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AI-generated content is everywhere – but does it resonate with consumers?
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In a recent survey nearly half (46%) of Instagram and Pinterest users, and 45% of TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn and YouTube users claim they would feel ‘indifferent’ if they discovered content they liked was made using AI tools.

However, GWI’s latest Social Media Report for 2025 reveals that the reception to AI-branded content definitely isn’t one-size-fits-all: it seems audience attitudes vary significantly depending on the platform it’s on.

For instance, nearly a quarter (24%) of TikTok scrollers say they’d like the content more if it was AI-generated — but half (50%) of BeReal users, 41% of Reddit users, and 36% of X users aren’t as ready for AI generated content, claiming they’d like it less.

Chris Beer, Senior Data Journalist at GWI, said: “AI has an obvious appeal to marketing, social, and creative teams, because it is fast, scalable, and relatively inexpensive. However, the best plan isn’t to hand all of the reins over to automation. The smartest companies are using AI to support human creativity, not replace it.  Ultimately, with views on AI generated content being mixed, brands don’t want to risk negative backlash where culture is shaped — on social media.”

GWI data shows that over half (54%) of consumers say TikTok is the most influential platform for shaping cultural trends, from fashion and music to viral moments and online conversations. Close behind, 53.5% say Instagram plays a key role, and half (50%) claim YouTube’s long-form videos and creator communities drive a lasting influence.

With these platforms clearly spearheading online trends and influence, it is important for brands to understand how to leverage their AI generated branded content without deceiving or annoying consumers.

GWI data shows that consumers are happy to engage with AI-powered tools when it improves their experience, and that people are more likely to accept AI-branded content when it’s clearly labelled as such.

But when AI is used carelessly, or replaces originality, personality, and craft, it quickly becomes obvious.

Beer added: “Brands can stay ahead of the curve by tailoring content to the platform at hand. For example, Maybelline’s mascara CGI video was a viral TikTok sensation, but the same concept on X might have flopped. If you manage to jump on an AI-generated trend before it passes by, you could hit the jackpot.

“With shrinking teams and tighter timelines, knowing where AI content will land well, and where it won’t, helps marketing teams prioritise better. AI can absolutely support creativity, but it has to serve the audience first, not just the algorithm. Be smart, yet creative with it, and you’ll stay ahead of the game.”

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Want to succeed on social media? Then troll your rival brands…
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Engaging in playful, and sometimes savage, social media battles with brand competitors, can drive massive online engagement and brand loyalty, a new study by emlyon business school has revealed.   

However, the researchers also found that engaging in risky social media interactions with other brands can also easily backfire, proving that the line between humour and disrespect is razor thin.  

These findings come from research by Mathieu Beal and Ivan Guitart, both Professors of Marketing at emlyon business school, alongside colleague Charlotte Lecuyer from, University of Auvergne. 

The study explored the phenomenon of humour and the benign violation theory—where something appears as a “violation” of norms but remains light-hearted and socially acceptable. 

To do so, the researchers examined a number of social media interactions between large brands, identifying those that used affiliative humour (friendly teasing) and aggressive humour (mockery, sarcasm), to gain insights about how consumers perceive brand humour. 

The researchers found that affiliative humour was the safest and most well-received approach, whilst aggressive humour was riskier but could be highly effective when targeting a direct competitor.  

The findings suggest brands in dominant market positions can get away with more aggressive humour, while ‘underdog’ brands risk backlash. The type of humour a brand employs is often socially accepted based on their reputation and followers.  

Consumers tend to embrace brand trolling when it’s framed as part of a competitive rivalry, much like sports teams bantering before a big match. However, if a smaller brand punches up at a much bigger competitor, audiences may view it as desperate rather than clever. 

The study’s findings suggest that when executed properly, trolling a competitor can: Increase engagement, leading to more shares and visibility. It can enhance brand personality, a witty, confident tone can make a brand feel more relatable and fun. As well as differentiate from competitors, standing out in a crowded marketplace requires bold moves. 

However, there are risks. Brands that cross the line into mean-spirited attacks can quickly face backlash, leading to PR disasters instead of viral success. 

“Brands are no longer just interacting with customers on social media; brands are finding themselves engaging with competitor content.” Says Professor Beal. “One of the most famous examples of this approach was in 2018, when Wendy’s fired off a witty, aggressive tweet mocking McDonald’s fresh beef campaign. This resulted in over 180,000 likes, more than 22 times the amount of likes on the initial McDonalds post. This viral moment highlights how brands can use humour to boost visibility and outperform even the biggest names in their industry.” 

The researchers strongly recommend that managers favour affiliative humour as the safest strategy and warn social media managers against aggressive humour in an inappropriate context, as it can easily turn into a bad buzz and turn against them.   

The findings show that trolling works best when targeting direct competitors in a way that feels playful rather than malicious. Brands with a strong market position can take greater risks, while smaller brands should focus on friendly, affiliative humour. 

Photo by Meg Jenson on Unsplash

How to make your online presence more sustainable
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With the threat of climate change growing larger each day, individuals and businesses alike are needed to take action and lessen their impact on the environment. 

One area which may not be so obvious when it comes to its impact on the environment is our digital activity. Every online interaction leaves a carbon footprint. In fact, the average person contributes around 968 grams of CO2 every single day just by scrolling. Multiply that by 1.13 billion websites that make up the world wide web, and the environmental impact becomes huge. 

But for businesses today, when social media pages, branding, and an engaging website are more important than ever, how can you reduce your digital footprint and create a truly sustainable online presence, in every sense of the term? In the following guide domain and hosting experts Fasthosts, offers practical steps for businesses big and small, to go green online.

Energy efficiency

The foundation of a sustainable website begins with how it is being powered. All websites start from hosting websites, and before that from data centres. The data centres require huge amounts of energy to operate. Fortunately the rise of data-centres powered by green energy has made it easier for businesses to choose an eco-friendly hosting provider.

Eco-friendly hosting providers that source their energy from green sources will mean reduced emissions, and improved reliability and performance. Moving to a green hosting provider will be one of the most effective ways to reduce your website’s carbon footprint.

Digital minimalism

When it comes to the layout and design of your website, keep the term digital minimalism in mind. Avoid clutter, and busy pages, which will consume unnecessary energy. To do this, you can archive or delete outdated content to reduce storage requirements, not only streamlining digital assets to enhance performance, but also improving your on-page SEO.

Green technology choices

When building your website, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which tools and platforms to use. One key way to narrow down your options is to opt for those that are green certified, or built with sustainability in mind. To go one step further, you can engage tools that monitor and help reduce your website’s carbon footprint.

Website optimisation

Every time a website’s page is visited, energy is used to process the request. So optimising your website can make it greener. Faster loading websites use less energy, minimising the strain on servers and data centres, and will improve your SEO ranking. To optimise your website you can compress any images without reducing the quality, clean up unnecessary code and deactivate unused plugins, and avoid clutter and eliminate redundant features that could be slowing your website down.

Content Delivery Networks

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are a smart solution to websites with a global audience. CDNs are globally distributed servers that allow users to access the content from the server located closest to them. This reduces latency and load times, and makes web performance faster for its visitors. Because of this, CDNs are not only great for improving user experience, but also reducing energy use leading to lower carbon emissions.

Sustainable AI practices

While artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool for sustainability, it too has an energy cost. By using smaller, optimised AI models, and implementing AI such as chatbots, recommendation engines, or content analysis tools, only where they add value to your website, will ensure energy isn’t wasted on unnecessary tasks.

Scalable architecture

Having a scalable website, allows you to add features and can handle increased traffic without the need for a full redesign. When you can break down growth into smaller steps, this reduces the need for frequent overhauls, meaning that less hardware, and development resources are needed, minimisng e-waste.

Modular code

Similar to having a scalable website, writing modular, reusable, code that can be updated easily will not only extend your website’s lifecycle, it will also reduce digital waste too. Reusable and modular code reduces redundancy, lowering the computer power needed to maintain and update websites. This, in turn, decreases energy usage, reducing the carbon footprint.

Regular maintenance

Lastly, perform routine updates to software, plugins, and security features to keep your site running efficiently and securely. Well maintained websites require less server power, and by regularly and proactively fixing issues on your website, you can prevent major failures that would otherwise require significant energy and resources to resolve.

Image credit: Marija Zaric – Unsplash

Personalisation and cashback top UK shopper wanted lists
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57% of British shoppers want more cashback rewards from the brands they support, while 46% want more personalised discounts, with clear rewards and consistent communication.

That’s according to research from Dotdigital, drawing on responses from over 3,000 global consumers, of which 1,000 are UK based, highlighting critical opportunities for UK brands to deepen customer relationships through relevance, transparent rewards, and data-smart engagement strategies.

Key UK findings:

  • UK consumers are leading in omnichannel loyalty, engaging across email (64%), mobile app push (7%) and SMS (4%), while 9% expect to receive brand communication via a combination of channels.
  • Brits love an add-on: 48% say they value free delivery and returns, 55% want more freebies and gifts and 49% want to see more birthday rewards from the brands they support.
  • Relevance is critical as UK consumers are 20% more likely to find the marketing they receive irrelevant compared to their international counterparts.
  • 23% of UK shoppers are uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their data, but they will do so for the right reward.

“Today’s UK consumers are among the world’s most engaged when it comes to customer loyalty, but they’re also increasingly selective. They expect brands to be present where they are, without overwhelming them,” says Juliette Aiken, CMO at Dotdigital.

“They also know what good marketing looks like, and they’re no longer moved by generic rewards or spray-and-pray strategies. Brits are open to regular brand communication, but only if it’s deeply relevant and comes with an easy reward. The brands that understand how to respect consumer preferences while delivering engaging, dynamic customer experiences will be the ones that cultivate lasting loyalty in 2025 and beyond.”

Other highlights include:

  • 52% of consumers say peer reviews are the most influential factor in their buying decisions, more than influencer endorsements or even price.
  • 26% of UK Gen Z are more likely to deepen brand loyalty this year, but they remain loyal to a select few brands.
  • Gen Z loyalty in the UK goes beyond points and cashback with 61% sticking around for sustainability and brand values.
  • 41% of UK consumers actively recommend brands to their friends and family.

“In a market where consumers are scrutinising their every spend, our research shows UK brands still have room to win, and win big,” concludes Aiken. “To do it, they must listen to their customers, personalise with purpose and incentive, and be present on the channels their customers already use.”

E-commerce and marketing businesses spending big on AI with little gain, says research
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UK-based e-commerce companies are investing significant capital in AI to improve the customer experience, however, many businesses are yet to realise significant gains.

That’s according to a survey of senior executives at 300 large and mid-sized e-commerce companies in Europe and the US by CMS Storyblok.

UK businesses have spent an average of £321,000 in the past year on developing or implementing AI solutions to enhance their digital customer experience, with 21% spending more than £500,000. Yet almost half (44%) state that their AI investment has only made a slight improvement to their customers’ digital experience.

Surprisingly, nearly all of UK business leaders (93%) say that their AI investment has delivered a good Return on Investment (ROI), of which 28% perceive it as a very good ROI. This potentially indicates businesses are taking a longer-term view of AI investment to improve their digital offering.

The research also explores the most popular use cases for AI amongst UK business leaders, which were cited as website content creation (59%), customer service (53%), marketing analysis (51%), translation services (49%), and marketing content creation (48%).

Dominik Angerer, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyblok said: “The transformative potential of AI for the digital experience is enormous, but our research highlights a clear gap between expectation and reality. While UK businesses are seeing some improvements, these remain incremental rather than truly transformative. What’s particularly interesting is that despite this, most business leaders still consider the capital they have committed to AI a good investment. This could suggest that many UK companies do not expect big gains immediately, but are instead taking a longer-term view of AI to transform their digital offering.

“To unlock AI’s full potential, businesses must go beyond surface-level implementations and integrate AI in a way that drives meaningful transformation. Core to this is the flexibility to scale with ease, and that’s where composable architecture comes in, enabling companies to seamlessly integrate AI-driven solutions across multiple channels without the restrictions of legacy systems. From hyper-personalisation to seamless localisation, nearly every possible AI use case could be implemented more effectively, and to a higher standard if businesses raised the digital bar and embraced modern marketing technology.”

GenAI demand to hit $644bn this year
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Global generative AI (GenAI) spending is expected to total $644 billion in 2025, an increase of 76.4% from 2024, according to a forecast by Gartner.“Expectations for GenAI’s capabilities are declining due to high failure rates in initial proof-of-concept (POC) work and dissatisfaction with current GenAI results,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Despite this, foundational model providers are investing billions annually to enhance GenAI models’ size, performance, and reliability. This paradox will persist through 2025 and 2026.

“Ambitious internal projects from 2024 will face scrutiny in 2025, as CIOs opt for commercial off-the-shelf solutions for more predictable implementation and business value. Despite model improvements, CIOs will reduce POC and self-development efforts, focusing instead on GenAI features from existing software providers.” said Lovelock.

GenAI spending is poised for significant growth across all core markets and submarkets in 2025 (see Table 1). GenAI will have a transformative impact across all aspects of IT spending markets, suggesting a future where AI technologies become increasingly integral to business operations and consumer products.

Table 1. Worldwide GenAI Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars) 

 

 

  

 2024 Spending

  

 2024 Growth  (%)

  

 2025 Spending

  

 2025 Growth  (%)
Services  10,569 177.0 27,760 162.6
Software 19,164 255.1 37,157 93.9
Devices 199,595 845.5 398,323 99.5
Servers 135,636 154.7 180,620 33.1
Overall GenAI 364,964 336.7 643,860 76.4

Source: Gartner (March 2025)

GenAI spending in 2025 will be driven largely by the integration of AI capabilities into hardware, such as servers, smartphones and PCs, with 80% of GenAI spending going towards hardware.“The market’s growth trajectory is heavily influenced by the increasing prevalence of AI-enabled devices, which are expected to comprise almost the entire consumer device market by 2028,” said Lovelock. “However, consumers are not chasing these features. As the manufacturers embed AI as a standard feature in consumer devices, consumers will be forced to purchase them.”

Photo by ilgmyzin on Unsplash

‘Majority of major brands’ expect increased investment into customer loyalty
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A survey has found the majority (67%) of businesses expect investment in digital loyalty to increase or significantly increase over the next 12 months.
Apadmi’s second annual Digital Customer Loyalty report, also revealed that 81% of respondents consider loyalty to have always been important or is now more important than ever, with the number one business challenge being solved by digital loyalty programmes being frequency of purchase.
More than a third (36%) of businesses said they are currently developing a digital loyalty programme, while 35% stated they already have a live digital loyalty programme in place. 13% said they plan to create one in the future, while less than 1% admitted they no longer use a loyalty programme. This highlights the importance brands are placing on their digital loyalty strategy.
Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents believe apps are the most responsive CRM channel they use, with mobile apps becoming the preferred channel of choice for customer loyalty initiatives.
When considering the key functions mobile apps play in loyalty programmes, brands ranked the delivery of a more personalised experience (40%) and a cost-effective way to reach customers (40%) top.
Thinking about the tactics used, 81% of respondents said personalisation is a key part of their mobile customer engagement strategy. However, a quarter admitted they only have basic personalisation implemented, or have yet to implement it at all.
Mobile continues to make personalisation a more seamless and effective tool for brands looking to keep customers engaged, whilst also delivering value to customers who expect relevant, convenient content, services and products to be served up in the palm of their hand.
Clearly, appetite for personalisation remains high, with brands suggesting that there’s still room for more. In fact, compared to 2024, there’s been a 10% rise in businesses planning to increase personalisation efforts.
When it comes to the future of loyalty tactics, businesses are already considering where they may want to invest further in loyalty in the future. Topping the list was exclusive offers (49%), up from 40% in the 2024 report.  Future tactics perceived to be less popular included paid membership ( 19%) and scan-and-go (15%), both of which declined by nearly 10% year-on-year.
Compared to last year’s results, it appears that more brands want to start focusing on exclusive offers, loyalty points, instant wins and exclusive pricing; trends already being witnessed with Apadmi’s clients.
While the appetite for digital loyalty programmes is clear, the biggest barriers for respondents were budget restrictions, lack of clear strategy, other areas being given greater priority, and a lack of internal expertise.
Instead of letting these challenges hold back growth, brands should find ways to show value quickly. For example, creating proof of concepts, using fast follow features, conducting user research, and testing features with small groups of customers.
Jake Sargent, Group Marketing Director at Apadmi, said: “Businesses across all sectors are feeling increasing pressure to acquire, engage and retain customers in increasingly competitive markets. Rising living costs for customers and business costs for brands means retaining and engaging loyal customers is essential to safeguarding retention and revenue, with the need to create more efficient and effective loyalty programmes and experiences greater than ever. Our research has highlighted how digital is shaping the world of loyalty, providing a view on the impact these experiences, particularly mobile, are having on loyalty.  An increased focus on personalisation, product and programmes to drive customer and business value is what we’re likely to see more of in 2025.”
Emma Collins, Head of Loyalty and Engagement at Poundland, said: “We had to work really hard to lay the groundwork for our new programme, Poundland Perks. That meant getting buy-in from all internal departments, including our fantastic stores – championing the results of our invaluable testing and learning. Loyalty is about finding a way to create insight, increase personalisation, drive footfall and invite conversations. And the best channel to do all of that at scale is digital, which is why we went mobile-first.”

Brand trust issues among Gen Z impacting conversion rates
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A poll of over 1,500 consumers by Wunderkind in its latest Consumer Insights Report revealed that lack of trust in a brand was the top reason one in three (28%) Gen Z shoppers would abandon a purchase when shopping direct with a retailer online, indexing +9 percentage points higher than the average UK customer.  Trust issues were also a core driver for cart abandonment for over a quarter (26%) of the Millennial shoppers polled.

The role of reputation and trust continues to be a growing consideration within purchasing decisions, with Forter’s Consumer Trust Premium report suggesting UK consumers would spend +44% more, on average, with retailers they trust, while a further 73% said they were more loyal to brands they perceive to be authentic.

And this growing need for authentic brand experiences is also evolving channel choices and preferred customer engagement among younger Gen Z shoppers specifically, with a quarter (25%) saying they would choose to shop on a retailer’s DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) website as their top ‘trusted channel’.  Gen Z is also now almost twice as likely than other shopper demographics to value brand name recognition (16% vs 9%), emphasising the role of reputation and trust in their purchasing decisions.

Meanwhile, when it came to content engagement, authentic brand storytelling indexed +5 percentage higher for Gen Z consumers (15%) compared to the average UK shopper (10%) when it came to encouraging them to visit a brand’s website frequently, with the role of reviews and User Generated Content (UGC) also ranking +9 percentage higher for Gen Zers (48% vs 39%), showcasing the role of social proof in building credibility in buying journeys.

“As Gen Z’s global spending power skyrockets, set to grow to $12trillion by 2030, this represents a significant opportunity for retailers to acquire, engage and retain younger cohorts of consumers who seek more meaningful and authentic interactions with the brands they buy from,” Wulfric Light-Wilkinson, General Manager International of Wunderkind, commented.  “Compelling content plays a pivotal role in driving repeat visits to brand websites and apps.  By helping consumers connect with products, trust brands and find value in their interactions, the right content fosters engagement and loyalty, allowing brands to deepen connections and maximise reach.”

RESEARCH: Only 30% of IT leaders at global brands involve marketing in UX decisions
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A survey of 200 IT leaders from global brands regarding how they plan website development projects shows that while 21% wouldn’t change anything about their planning process, 79% realise it could be better.

The data from Storyblok indicates that on the surface, website development planning seems to be working well for most companies because projects are planned months in advance. 29% plan projects 1-2 months in advance, 26% between 2-3 months ahead of time, and 18% are planning more than 3 months before development. The largest percentage typically develop a proof of concept in 1-2 weeks (31%), with 18% delivering one in less than a week.

Despite that, the fact that an overwhelming majority of IT leaders say they know their planning process could be better points to issues with how the time is spent and who’s involved in the collaboration. While 66% say they work closely with the marketing team on structural page and content changes for websites, only 30% involve them in making UX decisions. 34% acknowledge they need to do a better job of collaborating with the marketing team when planning projects.

To help developers and marketers plan digital projects together, Storyblok is introducing the Concept Room as part of Storyblok Labs, a place for users to test its latest features. The Concept Room is a digital whiteboard where you can visually map out your project structure. The concepts can be linked to components within Storyblok, which makes getting a project started fast and easy.

Dominik Angerer, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyblok, said: “Collaboration between developers and marketers continues to be a struggle for most companies. As this data shows, IT teams like to think they’re working well with their marketing colleagues, but their actions prove otherwise. We built the Concept Room to make planning digital projects in Storyblok as collaborative and joyful as building them.”

Research highlights how gamers are using YouTube in 2025
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Video game marketing agency Big Games Machine has released its latest industry report, ‘How Gamers Use YouTube in 2025,‘ providing insights into the habits and motivations of 1,000 US-based gamers on the platform.

The survey reveals that guides and tutorials reign supreme as the most popular form of gaming content on YouTube, with viewers showing a clear preference for mid-sized channels. These insights provide valuable guidance for developers and marketers seeking to engage gamers through video content. 

Key findings: 

  • Content type: Guides and tutorials are the most popular (47%), followed by reviews and funny moments (40%). ‘Core viewers’ (those watching more than 2 hours per week) are twice as likely to engage with long-form content, like video essays. These responses highlight the importance of diversifying content to cater to varying levels of engagement
  • Channel subscriber size: Mid-sized channels with 100k-1 million subscribers (39%) are the most popular, followed by micro-influencers (10k-100k) at 26%. Casual viewers are more likely to favour micro-influencers
  • Genre and channel size: While medium-sized channels lead across all genres, larger channels (over 1 million subscribers) are more prevalent among those who favour action games compared to other genres 
  • Shifting streaming landscape: Gamers embrace a multi-platform approach to live stream viewing. While YouTube remains the clear leader amongst the respondents (79%), the significant audiences engaging with live content on both Twitch (43%) and TikTok (40%) underscore the need for a diversified live streaming strategy
  • Indies and esports fail to attract: YouTube content from indie developers (5%) and esports organisations (10%) ranked the lowest in terms of viewer preferences, indicating that these organisations are failing to develop content that appeals to viewers

James Kaye, co-founder of Big Games Machine, said: “Following on from our game discoverability report last year, lots of people wanted to better understand how gamers use YouTube. What our survey makes clear is that gamers have very varied tastes and preferences depending on demographics and game genre, and the good news is that Creators don’t need millions of subscribers to succeed on the platform. It also shows that indie developers and marketers investing in YouTube can spread their time and budgets across a broader range of channels rather than betting the farm on one of two huge influencers.” 

The full report is available for download here.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash