It’s November 2024, which means Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” is back on loop in every supermarket and mall. If it feels like the holiday shopping season is starting earlier every year… that’s because it is! According to Google’s recent Think Retail event, 34% of US shoppers had already started their holiday shopping as early as July 2024—up from 27% last year.
But this year’s timeline comes with a twist: there’s five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! Brands will need to pack in more impact in a shorter time period. It’s more important than ever to engage your target audience more efficiently!
In this blog, we’ll introduce Google’s four holiday “shopper mindsets” and some additional holiday ad tips so you can drive more sales for the 2024 holidays!
4 Types of Holiday Shoppers
At the Think Retail conference, Google identified four distinct mindsets that drive consumer behavior during the holiday season. Each one has unique needs and expectations, which would in turn impact their shopping decisions.
The Deliberate Shopper
These shoppers are all about planning, researching, and taking their time. They typically do their shopping in October and November. They want to feel confident in their purchase decisions and appreciate ads that guide them to the best choices.
Tips:
- Utilize Performance Max ads to target them.
- Personalized ads and landing page content that resonate with their needs, such as “What’s the best gift for an outdoor enthusiast”, or “Best holiday gifts for elderly grandparent” etc. Include keywords like “holiday bests”, “top pick”, or “reviews” in your Search ads!
The Deal-Seekers
Deal-seekers live for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, this year (2024), the short holiday season means these shoppers will also be hunting for deals beyond the peak days.
Tips:
- Optimize your website and/or landing page for speed and create a streamlined shopping experience.
- In your ads, try to emphasize on the sense of urgency, utilize words like “last chance”, “biggest blowout”, “limited time” to give them an extra budget to convert.
- If you want to drive more in-store traffic, consider even geo-targeting closer vicinity and utilize Klick & Mortar to attribute in-shop purchases to your digital ads!
The Determined Shopper
December is crunch time for shoppers who held off on buying or need last-minute gifts. Now they’re laser-focused. With fewer days to shop, they’re looking for convenience, ease, and speed. Eyes on the prize.
Tips:
- Optimize your eCommerce website so users can enjoy a fast loading speed for browsing and checkout!
- Use Google’s “near me” optimization for in-store availability ads
The Devoted Shopper: Loyal Fans
Ahh, your repeat customers, aka your loyal fans— those who love your brand and return year after year—are the hidden holiday heroes. Their loyalty can help drive sales well beyond December if you give them reasons to come back.
Tips:
- Segment audience lists of your members and create personalized ads for them to highlight loyalty perks, member discounts, exclusive access etc to make them feel valued!
As the holidays roll in, tuning into these shopper mindsets can make all the difference in building connections that convert. Each group has its quirks, and by shaping your campaigns to speak to what matters to them—from deal seekers to loyal fans—you’ll capture their attention and drive results. This season, establish your presence where your audiences are, keep your message sharp, and make every click count!
Bonus Tips to Maximize Every Moment of This Holiday Season
Plan Around Key Dates
With the shortened shopping window, having a flexible, target-focused budget in place can help maximize returns during high-traffic days. Get your ad creatives, offers, and landing pages etc planned and have on hand weeks ahead of time to stay on top of your game!
Boost Product Visibility
Make sure your Google Merchant Center feed is in top shape by including keywords, high-quality images, and clear product attributes. For example, using descriptors like “color,” “size,” and “style” can help your products appear in more specific searches.
Stay Agile with AI
Google’s AI-driven ad strategies, like Performance Max and Demand Gen that utilize Dynamic Creative Optimization are designed to adjust to real-time trends. These tools are especially useful when trying to keep up with the rapid pace of holiday shopping behavior.
Partner with an Ad Agency
The holiday season is packed with potential—make the most of it by teaming up with an ad agency that knows how to maximize your ad dollars. War Room’s programmatic approach ensures your campaigns reach the right audiences across channels, whether they’re browsing on social, watching videos, or searching for holiday deals. Our custom strategies are designed to adapt in real-time, so your ads stay relevant and effective as trends shift throughout the season.
Let us handle the complexities of cross-channel advertising and data insights, so you can focus on delivering a seamless holiday experience for your customers.
Are You Ready?
The holiday season may be shorter this year, but with the right strategies, your brand can still thrive. Focus on connecting with each shopper mindset, use AI-driven insights, and tailor your ads to stand out in a busy market.
Ready to elevate your holiday ad game? Reach out to our team at War Room to make every holiday connection count!
