The holiday season is a time when we know consumers are spending. Almost every year holiday retail sales are predicted to outperform any previous season. Online and mobile won the holidays in 2017. eMarketer reports that US retail ecommerce sales jumped 17.8% during the 2017 holiday season, a big increase that helped push total retail sales up 5.5% in November and December. They originally expected ecommerce to climb 15.8% and total retail growth to slow to 2.0%.
Here are 3 ways you can use out-of-home (OOH) advertising to ensure your brand is on wish lists this holiday season, plus some additional tips:
Gain top-of-mind awareness before the shopping cycle begins
Consumers have the holidays in mind long before the first snow. The holiday season now starts ahead of Black Friday. More than half of holiday shoppers starting to research and plan their gifts in October or earlier — before they start committing to actual purchases. (2)
Drive online and mobile activity
More and more people are willing to buy on mobile, but we know that mobile is still used primarily as a door-to-the-store. 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within a day. 28% of those searches result in a purchase. (3) Create that door to the store with OOH by reaching potential customers on-the-go and near your retail establishment. The path to purchase is no longer a linear journey. OOH speaks to consumers who are able to make a mobile purchase or visit a store at any point on that journey.
Break through the holiday clutter
Consumers are armed with real-time information at the tips of their fingers along with a strong aversion to being advertised to. That means creative marketing solutions are needed more than ever before. Out-of-home cannot be blocked or skipped. It can add valuable content and information in a message-friendly environment. OOH reaches those who consume less traditional media. It is flexible, relevant and able to deliver the right message at the right time. (4)
Download our holiday retail deck and learn how AllOver Media’s transit, c-store and indoor advertising can help your brand get ready to launch in October.
Boost Your Holiday and Christmas Advertising
Tis’ the season to bring your holiday advertising to life! And with the average American spending $906 on Christmas gifts each year, this is the perfect time to use your ads to boost sales before the ball drops on New Year’s.
Curious how you can improve your Christmas and holiday advertising campaigns? Check out some inspirational ideas to help you build excitement for your products and attract new customers this year!
Branded Holiday Hashtags
Branded holiday hashtags are a great way to create and build social media engagement. Studies show that exactly seven hashtags generate the most likes on an Instagram post. But instead of simply using generic hashtags like #MerryChristmas, a branded hashtag has the potential to start an interactive campaign.
Think about REI’s #OptOutside campaign. The hashtag that inspired people to spend Black Friday outdoors with loved ones grew and strengthens their brand awareness every holiday season!
Interactive Social Media Campaigns
Use interactive social media content to your advantage as you plan your holiday advertising. Interactive content helps boost engagement, and most folks have opinions about the holidays.
You can choose to create an online quiz to help customers select gifts for their loved ones; post an Instagram poll asking customers whether Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie or not (spoiler: it is); or create a Facebook post asking readers about their favorite holiday decorations. Not only will this drive engagement on your page, but it will also trickle out to other social media users who may not be aware of your brand!
While you’re thinking about social media, take some time to update your profile with a holiday overhaul, too, so it’s also celebrating the season.
Emotionality
Surveys confirm that people are more likely to make a purchase based on emotions rather than fact and data, and the holidays are the perfect time to imbue your advertisements with emotion. A combination of nostalgia and joy will warm a customer’s heart and get them excited by your holiday advertising.
There are multiple ways you can get this sentimental message across to your customers, including mobile truckside advertising and digital mobile truckside advertising. Both platforms allow you to advertise your products and services to multiple people, at more places, in less time. And with digital truckside advertising, you can even play video, animated art, or static images that are reminiscent of the holiday season!
Get Creative
Get creative with your Christmas and holiday advertising. If you find you’ve used the same style of content, try switching it up this year!
Why not create a cozy video, or a hilarious meme, that will get your brand trending? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box or give irony a shot.
Another idea may be to invest in a door hanger ad campaign. This may sound old school to some, but we bet you’ve noticed more mailers and door hanger ads popping up in neighborhoods near you recently.
What’s the reason brands are rediscovering their love of print media? As most Americans are still working from home, the internet and the time we spend staring at our screens is on maximum overdrive, and quite frankly, most customers are already maxed out. What that means is older trends are starting to reemerge, like print (did you see Amazon’s holiday catalog this year?). And these trends are offering customers a much-needed break from digital media.
Think of it this way: It might be much more refreshing for a customer to receive a door hanger advertising your new product launch or promotion than seeing it on the internet. It will come as a delightful surprise, much like a gift under the tree. Plus, they’re more likely to hold onto it vs. deleting an exclusive offer that might end up in their spam folder.
Let’s Create Magic This Season
Ready to get into the holiday spirit? From digital truckside ads to door hangers and other creative Out of Home (OOH) Advertising ideas, we can help you get your holiday and Christmas advertising to the masses.
Contact us to get started!
