Style and seasonal shopping shaped audience behaviour last week, with runway buzz, January sales and early Valentine’s planning driving engagement, while quieter winter nights saw readers leaning into hobbies.
Topical News
Britain’s favourite family, the Beckhams, have driven a surge in engagement across Ozone’s Audience Connection Platform this week following reports of a public feud with their eldest son, Brooklyn. His viral Instagram statement has lifted Pop Culture engagement by 35%, fuelled by a 3.2x rise in Celeb Families and a 12% increase in Celeb Scandal. Weddings (Events & Attractions – up 7%) has also seen a 6.2x spike as audiences revisit the reported drama around Brooklyn’s 2022 wedding.
Elsewhere, video game developer Ubisoft has announced a major restructure and the cancellation of several projects. As a result, the Video Gaming category has seen a booming 3.65x surge in engagement as fans catch up on the news and how this could impact them, led by PC Games (up 6x), Console Games (up 4.9x), Video Game Genres (up 4.2x) and Action-Adventure Games (up 4.5x).
Harry Styles fans are dusting off their feather boas after the pop star has announced his next UK tour following a 2026 album announcement. Music & Audio has chimed it’s way up 13%, driven by Contemporary hits/pop/top 40 (up 78%) as fans catch up all things Harry Styles.
Over in Sport, the UFC match Pimblett vs Gaethje live saw Martial Arts kick its way up 8x as Brits tuned in to watch Pimblett’s brutal defeat, boosting Betting content by 39% as fans put on their wagers. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s shock loss to Manchester United lit up Football content.
Seasonal Events
Paris Men’s Fashion Week last week has driven a spike in Style & Fashion engagement up 8%. High Fashion is up 3.4x, Fashion Trends content increased 3x and Men’s Fashion saw a 29% uplift as readers tracked emerging styles from the runway.
As a new season of style prepares to hit the shops, January Sales are in full swing pushing Shopping content up 8%, with Sales & Promotions driving category engagement with a 2.4x. Growth in the category is also being pushed forward by Lottery & Scratchcards, up 74% WoW as readers await tomorrows £14m Euromillions Jackpot
Growth in the Shopping category can also be attributed to the fast approaching Valentine’s Day as Brits look for the perfect gift for that someone special. Gifts & Greeting Cards has seen a modest 9% increase in engagement – momentum we can expect until the big day. Read more
As we settle in for the quieter months of the year, Hobbies & Interests engagement grows, with 6% increase in engagement last week as Brits look for ways to keep themselves busy. Arts & Crafts has knitted itself up 32%, Photography has snapped it’s way up 40% and Games & Puzzles have boosted a thought provoking 15%.
Finally, Awards season in officially in full swing following the Oscar and Brit Awards nominations last week. We can expect to see increased engagement in the coming weeks.
