Appinio vs SurveyMonkey

Anime and Manga Market Reaches Billion Volume, Brands Underrepresented

A study by THE AMBITION, IKAI ZERO, and Appinio reveals that the anime and manga market in Germany generates an estimated annual consumer spending of 1.5 billion euros among 16-45 year olds. Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials have consumed anime or manga in the past year, with 97% recognizing at least one title. Despite this large audience, brand presence is minimal, with the most recognized brand, Crunchyroll, only reaching 5% awareness. However, over 95% of active fans are open to brand engagement, and 91% view brands more favorably if they engage authentically. The study identifies eleven distinct communities within the anime/manga fandom, emphasizing the need for tailored marketing approaches.

• Anime and manga market in Germany has an estimated annual consumer spending of 1.5 billion euros among 16-45 year olds.
• Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials have consumed anime or manga in the past 12 months.
• 97% of Gen Z and Millennials recognize at least one of 20 anime/manga titles.

Jung von Matt Start Criticizes Startup-Verband with Sidewalk Chalk Letter

German creative agency Jung von Matt Start wrote an open letter in chalk on the sidewalk outside the Startup-Verband's Berlin office, criticising the association for prioritising founder numbers over market relevance, customer demand, and brand building. The letter accompanies the upcoming 'Startup Brand Ranking 2026' by Jung von Matt Start and Appinio, which removed its 'Top 5 Digital Consumer Services & AI Startups' category due to a lack of relevant cases, noting e-commerce now has only four qualifying startups. It specifically calls out president Verena Pausder for celebrating rising founder figures on LinkedIn without economic impact. The Startup-Verband responded by welcoming the impulse, acknowledging gaps in B2C branding, and inviting the agency to direct talks, while noting strengths in B2B and Deep Tech. Both sides agree that quantity alone does not create a strong startup nation.

• Jung von Matt Start wrote a chalk open letter/brief on the sidewalk outside the Startup-Verband's Berlin office.
• The letter accompanies the 'Startup Brand Ranking 2026' by Jung von Matt Start and Appinio.
• The ranking removed its 'Top 5 Digital Consumer Services & AI Startups' category due to lack of relevant cases.

Brands revive human-staffed phone lines amid AI fatigue

Amid growing consumer frustration with AI customer service, several direct-to-consumer brands like Sproos, Made In, and Trade Coffee are reintroducing human-staffed phone lines as a differentiator. A SurveyMonkey study found that 79% of Americans prefer human interaction over AI agents. These brands report increased customer loyalty and deeper insights into customer journeys through phone conversations. The trend highlights a backlash against over-automation and a strategic move to blend human touch with digital efficiency, with some brands even training staff to provide expert advice and sharing call insights with marketing teams.

• 79% of Americans strongly prefer interacting with a human over an AI agent (SurveyMonkey study).
• Sproos, a DTC showerhead brand, launched a human-staffed phone line on Sundays through Fridays, receiving about 30 calls per day.
• Made In cookware operates an AI chatbot but also maintains a phone line, with staff using FaceTime and Zoom for customer assistance.

EU AI Act Disclosure Rules Shape Customer Service Bot Decisions

This CMSWire article examines how brands should determine when to use AI versus human agents in customer service, citing MIT research showing human-AI combinations often underperform the best human-only or AI-only systems. Consumer studies indicate a strong preference for humans in high-stakes interactions, but acceptance of AI for transactional tasks. The EU AI Act Article 50 transparency obligations, effective August 2, 2026, require clear disclosure when interacting with AI. The article argues that transparency, when done well, builds trust and can expand AI's role over time. It offers a framework based on friction, conditional preference, transparency, and frontline knowledge to guide where AI should handle interactions, emphasizing process redesign over simple task reassignment.

• EU AI Act Article 50 transparency obligations require clear disclosure when interacting with AI, effective August 2, 2026.
• MIT Center for Collective Intelligence reviewed 106 experiments and found human-AI combinations underperformed the best human-only or AI-only systems on average.
• Metrigy's 2025-26 consumer study found 84.7% prefer human agents, but 46% will use AI for specific transactional tasks.

SurveyMonkey announces 40 #1 rankings in G2’s Fall 2026 reports

SurveyMonkey announces 40 #1 rankings in G2’s Fall 2026 reports August 27, 2026