Navigating the holiday season and the biggest sales of the year is not easy for marketers. Many of us will do what we’ve never done before to reach the needs of customers.
Most of us can agree that this year has been quite the rollercoaster of events. Schools, businesses, shopping malls, and even restaurants all over the world have been negatively impacted by the spread of COVID-19. The holiday season is here and many of us want nothing more than to reunite with our friends, family, and significant others. No matter how we choose to celebrate, people are expected to continue to holiday shop whether it’s online or in-store shopping.
Online Shopping- This is Your Moment Online shopping is expected to be more important this year than ever before. Many stores and companies that relied on storefronts will need to make more online options available. It’s predicted that campaigns this year will focus on keywords like “local” or “online” to calm consumers’ needs about pickup and contactless options. Online customer service support will be needed more than ever. We expect to see more chat boxes and options for customers who need assistance placing an order.
Humanize Your Brand A recent insight by Forbes discovered that campaigns this year are going to be focused on trying to fill the void in emotional and human interaction. We’ve already seen many ads incorporating digital interaction to mirror the reality many families are facing this year. One of our favorites that have already launched is Etsy’s Gift Like You Mean It: Nana campaign, seen here.
Tread Lightly but Not Too Lightly While it’s important to shed light on the elephant in the room (we’re looking at you COVID) it’s also crucial to understand that many Americans are facing pandemic fatigue. In a recent survey on Forbes, consumers reported that they are expecting to see messages about the current circumstances to come off as trite, packaged, and overused. Brands should lighten the mood when possible by increasing and rewarding those loyal customers and meeting their needs for the season. Some ideas include offering free shipping and gift wrapping.
Small Businesses in the Spotlight According to Think with Google, 66% of planned shoppers will shop more at local small businesses than last year. Many of these businesses have been hit the hardest in 2020 and it’s amazing to see communities support their local economies. We have seen many “Mom and Pop” boutiques in South Florida offering FaceTime appointments to holiday shop and then they will either do curbside pickup or ship to your house. Recent reports have discovered that 47% of planned shoppers report that they’ll use options to buy online and pick up in-store or curbside, and 53% of shoppers saying they’ll choose to shop at stores that offer contactless shopping. The personalized service and effort from these small businesses will help them stand apart from large retail giants like Walmart and Target.
We all have a responsibility to make spirits bright and to make the best of it this season. Let’s spread a little bit of joy and cheer because we need it after this tough year.