1Executive Summary2018 was a year of unpredictability and unexpected consumer behavior related to holiday spending. Holiday sales grew by 2.9% from the previous year but fell short of the National Retail Federation’s forecast which projected 4.3% to 4.8% growth year-over-year (YoY).1 In addition, Q4 was a time of changing consumer behavior where sales in the first half of the holiday season grew at a much higher rate (5.1%) compared to the second half of the season (0.9%).2 Whether this behavior was unique to 2018 or an indicator of what’s to come, marketers should take a good look at last year’s consumer preferences, shopping habits and attitudes toward each major Q4 holiday to make the most of the 2019 holiday season. We analyzed over 8 billion emails sent in Q4 on behalf of hundreds of Yes Marketing clients across industries to assess the performance of holiday-themed messages (emails that referenced any of the nine themes we’ve outlined below) and to learn how timing and incentives impacted engagement. This report includes holiday insights from 2018, identifies opportunities for 2019, and offers best practices to capitalize on the upcoming holiday season and keep that momentum going well into the new year.Key FindingsConsumers started their holiday shopping earlier in the season Average conversion rates for themed campaigns in November (6.1%) were double December’s average (3.1%).Cyber Monday increased its dominance as the biggest shopping day Despite a 25% increase in the number of brands using this event in their campaigns, conversion rates for Cyber Monday in 2018 increased by 57% YOY and were almost three times higher than those of standard emails.Brands are leveraging holiday themes, but may need to improve relevance More brands than ever sent holiday campaigns in Q4 but those emails drove average open rates of 10.5% and average click rates of 1% — both falling short of the engagement rates driven by standard (non-themed) emails over the same period.2019 Holiday Marketing GuideKey takeaways from 2018 and strategies for the 2019 holiday season2Major holidays in the fourth quarter of 20181. Columbus Day - Monday, October 82. Halloween - Wednesday, October 313. Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 224. Black Friday - Friday, November 235. Cyber Monday - Monday, November 266. Green Monday - Monday, December 107. Christmas - Tuesday, December 258. New Year 2019 - Tuesday, January 19. General Holiday – Throughout Q4**Emails that reference the holiday or winter season without specifying a particular holiday or eventQuick DefinitionsStandard/Business as Usual (BAU) MessagesFor this report, standard emails (also referred to as business-as-usual) are marketing messages that do not have a holiday theme and are not part of a triggered program (such as Welcome, Reactivation, Transactional, and Birthday). Email Offer TypesOur analysis includes three of the most common offer types referenced in campaign subject lines: 1. ‘% off’ and ‘$ off’: These incentives advertise a specific percent off or a dollar amount off purchase. Examples include: “Ring in 2019 with 19% off” and “5% off with any purchase.” 2. Free shipping: A straightforward incentive that can include certain limitations, for example, “Free shipping on orders over $50” or “Free shipping: today ONLY.”Adoption and Engagement of Themed Campaigns Year-over-Year (YoY) Comparison 3Adoption and Engagement for Themed Campaigns Year-over-Year (YoY) comparisonFindings from the 2018 holiday season show that over half (56%) of marketers sent messages with a general holiday/winter theme, up 20% YoY and making it the most widely adopted theme in Q4. Following the trend from previous years, Green Monday was the least utilized Q4 theme with just 6.9% of brands using the event in their marketing emails. In Q4 of 2018, all themed emails, except for Columbus Day, drove lower open rates than the 12.6% average for standard messages. In addition, conversion rates for themed campaigns decreased; with 6 out of 8 Q4 themes generating lower conversions than the 4.9% average for standard emails. Declining engagement and conversion rates for themed campaigns has been a consistent trend in recent years. If marketers want to make the most of their efforts, they should consider the following when creating their marketing calendar and selecting message themes: • Higher Q4 email volume and consistent use of the same holiday themes across brands means marketers use similar tactics to compete for subscriber attention. • Using themed campaigns to advertise sales events and offers can cause subscribers to tune out these emails because they’re often perceived as irrelevant and inauthentic since they only aim to promote purchases. Adoption and Engagement of Themed CampaignsColumbus DayHalloweenThanksgivingBlack FridayCyber MondayGreen MondayChristmasNew YearGeneral Holiday*BAU Average***Q4 2018Q4 20179.9%43.6%34.7%47.5%36.6%6.9%37.6%30.7%56.4%–7.9%38.9%31.0%37.3%31.0%7.1%38.9%29.4%46.8%–Q4 2018...
发表评论取消回复