“Consumer Discovery is Now a Free-for-All” Declares SOCI in New Study
The SOCI 2025 Consumer Behavior Index (CBI) reveals that marketers need to shift gears when it comes to search, declaring the industry’s state “the marketing crisis you didn’t see coming.”
The study has enormous implications, as traditional search is evolving rapidly. According to their late-breaking announcement based on the index, the strategies that MULO (multi-location) brands and their marketers are no longer serving them.
According to SOCI, “Just Google it!” is now officially outdated advice. Fast Company recognized SOCI as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. SOCI works with about 1K top brands—including Ford, Ace Hardware, Kumon, Liberty Tax, and more—to automate and optimize local marketing tasks across all locations.
The reason for the search shift is not just AI, algorithms, and platform changes. Although 83% of the consumers studied still use traditional search engines to search, new sources of recommendations have emerged. They include platforms like social media (73%), navigation apps (58%), review sites (19%), and AI tools (19%).
What are the implications for MULO brands?
They now need to compete for attention across a fragmented and rapidly changing landscape.
Says Monica Ho, SOCI’s Chief Marketing Officer:
“We’ve been keeping a close eye on this shift. Our proprietary data shows search impressions are down 10% year-over-year, and multi-location brands are feeling the impact. While AI tools like ChatGPT are gaining momentum, they aren’t the sole culprit. Consumers want more from their overall search experiences, and the multi-platform discovery journey is a hunt for authenticity, especially for Gen Z.”
This shift was not overnight. Instagram and TikTok have been used by younger consumers since 2024. In fact, the 2025 CBI shows that Gen Z bounces between an average 3.6 platforms before deciding on even simple purchases.
Continues Ho:
“We are not only seeing the continued use of social for search this year, but also the rise of AI search engines like ChatGPT and community websites like Reddit, which are taking market share away from traditional search engines. This shift is already happening. Unless marketers change their strategies now, they’ll continue to lose not only search demand but visibility as well.”
Gartner predicted in 2024 that search demand would drop 25% by 2026. Ho asserts:
“SOCi’s proprietary data shows we are already on pace to hit that decline,” Ho added. “If brands do nothing, they should expect search demand to drop by more than a quarter by the end of this year.”
For more insights into the changing state of search and how MULO brands today can reach consumers, please join us at Street Fight LIVE 2025 on September 30th at Microsoft’s LA headquarters.
