GWI vs SurveyMonkey

Gen Z Attention Selective, Study Finds

New research from Gameloft for brands and GWI reveals that Gen Z's attention is not short but selective, with mobile gaming commanding significant focus. Gen Z mobile gamers spend an average of 9 hours 11 minutes gaming weekly, more than social media or streaming, and 76% report full or mostly focused attention during sessions. The study highlights gaming's role in social connection and emotional engagement, but also warns that in-game ads can break immersion for 31% of gamers. Marketers are advised to earn attention through value exchanges and participatory experiences, citing successful campaigns like Burger King x Call of Duty with 97% viewability and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra with 21% participation rate.

• Gen Z mobile gamers spend 9 hours 11 minutes gaming weekly, more than on social media or streaming.
• 76% of Gen Z mobile gamers report full or mostly focused attention during their most recent session.
• Study by Gameloft for brands and GWI reveals 48% of mobile gamers find brand placements can fit naturally, 31% say in-game ads break immersion.

6 consumer trends to watch in 2025

New research from GWI reveals the real-world consequences of unchecked AI to the advertising and marketing sector; from costly mistakes to customer complaints and lasting reputational damage.

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