To discuss just that we caught up with Incubeta’s ZA Media & Platform Consultant, Calvin van Rensburg, Business Unit Director, Chelsea Owens and Operations Team Lead Julien Fievez to get some top tips on preparing for peak season.

“With more and more brands seeing the value investing in digital as a communication tool, it’s easy to get lost in the clutter amongst your competitors. Planning a tailored approach based on business data and objectives that are aligned to your Martech stack will allow you to grow your sales this last quarter of 2021,” – Calvin van Rensburg

Planning is indeed the key as it allows brand managers, category managers, and e-commerce to manage expectations internally; with the added benefit of accurate revenue forecasting. Advanced planning allows for strategic considerations to be applied in terms of what products need to be promoted and what channels are best placed to drive product sales. Adequate preparation allows an organization to identify quick wins. The longer the prep time the more factors can be taken into account such as merchandising and ranges. The consequence of poor or minimal planning very often leads to a scenario where agency and client are not aligned on expectations and reality. From a performance perspective, we’re always looking to drive the client’s bottom line, but it’s vital to have clear, shared goals which inform your peak season strategy. 

Top Tips:

Set achievable objectives based on historical data 

Using historical data can be tricky considering the challenges the pandemic brought about,  however it is not completely invaluable. It’s crucial to set targets that are actually achievable, both from a platform and a revenue perspective.

Refine your target audience with a mix of 1st party and 3rd party data

It’s cheaper and more efficient to engage with a known audience. Use the data from your apps, client lists and other data sources to segment your audience data to support your objectives.

Make it relevant and built for a seamless mobile experience 

A study conducted by Deloitte highlighted that 70% of mobile shoppers will abandon the buying process if it seems too difficult. A flawless mobile shopping experience translates into a smooth purchase decision.

Create engaging communication messaging

Invest in your content and communication messaging to create a more consumer-centric content experience. Your communication needs to be personalized and engaging to your target audience. 

Up weight investment on your always-on platforms that perform well

The extra awareness tactics will benefit these platforms. You don’t want to lose out on potential revenue because of insufficient budgets.

Be Creative

Creatively, understand what works for your brand and your audience – Finding the balance is key. 

Test, Test, Test

Test before your push play – If you are trying something for the first time this festive season, test it before your push play on a big-budget investment. 

Don’t spread yourself too thin

Avoid the temptation to spend small amounts on a large number of campaigns targeting too many users. If you don’t have big budgets, be strategic with every cent.

2021 Peak Season Predictions

There is still an element of uncertainty when it comes to predicting what this upcoming peak season will bring, however, we see this Black Friday being frenetic from a digital advertising perspective. With the digital awakening spurred on by the pandemic, everyone is going to be partaking but not everyone is going to be reaping the benefits.

 “From a brand perspective, and revenue driver, this Black Friday is probably going to be more of a molehill than a mountain. Bidding wars are imminent, and unless you are going to be offering a truly competitive deal, this is going to be one expensive marketing exercise.” – Chelsea Owens

With majorly increased competition, advertisers need to prepare to spend more to get the results they want. This year, we’re likely to see some return to in-store activity, but we’re expecting to see a large volume of activity online, especially in the research phase.