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Get Prime Day Results, Marketing through Elections to Holiday & Insights from Google

Even as the nation continues to go through major shifts, some things remain the same; consumers love great deals. Case in point, the much anticipated Amazon Prime Day has ended. And, by all accounts, it was another success. As reports from the big day(s) continue to arrive, Adlucent will keep you in the loop on Prime Day learnings and other digital marketing news. To remain up-to-date as we publish the latest news, sign up for our email newsletter.

How To Navigate Advertising During The 2020 Election – SocialCode

Below is a recap of market research findings, brand safety measures, and ways to adjust strategy during this unique election cycle covered in a recent guide by SocialCode.  

Facebook/Instagram is helping by adding voting initiatives and some safeguards for political and social ads, including identity verification. They also included initiatives to combat and remove the spread of hate speech, fake news, and misleading information. Ad Updates are available to control the type of content brands appear next to. 

Tiktok does not allow political ads. 

Snapchat suggests excluding news from campaign targeting and leaning into the seasonal themes instead. In general, all political ads must have a “paid for by” message and contact information of the sponsoring entity on them. 

Twitter has prohibited political content promotion worldwide but has provided tools to help brands keep a share of voice (SOV). 

Pinterest also does not allow political ads but provides a space to share reliable voting and election data. 

YouTube recommends that campaigns apply topic and relevant keyword exclusions and run on the Limited Inventory setting.

A market research company found that, on average, political ads had no impact on the reception of a brand, but uplifting, positive ads were received well. 

SocialCode recommends brands:

• Stay closely aware of the evolving news and social climate. 
• Identify a brand decision team to decide on and implement any needed social adjustments.
• Assemble a platform or agency communications group.   

Amazon’s Prime Day Performs Strongly For Retail Brands, Early Reports Show – Forbes

On October 13th and 14th, Prime Day saw many brands more than triple their sales. One marketing agency stated that their brands had an average increase of 3x in sales over the previous 30 days by investing in a mixture of deals. But, even brands that ran no deals saw on average an over 100% increase in sales during Prime Day.

What also tripled (according to an ad tech provider) was ad spend – up over 300% the first day of Amazon Prime Day week over week. Furthermore, the most popular ad type (Sponsored Brand advertising) were more costly this year. CPC for sponsored brand ads was up 23%,  

Though metrics indicate that shoppers spent less this year than in 2019, Amazon products sold the best (the top 6 products) on Prime Day. 

Prime Day may forecast future holiday shopping, as most Amazon shoppers had not completed their holiday shopping by the end of Prime Day. And, most of the shoppers still plan to shop on Amazon on Black Friday (80%), Cyber Monday (88%), and again throughout the holiday season. Since many people purchased gift cards, consumers are also expected to return to Amazon to redeem them. 

Ring in the Holiday Season with a Polished Digital Marketing Plan – Adlucent

Holiday sales are forecasted to increase up to 1.5% year over year, and a variety of concerns will influence consumer purchases. Brands can prepare by keeping in mind three main categories consumers will consider while shopping this year: Safety, Urgency, and Availability.

Furthermore, Adlucent has developed a Holiday Checklist to help marketers navigate the holiday season with ease. Brands should check off the following general items which apply to all marketing channels: 

• Verify budgets 
• Review prior year’s challenges and learnings
• Confirm cross-channel strategy and promotional calendar
• Stack hands-on KPIs and goals 

Then, to further prepare, marketers should review the Adlucent holiday checklists covering each of the marketing channels: Search, YouTube, Amazon, Programmatic, and Social and implement the suggestions.

Get Your Business Ready for What Comes Next – Google Ads

During Advertising Week, Google shared tips on the ongoing changes in consumer behavior and demand and the ways automation can help.  

COVID-19 hastened changes in consumer behavior. Brands that recognized and stayed ahead of the shifts, invested in the recognized categories, and capitalized on the rising demands got results.

Google’s Insights Page helps businesses see trends and identify and anticipate rising consumer interests. Companies can deep-dive into the trends to reveal pertinent information and take action through automation (fully automated campaigns via Google Ads and the upcoming Performance Max).

Performance Max will deliver in these areas: Business Goals Performance, Customer Reach, New Insights and Reporting, New Campaign Inputs. Advertisers can expect invitations to join the beta some time in 2021. Brands should also note that video streaming, especially on YouTube, has become more popular. Google Video Action Campaigns will help brands reach more viewers and inspire conversions.

The above overview highlights key news in the fluctuating world of digital marketing as COVID-19 and other events continue to affect the industry. Visit the Adlucent website for ongoing information, summaries, and updates.

Maureen Lomo