Podcasts
As our work experience has become more remote and our lives more virtual, who doesn’t miss feeling a part of long and meandering conversations with friends and colleagues? Those conversations make you think and help you to understand the people you are with on a deeper level.
Podcasts often fill that void. They are intimate and inclusive, so it’s no surprise that podcast consumption has exploded. According to Nielsen, the U.S. podcast listener base grew by 40% from 2020 to 2022. There are close to 70 million people who listened to podcasts in 2023 and this number is projected to rise even further, reaching over 110 million listeners by 2029.
Live shopping
Let’s face it, we have all been waiting for live shopping to reach its tipping point in the US. And I think that time has come.
The pandemic drove record increases in online shopping because of its safety and convenience. Live shopping still provides those same functional benefits but also offers the more emotional benefits of having a live host share their expert opinions and being able to engage with other shoppers in real-time.
In the US, where live commerce is still building in popularity, the total value of livestream e-commerce sales is projected to almost double from 2022 to 2026. This is an opportunity that is especially ripe for marketers in top categories like clothing, skincare, fashion accessories, body care and hair care.
Gaming
According to the World Economic Forum, the explosive growth of gaming stems from COVID-19 lockdowns, driven specifically by the millions of social and casual gamers who picked up their controllers to escape boredom and isolation.
And there are no signs of slowing. A recent PwC report said that the growth trajectory is expected to continue. The category is estimated to be worth $321M by 2026.
With global platforms like Twitch’s 30M Daily Active Users (DAU) and Roblox (71.5M DAU) connecting people all over the world, its potential to stave off loneliness and galvanize communities is indisputable.
Anyone who has ever entered the world of Reddit knows that there is a subreddit for every imaginable interest or topic. For people who feel isolated, misunderstood or simply out of place, Reddit provides a community of like-minded individuals to have meaningful conversations.
