On January 16, we kicked off our AI Series while exploring what AI means for consumers, advertisers, and the rapidly evolving marketplace. Attendees gained access to new research, perspectives, and practical guidance for staying ahead. Panelists dove into actionable strategies for the future of shopping and unveiled Kantar’s groundbreaking “Human-Plus” framework — a human-centric perspective on AI that anticipates consumer needs, marketing opportunities and investment strategies.
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Social media has transformed how people communicate, access information and shop. Despite its widespread use, digital content remains inaccessible for blind and/or deaf consumers due to missing or inaccurate accessibility features like alt text and closed captioning. This study examines the utilization and accuracy of these features on social media platforms and highlights the challenges vulnerable consumers face.
The findings reveal that many social media posts lack proper accessibility features, resulting in lost opportunities for consumers and organizations. The study emphasizes the need for proactive interventions and changes in public policy to enhance digital accessibility for all users.
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This study examines user interactions with AI assistants to infer purchase intent. By analyzing the text of user-initiated interactions, researchers build a bipartite network of nouns and verbs and measure the distance of specific words to "golden" purchasing words like "purchase," "buy" or "order." The study uses large language models, specifically Chat-GPT4, to annotate data with a measure of purchase intent and validates this method by comparing the results with cost-per-click (CPC) for keywords in Google Ads. The findings suggest that words used in an exchange with an AI assistant can predict purchase intent without customer tracking across interactions.
These findings have implications for using customized small versus large language models and can potentially inform advertising decisions. The study highlights the importance of understanding consumer behaviors in interactions with AI assistants. It provides a method to predict purchase intent based solely on the textual content of these interactions.
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Learn the role of product variety in forming new consumption routines with this recent MSI working paper. Researchers Sarah Memmi and Jordan Etkin conducted a six-week field study focusing on flossing habits. They found that using a variety of dental flosses, as opposed to a single type, can help consumers engage more consistently in the new routine. This research suggests that variety not only makes the routine more enjoyable but also aids in preference development.
The findings challenge the traditional view that uniformity is key to habit formation. Instead, incorporating variety can be a simple and effective strategy for both consumers and marketers to enhance engagement and loyalty. This research provides actionable insights for creating and maintaining consumption routines, particularly in health-related behaviors.
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