[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Social media: The new shopping mall

In recent years, the rise of social commerce has transformed the way consumers shop, with social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram becoming powerful hubs for purchasing decisions.

What began as platforms for sharing photos and connecting with friends has now evolved into busy marketplaces, where influencers, brands, and consumers alike converge to explore products, make purchases, and engage with content. The integration of shopping features, such as Instagram’s shoppable posts and Facebook’s Marketplace, has turned scrolling through social media into an immersive shopping experience. Consumers can view product details, read reviews, and even make a purchase, all without ever leaving the platform.

As this shift in consumer behavior continues to accelerate, brands must adapt to stay relevant and drive growth in this rapidly changing landscape.

A new WPP survey of 2,000 consumers released this week reveals over a quarter (27%) of fashion and beauty shoppers who follow influencers have purchased luxury items directly through platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This demonstrates the power of social commerce, even for luxury goods, a sector traditionally associated with exclusive, in-person retail experiences. The research demonstrates a remarkable shift in luxury consumer behaviour. The accessibility and convenience of social commerce are redefining how shoppers, particularly younger demographics, engage with and acquire high-end fashion and beauty products.

Research and Markets in one of its reports noted that the global e-commerce market is projected to reach $ 47.73 trillion by 2030 growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.22% from 2022 to 2030. Among the key drivers of this meteoric rise are online advertising tools inclusive of Google classified ads Instagram, wechat and Facebook commercials.

At the same time, LoopMe, a technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance, released US data revealing that consumers from the Gen X and Baby Boomer generations are most receptive to digital ads.

Over a third (37%) of 45-54 year olds and 40% of 55-64 year olds stated they make purchases from ads they see online at least every few months – greater than the average of 31%. The findings indicate that marketers will need to be highly targeted with their spend if they want to capitalize on older shoppers' online ad engagement.

Campaigns of the week

LinkedIn has unveiled its new social-first campaign, ‘Got Itchy Feet?’ by VCCP to help young professionals navigate the UK job market and find their next opportunity with more confidence and ease. The new campaign focuses on the unique career aspirations of young professionals, helping those at the beginning of their careers discover job opportunities that truly match their needs and goals.

A new campaign from This is Libre aims to establish IKEA’s reputation as a beloved brand for families with kids in the Middle East, facilitating children’s creativity and play at home. The campaign, centred around the creative concept “Your Home Will Never Be the Same”, is a provocative invitation to children to disrupt their homes.

Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s largest power and water utility provider, has launched a new ad campaign aimed at educating customers on how to smartly shift their energy usage during peak times so that they can better control their bills and maximize savings.

The Levi’s brand, in collaboration with global icon Beyoncé, has debuted “Pool Hall,” the second chapter of the REIIMAGINE campaign and a celebration of the Levi’s brand’s enduring legacy and Beyoncé’s transformative artistic vision. In the new film and accompanying imagery, Beyoncé effortlessly showcases an iconic denim-on-denim look and its timeless versatility.

VML, an integrated creative agency, has announced its appointment as the global strategic and creative agency of record for Generali, one of the world’s largest insurance and asset management providers. This win solidifies VML’s expertise in the financial services sector and its ability to deliver connected solutions for global brands.

Agencies and accounts

VML, an integrated creative agency, has announced its appointment as the global strategic and creative agency of record for Generali, one of the world’s largest insurance and asset management providers. This win solidifies VML’s expertise in the financial services sector and its ability to deliver connected solutions for global brands.

Prega News, India’s pregnancy detection brand from Mankind Pharma, has appointed FCB Kinnect as its Full-Funnel Creative Agency on Record after a rigorous pitch process. The agency will oversee end-to-end brand communication, spanning creative, digital, influencer marketing, production, and SEO.

L'Oréal Italia has appointed SamyRoad, part of SAMY Alliance, the Bridgepoint backed, social-first digital marketing agency, for an end-to-end influencer marketing remit across 24 of its beauty and cosmetics brands in Italy.

Independent creative agency, Cogent has been appointed by Travis Perkins, the UK’s largest supplier of building materials, as their PR and social media partner. This new partnership will focus on PR and social campaigns for the Travis Perkins family of brands, which includes Travis Perkins, Travis Perkins Hire, Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery, and WholeHouse by Travis Perkins.

Partnerships and acquistions

Hearst UK has announced a strategic partnership with Brand Metrics, a global player in brand lift measurement technology. The partnership marks a significant milestone in Hearst UK’s commitment to delivering enhanced advertising accountability and effectiveness to its valued advertisers and agencies.

Dentsu entertainment, a specialized entertainment practice within Dentsu Group Inc, has announced that it has partnered with The PGA of America, one of the world’s largest sports organizations, and Producer, John Cohen, on an animated feature film franchise where the sport of golf is a hero, in a multisport story based in the fictional world of “SportsCity.”

Nielsen, a global player in audience measurement, data and analytics, and TransUnion have expanded their relationship to improve accessibility to advanced audiences. This enhanced integration allows advanced audiences created within TransUnion’s TruAudience platform to be seamlessly shared to and measured by Nielsen ONE, the company’s cross-media measurement solution.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and iO are renewing their collaboration: the blended agency will guide the institute in its digital transformation in the coming years. Since 2022, iO has been working closely with the KNMI and the agency has already completed several important projects for the institute.

Appointments

Ruben Barrouk has been appointed Head of Business Development at Ogilvy Paris. With six years of experience and a diverse background within the agency, he brings a strategic vision and deep market insight to drive the growth of Ogilvy Paris.

Cossette has announced the appointment of Jean Hugo Filion as General Manager of its Montreal office. Alongside a strengthened leadership team, Filion aims to elevate the agency’s creative output and strategic consulting while accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technology practices.

Global communications agency, VCCP, has hired two top planners to expand global strategy leadership on their Cadbury and Primark accounts. Claire Strickett will lead global strategy for Primark, who appointed VCCP as their Global Agency of Record in 2023, while Ben Phillips will work with the global leadership team on Cadbury.

Other major news of the week

Cannes Lions has announced the cohort for the 2025 See It Be It talent programme, designed to accelerate the careers of women and non-binary talent. The 2025 cohort selected for this unique learning and development programme includes 20 creatives from 14 markets, with Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela being represented for the first time.

Total Media Group, the behavioural planning media agency, has rebranded to Mediaplus UK, aligning fully with the Mediaplus Group which acquired Total Media Group in 2024. This also marks its integration into the larger Serviceplan Group. This rebrand follows years of successful collaboration under the joint venture Total Mediaplus and comes a year into the new partnership between the two.

ITV is announcing a further ring-fenced £80 million in commissioning spend for diverse projects over the next three years, and a doubling of the Diversity Development Fund (that helps develop qualifying ideas) to £1 million, following the success of the inaugural Diversity Commissioning Fund.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One