Blog

How to Optimize Your Holiday Campaign This Season

‘Tis the season: we’ve barely said goodbye to summer yet holiday shoppers are already crossing items off their gift lists. 

As in recent years, holiday shopping will begin earlier and last longer. Holiday retail sales are expected to reach $1.26 trillion in the US, up 3.3% from last year. Still, marketers are facing yet another unique season as economic conditions continue to influence consumer behavior. 

From inflation concerns to weakened brand loyalty to ever-increasing competition for consumer attention, this year is all about crafting a holiday campaign that prioritizes performance and efficiency across every channel. 

As we cover in our new guide, “How to Make Your Omnichannel Holiday Campaign a Success,” an omnichannel marketing strategy is essential to effectively reach shoppers across every screen. Here’s what you need to know. 

Consumer behavior is increasingly digital and omnichannel—and your holiday campaign should be, too

Marketers will be challenged this year to create a seamless digital experience that engages holiday shoppers across screens. Each day, consumers spend an average of 8 hours and 14 minutes on digital channels, the majority of which is spent on mobile. 

With 88% of time on mobile spent within apps, in-app ads are another effective way to engage hard-to-reach audiences, including gamers, during the holidays. 

Streaming viewership continues to grow, too. In fact, connected TV (CTV) viewership surpassed that of broadcast and cable TV for the first time this year. As families and friends gather around to watch holiday movies, you have a valuable opportunity to engage your desired audience on the biggest screen in the home. 

“As we think about the world moving addressable-first, we’ve taken a step back to really understand our consumers better than ever before. By doing so, we’re using that data to inform all of our ecosystem and that’s from streaming all the way through mobile devices.”

Vinny Rinaldi, head of media 
Hershey’s

Reach consumers as they switch devices throughout the day

It takes the right mix of channels and formats working in concert with the right personalized message to guide each consumer’s path to purchase. While digital programmatic campaigns allow you to reach your target audience at any time on any channel, you’ll need to consider your approach to dayparting in order to efficiently optimize your bidding strategy. 

Looking at our platform data, we see that desktop web traffic is high during the workday and into the evening. Mobile usage is consistent throughout midday, then spikes during the late-night hours. CTV continues to rule primetime as viewers tune in during the evening hours and late into the night.

Weekday trends by device chart: CTV, mobile, and desktop usage over 24 hour period

While behavior changes on the weekend, we still see the same trend of CTV and mobile usage spiking in the late-night hours after desktop drops off.

Weekend trends by device chart: CTV, mobile, and desktop usage over 24 hour period

Be sure to download the full guide, “How to Make Your Omnichannel Holiday Campaign a Success.” You’ll find more insights and advice on making the most of the 2022 holiday shopping season, including: 

  • How to win consumer attention early and build throughout the season
  • Ways to increase efficiency with deals and inventory packages
  • How to refine your approach to addressability 
  • Why it’s time to invest in sustainability initiatives 
Rachel Sullivan

Rachel Sullivan

Senior content marketing manager

As senior content marketing manager, Rachel Sullivan leads Index Exchange's content and social media strategies. She helps shape the stories, insights, and news that leaders across the advertising ecosystem need to advance the industry. Rachel previously managed content and digital marketing for a range of B2B technology companies and has both agency and in-house experience. Outside of work, you can find her traveling the world or exploring her home of New York City.

Back to blog