Welcome to another edition of “Know What Works,” a new feature on our blog in which we highlight ads that were highly successful in generating Search Engagement, EDO’s proprietary measure of the increase in search activity for a brand or product in the minutes immediately following a TV ad airing.
Some TV advertisers are benefiting from consumers’ premature holiday shopping this year.
While one-fourth of advertisers began airing Cyber Weekend ads one week prior to the retail holiday in 2020, less than 10% began one to two months prior.
Is it effective to start campaigning so soon, and is there such a thing as “too soon” for holiday advertising?
Apparently not — especially considering Walmart’s Deals For Days campaign.
EDO first captured Deals for Days airings on October 18, 2021. Walmart’s 60-second variation of the spot outperformed the average 2021 Walmart spot by over 150%, and the broader campaign outperformed all other Walmart spots on English-language TV this year by 8%. The company began Cyber Weekend airings in late October in 2020, so it stands to reason they found success in the earlier Autumn spots.
The earlier the better for holiday advertising
Other advertisers can also see the effectiveness of launching an early holiday campaign. EDO found in its research that advertisers who advertised one to two months prior to Cyber Weekend generated the highest amount of Search Engagement than any other time period prior to the holiday.
In other words, if an advertiser began campaigning for Black Friday one to two months prior to the holiday, the brand would expect to see a 65% higher consumer engagement online versus if the brand began campaigning only three to four weeks prior to the holiday.
Why do premature holiday ads work?
Put simply, new campaigns tend to perform well. Of course, there is a balance between creative rotation and creative wear-out, but generally consumers enjoy seeing new commercials — particularly if there’s an offer or sale to promote. Connecting the idea of a good spot with holiday timeliness allows us to set a timeline for optimal performance.
EDO has discovered that an advertiser is better off advertising early for Black Friday, particularly given the benefit of a new campaign, plus an offer, versus waiting for a more timely moment.
A good campaign coupled with the joyous holiday season makes for a warm cup of success for advertisers. Happy holiday advertising!
For more information on how EDO can help improve the timeliness of your creatives or optimize ads for higher consumer engagement, contact us today, and #knowwhatworks.