ThinkOTB Agency

You might be hiding from Christmas, but it’s only a month away…

November 22, 2017

Once again the season of merriment is almost upon us, as is the chaos and frenzy that it inevitably entails. Already, we hear you say! Yes, already. With little over a month to go until the big day, brands large and small are well into preparations for the festive season and many campaigns have been running for weeks.

Here are three things you should know about Christmas 2017:

1. Prepare for omnishopping

According to a whitepaper by commerce-marketing system Criteo (distributed by Marketing Week), 2017 will be an omnishopping season. Arguing that ‘there are two things certain in the UK retail market this Festive Season: more people will choose to shop online and technology will continue to change how people shop,’ Criteo believes that this year will see a further increase in last year’s trend of mobile-driven sales.

As a result of this increased share of purchases being made on mobile devices, marketers ‘need to more holistically market to shoppers who move across devices and channels as they research in one channel and buy in another.’

According to research Criteo has conducted throughout 2017, there are two clearly visibly trends in omnishopping: “webrooming” and “showrooming’, and that 90% of omnichannel shoppers engage in both. “Webrooming” is similar to the ROBO model we wrote about several weeks ago, in that ‘shoppers go online to research products that they then buy in store.’ On the other hand, “showrooming” sees ‘shoppers check out merchandise in store but buy online.’ This approach means brands need to be ever-present in both bricks-and-mortar and virtual arenas if they are to provide for the demands of this cross-channel consumer trend.

2. Break into Instagram ads

If there is one trend that continues to grow year upon year regardless of the season it is the amount of content uploaded to Instagram. With an estimated 700 million + monthly active users and a projected $4 billion in global advertising revenue by the end of 2017, according to sproutsocial, Instagram is becoming a behemoth that cannot be left untapped by the savvy marketer.

A good way to engage with this trend is to break into Instagram advertising, according to Business2Community, which suggests that ‘Instagram is the perfect place to make your holiday game shine.’ Arguing that because ‘users are already there posting family selfies and pictures of their decorations’, Instagram is the perfect example of a captive audience for brands to ‘break through the clutter with a fun holiday ad.’

3. Build your brand the John Lewis way

For year’s now the launch of the John Lewis advert has been as big of an event as Christmas itself. Year upon year consumers and marketers alike have waited with baited breath to see what the retailer will come up with next, causing a frenzy with teaser trailers and leaked information.

While over the years some campaigns have proved more popular than others, there is little doubt that John Lewis’ perseverance has turned it into a Christmas institution. Despite controversies over plagiarism of a well-known children’s book quickly coming to the fore, The Guardian reported that copies of the original book have sold out in the days since the similarities were mentioned on social media. Indicative of the huge reach, power and influence of the John Lewis Christmas ad, brands could learn from their holiday strategy.

The countdown is well and truly on, and so make sure your Christmas hats are at the ready. If you need a little distraction from the festivities, Campaign Live’s roundup of the best John Lewis parodies is a light-hearted and timely piece guaranteed to put a smile on your face.You might be hiding from Christmas, but it’s only a month away…

22 November 2017Posted by BeckyRelated Categories
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