A global study conducted by Experian Marketing Services sheds light on some of the top marketing trends and predictions for the upcoming 2014 holiday season.
The results of the study were gathered after conducting a survey among marketers from regions around the world, and also takes into account performance data from the 2013 holiday season and consumer trend research.
Five global trends were highlighted in the report. Here are some of the key takeaways you’ll need to know about before going into the holiday season.
Paid Facebook advertising will rival organic campaigns across other social networks, particularly in North America.
Among the marketers surveyed it was found that, during the 2014 holiday season, they will run more campaigns on Facebook than any other social network.
Globally, 49 percent of marketers who run social-media campaigns will do so via organic Facebook posts, and 34 percent plan to use paid ads or boosted posts.
During the 2013 holiday season, it was found that there was a 39 percent increase in traffic to retail sites from Facebook.
Email will be at the center of 2014 holiday marketing campaigns.
A whopping 91 percent of marketers surveyed around the world will use email in their 2014 holiday marketing campaigns. 40 percent of all marketers, and 68 percent of those running cross-channel campaigns, plan to integrate email in their cross-channel holiday campaigns.
71 percent of consumers say that they are influenced by promotional emails to take some sort of action. In addition, 40 percent of consumers say they’re influenced to make a purchase as a result of an email received from a retailer or other company.
Mobile marketing will be used globally, but individual tactics vary from region to region.
29 percent of mobile marketers around the world plan to use SMS marketing, making it the most popular mobile tactic this holiday season globally.
However, in North America mobile marketing will be quite different than other regions. 47 percent of North American marketers are using mobile advertising, with mobile coupons being another stand-out tactic used in North America.
Free-shipping promotions will become less popular globally.
39 percent of marketers in North America offered free shipping during the 2013 holiday season, making it the most popular promotion.
For 2014, only 25 percent of marketers globally plan to use free shipping. Although things won’t change much in North America, with only a 1 percent decrease expected in free-shipping offers.
More marketers will be focused on better targeting rather than attracting deal-seekers in the 2014 holiday season.
40 percent of North American marketers will use ecoupons this year, making it the most popular promotion type in that region. Worldwide, the most popular promotion is the deal of the day, with 31 percent of marketers around the globe planning to feature daily deals in their campaigns.
However, offering the best deal isn’t the greatest challenge marketers are trying to overcome. One-in-five marketers reported that they are unable to identify their best customers.
Globally, 48 percent of marketers surveyed say they have a narrow customer view and can only identify best customers within a single channel rather than across all channels, which makes it difficult to integrate campaigns.
“Marketers need to become more targeted and relevant in their holiday campaigns, or they risk leaving money on the table,” says Ashley Johnston, senior vice president of global marketing at Experian Marketing Services
More Information
For a complete look at this report you can download a copy of the report on Experian Marketing Services’ website.