Now that families have successfully sent their kids off for a new school year, marketers and communicators have shifted their focus to crafting holiday campaigns—particularly ones that will entice mobile users and amp up engagement for the coming season.
According to the second annual Mobile Holiday Report from growth marketing platform YouAppi, one-third of mobile marketers have already begun preparing this year’s holiday campaigns, an increase from the one in five who started this early in 2017.
Christmas creep is extending to consumers as well
Fifty-five percent saying they are ready for holiday messages between now and November, compared with 47 percent in 2017. And while seven percent of consumers held fast to the belief that December is the only acceptable time for holiday mobile themes, only 38 percent are asking marketers to hold off until after Thanksgiving—a significant drop from the nearly half who made that request last year.
“We often say the holiday season comes earlier each year, and this latest data shows there is truth in that assumption,” said Moshe Vaknin, founder and CEO of YouAppi, in a news release. “Mobile is becoming noisier and more crowded every day, and brands are looking for any opportunity to distinguish themselves and engage valuable users. Marketers are smart this time of year to capitalize on the excitement of cooler temperatures and changing seasons, by enticing consumers to start early on their holiday shopping lists.”
Ten percent of marketers say they have already started rolling out holiday themes, a 100 percent increase over 2017
This can be attributed to the heightened opportunity marketers see during this unique time of year, including improved engagement (61 percent), new revenue generation (51 percent), greater consumer eagerness to buy (45 percent), and the ability to collect quality data (28 percent).
In keeping with the spirit of the season, mobile marketers are embracing the merry side of creating new holiday campaigns
A full 87 percent are planning something new this year, up from 74 percent in 2017. While ideas range from new technology (16 percent), to new types of mobile video (20 percent), new products or solutions (28 percent) and new approaches to user acquisition (30 percent), far and away the biggest innovation will come from new creative ideas (62 percent).
“It’s fun to see creative at the top of the list for creating holiday content ideas this year, as this is one of the most effective ways to delight and engage mobile users,” said Jennifer Shambroom, YouAppi chief marketing officer and author of The Everything Guide to Mobile Apps, in the release. “This is the perfect time of year to evoke emotion, play on warm holiday memories and encourage sharing with family and friends. Marketers who can tap into these reasons behind the joy of the season can help users associate brand engagement with their overall holiday experiences.”
The survey data included in YouAppi’s second annual report was cultivated in July 2018 and includes survey responses from over 200 global mobile marketers and more than 500 U.S. consumers who use their mobile device for shopping.
