Maximize Your Holiday Ad Campaign Performance with Audience-First Strategies

The holiday season is a critical time for advertisers, with many brands and retailers relying on the weeks leading up to this festive season to make up a significant portion of their sales for the year. This year, despite inflation, U.S. retail sales are projected to grow by 4.8%, with e-commerce almost doubling this growth rate – a steady increase from 2023. Analysts project that shoppers will focus on essentials and modest splurges, while a compressed holiday calendar – with Black Friday falling later in November than last year – and heightened demand for discounts will shape consumer behavior. Mobile and in-store shopping will be crucial, alongside increased interest in social and video channels (think shoppable ads on CTV, and social platforms like Instagram and TikTok). Ultimately, it will be the battle for the best value as retailers face fierce competition to offer the best deals. 

With Cadent’s curated Audience Direct packages, marketers can ensure that their ads reach the most valuable segments of shoppers and holiday content consumers. By tapping into more than 125 million households with proprietary viewership insights, Cadent offers a powerful solution to drive business outcomes and engage target audiences when and where they are most receptive. 

Why an Audience-First Strategy Matters 

Today, advertisers need more than just a contextual approach to reach consumers. An audience-first strategy is the key to cutting through the noise, ensuring that ad dollars are spent reaching those most likely to purchase the product or service. Whether targeting seasonal shoppers or holiday moviegoers, this strategy enables marketers to connect with their audience across various platforms and publishers, for maximum impact. 

Focusing on the desired audience, instead of solely relying on inventory, will lead to increased engagement and improved ad performance, and will ensure delivery of timely, relevant messages that resonate with the target audience. 

Leverage Cadent’s Holiday Audience Direct Package 

The holiday season brings a flood of consumers ready to shop for gifts, enjoy holiday movies, and partake in seasonal festivities like cooking, traveling, and winter sports. This year, retailers should focus on personalized and omnichannel shopping experiences, according to BCG. As social and mobile shopping see continued growth, brands that leverage data-driven strategies to offer customized deals and seamless shopping experiences will outperform the competition. 

Cadent’s holiday Audience Direct package allows advertisers to harness proprietary viewership insights that inform supply to deliver ads to audiences that matter most during this critical time. 

Key targeting features include: 

• Shopper data: Target audiences who are heavy gift spenders and likely holiday shoppers, both online and in-store, across categories like toys, electronics, and apparel. Advertisers can also target retailers, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart. 

• Location/viewing data: Reach consumers who frequent stores during the holiday season, and viewers of popular holiday programming like the Hallmark Movie Network, Freeform, and Lifetime. 

By leveraging these insights, advertisers can be certain that their ad spend reaches the right shoppers at the right time, maximizing both engagement and ROI. 

Why Audience Direct Packages Stand Out 

Cadent’s Audience Direct packages go beyond standard targeting. They offer a data-driven solution to reach high-value segments such as seasonal shoppers and holiday movie lovers, all while maintaining precise targeting and efficient campaign scaling across premium omnichannel supply. 

Powered by Aperture Viewer Graph, Audience Direct connects brands with their ideal audiences across premium publishers in a seamless manner and across CTV, linear TV, mobile, or desktop. , Audience Direct ensures impactful delivery and optimized costs by bundling data and inventory.  

Benefits of using Audience Direct include: 

• Advanced targeting: Leverage proprietary insights to curate the most engaged audiences, whether that’s shoppers looking for holiday gifts or moviegoers enjoying festive programming. 

• Efficient reach: Easily scale your campaign across 125M+ households with seamless activation across premium inventory. 

• Omnichannel activation: Advertisers can activate Audience Direct packages across a range of devices and formats so that your message reaches consumers no matter where they are watching or shopping. 

• Flexible Transaction: Activate your holiday Audience Direct package via a managed service campaign with Aperture DSP, or leverage Aperture MX to activate your Audience Direct package via your preferred DSP with a deal ID. 

Ready to Get Started? 

As the holiday season approaches, now is the time for brands to refine their advertising strategy. By leveraging Cadent’s Audience Direct packages, marketers can confidently target the shoppers and viewers who are most likely to engage with their brand. 

Get in touch with Cadent today to learn more about how Audience Direct can optimize your next campaign and achieve your business goals during this critical holiday period.