The holiday season is one of the most critical times for brands to engage their audiences. This year, Deloitte predicts holiday retail sales will increase between 2.3 percent and 3.3 percent, totaling $1.58 to $1.59 trillion during the November to January timeframe. Perhaps more notably, the firm expects e-commerce sales will grow between 7 percent to 9 percent year-over-year, totalling between $289 billion to $294 billion this season.
To truly stand out in the crowded digital marketplace, it's essential to connect with the right consumers at the right time. By leveraging high-quality, targeted audience segments, marketers can create meaningful connections with specific shopper groups that align with key holiday behaviors and interests.
Let’s look at five ways brands can ensure they’re connecting with the right holiday shoppers this season, as well as some specific audience segments that have been proven to drive sales.
Connect with Gift Shoppers
Gift shoppers are the core of the holiday season, looking for the perfect presents to show appreciation for loved ones. Using high-quality audience segments that focus on past purchase behavior and search intent around holiday gift ideas is crucial to capturing this audience. Brands can further personalize their outreach by segmenting based on demographic data or relationship dynamics, ensuring gift suggestions resonate deeply with the shopper’s intentions.
Targeting Tip: Do you represent an electronics or gaming brand looking to make the most of the holiday shopping season? Consider leveraging an audience segment like “Global ShareThis - Seasonal - Christmas - Electronics and Gaming Shoppers.”
Connect with Toy Shoppers
Parents and family members shopping for toys are a key demographic to target during the holidays, as toys the go-to gift for kiddos in many households. Leveraging audience segments that highlight past purchases of children’s products, toy browsing habits, or those who have engaged with child-centric content online can give marketers a powerful edge. By using these targeted insights, you can deliver ads and promotions at moments when toy shoppers are most receptive, making the connection feel relevant and timely.
Targeting Tip: Looking to connect specifically with holiday shoppers looking for the latest in building sets, dolls, action figures, and other toys? Consider leveraging an audience segment like “Eyeota - Retail - Intent - Children's Products - Toys.”
Connect with Holiday Chefs
Holiday cooking is a significant part of the festive season, and those who take pride in preparing special meals are often on the lookout for new recipes, ingredients, and kitchen tools. By focusing on audience segments that are passionate about food, cooking, and seasonal recipes, marketers can engage with holiday chefs at the right time. This strategy helps brands offer timely promotions on kitchen appliances, specialty ingredients, or meal kits, making it easier for chefs to create memorable holiday feasts.
Targeting Tip: Looking to connect with the folks who are in charge of holiday meals this season? Consider leveraging an audience segment like “Eyeota - Holidays and Events - Interest - GLOBAL - Christmas - Holiday Cooking.”
Connect with Decorators
Holiday decorators are passionate about transforming their homes into winter wonderlands. Whether they’re looking for festive lights, ornaments, or seasonal home goods, this segment is actively searching for new ways to refresh their holiday décor. By using high-quality audience data to find those who have shown interest in home improvement, DIY projects, or past purchases of holiday décor, brands can connect with decorators who are ready to spend on making their homes shine this season.
Targeting Tip: Looking to connect with the consumers who are most interested in lights and tinsel this holiday season? Consider leveraging an audience segment like “Global Ziff Davis - Black Friday - In-Market - Store - Christmas Tree Shops.”
Connect with Holiday Activity Lovers
From streaming holiday movies to planning seasonal activities like ice skating or attending holiday markets, many consumers seek entertainment that captures the festive spirit. By leveraging audience data that tracks interest in holiday-themed content, entertainment subscriptions, and event attendance, brands can tap into the right moment to promote entertainment services, holiday outings, and related experiences. This data-driven approach ensures you're connecting with audiences who are primed to engage in holiday-related activities, delivering content that matches their seasonal interests.
Targeting Tip: Do you represent an entertainment brand looking to garner an audience for the latest holiday musical programming? Consider leveraging an audience segment like “Global ComScore - Interest - Seasonal - Holiday TV - Music Specials.”
The Holiday Audience Guide Every Brand Needs
So, how can brands targeting holiday audiences optimize their digital ad spending to reach their best customers and prospects online? From driving awareness to engaging consumers in-market, the Eyeota Holiday Audience Playbook has the personas and profiles you need.
Browse our selection of holiday audience segments built from behavioral, demographics, interests, intent, lifestyle and ownership insights. Activate our audience segments on all major demand-side and supply-side platforms to identify, reach, and engage your best target customers on audio, connected TV, display, digital out-of-home, mobile, and social channels.
Discover addressable digital audience profiles to target your ideal customers such as:
Connect with the Data Desk to request your custom audience targeting strategy today!