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The talk on Twitter helps marketers understand which brands, gift ideas and marketing strategies are making the biggest impact with consumers
present
ICYMI, holiday season is here. If you've been following the conversation on Twitter, it's been here for a while now. Even as the actual seasons seem to blend into one another (what even is fall anymore?), the telltale red and green decorations and stringed lights pop up earlier and earlier every year.
Last year, of course, the first holiday season in the COVID era was marked primarily by health and safety concerns. Now, as we approach our second season of glad tidings during the pandemic, those worries have expanded to include supply chain breakdowns and empty shelves.
Despite lingering health concerns regarding the pandemic, there is a palpable sense that conditions have improved since the last holiday season, and marketers would be wise to grab the opportunities that have presented themselves. By keeping an eye on what interests shoppers (positive messaging, digital purchasing options) while keeping their habits in mind (buy early, consult content creators for ideas), brands can set themselves up for a successful Q4 without inducing holiday fatigue.
Following our exclusive collaboration analyzing the fall TV season, Ad Age Studio 30 partnered with the team behind the Twitter Conversation Report to take a comprehensive look at tweets and trends detailing all things holiday in order to help brands know when and how to connect with holiday shoppers.
In response to the ever-expanding shopping season, marketers have embraced running holiday campaigns even earlier than usual and are offering holiday-specific sales and discounts earlier as well. Black Friday as we know it may soon be a thing of the past, as brands purposefully begin those sales and special pricing earlier in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving—and in some cases the weeks leading into Halloween.
Health, safety, ability to have get-togethers
2020 concerns
Supply chains, empty shelves, delivery timeframes
2021 concerns
Holiday messaging: Good tidings,
good cheer and brand hashtags
Last year people needed sympathetic, heartfelt messaging. This year, they want humor back. Positive, encouraging and caring messaging is still important, but according to a Twitter survey, people are ready for spoofs, memes and laughs again: 42% want brands to use a positive voice in their messaging; 32% want brands to be encouraging.
Compared with last year, people surveyed on Twitter also prefer more humorous moments than family messaging, implying that this year’s holiday season will be less earnest and more optimistic. Holiday messaging from brands should prioritize the consumer’s mindset: still living through a pandemic, but seeking joy and support from
their favorite brands during the holiday season.
The takeaway:
Happy holidays have returned, but the changes are here to stay
Holiday shopping tweets, indexed to 100%
Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Comparing tweets from June 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 to June 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020 to June 1, 2021 - Nov. 1, 2021. U.S. only. Indexed to 100 from 2019-2021.
What's changed: Holiday season is starting earlier, and big-ticket items are back
Turns out, people are ready to start their holiday shopping earlier too. Analyzing tweets over the past three holiday shopping seasons unveiled the following trends: There was a 22% increase in holiday shopping tweets in the October-November 2020 period compared with the previous holiday season. The likely cause—beyond a mere increase in all things online—was the pandemic: 47% of those surveyed expected to do more of their shopping online in 2020 compared with 2019, plus, there was a 37% decline in last-minute shopping tweets in the same period.
All signs point to these trends continuing in 2021:
As of October 2021, holiday shopping tweets are already on the rise, increasing 46% year over year. 37% of people surveyed on Twitter say they will start shopping earlier this year, and more than half intend to finish their holiday shopping in November. Of primary interest to marketers, despite all the early planning, 53% of people surveyed on Twitter want to start hearing from brands in November—which may inform when advertisers start their campaigns in earnest.
5 holiday shopping trends marketers need to know
2/2
Brands cannot afford to wait for last-minute sales at the end of December to boost their profit margins—not only were last-minute shopping tweets down 37% in 2020 in comparison with 2019, but supply chain issues could exacerbate those troubles.
22% - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core).
Comparing tweets from Oct. 1, 2019 - Nov. 30, 2019 to Oct. 1, 2020 - Nov. 30, 2020. U.S. only.
47% - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday 2020 – Survey 1
Q6 Do you think you will purchase gifts using the following methods more or less in the next 6 months?
Base: Will purchase a gift - Twitter users (n=567), Non-users (n=502)
37% decline - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core).
Comparing tweets from Dec. 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 to Dec. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only
46% - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core).
Comparing Tweets from Sept. 1, 2020 - Oct. 15, 2020 to Sept. 1, 2021-Oct. 15, 2021. U.S. only.
37% earlier - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 2 data | September 2021
Q2. Compared to one year ago, how do you expect your timing of the following to change, if at all?
Base: Insiders (n=523) and Non-Users (n=500)
More than half - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 2 data | September 2021 Q14. And finally, when do you think you’ll make most of your holiday gift purchases? Base: Insiders (n=523) and Non-Users (n=500)
53% - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 2 data | September 2021
Q13. For each of these winter holidays, when do you want to start hearing from brands about products and services to purchase as gifts? If you don't celebrate this event or holiday please sort into "I don’t celebrate this event or holiday" at the bottom. Base: Insiders (n=523) and Non-Users (n=500)
Trending topics within the holiday season, year over year, 2021 vs. 2020
Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Comparing tweets from Sept. 1, 2020 - Oct. 15, 2020 to Sept. 1, 2021 - Oct. 15, 2021. U.S. only.
+103%
Sports events
+73%
Movies & TV
+44%
Music
+60%
Air travel
+24%
Cruise travel
+23%
Hotels
+15%
Theme parks
+64%
USPS
+22%
Small business
Twitter's survey also showed that people on Twitter are looking to spend more on gifts this year than last, prioritizing big ticket categories like home appliances and personal wellness, including high-end beauty products and athletic wear. And after a year of being primarily homebound, people are ready to get out and have experiences again: Year over year, trending conversations about sports events were up 103%, while vacations requiring air travel were up 60%.
And for key shopping categories? It seems as though the blessing/curse of work-from-home wardrobes are on the way out—designer fashion topics were up 119%.
Entertainment
Vacations
Shipping concerns
Personal finance
Pets
Beauty
Athletic apparel
Appliances
Designer fashion
25%
29%
35%
51%
64%
119%
Trending categories within holiday shopping, year over year, 2021 vs. 2020
Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Comparing tweets from Sept. 1, 2020 - Oct. 15, 2020 to Sept. 1, 2021 - Oct. 15, 2021. U.S. only.
As the beginning of holiday season creeps earlier in the fall—and in some cases late summer—there are many more opportunities for marketers to reach consumers, whose shopping plans move accordingly. Yet, brands also need to beware of holiday fatigue, especially given the finding that the majority of people surveyed on Twitter prefer to start to hear holiday messaging no earlier than November.
After being cooped up during the pandemic shutdown, digital has emergered as the preferred platform for holiday shoppers. And after a year of grim news, people on Twitter are looking to brands to provide positive, fun holiday messaging, and, perhaps just as important, help them splurge on more big-ticket items.
Finally, there is an opportunity for brands to leverage digital creators as a tool to help drive inspiration and engage with people about their gifts planning while encouraging positivity as a way to help drive growth during the holiday season.
Here’s to a truly happy, fun and rewarding holiday season. Cheers!
Interest in types of holiday messaging, 2021 vs 2020
Click to view chart
Click to view chart
Brands increasingly have become an integral part of holiday celebrations, with brand mentions in holiday-related tweets increasing 21% year over year from 2019 to 2020. Top tweeted brand hashtags during this time included product launches (such as #PS5), shopping-related philanthropic donations (#FillTheCart), and semi-virtual experiences (#MacysParade).
21% - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Comparing tweets from Nov. 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 to Nov. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only.
Source
2/3
Is creator marketing the real deal?
While some in the ad world doubt the efficacy of influencer marketing, the fact remains that creator marketing is here to stay—and it’s only increasing in prominence. A recent Twitter survey showed that during the holiday season, more than 1 in 3 people get inspiration from the celebrities and influencers they follow.
In 2020, digital creators were essential to the holiday conversation, with tweets about digital creators increasing 38% within the holiday conversation in comparison to 2019. Engagement with digital creators spiked during key retail moments such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday and started significantly increasing one week out from Christmas.
Source
17% - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Daily average tweets from Sept. 1, 2020 - Oct. 31, 2020 to Sept. 1, 2021 - Oct. 18, 2021. U.S. only.
Video from creators - Source: This data reflects “Amplify Creators”—a hand selected group of content producers on Twitter that produce brand safe video content. Only the handles within that group are measured here. Source: Tubular Data. Data 2019-2020.
Top 10 tweeted brand hashtags within holiday-related tweets in 2020
Click through the links below to view each tweet.
2021
2020
Give ideas for how to celebrate virtually
Emphasize different kinds of people coming together
Are funny in a way that celebrates the holiday season
Emphasize families
Give new ideas about gifts to buy
37%
40%
47%
39%
28%
35%
28%
31%
30%
21%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
#ps5 (PlayStation)
#fillthecart (T-Mobile)
#macysparade (Macy’s)
#optoutside (REI)
#5gsfor5g (T-Mobile)
#giftagamer (NVIDIA)
#verizonlive (Verizon)
#xboxseriesx (Xbox)
#kkwholiday (Cash App)
#croodsnewage (DreamWorks)
Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Top mentioned brand campaign hashtags within holiday-related tweets from Nov. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only.
Digital creator mentions within holiday-related tweets, 2020
Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core).
Mentions of digital creators within holiday-related tweets from Nov. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only.
Video views for creators were up 17% between 2019 and 2020, and gift inspiration/discovery is key. With people on Twitter watching more video from creators, brands should consider leaning into video content to drive more engagement. Creators will play an ever larger role—with an average daily tweet increase of 26% this year over last—within the holiday conversation in 2021.
Gift guides:
Creators are either sharing their own gift guides or launching their own holiday gift collections
3/3
Giving back:
Creators use this time period to give back to their community in a big way by literally giving money away
Vlogmas:
Many creators commit to daily videos during the holiday period and their fans love talking about it on Twitter
42% positive; 32% encouraging - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 2 data | September 2021 Q6. Now, specifically thinking about the current state of the pandemic, what types of tone would you most likely want to see from brands in relation to the holidays? Please select up to 3. Base: Insiders (n=523)
Source
Source
Source
Spend more this year - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 2 data | September 2021
2/2
Source
1 in 3 - Source: Sparkler, Twitter Insiders U.S. Holiday Survey 1 data | June 2021
Q9. Which areas of Twitter do you use for gift inspiration or discovery? Please select all that apply.
Base: Insiders (n=151)
38% - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core). Comparing holiday-related tweets from Nov. 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 to Nov. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only
1/3
Vlogmas:
Many creators commit to daily videos during the holiday period and their fans love talking about it on Twitter
Source
Engagement with digital creators spiked during key retail moments such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday and started significantly increasing one week out from Christmas
Vlogmas:
Many creators commit to daily videos during the holiday period and their fans love talking about it on Twitter
2/3
Gift guides:
Creators are either sharing their own gift guides or launching their own holiday gift collections
Giving back:
Creators use this time period to give back to their community in a big way by literally giving money away
Here are the five things marketers need to know about holiday shopping season now:
Holiday shopping season begins earlier and earlier every year.
2.
1.
3.
4.
5.
Brands that aren't already partnering with digital creators for holiday campaigns are missing out on opportunities to reach shoppers.
Brands have to take care not to overdo the marketing campaigns too early in order to prevent shopper fatigue.
Digital has emerged as the dominant shopping platform post-pandemic.
After the tumult of 2020, shoppers in 2021 want positive messaging about the holidays.
Source
37% in 2020 - Source: Twitter Internal Data (Semantic Core).
Comparing tweets from Dec. 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 to Dec. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. only.
Early birds
Compared with last year, people surveyed on Twitter also prefer more humorous moments than family messaging, implying that this year’s holiday season will be less earnest and more optimistic. Holiday messaging from brands should prioritize the consumer’s mindset: still living through a pandemic, but seeking joy and support from their favorite brands during the holiday season.
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
The takeaway:
Happy holidays have returned, but the changes are here to stay
As the beginning of holiday season creeps earlier in the fall—and in some cases late summer—there are many more opportunities for marketers to reach consumers, whose shopping plans move accordingly. Yet, brands also need to beware of holiday fatigue, especially given the finding that the majority of people surveyed on Twitter prefer to start to hear holiday messaging no earlier than November.
After being cooped up during the pandemic shutdown, digital has emergered as the preferred platform for holiday shoppers. And after a year of grim news, people are looking to brands to provide positive, fun holiday messaging, and, perhaps just as important, help them splurge on more big-ticket items.
Finally, there is an opportunity for brands to leverage digital creators as a tool to help drive inspiration, engage with people about their gifts planning while encouraging positivity as a way to help drive growth during the holiday season.
Here’s to a truly happy, fun and rewarding holiday season. Cheers!
Source
Personal finance
Pets
Beauty
Athletic apparel
Appliances
Designer fashion
25%
29%
35%
51%
64%
119%
Source
Source
2021
2020
Give ideas for how to celebrate virtually
Emphasize different kinds of people coming together
Are funny in a way that celebrates the holiday season
Emphasize families
Give new ideas about gifts to buy
37%
40%
47%
39%
28%
35%
28%
31%
30%
21%
HolidayMessaging-Mobile
Source
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
#giftagamer (NVIDIA)
#verizonlive (Verizon)
#xboxseriesx (xBox)
#kkwholiday (CashApp)
#croodsnewage (Dreamworks)
Source