Shopper Marketing: 5 Ways to Make Your Product Stand Out This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a peak period for CPG marketing, marked by a surge in consumer spending and intense competition. In 2023, U.S. retail sales during this period hit a record $964.4 billion, a 3.8% increase from the previous year, with online sales alone growing 6.3% year-over-year, reaching $222.1 billion.

These figures highlight the immense opportunity for brands to capture consumer attention and drive sales.

To stand out, brands must invest in data-driven shopper marketing strategies that resonate with evolving consumer behaviors and digital trends. Here, we explore strategies to boost your shopper marketing effectiveness this season.

What is shopper marketing?

Shopper marketing is essentially influencing purchase decisions at the point of sale by appealing to the shopper’s mindset.

This approach is distinct from consumer marketing, which focuses on overall brand awareness rather than in-store or online purchasing triggers.

With 80% of consumers influenced by online content before shopping, and 60% opting for in-store experiences to physically interact with products, brands need to adopt a dual-channel approach that combines digital and physical touchpoints.

Understanding the difference between shopper marketing vs consumer marketing is essential. Shopper marketing zooms in on optimizing the path to purchase, leveraging in-store displays, digital promotions, and personalized offers.

Consumer marketing, however, drives broader brand engagement through channels like social media and advertisements. By focusing on targeted, tactical engagements in shopper marketing, brands can more effectively convert interest into sales.

5 ways to maximize shopper marketing with AI

Utilize AI for personalized promotions 

AI-powered insights allow brands to create tailored offers based on consumer purchasing habits. This approach aligns well with the whole foods marketing strategy, where understanding specific dietary preferences and sustainability concerns can drive personalized engagement.

AI analyzes historical data, predicting which items are most likely to resonate, increasing relevance, and appeal.

Incorporate dynamic in-store displays 

Brands should consider AI-driven digital displays that change messaging based on store traffic patterns, demographic data, or time of day.

Such an approach appeals to shoppers’ real-time needs and significantly enhances the shopping experience, driving conversions.

Leverage social listening for real-time trend adjustments 

By monitoring consumer conversations, brands can adjust in-store and digital promotions to align with trending products, ingredients, or holiday-related interests.

For example, if a spike in conversations about plant-based ingredients occurs, a food retail marketing team could promote these items prominently to capture interest at its peak.

Automate engagement through messaging channels 

Messaging platforms can deliver AI-driven recommendations or holiday deals to consumers’ phones based on their shopping behavior, preferences, and location. For consumer marketing campaigns, leveraging popular channels like SMS or app notifications ensures your promotions reach consumers at the optimal moment in their shopping journey.

Optimize product placement based on AI insights 

In-store layout optimization, informed by AI analysis, can enhance the product discovery experience. For example, AI can suggest positioning high-demand seasonal products closer to the entrance, boosting visibility and sales.

Shopper marketing in the holiday season

During the holidays, shopper marketing becomes crucial for capturing consumer attention amidst heightened competition.

As 91% of consumers make last-minute purchases, brands can capitalize on this with “just-in-time” discounts or promotions that align with their hunger marketing strategy—creating urgency around limited-time deals.

76% of shoppers admit to being influenced by products seen on social media, highlighting the importance of integrating social proof and timely online marketing to drive in-store purchases.

With the majority of high-income households planning to increase their holiday spending by an average of 21%, brands can target this demographic with premium offerings or exclusive experiences that enhance perceived value.

Additionally, data shows that 68% of shoppers pay more attention to holiday marketing emails, presenting an opportunity to use email as a core driver in shopper marketing strategies.

Effective shopper marketing during the holiday season hinges on understanding and adapting to real-time consumer behavior.

By leveraging AI, brands can tailor their approaches across both digital and physical channels, ensuring a seamless and engaging shopper journey.

Embracing innovative shopper marketing vs consumer marketing strategies, brands can not only enhance the holiday shopping experience but also secure lasting consumer loyalty well beyond the season.

FAQs

How can shopper marketing data help drive in-store purchases during the holidays?

Shopper marketing data provides insights into consumer behavior patterns—crucial for understanding holiday-specific buying triggers.

Tastewise’s platform delivers real-time data on trends, preferences, and effective promotions, helping brands capture attention and convert shoppers at the point of purchase.

By leveraging Tastewise, brands can precisely target what drives holiday sales in-store, creating a seamless, impactful shopping experience.

What role does AI play in optimizing our holiday shopper marketing campaigns?

AI-powered insights take the guesswork out of campaign planning by analyzing vast data points on consumer trends, preferences, and competitor activity.

Tastewise equips CPGs with AI tools that predict purchasing patterns, optimize product placement, and enhance engagement, allowing brands to meet consumer needs swiftly.

With Tastewise, brands can amplify campaign effectiveness, personalizing outreach for the busy holiday season.

How can digital and in-store promotions work together effectively?

A unified strategy across digital and physical channels creates a cohesive brand experience. Tastewise helps CPGs align digital promotions with in-store displays by tracking real-time trends and consumer interactions.

This dual approach leverages online touchpoints to drive foot traffic, ensuring that holiday promotions feel connected and targeted, ultimately increasing brand visibility and shopper conversion.