As midterm season is in full swing, marketers targeting college students are turning their attention to advertising campaigns for the holiday season. Advancing mobile technology and shifts in consumer behavior should be factored into any marketing strategy to attract college students. Here are three areas marketers should focus their attention on to get a head start:
- Consumers are starting to buy earlier in the holiday season
If your company hasn’t started thinking about holiday programs, you are already behind. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are thinking about what they want for the holidays. The season technically begins before Black Friday, with more than half of holiday shoppers start to research and plan their gifts out in October or even earlier. However, consumers are just beginning their information search about different products for the holiday season at this time, which is crucial before commitment to purchase. In fact, nine out of ten holiday shoppers said that something convinced them to make a purchase they may have initially been hesitant about. Additionally, over half purchased a product that was recommended to them by the retailer online. Mobile activity is expected to grow 44% from last season, with $17.1 billion spent via smartphones and tablets. E-Marketer also predicts that total US holiday e-commerce sales are expected to grow 16.6% this year.
- Augmented reality
Perhaps one of the most important advancements with the iOS11 is the ARKit for augmented reality apps. Developers and marketers now have the ability to create more engaging and personalized experience by overlaying content on a user’s view of the real world. Early adapters of augmented reality will gain a competitive edge.
- Weekend spikes for mobile
With more free time available on the weekend, one would think there would be higher activity at physical retail locations. However, mobile sales actually increase on Saturdays and Sundays. “Shoppers who are out and about on Saturdays may see items they want in stores and decide to skip the line and purchase on their phones,” says Criteo.
