Campaign Tips For The Peak Season 2023 8211 How The Holiday Business Works

Holiday campaign tips

The peak season typically includes the pre-Christmas period with the months of November and December. But you shouldn’t ignore the entire Q4 and use certain levers right from the start in order to get through these months in the best possible way and avoid a slump in performance. Because digital channels play a big role for omnichannel shoppers. 95% of all users search for products online before they go to brick-and-mortar stores (according to Google commissioned ipsos COVID-19 Tracker)(1).

21% of consumers in Germany start thinking about what they would like to give as a gift on December 24th in August.1 At the same time, the classic bargain days in the run-up to Christmas remain important – especially Black Friday. For 69%, this day is relevant for Christmas shopping. (Google/Ipsos, Christmas Shopping Study)(2)But Q4 also has other special days like Single Day or Cyber ​​Monday. All of this together leads to higher CPMs + CPAs  and performance in general may also decrease. Our experts Leonie Alabi, Iris Handlsberger and Felix Kluger reveal how you can counteract this using the following tips and tricks.

Start early enough!

Starting the campaigns on the days mentioned above is not recommended. It is better to use the pre-sales phase to generate learnings and insights and enrich them with the previous year’s data and implement them. Here is a timeline for the success of your next campaign during the peak season:Roadmap for Peak Season campaigns, source: e-dialog

Adjust bids and budgets settings to reflect seasonal increases

As already mentioned, during peak season CPMs can often increase due to the volume of campaigns that are running. Here, for example, you can use Auto Bidding (in DV360) so that every bid automatically adapts to every incoming bid request. The powerful machine learning-powered algorithms are trained at advertiser level and analyze over 40 signals to make dynamic bids for impressions based on their value. It is important to set the setting “while prioritizing my full budget” and also to set the CPM cap higher. It can also be used for longer flights and more individualityCustom biddingbe used with a specially created algorithm.

With thenew budget planningfromMetaIt is possible to set a larger budget during a specific promotional period (e.g. Black Friday – Cyber ​​​​Monday), which can be reset to the originally set budget after the promotional period ends.
Before this change, advertisers had to manually adjust the budget at a certain point or find a solution through automated rules.
With thenew budget planningIt is now possible to set the daily budget for individual days in order to maximize the advertising impact. After the promotional period ends, your budget will automatically reset to the originally set daily budget – no further steps are required.Our tip for deals and premium placements:in particularly popular placements or certain environmentson Guaranteed Dealsto ensure that delivery actually takes place (many publishers have high demand and there is high competition for the available advertising space).

Benefits of artificial intelligence (AI)

Many customers look for suitable gifts on many different channels at the same time. This makes it more complex and important to be present at the crucial moment.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, what was once often associated with a lot of manual work is now significantly simplified. With the help of AI, campaigns can be effortlessly delivered to relevant target groups across different channels. The Google AI solutions, for example, play a role herePerformance MaxandSmart biddinga crucial role. Depending on the individual business goals, the campaign is optimized using artificial intelligence within these tools. This enables a more precise and efficient approach to the desired target groups – across channels.(3)Another AI-supported option in the area of ​​video is the use ofVideo action campaigns on YouTube. This format is optimized for conversions and is intended to motivate users to take certain actions such as purchasing a product. Video action campaigns also allow the playout ofYouTube shorts– an increasingly popular format that can also be used for social platforms where 9:16 videos are required.

WithAdvantage+ Shopping campaignsoffersMetaAdvertisers have the opportunity to create campaigns more quickly and efficiently through AI support. By removing and increasing manual steps in campaign and creative creationautomationBetter performance and higher efficiency can be achieved.

For more informationWe recommend this blog post for Advantage+ shopping campaigns, where the function is discussed in more detail and where you can find out how an Advantage+ Shopping campaign is created, what functions it offers and what the advantages and disadvantages are.

Expansion of the target group

More than two thirds of consumers in Germany feel that their personal lives are being affected by rising prices and inflation and are therefore saving more than before.(4)Christmas gifts are being chosen more consciously – consumers are increasingly looking for attractive offers and discounts.Predictive Audiences from GA4can help to address really relevant users. AI is used to make predictions about unexpected and future (purchasing) behavior (based on your behavior on the website or app).Advantage+ Audienceis a targeting setting that allows Meta to use AIrelevantDetermine the target group that will see the ads.
Historical pixel data, conversion history and users who have already interacted with previous ads and content are analyzed in order to become part of an Advantage+Audience. The newly created target groups can be further refined according to demographic characteristics or set completely “broad”.

The first tests provide promising results, although we continue to recommend constantly testing the different target groups against each other.Further audience tips along the funnel:

• Use in the upper funnel and for awareness affinities and custom affinity audiences.
• For the consideration phase, rely on life events for in-market, custom intent and YouTube campaigns.
• To generate leads, it is recommended to work with first party lists, optimized targeting and enhanced automation pool.

Create relevance

In addition to the price, the demand for high-quality and environmentally friendly products is also increasing. This makes it all the more important to communicate your own offer in terms of quality, special features, good price-performance and/or sustainability.

Diversify formats and motifs to ensure customers are reached.  Advertising media is key. They are even more important during Q4. Creating innovative and personalized formats helps to meet users exactly where they are.

In summary, our campaign tips for Q4:

• Start early enough
• Budget adjustments – in Q4 there is a lot of demand and at the same time a lot of competition, which also means that budgets have to be adjusted (e.g. maximum CPM or CPC) in order to remain competitive or present during peak times
• Tailor messages and offers to the holidays or promotional days – Black Friday and Christmas have different focuses, so the content should be adapted accordingly
• Optimize target group selection: Use customer insights, predictive audiences and remarketing to reach relevant users
• Cross-channel coordination – ensuring that all digital and non-digital measures are coordinated with one another
• Mobile optimization – more and more purchases are made on mobile devices – ensure that the ads are displayed on mobile devices and that the landing page is mobile optimized

Boost your holiday business in 2023 with these tips and best practices from our data-driven campaign experts. Let’s get to it!

We would be happy to support you in the conception and implementation of effective campaigns for the holidays and throughout the year – please contact us:kontakt@e-dialog.group

Peak Season 2023

You might also be interested in: Our tips for paid search campaigns

Sources:

1 Google/Ipsos, Christmas Shopping Study, Oct. 2022 – Jan. 2023, Online survey, Germans 18+ who conducted Christmas shopping activities in past two days (n=3,129), Q: When did you first start thinking about the gifts you’re shopping for this Christmas season?

2 Google/Ipsos, Christmas Shopping Study, Oct. 2022 – Jan. 2023, Online survey, Germans 18+ who conducted Christmas shopping activities in past two days (n=3,159), Q: Which of the following sale days are important to you for your …?

3 https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/de-de/insights/verbrauchertrends/shopping-season-genz/?_gl=1*1lfhp si*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkwNjgwMTM3LjE2OTc2NDI0ODg.*_ga_BXYLHC2HPB*MTY5NzY0MjQ4Ny4xLjEuMTY5NzY0MjQ5OS4wLjAuMA, October 30, 2023

4 Google/Ipsos, Christmas Shopping Study, Oct. 2022 – Jan. 2023, Online survey, Germans 18+ who conducted Christmas shopping activities in past two days (n=3,159), Q: What level of risk do you think rising prices and inflation pose to you personally? / Which of the following actions, if any, have you taken as an approach to your holiday shopping?