Eighty-six percent of retailer CMOs are planning to invest in AI and machine learning this year, according to a study by Persado. While nearly half (47 percent) of marketers surveyed said they will invest up to $50 million in the technology, not everyone is confident. Only 22 percent felt that they were skilled at emotionally engaging customers through their content.

The ability to source, understand and then quickly react to feedback, preferences and needs is important, if not critical, to the delivery of an exceptional customer experience. That’s according to 90 percent of CMOs surveyed for The CMO Council’s new report, “The Responsiveness Requirement: How Agile Marketers Act on Consumer Feedback to Drive Growth.”

Despite the common consensus, however, 60 percent of respondents believe a focus on customer over product will need to take place for any significant progress to be made. In fact, 77 percent of respondents admit it can take up to 90 days to respond and react to customer feedback.

Seventy-three percent of gamers are happy with the ad-funded model of app games, according to a study by Facebook Audience Network and 2CV. While these users are sufficed to support their favorite titles through monetization, not all ads are created equal. Respondents were 23 percent more likely to buy or use an advertised product when presented through a rewarded video ad as opposed to “non-choice-based advertising.”

Overall, players seem more content with a reward-based advertising system. The study found that mid-core and hardcore games with rewarded video ads receive 15 percent more five-star ratings than games with “less choice to engage with videos.” Casual games weren’t far behind, receiving 11 percent more five-star ratings than similar games with other monetization structures.

What kind of movies do gamers like? Machinima found that the answer lies in what games they play. Those who like role playing games are 31 percent more likely to see a science-fiction film when it premieres, and fighting-game enthusiasts are 30 percent more likely to see a horror film when it opens. Mobile gamers, meanwhile, are 21 percent more likely to go to a comedy and those who enjoy sandbox (open world) games are 36 percent more likely to see an animated film.

Gamers see films more often than the average consumer, Machinima discovered. Every one of the 2,051 players surveyed said they go to the movies at least once a year, compared to the general population at 71 percent. In addition, 17 percent of these gamers see at least 12 movies a year, compared togeneral audiences at 11 percent.

According to a study by AdColony, 75 percent of mobile app developers (mostly game-related) named rewarded ads as the most effective monetization method. Native ads come in at a distant second—32 percent. The AdColony Summer 2017 Publishing Survey found that 71 percent of mobile app developers use three or more strategies to keep users engaged, including achievements (65 percent), push notifications (62 percent) and value exchange (rewarded) ads at 49 percent. The least popular engagement tool was banner messaging at 14 percent.

Instagram Stories may look a lot like Snapchat Stories, but brands are using one a whole lot more. L2 tracked 89 brands who have both an Instagram and Snapchat account during July and found that marketers posted 1,347 Instagram Stories compared to 614 Snapchat Stories. In one instance (the week of July 10), 41 percent of marketers used Instagram Stories compared to just nine percent on Snapchat.

This may come as somewhat of a shock, but it is possible to go on on vacation or head to the airport without sharing it on social media. Luckily for Experian, who wanted to study travel-related hashtags, there was no shortage of such posts. Experian used its social media analysis tool to connect social media posts with travel brand engagement.

What they found is that more than 12 percent of the consumers discussing travel plans also hashtagged “beach” in their posts. Interestingly, these consumers are 2.1 times more likely to live in Washington D.C., 1.3 times more likely to live in Washington and 1.3 times more likely to live in Vermont. Sixty percent of females shared their plans more than their male counterparts, and 47 percent of consumers were between the ages of 31-to-50.

Smart home device owners are open to the idea of sharing data and device control in exchange for electricity discounts, according to research from IoT market research firm Parks Associates. This response applied to 51 percent of smart thermostat owners, 50 percent of hot water heater owners and 48 percent of smart clothes dryer owners surveyed.

“It is essential for all IoT players to understand consumers’ willingness to exchange data for services, their views on privacy and security, and the conditions under which they will grant access to their data,” Tom Kerber, director of IoT strategy at Parks Associates, told Marketing Daily. “When you have data about how products perform in the field, you can roll out patches or fixes or new products at a faster rate.”

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated daily until Friday, August 11. Have a new report, study or tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.