How brands risk being left out of the holiday picture

The pandemic is shaping consumer behaviour for the foreseeable future, but what does that mean for brands looking to maximise sales this Christmas?

While industries grapple with the effects of this global phenomenon, it comes as no surprise that humanity persists. At the heart of this resilience is the internet and other technologies creating new narratives for consumer behaviour at speeds no marketer could have anticipated pre-pandemic.

So as brands look at making the most of the last quarter, there are two important considerations for them to weigh up: deciding where to invest their marketing dollars, and if their agencies are delivering the right content with the right media plans. 

Consumers have found their second home

Across the globe consumers, compelled by a very turbulent year, have found new meaning in the world of online experiences. Families are spending a lot more time together, be it on video calls with the grandparents or Zoom parties for birthdays. Family time is now an important time. In the APAC region alone, our research has found that 86% of parents and kids spend time together online.  

And it’s not just family time that has evolved. A survey released by Adobe this August found that 58% of consumers in APAC increased their online shopping during the lockdown, and while that’s not so surprising, a Rakuten Advertising report states that 73% of consumers in APAC plan to conduct their festive shopping online.

So, the question then remains, are kid- and family-oriented brands making themselves seen, felt, and heard in the right ways?

Brands have been slow to adapt

The TotallyAwesome Kids Digital Insights APAC 2020 study reveals that the pandemic has cemented the use of digital in the family even further, while family co-viewing is at an all-time high. That includes the kids—and they’re making purchase requests associated with online creators (59%). An incredible 98% of parents in the APAC region are influenced by their kids on purchase decisions.

And though these consumers are empowered by technology, brands have been surprisingly slow to adapt. Today, kids and families respond to keenly immersive experiences online. With the rise of AR and VR technologies, engagement speaks a whole new language, and these audiences want to be surprised and delighted with their online interactions.

Bespoke content: the new measure for success

With Christmas right around the corner, brands have the opportunity to drive relevance with customised pieces of content that resonate with their audience. The remarkable power of bespoke creative gives brands a 10% to 15% engagement boost. That’s no small feat. 

It’s certainly not too late. Kids are still making their Christmas wish lists and, no surprises again, these wish lists are mostly virtual! Our strategically mapped Christmas Metaverse is designed for brands to take the experience of Christmas far beyond ornately decorated aisles in stores and turn engagement into rich and immersive digital masterpieces, bringing brands much closer to this hard-to-reach audience than ever before.  

The opportunities don’t stop there. Some game-changing innovations in the kids-space allow brands the first-time-ever ability to truly deep dive into the nuances of this fickle and tough audience. With the help of data and psychology, brands can be equipped with all the insights they need to explore uniquely authentic moments for this audience and be a part of their Christmas, not just this year, but every year.

And there’s still more for brands to consider this Christmas. Kids-safe technology ensures that brands deliver these exciting experiences to kids and families in absolutely safe and compliant ways that ensure maximum reach and unparalleled results.

In this era of rapid hyper-connectedness, as technology brings consumers and brands ever closer, authentic experiences are the true differentiator for brands eager to capture a share of voice and these experiences cannot be bought at the store.  

So the question kids and family brands should be asking this Christmas isn’t just what can be done digitally, but why brands are yet to truly capitalise on this rich digital audience waiting for their favourite brands to show up at their second, online home. 

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Will Anstee is CEO of TotallyAwesome APAC.