3 ways for your brand to cut through the holiday clutter
-
The holidays are a saturated time of year for consumers, from parties and travel to cooking and shopping. Big brands start planting the seed for holiday shopping needs before the pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins have even come down, inundating consumers with ads and marketing campaigns.
Most consumers begin searching for inspiration several months in advance as well, but holiday shopping typically doesn’t take place until 1-2 months, weeks, or days beforehand. Many decisions even get made on the spot, whether via the help of an in-store display, a quick web search, or price comparison. In the last decade, influences on consumer decisions have increased, and brands must take into consideration a wide variety of touchpoints and think outside the box to distinguish their products from the masses.
With brands bombarding consumers in and out of the store, let’s take a look at three ways your business can break through the clutter during the holiday season:
- Lean on data to get personal with customers
Dig into data from previous years and tune in on social media. What are consumers looking for this season? What did your customers purchase in previous years? Which promotions produced the most sales? Use the data to inform your holiday approach and reach your customers with more personalized email campaigns. Studies continue to show that personalized communications result in higher open rates, and most importantly, increased sales*.
- Create an engaging in-store experience
Typical retail displays often rely on traditional holiday shapes and colors and make the product the focal point of the display, but bringing your product and the spirit of the holidays to life or using the latest technology could spark memorable consumer experiences. Here are two examples:
In 2018, Home Depot took its display for ShowHome lights to another level, setting up a model house on top of the display and showcasing miniature versions of the lights and their capabilities*. Above the house, the display communicated the products’ corresponding app and technology. The highly-visual display won over customers in-store by really bringing the product line to life.
Walmart created an augmented reality experience in 2018 through an app that enabled shoppers to see brand-sponsored aisles come to life with festive face filters, games, and 3D animations. Shoppers could also record the experience and share it to their social networks, creating buzz beyond the brick and mortar. The mass-market retailer partnered with iconic brands like Pepsico, Kellogg’s and Nickelodeon for the AR experience*.
- Offer solutions to consumer problems via digital content
When shoppers are early in their journey, they often search for inspiration and solutions for recipes, planning, gifting, etc. on social media. Here are some ways for you to meet them where they are and help them with their decision:
– Create Pinterest boards with gift ideas for different age groups, interests, etc.
– Create shoppable Instagram posts that simultaneously provide inspiration and an easy way to purchase.
– Share rich blog content that addresses common holiday situations. Think easy, crowd-pleasing recipes; tips for keeping the kids occupied or improving the travel experience; gift ideas for a hard to shop relative; and more.
– Pareesha Narang, Social Media & Communications Manager
*Sources:
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2019/07/15-email-personalization-stats-might-surprise-you/
https://p2pi.org/article/home-depot-showhome-tout-synchronizable-holiday-decor
https://www.zappar.com/campaigns/walmart-interactive-holiday-experience/
