Holiday Marketing Strategies

The countdown has begun: Black Friday is only nine days away. More than 7 in 10 Americans plan to buy, buy, buy over the Thanksgiving Day Weekend (Thursday to Sunday), according to the International Council of Shopping Centers Black Friday Shopping Study. So, what can brands and retailers do to make sure the customer journey is fulfilled? According to the "Real-Time Location-Based Marketing Strategies for the Holidays" webinar sponsored by Brandify and Street Fight, the best approach is to make the consumer experience as frictionless as possible. But, how is that done?
 

Personalization + So Much More

Customers want a shopping experience that is not only personalized, but also intersected and peer to peer driven via social media. Brandify's CEO Manish Patel said during the webinar that “Facebook advertising offers a low-cost way to segment targeting and create customer profiles” which companies can use to connect with consumers.

By leveraging digital signals, brands and retailers can tailor and pinpoint customers and the channels they are engaged with while holiday shopping. But, personalization comes with some important variables. Consumers expect brands and retailers to know about their shopping habits and what they are looking to buy. It just needs to be done in a way that builds trust and security.
 

Data, data, data

Real-Time information, including content, location and consumer intent is abundant. Sure there is tons of it, but what does it all mean? Brands and retailers need to combine the moving data parts during the busy holiday season to understand their consumers better.

Where will your loyal shoppers be at different times of the day; what information is most relevant to them at 9am versus 3pm? Location and relevancy via geo-fencing, as discussed in our blog last month, will be a huge plus for the holidays—and will change the way brands and consumers think about processes like shopping. Ultimately, bringing the data and analytics together to translate into a strategic customer approach is how brands will win customers and the remarketing battle this holiday season.
 

Relationships

In order for brands to be successful during the holidays, they need to be aware of the consumer's needs, wants and goals. If consumers find your brand “understanding," chances are you've targeted them correctly and their shopping experience was timely, responsive and engaging.

As the shift in mobile—via mobile search and mobile apps—continues to happen, the majority of shopping will be done with the rectangular screen we hold in our hands, better known as an extension of ourselves. So what better way for brands to build consumer relationships and loyalty than through memorable shopping experiences led via mobile devices.



Personalization. Data. Relationships. It's about these three elements working together to deliver the right message and products to your consumers. If brands and retailers can drive traffic, sales and engagement during the holiday season, there is no doubt that their holiday strategy, location-relevancy and mobile marketing efforts will be just what the consumer wanted.