Creator marketing and AI drive festive season shopping trends

The upcoming festive shopping season is seeing a shift in consumer behavior driven by artificial intelligence and creator-led marketing. Data from Shopify indicates that 65% of shoppers plan to use AI for shopping tasks, with 71% of regular AI users being more likely to choose independent brands over large corporations. This trend is attributed to AI's ability to surface niche products that match specific, descriptive user queries rather than relying solely on brand recognition.

In the realm of creator marketing, industry experts note an extended period of heightened consumer activity. Viraj Sheth, CEO of Monk-E, highlighted the growing scale of the opportunity during these “golden months,” though he noted a significant attribution gap. He argued that measuring the business impact of creator campaigns remains difficult when evaluated through a traditional performance-marketing lens, especially for brand-building objectives.

Similarly, Roxanne Chinoy of Snap Inc. emphasized that brands must grant creators creative freedom to maintain cultural relevance. She noted that while creators act as a bridge between culture and commerce, brands often make the mistake of restricting the unique voices that make influencers valuable to their communities.