or products, sends too many or two few messages, and doesn’t personalize the experience. That's according to data released today by MoEngage, an insights-led customer engagement platform.

MoEngage fielded a survey of adults that analyzes shopping behavior between February 25 and March 8, 2021, across 1,000 consumers in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Germany.

The survey provides insights into the type of personalized messages consumers prefer, and how often they prefer them. A breakdown of consumer preferences by global region and their future shopping behaviors, including how many consumers have regularly shifted from in-store to online shopping, and how global consumers intend to shop online vs physical stores in the future. It also looks at future media types marketers might use. 

The results show that overall, consumers have moved on from the question about brands collecting personal information to when and how brands use this data to present offers. 

Not only do consumers expect brands to know who they are and what they want to buy, but they also notice when brands fail to create a unified personal experience across channels.

How do North American consumers expect brands to personalize their experience? About 36% cited buying more online than in person, 28% cited reducing shipping costs, 17% said done business with a new brand, 12% said buying more in person than online, and 8% said no change in shopping habits.

When it comes to brand loyalty in the United States and Canada, consumers rate the quality of the product as most important, but great customer services and communication are close behind.

• 33% of North American consumers still prefer to be communicated to by brands through email
• 18% prefer websites
• 14% prefer social media
• 12% prefer text, SMS messages, and apps.

Consumers want to receive messages through a mix of channels. For example, top interests include:

• 30% promotional offers and coupons
• 24% sales and campaigns
• 20% new merchandise, products and services

In the United States, the most commonly adopted channel is mobile app, with 22% of consumers adopting it to communicate with brands. Email follows with 18%.

In Canada, the data is contrary to the United States. Email at 26% is most commonly adopted channel by Canadian consumers, followed by mobile app at 18%.

When asked how often North American consumers prefer to receive messages from brands, 37% said weekly, 26% cited monthly, 16% said frequency doesn’t matter, and 6% said quarterly.

One of Discovery Channel’s major seasonal program events -- “Shark Week” -- will see a number of returning big advertiser/sponsors. But will it also see a return to big national TV ad revenues?

Estimates from Kantar, a media research company, says last summer’s late August event, which ran in the middle of a still tough pandemic period, pulled in just one-third of the revenue of previous years -- $3.48 million for the week long programming event. August 9 through 16.

In the preceding years, “Shark Week” earned $9.7 million ( July 28-August 4, 2019) and $10.7 million (July 22-July 28, 2018).

Last year, national TV advertisers, especially in the second quarter, shifted budgets to other parts of the year. Third-quarter deals were also seeing requests from advertisers for more flexibility.

However, this year, media agency executives report strong pricing, up 20% or more, and volume gains in the second quarter and outer periods now that the pandemic is ebbing. National TV advertisers continue to ramp up media budgets.

This year, Discovery says “Shark Week” will see new advertisers, including T-Mobile, Vrbo, Sonic Drive-In, and, the somewhat aptly named for this programming event, Devour Frozen Foods.

Devour will be connecting with, and following Trevor, a Shark Week and Devour super fan. It will also be attached to a Shark Week-themed sweepstakes. T-Mobile will follow shark experts Joe and Lauren Romeiro on a migration expedition, as well as in the lab, where they will be aided by T-Mobile nationwide 5G network.

Sonic Drive-In will be sponsoring linear/digital content, as well as getting integrations on Discovery’s “Josh Gates Tonight.” Additional sponsorship/integration will be made with discovery+'s streamer series’ “Daily Bite." Vrbo, the home-hospitality company, will get linear TV tagged tune-ins, in-program messaging and custom billboards, among other exposures.

Returning sponsors include Cooper Tires, Wayfair, Geico, The Gorilla Glue Company and The Home Depot.

“Shark Week” will air July 11 through July 18 on Discovery Channel and discovery+. Celebrities making appearances during the week: William Shatner, Tiffany Haddish, Brad Paisley, as and the cast of “Jackass.”

Email is the top brand communication, preferred by 33% of consumers in North America and Europe -- far outpacing any other channel, according to the Personalization Pulse Check Report 2021, a study released Thursday by MoEngage. 

Second is websites (18%), followed by social media (14) and mobile (12%).

This preference holds up across genders and even corporate titles, although mobile usage is growing among some groups.  

For instance, 35% of women ages 18 to 24 prefer email and 18% have a preference for mobile. But females above that age list websites as their second choice. 

In contrast, 28% men in the 18-24 cohort choose email, while 16 choose websites and 15% prefer mobile. And males over that age list websites and social media over mobile. 

Meanwhile, 33% female corporate board members prefer email and 16% mobile. Among men in that group, 28% cite email, 19% websites and 13% mobile. 

Moving to the C-suite, 24% of men at that level and 23% of women want email. But women prefer websites over mobile at a margin of -23% to 14%, and men see those channels as equal, 17%-17%. 

Frequency is another matter. Overall, 39% of executives desire weekly brand communications -- 25% monthly, 16% daily and 5% quarterly. Another 14% don’t care how often they receive messages as long as they are relevant.  

And consumers don’t seem to mind that brands collect information on them. Across four global markets, 26% want experiences to be personalized based on previous purchase history data and 21% on known interests. 

What frustrates consumers? For starters, 27% are bothered when brands send inconsistent messaging in different channels. And 27% dislike receiving irrelevant content or product messages. 

"The research confirms our belief that the average consumer is well aware that brands are collecting information about them. All they are asking for in return is a more personalized customer experience from brands, regardless of which medium is used to communicate with them,” concludes Raviteja Dodda, CEO of MoEngage. “Now is the time for brands to deliver on that promise.”

MoEngage, a consumer engagement platform, surveyed 1,000 consumers across four markets: U.S., UK, Canada and Germany. 

Digital analytics provider Contentsquare has unveiled  a tool that it says allows users to access customer revenue insights without using cookies.

The solution enables brands to turn off first- and third-party cookies and to create personalized digital experiences based on the  behaviors and goals of visitors, the firm says.  

The goal is to help businesses build “trusted relationships with their customers,” states Jonathan Cherki, CEO and Founder of Contentsquare.

Avoiding reliance on cookies and demographic data, Contentsquare analyzes trillions of consumer interactions that demonstrate intent, including mouse movements, touch and mobile interactions. 

It remains to be seen if analyzing those types of actions will raise privacy concerns. Analysis of email newsletter interactions also provides cookie less insights.  

The new product was announced as Apple’s iOS 14.5 update is altering the privacy landscape and suppliers are emerging to help firms cope with a cookie-less future. For instance, Neutronian launched a cookieless certification process.

The announcement also comes shortly after Contentsquare pulled in $500 million in Series E funding, bringing its total financing to date to $800 million and its market valuation to $2.8 billion. 

Contentsquare integrates customer-experience data across content, UX, merchandising, and performance, while complying with the GDPR, CCPA and other privacy laws, the company says. 

The firm seeks to democratize "access to actional customer insights," states Yanni Pipilis, managing partner for SoftBank Investment Advisers, which led that round.  

Contentsquare serves such brands as BMW, Gucci, Ikea, Microsoft, Rakuten, Sephora, The NorthFace and Verizon.

Known as the mobile-first generation, Generation Z got their first smartphones much earlier than other generations. In fact, three-quarters got a smartphone before turning 18, compared to less than half of Millennials.

The mobile advertising and app-monetization company Tapjoy released its latest Modern Mobile Gamer report Thursday, focusing on the attitudes and behaviors of Generation Z when it comes to their mobile devices.

One important point to remember is that this generation doesn’t really know a world without smartphones, reminds us Lauren Baca, senior director of marketing at Tapjoy.

Tapjoy surveyed 7,103 U.S.-based residents between the ages of 18 and 24 in February. This report is the first in a series of four Modern Mobile Gamer e-books featuring key insights on Gen Z, Millennials, Generation Y and Parents, scheduled for release later this year.

More than half of Gen Zers have discovered at least one new product while on their mobile devices through content such as short videos, memes and social posts. Sorry, search marketers -- Tapjoy’s survey suggests they dislike search result ads and non-skippable video ads, and prefer to engage with rewarded ads in mobile apps.

In fact, Tapjoy discovered that more than half of this generation reports engaging with rewarded mobile game ads compared with 38% on Instagram, 23% on TikTok, 22% on Facebook, 17% on Twitter, and 16% on Google Shopping. Other insights include:

• 68% shop on mobile up to four times weekly
• 22% of Generation Z got their first smartphone at age 10 or younger, and 61% got theirs between the ages of 11 and 17.
• Almost half replace smartphones every two to three years. Their favorite mobile activities are games, social media, and entertainment such as streaming apps like Netflix or Disney+
• 86% use mobile devices as a gaming platform, compared with 42% who use console/handheld devices and 38% who play on a PC
• 60% frequently purchase to-go food or delivery
• 57% make frequent retail purchases on mobile, especially when rewarded in mobile games, and through Instagram ads

During 2020, 66% reported downloading more gaming apps, compared to 59% of Millennials and 56% of Generation X. Gen Z’s favorite games to play are Action/adventure, Role-Playing Games, and Puzzle/Match-3.

Those who are members of Gen Z are avid followers of retail brands on social media. Some 65% follow clothing and fashion brands, compared with 52% of Millennials and 40% of Gen X.

Gen Z are also the most likely generation to prefer humorous brand content. they show a strong preference for short videos, with 66% listing it as a preferred content type compared to 63% among Millennials and 59% for Gen X.

Mobile usage keeps ticking up, now representing 32% of our total daily media time -- this in the wake of all video streaming and other media gains in 2020. Should we be surprised?

Last year time with mobile grew 14%, to average 4 hours/16 minutes of daily use versus 2019. That growth rate was almost double that of 2019 over 2018. 

EMarketer projects that by the end of 2023,  the number will grow to 4 hours/35 minutes -- comprising a 35% share of all daily media time.

Future gains, however, will now come at slower single digit percentage gains, according to eMarketer projections -- 2.5%, 2.4%, and 2.2% for each of the years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Perhaps the fascinating part for some is, mobile use in 2020 rose sharply amid a long pandemic disruption where people found themselves stuck at home -- and, in theory, not needing mobile devices.

Smartphone use, to no one’s surprise, comprises mobile’s largest piece -- a 72% share, projected to be 3 hours/10 minutes of daily use this year.  It was up 18% in 2020 over 2019. Tablet use grew 6% in 2020 over 2019, to one hour/13 minutes.

So, if the pandemic has shed new light on the media, it probably revealed what people have known for a long time: We use mobile everywhere -- even when we are just sitting still and not moving.

And through the years, and also to no one’s surprise, mobile growth came hand in hand with decreasing landline phone use. So, if we are stuck at home -- without much person-to-person interaction -- connecting with someone via a phone is even more important.

So describing it as mobile device/usage can be a bit of misnomer. The pandemic has blurred many definitions of media use. Anything else coming?

Facebook Wednesday announced the rollout of what it described as a "small test" of in-headset ads for its Oculus mobile app. The ads, which are being deployed by game developers, including Blaston from Resolution Games, enable advertisers to leverage virtual reality applications.

Facebook said the deployment will enable developers to generate new ad revenues from features built on the Oculus platform, and will also help brand marketers test and develop new ways of communicating with consumers.

"For now, this is a test," a Facebook spokesperson noted, adding, "Once we see how this test goes and incorporate feedback from developers and the community, we’ll provide more details on when ads may become more broadly available across the Oculus Quest Platform and in the Oculus mobile app, as well as guidance for businesses and developers interested in advertising on Oculus."

Facebook said the Oculus ads will follow Facebook's overall advertising principles and privacy guidelines.

"While testing ads in Oculus apps, Facebook will get new information like whether you interacted with an ad and if so, how," the company noted on its corporate blog, adding, "For example, if you clicked on the ad for more information or if you hid the ad. Outside of that, this test doesn’t change how your Oculus data is processed or how it informs ads. As a reminder, here’s some info on the Oculus data that isn’t used to target ads."

E.W. Scripps has launched Florida 24 Network, a statewide news network available over-the-top for viewers in all of the state’s local markets.

The network will air real-time reporting from Scripps' six local TV stations in the Miami, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Tallahassee and Fort Myers markets.

It will be available in linear form and on-demand via its OTT app on streaming platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV, as well as through all Scripps Florida stations' streaming apps.

The coverage will focus on issues of importance to Floridians, including politics, tourism, wildlife, beaches, lifestyle and agriculture, with frequent weather updates.

The network will be staffed by a dedicated team of journalists and producers from Scripps stations across the country, led by News Director Nicole Wolfe, based at Scripps' WSFL in Miami, and Senior Director of Digital Matt Borek, based at Scripps' WFTS in Tampa.