Andy Sumlin

11.14.2019

What Marketers Should Know About the Holidays

The end of the calendar year brings cold weather, warm clothing and of course, holiday cheer. No matter the celebration and traditions specific to your audience, the holiday season brings a major swing in marketing efforts. With digital outlets making access to company reviews and product information easier than ever, consumers now have more information to guide their purchases conveniently at their fingertips. This exchange of information is a two way street, and for brands, this creates opportunity to evolve each holiday season to better suit the needs of their audience.

Studies show that 68% of US consumers start holiday shopping in October or November. The early birds of the shopping community begin the process months ahead of schedule, therefore marketing efforts should follow suit. This means brands that take the initiative ahead of the curve can catch consumers early, while they’re proactively browsing for the perfect gift.

Similar insight shows that mobile shopping dominated almost half of all holiday shopping sales in 2018. As this trend continues to grow, brands will need to optimize their apps and websites to maximize responsiveness and appeal to the rising number of mobile shoppers—which has been increasing steadily since 2015. Within those shoppers, the top three reported complaints about mobile shopping experiences consisted of: small font size (25%), content formatting problems (22%) and long loading times (26%).

Although the holidays are filled with unchanging tradition, the way consumers shop is a complete exception. The growth of technology and accessibility to information means shoppers are more educated on products, and easier to reach, than ever. Brands that continue to optimize online and mobile experiences cut through the heavy holiday traffic and are sure to stand out with consumers.

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