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👋 Hey there, and a warm welcome back to Ad Tactics Digest! As we're entering the final stretch of the year, it seems many people are already out of office! Hopefully, this message finds you and your eyeballs well. 😊

Capitalize on the Overlooked "Q5" Opportunity

As the festive season winds down, many marketers shift their focus away from holiday campaigns.

However, savvy advertisers recognize the untapped potential of the period between Christmas and New Year, often referred to as "Q5."

This time offers a unique opportunity to leverage lower costs and maintain high engagement. Here's why you should consider extending your marketing efforts into this often-overlooked period.

1. Lower Costs, Less Competition: Post-December 15th, traditionally marked as shipping cutoff dates, we observe a significant drop in CPMs.

   This trend continues through Q5, providing a cost-effective window for advertising. With many brands pulling back, competition diminishes, allowing your ads to stand out more easily.

2. Sustained Consumer Interest: Despite the holiday season ending, consumer interest in shopping remains high. Many people are not ready to let go of the festive spirit, and with the influx of gift cards and returns, they are often looking for new deals and products.

   This period saw a 19% lower CPM and 7% lower CPA last year, with sustained buying intent.

3. TikTok & Meta's Algorithm: Platforms like Meta and TikTok favor ads with a history of engagement. Often, your top-performing holiday ads can continue to yield strong CPAs into January and beyond.

   Keeping your successful holiday ads running, as long as they remain relevant and don't create a poor user experience, can be a strategic move.

4. The Rise of Q5 on TikTok: TikTok users show a unique pattern during Q5. There's a 76% increase in searches for #sale, 25% more video views than a typical week, and a strong inclination towards engagement and shopping.

   With 81% of TikTok users planning to spend the same or more time on the platform and 79% likely to continue shopping, Q5 is ripe for targeting.

5. Aligning with New Year Resolutions: The New Year is a time of self-reflection and goal setting. A staggering 96% of TikTok users focus on specific goals for the upcoming year. Your brand can capitalize on this by aligning your products with their aspirations for a fresh start - be it in fashion, wellness, or lifestyle.

How to Leverage Q5 for Your Brand

1. Maintain Momentum: Keep your high-performing holiday ads running, but ensure they remain relevant and don’t mislead (e.g., advertising expired sales).

2. Fresh Positioning for the New Year: Repurpose your evergreen or extended holiday sales with a New Year twist. Emphasize how your products align with common resolutions and goals for 2024.

3. Broaden Your Focus: Expand beyond traditional holiday-themed messaging. Highlight how your products can enhance well-being, style, or life quality in the New Year.

4. Optimize for Engagement: Given the high engagement rates on platforms like TikTok during Q5, focus on creating content that resonates and engages your audience.

5. Plan for Prolonged Campaigns: With lower CPMs and CPAs, consider extending your campaigns through March for sustained visibility and reach.

Q5 presents a golden opportunity for marketers to capitalize on lower advertising costs and sustained consumer interest. By strategically planning and adapting your campaigns, you can maximize ROI and set a strong foundation for Q1. Don't let this low-cost opportunity slip by; plan your Q5 strategy now and stay ahead of the curve.

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Ads of The Week 🎥 - PowerStep

Split screen ads are underutilized and PowerStep's recent ad serves as an outstanding example of their potential.

The effectiveness of this ad lies in its strategic use of an authoritative figure – in this case, a medical professional. This lends a significant degree of credibility and trustworthiness to the message.

Additionally, the ad strikes a perfect balance between educational content and promotional material, adhering to an 80/20 ratio.

This approach is highly effective from an advertising perspective, as it prioritizes providing value through education, thereby building a connection with the audience.

Only 20% of the content is dedicated to direct selling, which ensures that the promotional message is not overwhelming. This subtle blend of education and promotion not only enhances audience engagement but also positions the brand as a knowledgeable and reliable source in its field.

➡️ Watch The Full Ad Here

Ad of The Week 🖼️ - Healthy Baby

This ad is effective and well-targeted. It has a compelling way of directly engaging its intended audience; parents with babies or young children will immediately relate to and understand its message.

The simplicity of the visuals is a strong point – the use of unedited images against a real-life background, rather than relying on sophisticated graphic edits, adds a genuine and organic touch.

This approach makes the ad more relatable and eye-catching in a newsfeed crowded with heavily edited content. The minimal text on the image complements this authenticity, avoiding clutter while still conveying the message effectively.

A key takeaway from this ad is the importance of differentiation: in a landscape where many opt for complexity and embellishment ('zig'), choosing simplicity and authenticity ('zag') can make a brand stand out and resonate more deeply with its audience.

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