Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Connected
Holiday
Brands tap into online platforms and apps for seasonal marketing tactics.
2.4
Trend score
Trend
What is the Connected Holiday trend?
Connected Holiday: Moving away from largescale holiday activations, brands are turning to apps and online platforms to create more approachable connections with their consumers. Utilizing chatbots, AR/VR and platforms like Snapchat to not only celebrate seasonal celebrations but market seasonal items as well, brands are taking the less is more approach to communicate with consumers through platforms they can identify with. These connected marketing strategies showcase how brands are adapting their efforts to be more in line with consumer lifestyle habits especially when it comes to day-to-day tech usage.
Trend themes
Themes within the Connected Holiday trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Connected Marketing
Brands shift from large-scale holiday activations to apps and online platforms, utilizing chatbots, AR/VR, and social media for personalized and approachable marketing connections with consumers
02
Holiday Chatbots
Brands launch chatbots on Facebook Messenger to help consumers get ideas and inspiration for Christmas gift-giving, and to provide daily videos, GIFs, images, and tips for creating an enhanced holiday experience
03
Holiday Augmented Reality
Brands partner with mobile payment apps and use AR to bring festive characters to life, interact with customers through scanned codes placed on ads/packages, and surprise users with monetary sums and personalized holiday wishes
Industry implications
What the Connected Holiday trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Retail Industry
Retailers leverage technology to offer consumers personalized recommendations for holiday gifts and enhance their shopping experience through chatbots, social media, and AR/VR
For
Mobile Payment Industry
Mobile payment apps such as Alipay partner with brands to offer customers personalized and fun holiday experiences, and increase usage and adoption of these apps
For
Marketing Industry
The use of chatbots, AR/VR, and social media prove to be disruptive innovations in holiday advertising, providing a personalized and immersive experience for consumers, and allowing companies to stand out in a crowded holiday market
Workshop question
How can you connect with your core consumer in a more approachable way? What social platforms could you utilize?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Connected Holiday
Trend score 2.4 out of 10, from popularity 35%, activity 29%, freshness 8%.
Popularity35%
Activity29%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X (not a primary audience)
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Evidence
Examples of the Connected Holiday trend
5 featured examples from Nov 25, 2017 to Feb 2, 2018CategoryTech
Festive Christmas Chatbots
Marks & Spencer Created a Chatbot on Facebook Messenger for the Season
Retailers can adopt chatbot technologies to enhance customer interactions, deliver personalized recommendations, and streamline the shopping process.
CategoryMarketing
Holiday AR Ads
Alibaba and Coca-cola are Bringing Cute Characters to Life with Alipay and AR
By leveraging AR technology and mobile payment apps, e-commerce companies can enhance the shopping experience, increase customer engagement, and gain a competitive edge in the mar…
CategoryMarketing
Festive Karaoke Selfie Lenses
Sainsbury's Created a Singing Brussels Sprout Lens on Snapchat
Retail companies can create holiday-themed social media filters to engage with consumers and encourage them to share their experiences with friends and family
CategoryLife-Stages
LEGO Gift-Giving Chatbots
LEGO's 'Ralph' Chatbot for Messenger Helps with Christmas Shopping
Retailers could leverage chatbots to assist customers with personalized gift-giving, similar to LEGO's Ralph
CategoryLifestyle
Festive Donut-Glazing Videos
Krispy Kreme's 'Happy Holiglazer' is an Alternative Yule Log Video
The food and beverage industry can take advantage of trends in branded videos and immersive digital experiences to create innovative and creative marketing campaigns.
