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YouTube and 4S behaviors redefine marketing strategies

Industry leaders reveal how streaming, scrolling, searching and shopping reshape consumer journeys for marketers.

Luis Rijo

• 5 min read
YouTube's 4S behaviors infographic: streaming, scrolling, searching, shopping reshape marketing funnels
YouTube's 4S behaviors infographic: streaming, scrolling, searching, shopping reshape marketing funnels

Industry leaders from Google, Omnicom Group, and Boston Consulting Group unveiled new consumer behavior patterns during Google's NewFronts presentation on May 23, 2025. The session highlighted how traditional marketing approaches must adapt to what experts term the "4S behaviors": streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping.

According to Kristen O'Hara, VP of Agency, Platforms & Client Solutions at Google, who moderated the Monday morning panel, these four behaviors have fundamentally transformed consumer decision-making. "Audiences have really fragmented right across formats devices etc and we talk a lot about searching streaming scrolling and shopping being the new consumer behaviors," O'Hara explained during the announcement.

The presentation marked a significant departure from traditional marketing models. Derek Rodenhausen, Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group, emphasized that conventional approaches no longer reflect consumer reality. "The consumer experience today" resembles "the name of the recent movie everything all at once," he stated, describing how shoppers now navigate multiple touchpoints simultaneously rather than following predictable paths.

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Summary

Who: Industry leaders from Google, Omnicom Group, Boston Consulting Group, and YouTube creator Gohar Khan presented the findings. The discussion was moderated by Kristen O'Hara, VP of Agency, Platforms & Client Solutions at Google.

What: The panel introduced the "4S behaviors" framework - streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping - as the new model for understanding consumer decision-making processes. They announced that traditional linear marketing funnels no longer accurately represent how consumers interact with brands.

When: The announcement occurred during Google's NewFronts presentation on Monday morning, May 23, 2025, as part of the industry's annual advertising upfront presentations.

Where: The presentation took place during Google NewFronts week, addressing marketing professionals and industry decision-makers focusing on video advertising and consumer behavior changes.

Why: Consumer behavior has fundamentally shifted due to digital transformation and AI adoption, requiring marketers to abandon traditional funnel models. Research shows 80% of consumers skip traditional purchase paths, while AI-engaged companies report 60% higher revenue growth than their peers.

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Marketing funnel collapse drives strategic changes

Rodenhausen's research reveals fundamental shifts in consumer behavior patterns. "If you step back and think store awareness search awareness for brands video consideration shopping conversion or uh social conversion and then the whole journey going from offline to online it's almost the opposite in some ways of what you're kind of trained to market against," he noted during the discussion.

Katie Klein, Chief Investment Officer at Omnicom USA, provided supporting data from her organization's research. According to Klein, "About 80% of consumers will skip paths um you know on on the way to purchase so you need to completely rethink how you viewed the traditional funnel."

The implications extend beyond theoretical frameworks. Klein described how audience targeting must evolve: "It's not that I only want to target this demo or even not that I only want to target this audience it all of a sudden becomes more of a multiplier because you can think about I want to target someone that has a propensity to do this."

Creator economy exemplifies new behavior patterns

YouTube creator Gohar Khan, whose channel has nearly 7 million subscribers, demonstrated practical applications of the 4S framework. Khan launched his educational platform "Gohar's Guide" in 2020, focusing on college admissions guidance for first-generation students.

Khan's business strategy illustrates the convergence of the four behaviors. "We think about three core touch points across the Google ecosystem uh the first of which is organic media and YouTube," Khan explained. His approach incorporates SEO for search behavior, video content for streaming consumption, and Google Ads for targeted shopping behavior.

The creator's investment strategy reflects industry trends toward longer-form content. Khan recently established a professional studio space, noting that "fandom and true community exists once you've built out a like holistic catalog of long- form content."

AI transformation accelerates across touchpoints

Rodenhausen highlighted artificial intelligence's role in enabling personalized marketing at scale. His research shows that companies deeply engaged with AI report "60% greater revenue growth than people who have not been engaged."

The BCG research demonstrates practical AI applications across the marketing spectrum. Rodenhausen described rapid creative development cycles: "You've kind of gone through this whole process within a week of going from not having campaign ideas to actually having a video that's potentially even market."

Klein confirmed these trends from an agency perspective, noting how AI enhances content curation and bidding optimization. She emphasized that success requires "implementing that and actually making it real and making it something that they can see the benefit of."

Industry data supports behavioral shifts

The announcement builds on established research patterns. According to Klein, Omnicom has integrated platform-level data "to ensure that we're planning activating and ultimately measuring effectively." This integration addresses the complexity of cross-platform consumer journeys.

The presentation referenced Nielsen data showing YouTube's dominance in streaming consumption. O'Hara noted that YouTube "has been the number one streaming platform according to Nielsen for the past two years and now represents 12% of total TV viewership."

Google's internal research supports the creator economy focus. O'Hara cited statistics showing that "98% of consumers tell us that they actually trust YouTube creators recommendations more than any other social app."

Technical implementation strategies emerge

The discussion revealed specific technical approaches for implementing 4S-focused strategies. Rodenhausen outlined three core principles: understanding influence across consumer journeys, considering touchpoints holistically, and building customized plans for each journey path.

Klein detailed practical applications through Display & Video 360 integration. She described how AI improves "supply chain optimization how we bid um thinking about how do you eliminate waste how do you eliminate fraud."

Khan's multi-platform approach demonstrates coordination across Google's ecosystem. His strategy combines organic YouTube content, search engine optimization, and paid advertising to reach audiences across all four behavioral categories.

Creator authenticity emerges as differentiator

Khan introduced the concept of "purpose passion and presence" as essential creator elements. This framework addresses authenticity concerns in an AI-enhanced environment. "No matter how good AI becomes it cannot replace the uniquely human experience," Khan emphasized.

The creator described his approach to audience development: "Even though I might be speaking to an audience of almost 7 million subscribers I often just think about speaking to one singular student." This personalization strategy aligns with broader industry trends toward customized messaging.

Khan's investment in professional production facilities reflects industry-wide creator economy growth. His studio expansion includes "one of the bedrooms we converted into a classroom uh one of the bedrooms now looks like a dorm room and the living room is like this general filming space."

Platform integration drives measurement evolution

The presentation highlighted challenges in measuring cross-platform effectiveness. Klein noted the complexity of "significant amount of the c of your uh streaming viewership is done on a CTV that's not the case with social so you need to be ingesting some of these new data sources."

O'Hara referenced Google's commitment to supporting this evolution through integrated AI capabilities. She emphasized how "Google A is really redefining creativity entertainment marketing and even our own field of advertising."

Rodenhausen's research indicates that successful implementation requires organizational changes. "Building AI excellence requires a shi in mindset for their organization, including new planning frameworks and talent strategies," he stated in related research.

Timeline: Key developments in marketing transformation