Holiday Marketing Guide 2020: Trends & Actionable Strategies

Get holiday trends of 2020 across verticals and geographies along with actionable strategies and use cases from top global brands and industry leaders.

Get holiday trends of 2020 across verticals and geographies along with actionable strategies and insights

Insights and use cases from leading global brands like

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In this guide, you will:

1. Learn about holiday season across geographies, understand trends and decipher performances

2. Understand metrics to track, proven strategies to follow, and use-cases to emulate from top global brands

3. Find out holiday marketing do’s and don’ts in context of holiday season 2020

4. Discover key takeaways to consider while framing holiday marketing strategies for 2020

Festive Season and shopping events in

Brands begin campaigns around Halloween and continue post Thanksgiving with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year.

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How has holiday season 2020 changed?

  • Looming economic uncertainty
  • Value-conscious buyers
  • Reluctance to step out and shop
  • Shortages due to supply chain issues
  • Relevance of curbside pick ups
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According to WHO, nearly half of the global workforce runs the risk of losing their livelihood due to COVID-19. The looming prospect of unemployment has made consumers more cautious about spending on gifts.

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COVID-19 has changed spending habits of consumers making them more value-conscious and less impulsive while shopping.

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New global study shows that 36%* of shoppers now prefer weekly online shopping compared to 28% pre-COVID

*Source: Digital Commerce 360 study

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Transportation restriction, border closures, and disruption in the supply chain creates shortages. Assess supply chains before planning for end-of-year festive sales.

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With contactless delivery being prioritized, curbside pick ups are going to be huge. Blackfriday.com survey suggests 50% respondents in the US are likely to use curbside pick more than in 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is holiday marketing and what does it mean for brands?

Holiday marketing involves leveraging the increased propensity of shopping and gift giving during the holiday season by targeting users across various channels and offering them attractive discounts and valuable deals. Not only is holiday marketing beneficial to users as they get a host of amazing offers and deals, but also to the participating brands as they can add significantly to their revenue margin.

How has the holiday season changed in 2020?

Owing to the global pandemic the user attitude, confidence and buyer behavior has taken a massive hit. Users now seem to prefer essential buying over luxury expenditure and favor online shopping/doorstep delivery instead of visiting physical stores. The lockdown protocols have put further strain on the supply chain which is already overworked owing to more users placing orders, thus causing shortages. All of these changes will carry into the holiday season affecting buying, shopping and gift giving.

What has caused this change in holiday marketing for 2020?

The massive changes in app usage, shopping behaviour, and preference have been brought about by the unprecedented global pandemic. And while people and businesses (across all verticals and geographies) are getting used to the new normal, some changes are here to stay which have led to this unusual holiday season 2020.

What are some of the holiday trends for 2020 that marketers need to be aware of?

With growing prominence of online shopping and increased usage of apps (with apps across several categories noticing increased DAU/MAU numbers), focus on digitization and mobile marketing should be top priority. As people are hesitant to step out, curbside pickups will gain more relevance, something brands need to be aware of. Looking at the supply chain side of things and ensuring there are no roadblocks is also very important. Keeping up with travel habits as families take short trips to nearby locations and catering to new ‘at home’ lifestyle (working from home, exercising at home) requirements will also be crucial to framing an effective holiday marketing strategy for 2020.

How do marketers navigate the unusual holiday season and adapt their strategies?

As you will uncover in the holiday marketing guide, we have listed 20 strategies that marketers can follow to frame an effective holiday marketing strategy. Here are 5 such strategies for any marketer to emulate:

  • Better target users by leveraging predictive segmentation
  • Leverage geofencing to target users exactly where they are
  • Testing ads and keeping multiple ad formats ready
  • Be empathetic in communication and focus on building long term relations with users
  • Are the insights and strategies in the guide geography or vertical specific?

    The insights and actionable strategies covered in the holiday marketing guide 2020, have been distilled based on MoEngage and AppFollow research, expertise and discussions with experts across several verticals and geographies (India, Middle East, US and Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand) making the information applicable for all industries and regions.