Marketing

Just a fraction of marketers prepared for holiday season

Photo by istock.com

July 27, 2021

With just about four months to go before the holiday retail sales season hits a very small number, 21%, of marketers are prepared even though 41% believe the season presents a make-or-break opportunity for their brand.

Those are top findings from Sitecore's research on the upcoming holiday season.

Additional findings, according to a press release, include:

• Of marketers with a brick-and-mortar presence, 60% are making it an experiential destination this year, while 49% feel the 2021 holiday season is the last chance to prove the value of their store.
• 65% of marketers think that digitally native e-commerce brands will win the holiday season.
• 91% of marketers are likely to enhance VR/AI offerings by year's end.
• 74% of marketers plan to introduce a subscription content program to boost customer engagement this holiday season.
• Only 60% of brands plan a Black Friday promotion, down 17% from last year.
• 85% of marketers are using the pandemic to "reset" Black Friday sales practices. 80% feel Black Friday has become outdated and associated negatively with consumer culture.
• 78% of marketers say Cyber Monday is no longer "a thing" for their business.

"Retail sales were challenging all last year, especially during the critical holiday season. With attitudes around big events like Black Friday changing, the industry now needs to move quickly to connect with their most loyal customers as they plan to begin holiday shopping much earlier this year. The right technology should showcase those promotions that will incentivize early holiday spending and get customers excited to engage with the brand and their products. The pull through to the in-store experience will be equally critical so consumers feel connected to the brand no matter where they choose to shop," Sitecore CMO Paige O'Neill said in the release.