The extremely turbulent year 2020 is drawing to a close and with it the Christmas season is just around the corner. But how does the corona pandemic influence purchasing behavior during the holidays? An analysis provides information.
The first chocolate Santa Clauses are in the supermarkets and Christmas fans have been looking forward to the end of the year since Halloween: the festive season is approaching. While the restrictions are tightened due to the rising number of infections, it is difficult for some people to think about a peaceful Christmas. This year, brands and companies will find it particularly difficult to meet the needs of potential customers. In order to support them in finding the right tone with their advertising measures, the video advertising platform Unruly, in cooperation with Tremor Video, carried out a representative consumer survey with over 500 consumers from Germany and a total of over 2,100 people worldwide at the end of October. Jens Oberbeck, VP Commercial DACH at Unruly, says about the study carried out:
The rapid increase in Covid 19 infections increases the likelihood that Germany will spend this year’s Christmas season in lockdown or at least in a smaller circle. We know that many advertisers are still unsure how the current developments will affect the feelings and behavior of consumers and what the right strategy for their Christmas advertising this year is. Our new study shows that German consumers at this moment want advertising to trigger warm and joyful feelings in them and to focus responsibly on messages about solidarity and mutual support. This is of the highest relevance for brands right now, because we can also see that the vast majority still have the majority of their Christmas shopping ahead of them and online will play a dominant role in Christmas shopping 2020.
Corona pandemic present in minds: Consumers expect a change in Christmas ads
The study shows that the mood among consumers this year can be described as mixed. Seven percent of those questioned answered the question “When you think about this Christmas, which emotions does it trigger in you?” With “anger”. 24 percent even said they feel sad when they think about the holidays. Only around 40 percent of people are in a good mood for Christmas this year. Perhaps this is also the reason for the wish that advertisers adapt their advertising strategy to the current situation this year and break new ground. Especially among 18- to 44-year-olds, the demand for customized ads is great.
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Three quarters of respondents plan to do at least half of their Christmas shopping online
What would Christmas be without presents under the Christmas tree? Unimaginable for many. Most of the respondents said they did their Christmas shopping in November (84 percent). Only ten percent state that they belong to the last minute shoppers and only do their shopping a few days before the festival. An interesting development: Black Friday and Cyber Monday seem to be becoming increasingly popular among respondents between the ages of 18 and 44. Meanwhile, a full 14 percent say that they do the majority of their Christmas shopping on the days of the campaign.
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This trend is also reflected in the study results on the question “How do you plan to buy the most Christmas gifts?” A total of 51 percent want to do their holiday errands mainly or entirely online. Online influences such as surfing the Internet (45 percent) or online advertising (32 percent) greatly inspire the search for suitable gifts.
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Consumers want to spend less money on Christmas gifts in 2020
The corona pandemic is not only leaving a hole in the business plan of small and medium-sized companies, but also in the wallets of consumers. Many had to work short-time this year, so they did not earn their full salary or lost their jobs due to the spread of Covid-19. It is therefore not surprising that 32 percent plan to spend less money on gifts this year because they have less financial means available. For 34 percent, the reason for the falling spending is that they are celebrating Christmas in a smaller circle this year. The majority say they want to be more careful with their spending in these uncertain times (39 percent).
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The year 2020 presents advertisers and consumers with challenges even during the Christmas season. The study by Unruly in cooperation with Tremor Video can provide advertisers with information about what potential customers want in such a difficult time and adapt their marketing measures accordingly.
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