Marketing To Holiday Shoppers: How To Stand Out During The Busiest Time of the Year

The holidays are here, and holiday shopping, for some, has been underway for weeks.  

Is your brand ready? 

“Many local retailers and businesses don’t realize that holiday shopping starts in September and peaks in November. The trend shows consumers are starting holiday shopping sooner in the year,” says Chris Fehrmann, VP of Digital Products at TEGNA. 

Getting a jump on the competition is critical, but how else will your brand stand out? Retailers try to get the word out about their products at this end-of-the-year make-or-break period. Here are three great ways you can reach holiday shoppers this year. 

Align With Content on Your Local News Station

Throughout the holiday season, local TEGNA stations will show everything from Halloween specials to Christmas classics like a Charlie Brown Christmas. Local stations will also be creating their own specially crafted holiday content – and as an advertiser, you can get in on the action and place messages alongside feel-good content on trusted stations. 

For example, local Minnesota station KARE runs a Toys for Tots drive in partnership with the US Marines every year, presenting a unique opportunity for sponsors. Given the fact that 87% of consumers will purchase a product from a company that advocates for an issue they care about, aligning your brand with content that helps serve the local community is a win-win-win: A win for the brand, a win for the consumer, and a win for the community. 

‘Tis the Season for Sports

While most people think of trick-or-treating, eating turkey, and opening gifts on Christmas day, the holidays are also a great time for advertisers to align with sports content – such as the NFL games during Thanksgiving, NHL games on New Year’s Eve, College Football Bowl games, and many more. 

“The fourth quarter is chock-full of live viewing opportunities during the holidays on TEGNA stations. This is especially true of new and perennial holiday specials perfect for family co-viewing and live sporting events, such as football, basketball, and hockey,” says Sheryl Standfier, Former Manager of Major Accounts Strategy at TEGNA.

“Nielsen reported live sports viewing in 2018 accounted for nine out of ten of the top watched programs on television. Retailers need to be reminded of the big reach and immediacy of live sports and that specials can be great tools for ringing up sales during the holiday season,” Standifer says.

Severe Weather & Winter Storm Alerts

With the holidays come cooler temperatures, winter storms, and school closings. Many people in the local community will tune into their local news stations each morning to help plan their day. By aligning with weather segments, brands can reach a substantial local audience.

Utilize Location and Event Targeting with Geofencing

From attending NFL or NHL games, haunted houses and hayrides, Christmas parties and concerts, using Location and Event Targeting with Geofencing to target an audience within a specific location could be the answer your holiday strategy needs to get the desired results. 

No matter the industry, Katherine Yape, Product Manager for TEGNA, says, “Geofencing allows advertisers to stay in front of potential customers while they are in the buying process and is a great advantage for any marketer to have in their tool kit.”

For example, let’s say you’re a dancewear retailer in New York located near a theater putting on a production of “The Nutcracker.” You could draw a geofence around the venue and target attendees with mobile ads for ballet slippers or dance costumes for up to 30 days. Then, thanks to Location Targeting technology, when they visit your store and buy a tutu, you can attribute conversions to your Location Targeting campaign. 

Go Digital for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday

Black Friday set digital records last year. Thanksgiving saw total online sales reach $3.7 billion, while Black Friday hit a record of $6.22 billion in online sales. However, brick-and-mortar sales were down 1.7% this year compared to 2017, illustrating the changing trend as shoppers increasingly prefer shopping online.

When creating digital ads for the holidays, research from eMarketer reveals what audiences don’t want: video ads that play automatically with sound. Desktop users also don’t want to see pop-up ads, prestitial ads with a countdown, or large sticky ads. Mobile users, meanwhile, don’t want to see pop-up ads, prestitials, pages with more than 30% ad density, flashing animation, prestitial ads with a countdown, full-screen scroll-over ads, large sticky ads, or autoplay videos with sound.

Connect with an Influencer

Partnering with an influencer is a great way to boost your brand’s social media presence and reputation. Consumers turn to influencers’ curated lists and content during the holidays to find creative gift ideas. Securing a spot on a “Holiday Gift Ideas” list created by a desirable influencer will increase sales, specifically with millennials who find influencer promotions 50% more engaging than regular ads. 

Partner with TEGNA for your Holiday Marketing Needs

The marketing experts at TEGNA stay up-to-date with industry news. We take the time to understand our client’s unique marketing needs to create a customized solution based on insights and industry expertise. From concept development to implementation and measurement, we offer the highest level of support as your marketing partner. Contact TEGNA to find out how we can improve your holiday marketing strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Do You Promote Your Brand During The Holidays?

Regarding promotions during the holidays, you need to be strategic and thoughtful in your approach. Presenting a clear, consistent brand message is critical in building brand recognition in an oversaturated holiday advertising landscape. Taking a multichannel approach utilizing local digital channels with targeted messaging is a great way to build brand recognition and brand fame.