5 Ways To De-Stress The Holidays For Your Consumer (And Advertisers, Too!)

Parties, presents, planning...panic! The most wonderful time of year can often double as the most overwhelming and stressful for shoppers. People scramble to ensure a merry and memorable holiday experience, juggling various responsibilities between festivities and gatherings, all the while feeling the strain on their time and wallets. In fact, according to the American Psychiatric Association, Americans are five times more likely to say their stress level increases during the holidays, making it crucial for advertisers to find ways to alleviate the pressure.

For advertisers, the holiday season represents the busiest shopping period of the year, with fierce competition to capture consumers' attention amidst the bustle. While summer has only just arrived, the importance of the season prompts most brands to start building out their end-of-year marketing plan before shoppers are even thinking about the holidays.

To help both consumers and advertisers navigate the holiday season with a little more ease, we've compiled five strategies to simplify the consumer shopping experience, creating a more relaxing and enjoyable holiday season.

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Easy One-Click Recipe Solutions

When it comes to holiday cooking and entertaining, recipes play a significant role. They inspire creativity in the kitchen and introduce us to new dishes that delight our guests. However, finding a recipe and compiling all the necessary ingredients can be a time sink for consumers. Queue one-click recipe solutions.

Aiming to enhance sales during the holiday season, one of our alcbev partners sought to provide consumers with a convenient solution for domestic mixology, making it as effortless as ready-to-drink options. To achieve this, we ran a mixed-drink recipe campaign, incorporating shoppable media that allowed consumers to add all recipe ingredients to their shopping list — with a single click. The add-to-list feature not only simplified the shopping process, but also served as a catalyst for shoppers to explore and experiment with our partner’s offerings.

Key Takeaway: By offering one-click recipe inspiration in a shoppable add-to format, advertisers can reduce the stress consumers face when planning for holiday meals, taking the guesswork out of their in-store shopping experience.

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Eliminate Extra Clicks by Offering In-Ad Product Choices

While consumers appreciate the freedom to choose from a variety of product options, too many choices can lead to decision fatigue and unnecessary clicks during the holiday shopping rush. Advertisers can help simplify the shopping experience by eliminating extra clicks through in-ad product choices.

Imagine coming across an ad that showcases a range of product flavors or variations. Instead of clicking multiple times to find the preferred option, consumers are able to make their selection directly within the ad itself. This streamlined process saves time and reduces the mental load of navigating through various pages to find the desired product.

Recognizing the potential overwhelm caused by too many choices, one of our brand partners implemented in-ad product choices. By incorporating a 3-button product selector creative via AdAdapted’s eCart Accelerator, consumers could effortlessly select their preferred flavor of our partner's product. This approach not only reduced click friction but also enhanced the overall shopping experience.

The impact of simplifying the decision process was evident, with a cart transfer rate of 85%, surpassing industry averages for engagement and carting. Furthermore, this add-to media campaign provided our partner with critical consumer insights to inform more effective future marketing strategies. Through data-driven approaches, they were empowered to deliver tailored experiences and meet the evolving needs of their consumers during the holiday season (and beyond!).

Key Takeaway: Reducing added friction for your consumers can help them make decisions and navigate all the holiday shopping choices with ease. 

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Cozy Up with Home Delivery for the Holidays

The holiday season is synonymous with coziness and relaxation (ironically, given the aforementioned topics); the last thing anyone wants is to brave crowded stores and long checkout lines. That’s when home delivery comes to the rescue, providing convenience and comfort to consumers at home. By partnering with delivery apps and integrating home delivery e-commerce solutions into their campaigns, advertisers can bring the joy of doorstep shopping to consumers.

One such example is the collaboration between a prominent coffee brand and AdAdapted. Their goal was to convert awareness impressions directly into home delivery e-commerce sales for their beloved holiday staple: coffee.

Integrating with Instacart, this brand provided consumers with a seamless home delivery option for their coffee purchases. The partnership allowed customers to enjoy the ease of having their favorite coffee delivered directly to their doorstep, sparing them from venturing out during the busy holiday period.

This strategy resulted in higher cart values at targeted retailers, particularly with the assistance of delivery apps like Instacart. The simplicity of home delivery resonated with consumers, leading to increased engagement and higher average order values, emphasizing the importance of convenience and comfort during the festive season.

Key Takeaway: Convenience is key during the holidays so make sure you're giving your consumers convenient options as to how they purchase your product/s. 

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Empower the Omni-Channel Shopper to Shop Their Way

During the holiday season, consumers find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of activities, from shopping for gifts and decorations to stocking up on groceries and more. Acknowledging the hustle and bustle that accompanies this time of year, advertisers can help ease the stress by empowering the omni-channel shopper to choose how they want to engage with and purchase products.

Some consumers prefer the convenience of online shopping, while others still enjoy the experience of browsing the aisles at brick and mortar. By providing multiple options that cater to different shopping preferences, advertisers are able to personalize and improve the shopping experience. 

This strategy can be implemented through add-to-list or add-to-cart functionality, which seamlessly transitions consumers between online and offline channels. In a recent campaign one of our partners showcased their products alongside key retailers through targeted add-to-cart ecommerce ads. This allowed shoppers to choose the shopping method that aligned with their personal preferences and circumstances. 

The results were remarkable, with a significant sales lift achieved at a well-known retailer through cart additions. Moreover, large retailers' mobile apps experienced an impressive cart transfer rate of over 93%, indicating the effectiveness and appeal of this omni-channel approach. The ability to choose between online and in-store purchases offered flexibility, convenience, and a stress-free approach to grocery shopping.

Key Takeaway: Omnichannel shoppers want options so let your consumers shop their way by giving them the ability to choose between online or in-store shopping.

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Eliminate Clutter with Efficient Ad Targeting

Holiday advertising can sometimes feel overwhelming, with countless messages competing for consumers' attention. Advertisers can help reduce this clutter by improving the efficiency of their ad targeting strategies. By reaching the right audience at the right time, advertisers can ensure their messages resonate and stand out amidst the holiday marketing noise.

One client of ours used our our unique targeting tools to reach consumers who were looking for non-alcoholic options for their Dry January intentions.Through strategic and efficient targeting we were able to reach the right consumer and promote the client’s non-alcoholic beverage to searching consumers.

Efficient ad targeting not only eliminates clutter by honing in on the relevant audience, but also maximizes the impact of marketing efforts. Through understanding consumers' preferences and tailoring messages, this personalized approach minimizes ad fatigue and enhances the overall effectiveness of holiday campaigns.

Key Takeaway: Make your holiday ad targeting more refined and intentional to eliminate clutter or unwanted ads that make the consumer shopping experience that much more stressful.

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In conclusion, the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be stressful for both consumers and advertisers. By implementing tactics that alleviate stress such as easy recipe solutions, in-ad product choices, home delivery options, empowering the omni-channel shopper, and utilizing efficient ad targeting, advertisers can create a more enjoyable and seamless holiday shopping experience.

As you begin planning your holiday marketing campaigns, remember to focus on simplifying the path to purchase, reducing decision fatigue, and providing convenience to consumers. By adopting these strategies, you can not only alleviate stress, but also drive engagement, increase sales, and build stronger connections with your target audience.

As you envision your  holiday marketing campaigns, keep these stress-reducing strategies in mind. Consumers already have so much occupying their mental space during the holiday season so the more you can alleviate their stress, the more likely they’ll be to choose your brand. Cheers to a successful and hassle-free holiday season for both your consumers and you!