How CPG Brands and CTV Can Create Spellbinding Results This Halloween

Guest Author: Sarah Faustino, Senior Director, CPG Omnichannel Solutions, Catalina

With Valentine’s Day behind us and Easter just weeks away, it’s time to set our eyes and TV media buys on the next candy prize – Halloween.

The Halloween stock-up period starts eight weeks before the actual holiday, with consumers spending up to 17% of their total basket on candy, according to Catalina’s Shopper Intelligence Platform. Inflation took a toll on candy pricing and basket size in 2022. During the stock-up period last year, inflation was over 8% but the average candy basket size only increased by 5%, indicating that shoppers were cutting back. Although basket size may rise again if inflation continues its downward trend, we expect competition amongst brands will be even more fierce as marketers fight for their fair share of wallet.

Based on 2022 purchases, Catalina data shows regional differences with Midwesterners buying a larger proportion of gummies and jellybeans, Southerners gravitating toward non-chocolate choices, while mainstream chocolate was most popular in the Northeast. In contrast, West Coast parents didn’t do as much stocking up in advance and picked up more non-chocolate products in 2022. 

As advertisers begin to work on this year’s Halloween media plans, we anticipate these questions will be top of mind: 

• How do I get higher-quality CTV Targeting?
• What can I do to optimize my CTV ad spend? 
• How can I prove my CTV campaign’s impact/performance? 

Reaching the Right Ghouls and Goblins

Using purchase-based targeting, you can identify your precise consumers and audience segments to capitalize on emerging Halloween trends. For example, recent Catalina research found households with kids, particularly Millennials, are buying slightly less chocolate. Similarly, brands can take advantage of purchase data to engage shoppers based on their preferred flavors – from caramel to mint to strawberry. Chances are, Catalina has an audience for that!  

The real magic happens when Catalina’s powerful shopper data aligns at the household level with Cadent HH IDs to deliver CTV ads to exactly whom you want to reach. With a 99% match rate, you can be confident that ads are delivered to the right household for your precise target. From pumpkin flavor seekers to scratch home bakers, the possibilities are endless when it comes to finding the right product for your seasonal products.      

Conjuring Spooky Activation Efficiency

Wherever the economy stands this Fall, every marketing dollar will count. With responsive marketing techniques, you can intelligently deliver relevant media based on the behavior of your most valuable shoppers. 

For example, Catalina had a client looking for ways to amplify their penetration strategy. They were running upper-funnel advertising and lower-funnel promotions but couldn’t ensure these activities were working together efficiently. Catalina helped to serve a high-value trial incentive only to those who saw the TV ad three times but had not yet purchased it.

Check out how this brand saw a $59,000 cost savings by tracking those who converted on CTV and brought in 74,000 New Buyers. 

Creating a Campaign That’s S’more Efficient

Consumer TV consumption has changed with online video-serviced households now outnumbering those with cable and satellite TV. Yet, according to eMarketer^[1], marketers would boost their CTV ad spending if it could deliver higher quality targeting data, create more efficiency in their media planning and buying process, and display more transparent measurement.

With the right partners, these needs have not only been met but proven. Together, Catalina and Cadent worked with Stuffed Puffs and their media agency to keep this chocolate and marshmallow treat top-of-mind and drive trial. 

Leveraging our consumer purchase-based insights, Catalina and Cadent developed a strategic CTV campaign to pinpoint Marshmallow & Smores Buyers who had never purchased the brand before, as well as the brand’s current competitive and lapsed buyers. With media inflight, Catalina’s Multi-Touch Attribution measurement allowed them to make in-flight tweaks to optimize at the audience level. The campaign lifted sales by 58% and delivered an incremental ROAS of $0.66. About 75% of buyers were new to the brand. 

As you look ahead to Halloween 2023, tap into tools that will fine-tune your targeting, activation, and measurement strategies. While we can’t predict the impact of inflation on this Fall’s habits, we’re confident that the right audience strategies for CTV are sure to cast a spell with tangible results – no hocus pocus.  

Interested in learning more? The Catalina and Cadent teams are available to provide recommendations to help you implement successful CTV and cross-screen campaigns.     

^[1] eMarketer, September 2022, “Beyond the Cookie: Next-Generation Customer Acquisition & Retention for Marketers and Publishers” conducted by PureSpectrum.