Experian Identifies Consumer Trends to Help Marketers Boost Holiday Sales

Experian Identifies Consumer Trends to Help Marketers Boost Holiday Sales

Experian’s 2009 Holiday Marketer trend report showcases consumer trends and insights while outlining tactics marketers can use now

Schaumburg, Ill., Sept. 29, 2009 — As consumer confidence remains low this holiday season, marketers who understand their customers’ shopping behaviors and preferences are best positioned to connect with those who are spending and drive strong holiday sales.     

Experian Marketing Service’s new report, The 2009 Holiday Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report, provides information on the best ways to reach consumers based on behaviors and trends.

The report features information about specific tools, such as e-mail, search, direct mail, social networks, database management and data enrichment, that is combined with deep consumer insight and in-depth knowledge about market trends.

The report also assesses the current marketing landscape and examines which activities are most likely to drive early and lasting holiday marketing success, including a comprehensive look at digital and traditional channels, insight to key behaviors consumers are likely to exhibit, prediction and trend information, and strategic recommendations and cost-saving tips. For example:

• Younger adults are using coupons at higher rates than they did last year, while older adults are taking advantage of more incentive-based offers such as free product with purchase and cross-sale promotions. 
• Free shipping e-mails garner the highest open and click-through rates. Shorter expiration dates on these types of offers lead to higher conversion rates.
• The three main vehicles that drove more than half of the traffic to retailers’ Web sites were search, e-mail and other retailers, respectively, during the 2008 holiday season.
• Almost half of all purchases from catalogs are made during the last two calendar months of the year, with women making more purchases than men and households without children making more purchases than their counterparts.
• Over the past four years, the highest market share of Web site visits occurred on Thanksgiving Day, followed by Black Friday.

“Analyzing current trends coupled with understanding your customers’ needs and behaviors is the first step to putting your company, products and services on your target customer’s radar,” said Matt Seeley, president of Marketing Services Platforms Division at Experian. “Actively engaging them across all channels this season will help marketers work smarter. Companies that rely on best practices and qualitative analytical insight will drive customer engagement during the 2009 holiday season and beyond.”

Marketers who incorporate data and careful planning into all holiday initiatives will help ensure strong sales and lasting customer engagement. Having the right customer insight will provide an understanding of shopping behaviors and preferences of the target market.

Click here to download a free copy of The 2009 Holiday Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report.

About Experian
Experian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to manage their credit relationships and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2009, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and São Paulo, Brazil. 

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

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Contact:
Jennifer Marshall
Experian Public Relations
1 224 698 8798 Telephone
jennifer.marshall@experian.com Email