It’s no secret that the holiday retail season has been in flux the past few years. For decades, Black Friday was THE shopping day of the year. Consumers made their lists, researched pricing for their must-have gifts, and then stood in long lines — sometimes even overnight in the cold — to score great deals.
Not anymore.
The addition of Cyber Monday, Green Friday and the general ease of shopping online have all changed how marketers and consumers approach the holiday sales season. These days, Black Friday starts in early November, and many people never have to even set foot in a store to get their holiday shopping done.
COVID-19 has also affected so many aspects of our lives. What does it mean for consumer behavior? While we’ve embraced the convenience of online shopping in recent years, now it’s a matter of safety. How will this year’s retail season look different?
The retail season has started earlier than ever this year. People are staying home more, having time think about gift giving earlier and simply looking forward to the holidays. And now that the flood of political ads has passed, there is space for retailers to get into the market early to reach consumers who are ready for the holidays. Marketers need to be strategic in planning their media buys to cover key timing and maintain the frequency needed for their messaging to reach consumers now, when they are in a holiday shopping mindset.
Ecommerce continues to pick up speed year over year, and it will be in even higher demand this season. Reaching consumers online while they’re shopping is key. Search, programmatic and social campaigns can all connect consumers with the products they want during the holiday shopping season. Helping consumers make purchase decisions makes their shopping experience more pleasant while also driving sales.
This year may look different for consumers in terms of staying close to home with their immediate families, but the holiday season will still be filled with joy. Holiday programming on TV, radio stations switching to holiday music and social feeds full of well wishes are all opportunities to engage with consumers in meaningful ways. It’s also a great time to give back, and many corporations do just that. Regardless of how consumers decide to shop this gift giving season, spreading joy will remain the focus this year.
Traditions and spending time with family will be as important as ever this season — it may just look a little different. Staying safe while celebrating in new and different ways will be challenging, but also provides the opportunity for creative solutions.
If you’d like to explore strategic, innovative ways to reach your audience during this season or any season, let’s talk! Stealth Creative exists to connect businesses with success, and our traditional and digital media experts are at your service.