Seema Shah · September 2024
MMM: X Exiled From Brazil; 2024 Labor Day Advertising Trends Among Top Retailers
Brazil banned X (formerly Twitter), leading to a surge in downloads and active users on competing microblogging platforms like Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon, per Sensor Tower estimates. In the US, Labor Day promotional spend increased by 65% YoY, with Rooms to Go becoming the top advertiser for the holiday in the home goods & furniture vertical.
Key Takeaways:
X (formerly known as Twitter) is now banned in Brazil after a recent supreme court decision in the country. Per ST data, X’s banning will create a significant hole in the market’s microblogging space as the app had 11mn mobile app DAUs in Brazil in Aug’24, more than double that of Threads (5mn) and more than 100x that of Bluesky (40k) and Mastodon (2k)
Brazil’s X ban has prompted a massive surge in downloads, active users and engagement on competing microblogging platforms. Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon DAUs in Brazil between August 31-September 1 were up nearly 900%, 59% and 32%, respectively, vs the prior thirty days
Downloads of Bluesky in Brazil from 8/26-9/1 increased more than 100x WoW, outpacing peers such as Mastodon (+20x) and Threads (+17%)
Threads and Bluesky daily session counts in Brazil soared 42% and 52% DoD, respectively, on the day of X’s banning (August 31, 2024), while average time spent jumped 54% and 120%, respectively
Per ST data, in the 30 days leading up to the holiday weekend, merely 2% of US ad spend within the shopping category was tied to Labor Day promotions, though deal-centric advertising has flourished, with Labor Day promotional spend up ~65% YoY
Rooms to Go increased its Labor Day ad spend by ~270% YoY, becoming the top advertiser for the holiday, accounting for 10% of all spend, while Ashley Furniture dropped from the top advertiser spot in 2023 to third overall this year, as it pulled back its Labor Day promotional spend by -15% YoY
For more information, request the full report from reports@sensortower.com.
