What you should know before planning the PERFECT Holiday Marketing Campaign

What the markets predict?

This year gift cards will be the biggest sellers. During this holiday season 12% Americans will spend more on purchasing as compared to the festivities season of 2013. This holiday season, technology products and toys will be on top of the shopping list, with 10% Americans planning to spend on them more than before. As a marketer, you will make good gains in 2014, if you shift your focus to the female shoppers, as women are all set to be in charge of shopping, as per the latest market research. One out of every five American males has decided not to indulge in shopping this year! For the American women, it’s one out of every 10 who have decided to stay away from the holiday shopping frenzy. Improving economy has also given a boost to shopping with people ready to spend more in 2014.

For businesses it is hopeful news, so what’s your strategy going to be?

Marketing Campaigns by Calendar

Are you one of the businesses that believe in launching specials only when the time is ripe for shopping? What’s the point of rolling out the holiday biggies now, when the buyers begin their Christmas shopping from Black Friday, and not before? Surprisingly Nielsen findings fail to agree with this viewpoint! Cyber Monday and Black Friday are simply media coinage! Who said, a person is not going to buy items before this time, especially when a great deal stares him/her right in the face? Only a fool will fail to cash in on the opportunity, and a buyer is never the fool.

Also, many people today prefer to shop online instead of waiting in a queue at the stores, especially on days when the rush is too heavy to bear, like the Black Friday shopping frenzy. Statistics also backed disbelief. Take the figures of 2013 for example. Last year one in every 6 persons in the U.S. constituting 66M US citizens used desktops for shopping during Black Friday and this doesn’t even include mobile shopping figures!

So, the Golden Rule this year is if you have a product to flaunt, don’t wait for a special day to bring it out because by then it will be too late.

The Importance of Consistency

The best strategy for the shoppers seems to be consistency across all the marketing channels when planning their holiday campaigns. As Loyalty360 findings indicate, the expectations of consumers have significantly risen in the recent years. Approximately 90% Americans today demand consistency. After all, shoppers may use any medium for shopping based on the convenience, so the onus lies upon the stores to keep them happy and satisfied. In 2013, only 73% buyers had similar expectations. Uniformity of experience counts because today you can’t predict the approach point of your buyers – stores, online, Smartphone devices, mobile phones, and more.

Keeping the Options Open

Everybody knows that people love to shop online. Do you know why? No one likes to stand in the queues and wait for their turn to come because time is precious. Still, shopping from the brick and mortar stores has its own advantages. Buyers can save on the shipping charges besides keeping the overall costs down. So, the clever shopper has chosen a middle way to get the best from both the worlds. They make their purchase online and go to the shop to collect the items! Isn’t this a fantastic idea? According to eMarketer findings, one out of every 4 Americans and 45% people in the U.K. used this method during the holiday season 2013.

The 2014 holiday season is near! It’s time to gear up your marketing strategies and outmanoeuvre your competitors. While you are at it, don’t forget to apply the latest market researches to beef up your campaigns!