How Digital Marketing Strategies Adapt as Christmas Shopping Trends are Evolving
Today saw the unveiling of the eagerly awaited John Lewis Christmas advert online, which will be aired on TV screens later this evening. The advert was unveiled on Twitter this morning following a social media campaign led by #ManOnTheMoon. As expected, #ManOnTheMoon is trending only 2 hours after its launch online, with already 39.4K tweets shared on the matter.
The 2 minute long video tells the story of a small girl called Lily who sends a Christmas present to a lonely man on the moon. The voice behind John Lewis’ Christmas appeal shows support for Age UK, encouraging more thoughtfulness this Christmas for lonely older people (see #NoOne campaign). Opinions shared online have been mixed thus far. Can the creative agency behind such an advert, Adam&EveDDB, ever top their 2011 triumph?
“For gifts you can’t wait to give” Advert from 2011:
The full#ManOnTheMoon video:
https://youtu.be/rW36ZfTvp3U
The online hype surrounding the John Lewis Christmas advert highlights the ever increasing importance of smart marketing strategies in a world where retail shopping patterns are becoming ever more global and undoubtedly, digital.
John Lewis appears to execute their strategy quite effortlessly; maintaining its traditional brand values showcasing their new epic #ManOnTheMoon advert, whilst subtly product pushing via e-newsletters, website advertising and encouraging discussion on social media. The advert reminds us why we love John Lewis and what they stand for as a brand, but ultimately, most traffic and retail sales will be generated through their clever use of social media. Their advertising campaign was promoted and publicized on a number of platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; statistically, a vast digital outreach.
The consumer market is moving away from traditional Christmas shopping experiences and seeking inspiration through social media platforms, in an attempt to engage with consumers on a more emotional level. More recent trend mapping shows the impact that bloggers and influencers, as well as peer-to-peer recommendations, now play in consumer purchase patterns. In an article recently published by Forbes online, they refer to a McKinsey Study, whereby
“marketing-inspired word-of-mouth generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising, and these customers have a 37% higher retention rate.”[1]
Social media is no longer simply a method of marketing a product to a targeted audience; social media has become shoppable. A high proportion of Christmas shopping sales this year are set to be generated through more accessible means, most likely, mobile friendly websites. For instance, the like2buy platform by Curalate on Instagram, a platform that has become an increasingly popular choice for retail giants, taken on by names such as Target and Nordstrom.[2]
From a marketing perspective, it is clear the effect of social media can have a dramatic impact in terms of generating sales through customer-brand interaction. Furthermore, it demonstrates the importance of engaging with customers over multiple social media channels.
Let us take inspiration from John Lewis #ManOnTheMoon campaign and boost our businesses this Christmas with smarter online marketing.
What did you think of the John Lewis Christmas Advert? Have your say and tweet us @keymultimedia!
[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/kylewong/2014/09/10/the-explosive-growth-of-influencer-marketing-and-what-it-means-for-you/
[2] https://www.vendhq.com/university/retail-trends-and-predictions-2015
Blog written by Emily Simons. Published by Toby McConnell.
