New research on search trends by Adthena has offered some insight into what consumers are looking for—and what they’re not. Higher discounts mean higher interest, according to Adthena’s findings, with ads containing the keyword “70 percent off” driving 500 percent more impressions on desktop than ads containing “50 percent off.”
Going by the number of ad impressions, consumers searched most for “gift,” “iPad” and “TV” on desktop, and “gift”, “phone” and “appliance” on mobile. Noticeably absent among high-performing user search terms was the keyword “free delivery,” indicating that consumers are not taking shipping fees too much into consideration.
Though average consumers spending is set to remain constant this Black Friday, new research by Prosper Insights and Analytics indicates that almost half of millennials plan to spend more this year than they have in previous ones.
“As Gen Z and millennials get older, their purchasing power increases, and the rise in disposable income is sure to be seen by retailers,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “This group of consumers has spent time carefully researching gifts for friends, family and themselves, and are ready to begin knocking out their shopping lists.”
Overall, just 24 percent of consumers plan on spending more than previously, and 54 percent claimed that their spending will remain unchanged.
Though the specter of Black Friday still stands before Cyber Monday, businesses may want to consider shifting their email marketing tactics. A study by Yes Lifecycle Marketing indicates that despite slightly lower open rates, Cyber Monday–related email messages drove 53 percent higher conversions than Black Friday emails.
“Our data shows that conventional thinking around email marketing practices is not always on the mark,” said Michael Fisher, president of Yes Lifecycle Marketing. “Marketers and retailers must assess their goals for engagement and conversions, and deploy campaigns with the right timing, content and context in mind.”
Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday, likewise offers potential for marketers. According to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, 61 percent of US consumers are aware of the holiday and 82 percent of that group plan on seeking out independent businesses on that day.
Additionally, the survey found that 90 percent of consumers claimed it was important to support independently owned restaurants and bars, and 80 percent of consumers predicted doing at least some of their holiday shopping at small retailers.
Chief marketing officers have overwhelmingly reevaluated their digital strategies this year due to brand safety worries, new research by Teads suggests. Of the CMOs surveyed, three-out-of-four reported worrying more about brand safety and ad fraud (78 percent and 77 percent, respectively).
More than just biting their nails, CMOs are acting. In the last 12 months, 48 percent CMOs reported reviewing relationships with suppliers and 55 percent reported reviewing relationships with agencies. Additionally, 93 percent of CMOs claimed they have overhauled their digital strategies.
Looking to the future, 98 percent of CMOs predicted that they will only choose agencies and suppliers that can prove brand safety and transparency, and 30 percent have already cut spending on channels that can’t make those guarantees.
Facebook usage has suffered a sharp decline this year, according to research by Verto Analytics. Last year, users spent an average of 33 hours per month on Facebook, but that number has dropped to just 18 hours in 2017, a 54 percent reduction. Average session duration has remained constant at around six minutes and 20 seconds, meaning that users are checking Facebook significantly less frequently than they have before.
Programmatic trading will account for 67 percent of all digital display advertising by 2019, according to predictions by Zenith Media. Additionally, the total value of programmatic advertising will grow by 21 percent per year, rising to $84.9 billion in 2018.
“The most advanced display markets will be 90 percent programmatic by 2019. It won’t be many years after that until the global display market is fully programmatic,” said Jonathan Barnard, Zenith’s head of forecasting and director of global intelligence. “The question then is how rapidly programmatic techniques will spread to other media. We will be keeping a close eye on developments in the US as a guide to likely developments in the rest of the world.”
New research by Tapjoy has further solidified the supremacy of rewarded ads for driving engagement. Advertisers can take advantage of a spike in interest in the format, as 80 percent of mobile gamers reported expecting to spend more time playing games, and 57 percent claimed that they will be more likely to engage with rewarded ads during the holiday season.
“This study validates why the mobile gaming audience presents such a great opportunity for performance and brand advertisers alike–particularly during the holidays,” said Shannon Jessup, chief revenue officer of Tapjoy. “Mobile gamers are already a uniquely engaged audience, but holiday downtime means that they spend even more time in-app, are more curious to try new games, and are more likely to engage with in-app advertising, making it the perfect time for advertisers to drive value for their campaigns.”
Connected-technology adoption is expected to undergo significant growth, research by Parks Associates predicts. According to its findings, broadband-connected US households will purchase as many as 55 million smart home devices in 2020.
“Collectively US adoption of smart home products is nearing the threshold of the early majority, thanks to marketing efforts of large players, popularity of voice-based products, lower product costs and a focus on the consumer experience in the purchase process,” said Elizabeth Parks, senior vice president at Parks Associates. “And consumers are beginning to recognize the value propositions of platforms such as smart video doorbells and smart thermostats, which is boosting their adoption both for household use and as gifts.”
Crimson Hexagon released a comprehensive study on US consumer trends in 2016, revealing a broad set of insights about the American mindset on topics from health to technology to transportation.
The conversation about AI, VR and AR soared, increasing sevenfold in the last two years, while conversation about privacy has nearly tripled over the same period. While close to 60 percent of consumers are now dissatisfied with ride-sharing services on social media, the rapidly increasing talk about self-driving cars are dominated almost entirely by anger and fear.
On social media, Whole Foods dominated conversations, making up 52 percent of all national grocer discussions, beating out both its closest competitors Kroger and Sprouts Farmers Market by 42 points. Americans also have a significant preference for dining in, with three times as many using joyful language than about eating out, takeout or delivery.
(Editor’s Note: This post will be updated daily until Wednesday, November 22.)
