The Canadian consumer is one of the most digitally savvy in the world so as a marketer it’s important to ensure you have an intelligent digital strategy this holiday season. In short, start your campaign early, think cross device, use partners that can test and optimize across multiple platforms and put the consumer first.
Deloitte’s Holiday retail outlook survey last year showcased the emergence of a new Canadian consumer. Canadians are no longer waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to start shopping, nearly half (40%) of shoppers start their searches early and purchases sky rocket in October.
Nikki Hawke – Marketing Director, The Exchange Lab
Almost 75% of Canadians are going online to shop for the holidays where they can find the best price, discount or sale. While mobile continues to see massive growth, the majority of Canadians are still using it for price comparison (showrooming) or research and making their purchases on a desktop. While TV advertising is still at the forefront of holiday advertising, a recent study by Microsoft showed that when a brand employs a multi-screen approach, your brand engages the connected consumer.
Retail sales in Canada continue to rise around the holidays. The marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive amongst online retailers. Whether you are a U.S. retailer with operations in Canada or a brand selling direct, it means one thing; brands have to work harder to get customers into their stores. Programmatic media is one of the most effective tools a marketer can utilize this holiday season to target consumers online.
So what does this mean for marketers in the midst of holiday planning? Simply put, programmatic media is the elimination of paper-based manual media buying to an automated process. As a retailer or brand, programmatic media allows you to access the right consumer, in the right place, at the right time. Look for a media partner who can provide you with the audience through a single buying point that provides access to the best in class ad-tech platforms for display, mobile, video and social all under one roof.
There are several great tactics to utilize in programmatic to target your holiday consumers including re-targeting, whether they are at the shopping basket stage or have just come to your site to compare prices, contextual targeting, geo and demographic targeting all deliver. Then there’s the newer tactics like TV Syncing where you can trigger your online campaign in sync with your television ad. It’s important brands don’t forget Facebook and the social channels available in programmatic where consumers look for brand recognition and influence. Brand alignment in this environment is incredibly influential.
As you start your holiday campaigns the most important ingredient is still creativity. Be relevant, ensure your message speaks to your consumer first and execute against each medium. Happy holidays.
