Cohora

AI won the battle for marketing execution. That was one of the most interesting themes emerging from Cannes Lions this year. In a recent Ad Age article, marketing leaders from Meta, Bose, and eos pointed to a shift happening across the industry. The conversation is moving beyond campaign automation, content generation, and media optimization. The focus is increasingly turning toward customer understanding. Not: • How do we create more campaigns? • How do we generate more content? • How do we automate more workflows? Instead: • What are customers telling us? • What drives loyalty? • What signals matter most? • Where should we invest next? Organizations have access to more customer data than ever before. The challenge is turning those signals into actionable intelligence. That shift is shaping how brands think about retention, customer experience, first-party data, and long-term growth. We explored the topic in our latest article, inspired by insights shared at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and reported by Ad Age. https://lnkd.in/gMUfa59g Thank you to Ad Age, Cannes Lions, and the marketing leaders helping move this conversation forward. #CannesLions #CannesLions2026

Customer participation for this retail brand grew 44,000%+ in the first 8 months after launching Cohora. Participation measures how actively customers continue interacting with a brand after checkout through experiences, content, feedback, and ongoing engagement. Participation is one of the strongest leading indicators of CLTV, repeat purchase behavior, and long-term customer growth. Want to see what participation looks like inside your customer base? Get a free customer analysis from Cohora. https://lnkd.in/eH34NwUe

DTC brands, you already know customers share things about your brand that never reach you. People record unboxings for friends. They write mini-reviews in group chats. They take photos that never leave their camera roll. They post to private social stories. They DM feedback instead of sending it to support. There's a whole layer of UGC you never see. And it's often the most honest, helpful, trust-building content you could ask for. It's not that customers don't want to share it with you. They just don't have a place that feels natural for doing it. When you give people a space that feels welcoming: • they share more • they share earlier • they give better feedback • they inspire each other • they stay involved longer • and they help shape the brand with you Reward the effort and the loyalty follows. Cohora helps brands bring that hidden UGC into the open, so customers have a real place to share and participate and brands get the insights and connection that makes retention stronger. #UGC #Community #Ecommerce #RetentionMarketing #Cohora

Marketers love to say, "We're focused on retention." But what they usually mean is, "Some customers came back" Those aren't the same thing. Returning customers measure repetition - how many people bought again. Retention measures relationship - how many people stayed engaged, connected, and active with your brand between purchases. A customer who buys twice might still churn next quarter. A retained customer is one who keeps opening, clicking, reviewing, participating, and sharing their interests - even when they're not in checkout mode. Retention isn't the transaction itself. It's everything that happens between transactions. That's the space where loyalty is built and the space where Cohora helps brands turn engagement into measurable growth. #RetentionMarketing #EcommerceGrowth #CustomerEngagement #DTC #Cohora

Same formula. Run a contest, ask for reviews, repost a selfie, call it community. It worked when content was scarce and reach was organic. But the playbook hasn't evolved with the environment. Here's what's changed: - AI made it easy to fake "authentic" content - Platforms reduced visibility for tagged posts - Customer data no longer connects engagement to value - People are tired of creating for free UGC isn't broken, the process is. In 2026, UGC won't be about collecting content, it's about creating participation. At Cohora, we're helping brands move from user-generated to user-connected. Because when customers help shape the story, they don't just buy once, they stay involved. Curious how brands are rebuilding their UGC playbook for 2026? Let's talk. #ugc #usergeneratedcontent #customerengagement #retentionmarketing #communitybuilding #brandstrategy #cohora

UGC has always been the heartbeat of DTC. It’s that moment when customers step beyond transaction and start shaping the story. But it’s evolving. It’s no longer just a great photo or review. It’s conversation, identity, and belonging. People aren’t just talking about products anymore. They’re expressing who they are, what they value, and the communities they’re part of. For brands, that’s an invitation. Not to chase more creators… but to build spaces where those stories can live, grow, and spark new ones. That’s what we’re focused on at Cohora: helping brands turn UGC into community, and community into lasting growth. Because the most powerful stories aren’t told about your brand, They’re told within it. #UGC #DTC #Ecommerce #Community #Retention #Cohora