While the weather outside may be far from frightful, that doesn’t mean that the holiday season isn’t on some people’s minds.
As many are enjoying beach days, ice cream cones and (hopefully) some vacation time, SXM Media is hard at work gearing up for a magical holiday season with “The Advertiser’s Guide to the Holidays.” To help advertisers make the most of the coming months and the countdown to the busiest time of the year, here’s an inside look at how consumer habits are changing, why now is the time to start planning your holiday campaign and how audio will change the game in your media strategy.
Changing consumer habits
It’s no secret that consumer tides are changing now more than ever, keeping advertisers on their toes and marketing plans a bit more in the air. But with this shift to earlier holiday shopping habits comes a need to push holiday campaign planning and strategy up further and further each year.
Today, the retail holiday season includes the entirety of Q4—and for some, even part of Q3. Consumers are eager to spread out budgets and maximize deals. They’re also looking for any means possible to decrease their stress loads, often by shopping well before the historical start of the holiday season (i.e., Black Friday) to avoid crowds, product sellouts and shipping delays.
In 2022, retailers were already offering holiday deals in October. Around the same time, half of holiday consumers had started shopping. By November, 60% of consumers had begun browsing and buying, according to the NRF.
Summertime and holiday mind
All these major shifts have led to a revamp in media strategy and planning. After all, getting the best deals, offers and product releases out to consumers when they’re ready to start shopping requires a significant amount of lead time. As a result, prime platform placements are selling out now—and audio is a big one.
The bottom line? If you want to be top-of-mind when consumers are ready to start shopping, you have to have your message out in front of them ahead of the curve. Not when every brand is vying for attention and fighting to stand out among the campaign clutter that tends to spike in November and December.
Why audio is the season’s delight
Great—now you understand that it’s time to get the ball rolling on your holiday campaign strategy. But a big part of that planning process has to include cultivating a dynamic media mix and identifying the best placements for your messaging. And this year, audio is the No. 1 gift under any advertiser’s proverbial tree.
If you haven’t moved audio from your advertising wish list to a must-have list, consider the following:
Audio reaches people where other mediums can’t: When it comes to saturation and impact, audio leads like no other. Unlike visual mediums such as TV and print, satellite, streaming and podcasting are always accessible. In fact, 79% of audio reaches people where visual mediums cannot go. Whether they’re at home, in stores or on the move, audio ads can reach your target consumer at every stage of their holiday journey, giving you even more chances to impact their shopping experience.
Audio helps you reach people in the holiday mood: Yes, the great majority of people are shopping earlier. But not everyone is kicking off their holiday marathons as early as October. Traditional media advertising lumps both groups together, but audio’s targeting capabilities allow you to find the people who are in the early shopping mood and speak to those consumers specifically.
Audio is easy to adjust for different cultures and audiences: Let’s not beat around the bush: making adjustments or variations of visual ads are a pain. Audio, on the other hand, is far easier to manipulate and customize. This becomes incredibly important when you consider all the different cultures and audiences engaging with holiday content.
Audio is where the credibility lies: It’s clear that podcast hosts are the newer, more powerful influencer. During a season that’s fraught with millions of options for everything from holiday party attire to travel recommendations to gifts for loved ones, having a trusted voice offer a tailored recommendation is a relief for consumers. Opting for host-read ads is one of the easiest ways to cultivate connection and drive engagement when the holidays roll around.
No matter what your brand’s messaging will be this holiday season or which action you’re looking to inspire throughout the marketing funnel, audio is the key to an impactful campaign that’s sure to stand out.
