Marketing research and insights news and information. This issue's keywords: social media; mobile ads; auto sales; brand content engagement; U.S. Millennials 

Millennial women say social media is a top influencer when purchasing clothes online, shows a study by London firm Mintel. According to the data, 67 percent of U.S. women surveyed purchased clothing online from retailers in the past year and 35 percent of Millennial women say social media is one of their top influencers when buying clothes. The study also showed that social media helped drive purchases. Eighty-two percent of those who use social media purchased tops in the past year versus 70 percent of those who don't use social media.

Mobile devices, specifically mobile ads, play a large role in in-store purchases, according to findings from the Mobile Audience Insights Report conducted by San Francisco mobile audience intelligence platform NinthDecimal show. The study shows that 54 percent of consumers shopped on a mobile device before purchasing a product. Of that 54 percent, the majority (47 percent) purchased in-store, though more made their final purchases on mobile devices in 2014 than they did in 2013. The study also shows that store visits increased by 80 percent within the first day a mobile ad was viewed compared to average visits. Additionally, store visits remained above average for six consecutive days after consumers were exposed to an ad.

Millennials are returning to new car purchasing and are installing vehicle accessories at a 42 percent higher rate, spending 61 percent more on accessories than the average new auto purchaser, found a study by Rochester, Mich., firm Foresight Research. Seventy-two percent of new pickup truck buyers have already installed or plan to install over $250 worth of accessories in their new vehicle and spend over $1,500 on average on accessories. Additionally, pickup buyers install accessories like tinted windows, bug deflectors and custom bumpers and grills, at higher rates.

U.S. social engagement with brand content rose 52 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to a year ago, a study by New York social analytics firm Shareablee shows, and is growing faster than the rate at which brands are releasing content. People liked, shared, favorited and commented on brand content on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram nearly 13 billion times in the first quarter. Average posts per brand on Twitter rose 16 percent and average "actions per brand" (favorites or retweets) rose 32 percent. Instagram saw the largest increase in engagement and saw brand fans rise 138 percent, with posts per brand rising 21 percent. Consumer engagement with brand content for Instagram doubled to 1.9 million actions per brand, more than 20 times the rate of Twitter and nearly three times the rate of Facebook.

U.S. Census data show that Millennials, those born between 1982 and 2000, now make up over a quarter of the nation's population at 83.1 million, exceeding the 75.4 million Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964. The data also show Millennials are more diverse than the previous generations, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white).

These reports were compiled from recent issues of the Daily News Queue, a free e-newsletter digest of marketing research and insights news and information delivered each business morning. Not already in the Queue? Sign up here!