As the holiday season of 2024 approaches, brands are gearing up for a dynamic and competitive shopping period. With consumer behaviors continuing to evolve, there are key trends that will shape how shoppers engage with brands and make their purchasing decisions. Here’s a look at the top holiday shopping predictions for 2024 and how brands can leverage these insights to create successful campaigns.
The Holiday Season is a Prime Opportunity for Brands
The holiday shopping season presents a prime opportunity for brands to connect with consumers because it’s a time of heightened purchasing intent and engagement. With key events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, consumers are actively searching for deals, gifts, and seasonal products, creating a surge in online and in-store traffic.
Brands can leverage this time to build awareness, engage shoppers through omnichannel strategies and maximize conversions with timely promotions and tailored experiences. Additionally, the convergence of technology, such as AI-driven shopping tools and mobile commerce, will allow brands to deliver highly relevant content that aligns with consumers' needs, ensuring they capture attention in the right moments.
Start Your Holiday Advertising Early
Marketers should start their holiday advertising campaigns early to capitalize on the growing trend of early shopping and capture consumer attention before the market becomes saturated.
With 29% of consumers beginning their holiday shopping before the cooler months and 26% planning to start in November, prior to Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is extending beyond traditional peak periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
By launching campaigns early, brands can engage these early-bird shoppers, build brand awareness, and foster brand loyalty before the holiday rush.
Plus, early campaigns provide time to test creative strategies, refine messaging, and optimize performance to ensure maximum impact when competition intensifies. Starting early also allows marketers to take advantage of events like Fall Prime Days and other early promotions, positioning brands in front of eager consumers who are ready to spend.
Top Holiday Trends for 2024
1. Omnichannel Shopping is Essential
Shoppers in 2024 are embracing an omnichannel approach, with 76% of U.S. consumers using three or more media channels when holiday shopping. This trend underscores the importance for brands to maintain a consistent and connected experience across all platforms—whether it’s on mobile, desktop, or in-store. Consumers are looking for seamless transitions between channels, and brands that can deliver will have a competitive edge.
To stand out, brands need to integrate cross-channel strategies that engage consumers throughout their day, from browsing on their mobile devices in the morning to catching up on deals while watching Connected TV (CTV) in the evening.
2. Cost-Conscious Consumers are Looking for Deals
Rising prices and economic pressures are making holiday shoppers more price-conscious than ever. 66% of U.S. consumers rank better prices and promotions as their top consideration for holiday shopping. This shift towards affordability means that brands must highlight discounts and value-driven promotions early in the season.
Shoppers prefer the best deals in the market. In fact, with 79% of consumers planning to trade down to more affordable options, it’s crucial to promote deals well before major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Sales and offers often start as early as October, giving brands a chance to capture early shoppers.
3. Digital Commerce is Dominating
As eCommerce continues to grow, mobile commerce (mCommerce) is set to play a significant role in holiday shopping. Almost 30% of all holiday eCommerce spending will happen via mCommerce, a trend that has been steadily increasing. In fact, during the Cyber 5 stretch (the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday), more than half of online purchases were made on mobile devices for the first time in 2023.
This trend means that brands should optimize their digital storefronts for mobile, ensuring a seamless and efficient shopping experience for users on smaller screens. Integrating shoppable content and click-to-cart features will also be key in driving conversions.
4. Personalized Experiences are Key
Personalization remains a major driver for holiday shoppers. Consumers are looking for tailored shopping experiences that reflect their preferences and 50% of holiday shoppers are also buying for themselves during this time. Personalized ads and contextually relevant offers can significantly enhance the shopping experience, making it easier for consumers to discover products that align with their tastes.
Contextual advertising, which places ads in environments that resonate with the consumer’s mindset, can increase the impact of campaigns. Advertisers can reach users based on the holiday content they are consuming in real time, when they are in a receptive frame of mind, rather then relying on their historical browsing habits
5. AI is Transforming Holiday Shopping
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in helping consumers find deals and discover new brands. 74% of shoppers believe AI helps in finding the best deals, while 69% say it simplifies the discovery of new products. As AI-driven solutions continue to evolve, brands can use these tools to offer hyper-relevant suggestions and targeted promotions, improving customer engagement and driving sales.
AI’s ability to analyze consumer behavior and preferences allows brands to deliver personalized experiences at scale. From chatbots to recommendation engines, AI will be a crucial tool in shaping the 2024 holiday shopping landscape.
We're Making it Easy for You to Activate Your Holiday Campaigns
For +15 years, brands have trusted GumGum to deliver successful Holiday campaigns. We can help you reach your audiences in all the relevant moments to maximize ad performance and deliver results for your brand.
Our contextual technology understands digital environments - accurately and at scale. This means that it's easier and more efficient to reach your holiday shoppers in relevant contexts to create the perfect match between brands and consumers.
Here's how we can help:
- 24/7 service and support for your campaigns from strategy and set up to activation and performance.
- AI advanced contextual intelligence to place your ads in all the key holiday-related content online.
- Alignment with the top holiday trends of 2024 to make sure your messaging resonates with consumers today.
Key Takeaways for Brands in 2024
To thrive this holiday season, brands must prioritize omnichannel strategies, offer compelling promotions, and embrace the rise of mCommerce. Personalization and AI-powered solutions will also be pivotal in attracting and retaining customers during the busy shopping period. By aligning their campaigns with these trends, brands can create memorable and effective holiday experiences that drive both engagement and sales.
