During the holiday season, how do you reach your audience without getting lost in the noise? Are you looking to advertise to a single, millennial traveler? Or to a married couple with a high disposable income? Whatever your goal, defining your target audience is the first part of setting up a successful campaign.
With a specific audience in mind, it’s easier to design an ad campaign that will break through the commotion of the holiday season. The good news about the holidays is that people tend to be out and about- visiting family and friends, attending holiday parties, and going out to eat. There are plenty of opportunities to get your message/ brand in front of consumers. In addition to this, there are certain behaviors that are common across audience segments during the holiday season. Just ask yourself: what does everyone have in common during the holiday season? Christmas movies? Visiting family and friends? Eggnog daiquiris? Any/all of the above may be true, but one of the easiest ways to reach people during the holidays is through their shopping/ point of purchase. From waiting in line at 3am on Black Friday, to relaxing on the couch in front of Amazon Prime, the holiday season is the heaviest shopping season of the entire year. A well-placed ad, in front of the right shopper at the right time, can have a huge impact and lead to a campaign with a high conversion rate and high ROI.
Although shopping may seem like an offline activity, shoppers are rarely out of the digital world for long. Depending on your brand/message, digital campaigns can be successful because they are customizable enough to capture shoppers at pivotal moments. For example, through targeting capabilities, banner ads become more effective, influencing shoppers while they research, browse, and ultimately purchase. Social media is also an important platform for spreading both holiday cheer and messages aimed at your target audience. Online ads can increase general brand awareness and impact shoppers, even those whose point of purchase is offline. Another plus about online advertising is the accountability provided by analytics. Ads designed with a specific call to action (i.e. landing page) are the most effective and accountable. With online campaigns it’s easy to track conversions and hold specific tactics within a campaign accountable. The use of analytics proves which media tactics are most successful in reaching your audience. With analytics, the proof is in the (figgy) pudding.
Holiday campaigns need to be designed with a specific call to action, catered to a niche audience segment. Because of its universality, shopping provides just one example of a behavior that can be strategically incorporated into your campaign to reach your audience. Utilizing digital tactics within this strategy offers a level of accountability that is especially valuable during the flurry of the holiday season.
