Global Social Media Users Surpass 5 Billion

5B    

As per Digital 2024 annual report, global active social media users have surpassed 5 billion, accounting for 62.3% of the world’s population, with a 5.6% annual growth. The key findings include the average social media user spending reached 2 hours and 23 minutes daily on 6.7 platforms, TikTok has been the leading one with 34 hours per month per Android user, and Instagram overtaking WhatsApp as the world’s ‘favourite’ platform.

90%

A recent report from Walker Sands B2B marketing agency stated that nearly 90% of marketing leaders prioritize business objectives more today than five years ago, only a quarter initiate the planning process by identifying desired business outcomes. The study, based on a survey of 150 marketing leaders and 50 non-marketing C-suite executives, highlights the primary challenges for B2B marketers encounter in generating outcomes aligned with business objectives.

10.8%       

Salesforce exceeded expectations in the fiscal fourth quarter, with a 10.8% YoY revenue growth, but its fiscal 2025 revenue guidance was below expectations. Salesforce is planning to acquire Spiff, a sales commission software startup, while expanding its product offerings on Amazon Web Services Marketplace. In the upcoming fiscal year of 2025, Salesforce anticipates revenue between $37.7 billion and $38.0 billion. The middle of this range suggests an 8.6% growth in revenue.

20.8%  

Wolverine World Wide Inc., the owner of Merrell and Sweaty Betty, reported a 16.5% YoY revenue decline at $2.24 billion for its 2023 fiscal year, with Q4 revenue dropping 20.8% to $526.7 million. The company announced a corporate restructuring for $215 million in annual savings, the company foresees further declines in the 2024 fiscal year, expecting revenue between $1.7 billion and $1.75 billion, a decline of 12.2% to 14.7%.

17%

Lowe’s revealed a 17% decline in Q4 net sales to $18.6 billion, compared to $22.4 billion the previous year. Despite a 4.5% increase in net earnings to $1 billion, and a nearly flat operating income of $1.7 billion, the company experienced a 6.2% drop in quarterly due to reduced DIY demand and adverse January weather. For the full year, net sales decreased 11% to $86.4 billion, while annual operating income increased nearly 14% to $11.6 billion, and net earnings rose 20% to $7.7 billion.

114.5      

By 2027, approximately 114.5 million Americans, nearly a third of the population, are expected to be free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) viewers, making FASTs increasingly attractive to media planners due to their large audience base and ample ad inventory. For viewers it is free and for marketer’s it is cost-effective and widely distributed across devices.

10.5%  

In the Q4, Warby Parker reported a 10.5% YoY increase in net revenue to $161.9 million, with average revenue per customer rising 9.3% to $287. For the full fiscal year, Warby Parker achieved a 12% growth in revenue to $669.8 million, while reducing operating loss by 35.3% to about $72 million and lowering net loss by 42.8% to $63.2 million.