There are basically two types of shoppers with whom brands should try to connect this holiday season: those who do the majority of their research online in advance and those who aren’t planning or budgeting ahead of the holidays at all.
That’s according to Eyeview’s holiday survey, which, in addition, shows that marketers and advertisers should also take into account new data that indicates consumers who do plan their shopping are waiting later than traditionally expected in the holiday shopping season to think about purchase decisions.
“[R]etailers have a huge opportunity to influence shopping decisions through strategies like localization and shifting in traditional targeting for digital campaigns during this time of year,” said Oren Harnevo, CEO and cofounder at Eyeview, in a press release. “We learned that many people are shopping at the last minute, providing marketers with the opportunity to advertise lower in the purchase funnel during this holiday season.”
Other findings include:
Online influence, drives in-store traffic and purchases Despite online shopping’s popularity, people still plan to shop in-store this year—which gives marketers a perfect opportunity to influence buying decisions online beforehand. In fact, 52% of respondents say they research products online before making holiday purchases. Advertisers, however, shouldn’t eschew branding and special promotions—55% of those surveyed say they plan to make their final purchase in-store as opposed to online.
Influence purchases among people who don’t pre-plan Just 15% of respondents are sticking to holiday shopping plans when it comes to how much to buy and for whom to buy. One in three respondents don’t have a budget outlined at all, and, even if they do, men are more likely than women to throw those guidelines to the wind whilst making shopping decisions.
Local promotions provoke action Fifty-eight percent of people are most likely to be swayed into a holiday purchase through a promotion from a nearby store. Email ads for a product they researched are least likely (10%) to convince consumers to buy. Digital video consumption is up 13% from last year, so marketers can shift their holiday campaign if need be.
Remember to utilize digital in November Even though there have been whispers of the holiday season expanding, about one third of Americans don’t start thinking about holiday shopping until November. This means that September and October are perfect for building awareness, and November is the bread and butter for influencing shopper behavior.
