Programmatic Strategies for Success in the 2024 Back-to-School Shopping Surge

With the back-to-school and back-to-college shopping season already underway, businesses are in a race to capture the attention of eager shoppers. This annual surge in consumer spending is a time-sensitive opportunity for brands to connect with their target audiences, primarily through programmatic advertising strategies on DSPs. The latest data from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics reveals that over half of the shoppers (55%) began their purchases by early July, signaling a robust shopping season ahead.

The 2024 back-to-school season is shaping (tvb.org) up to be one of the most lucrative yet, with spending expected to reach an impressive $38.8 billion, making it the second-highest on record. On average, households are predicted to spend around $875 on back-to-school items. At the same time, college students and their families are set to spend even more, with average expenditures reaching $1,365 per household. These staggering figures highlight the importance of well-timed, targeted advertising strategies to maximize engagement and conversion during this period.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into the programmatic strategies partners leverage on DSPs to boost their back-to-school campaigns, ensuring they reach the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Maximizing 2024 Back-to-School Season

In July 2024, our DSP saw a surge in ad spend as agencies and direct advertisers capitalized on the U.S. market’s back-to-school and back-to-college shopping frenzy. The top trending topics that drove peak ad spending were “back to school” apparel and “back to school” shoes, reflecting the high demand for these essential items. Additionally, as students prepared to head back to college, there was a significant focus on “back to college” dormitory questions.

Our direct advertisers, representing diverse industries such as automotive, IT, entertainment, telecommunications, e-commerce, and finance, leveraged our technology solutions to target customers effectively during this critical shopping period. By focusing on these trending topics and utilizing our advanced programmatic strategies, they were able to reach their audiences at scale, driving increased revenues across the board.

Of course, we have not lost sight of Amazon’s Prime Day, held in July, significantly shaping back-to-class shopping trends for 2024. According to recent statistics, 68% of consumers planned to shop exclusively for deals on Prime Day, taking full advantage of the event to stock up on back-to-school and back-to-college essentials. Additionally, 32% of shoppers intended to explore other online deals during Prime Day, while 26% planned to visit in-store deals at other retailers, highlighting the broader impact of this event on the entire retail ecosystem.

As a result, our partners saw a noticeable uptick in ad engagement during Prime Day. Targeted campaigns focused on these shopper behaviors, ensuring their products were front and center during this critical sales event.

Key Trends in 2024 Back-to-Class Spending and Shopping Habits

Drawing on data from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, let’s examine the 2024 school and college shopping projections. These projections offer key insights into how families invest in the upcoming academic year.

Back-to-School Spending

The 2024 back-to-school season continues to show strong consumer spending patterns. Total expected spending is projected to reach $39 billion, slightly down from the previous year’s $41 billion. Despite this dip, the per-household spending remains robust, with an average of $875, only slightly below the $890 per household recorded in 2023. This trend reflects a consistent demand for back-to-school items over the past few years, with spending generally increasing from $26 billion in 2019 to its peak in 2023. The expected spending per household has seen a similar upward trend, from $697 in 2019 to a peak of $890 in 2023.

Back-to-College Spending

The back-to-college market also shows a strong spending pattern for 2024, with total expected spending projected at $87 billion. Although this is a decrease from the $94 billion spent in 2023, the expected spending per household remains nearly unchanged, at $1,365 compared to $1,367 last year. Over the past five years, back-to-college spending has steadily increased, from $55 billion in 2019 to $94 billion in 2023, with per-household expenditures rising from $977 in 2019 to its peak of $1,367 in 2023. This consistent growth underscores the significant investment that families continue to make in preparing college students for the academic year ahead.

Where are U.S. Consumers Shopping for Back-to-Class?

In 2024, consumer shopping habits for back-to-school and back-to-college items show a clear preference for online and discount stores. For back-to-school shopping, 57% of consumers shop online, making it the most popular channel. Department and discount stores also remain significant, with 50% and 47% of consumers opting to shop at these locations.

Similarly, for back-to-college shopping, online platforms lead the way, with 50% of consumers making their purchases online. Department stores and discount stores follow, with 35% and 31% of consumers, respectively, preferring these options. These statistics highlight the ongoing shift towards online shopping, while traditional retail outlets play a vital role in back-to-class spending.

Back-to-Class and Sustainability

Sustainability continues to be a significant consideration for back-to-class shoppers in the U.S. In 2024, 71% of back-to-school and 67% of back-to-college students indicated that it’s essential that the items they purchase be sustainable or environmentally friendly. This growing concern for the environment is influencing buying decisions across various categories.

Back-to-college shoppers are interested in buying secondhand items. Textbooks top the list, with 43% of students willing to purchase them secondhand. Clothing follows at 31%, while electronics (23%) and school supplies (22%) also see substantial consideration for secondhand purchases. This trend highlights a shift towards more eco-conscious shopping habits among students, reflecting a broader awareness of sustainability in consumer behavior.

Strategies for Planning Back-to-School Campaigns

Thanks to our close collaboration with direct advertisers and agencies, the insights and patterns we’ve observed offer valuable guidance for the upcoming season. Based on these findings, DecenterAds experts have crafted the following recommendations to help you develop strategies to maximize revenue during the back-to-school season.

Harness the Latest Trends for Back-to-School Advertising

When planning back-to-school programmatic ads, consider where consumers spend. For back-to-school shopping, 57% shop online, 50% visit retail stores, and 47% choose discount stores. Clothing stores attract 42% for new wardrobes. Similarly, back-to-college shopping sees 50% online, 38% in retail, and 31% in discount stores. Clothing stores, college bookstores, and office essentials capture 26% of shoppers for apparel and supplies.

Craft a Comprehensive Understanding of Your Target Audience

Identifying back-to-school shoppers, parents, educators, and students might seem simple, but these groups are diverse. Understanding their varied demographics is critical to optimizing your campaigns. Developing detailed customer profiles offers crucial insights into specific segments’ behaviors and characteristics. These profiles help shape a digital strategy that connects with your audience, guiding decisions on messaging, creative elements, channels, and targeting methods.

Explore Innovative Formats for Back-to-School Campaigns

Focus on platforms like TikTok and OTT advertising, which have seen increased use, to engage parents and students and understand where they spend their time. A multi-channel approach using native ads, display, video, CTV, audio, in-game, and DOOH ensures consistent messaging throughout the funnel. Updating on emerging channels and trends can give your back-to-school marketing a strategic edge.

Targeting Strategies for Effective Back-to-School Marketing

Back-to-school shopping is a family affair, with kids eager for new clothes and supplies. After identifying your audience and channels, optimize your strategy with targeted methods:

• Geotargeting: Focus ads on specific locations, like school zip codes.
• Contextual Advertising: Place ads on relevant content, such as parenting articles.
• First-Party Data: Expand reach with lookalike audiences or retarget past visitors.
• Dynamic Retargeting: Use personalized ads to remind users of products they’ve browsed.

Boost Price Transparency and Value Proposition

Over 40% of U.S. consumers are comparison shopping for back-to-school supplies, with 70% prioritizing price and quality. To attract these shoppers, offer easy price comparisons, value packs, and bundles, and 46% of parents plan to buy pre-configured kits. Enhance loyalty programs with special discounts and implement wish lists or registries for college students. Tailor promotions to local markets to maximize appeal. Amazon’s Randall Park Ads & Deal Days, focusing on savings for budget-conscious families, is an excellent example.

Unleash the Full Potential of Your In-Store Experience

DecenterAds DSP experts suggest enhancing your brand’s reach by hosting pop-up events. These temporary experiences offer a unique way to engage customers, increase visibility, and collect valuable insights that can guide decisions on future permanent locations. Leveraging the expertise of DecenterAds DSP can help you make the most of these opportunities, ensuring your in-store experience resonates with your target audience.

Boost Engagement with Rich Media & Interactive CTV Ads

DecenterAds experts recommend using rich media ads, which combine interactive elements like text, video, and animation to capture attention and drive engagement. These ads are highly effective in generating foot traffic, leads, and brand awareness. For example, carousel-rich media ads can showcase multiple products, such as back-to-school shoes or supplies. Enhance these ads with Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) to target specific stores or regions for a more significant impact.

Maximize Targeted Engagement with Programmatic Audio & CTV

Combine programmatic audio and CTV for back-to-school campaigns to reach your audience across multiple devices, smartphones, tablets, smart speakers, and CTVs. These channels use data analytics to segment audiences based on demographics and habits, allowing you to tailor ads to specific groups. Platforms like Spotify, Pandora, Hulu, and Roku boast high engagement, ensuring your ads capture attention during extended content consumption.

Transform Your Campaign with Real-Time Insights

Real-time tracking of engagement rates, conversions, and audience demographics can elevate an excellent campaign to great. Use a centralized data tool to analyze trends and address challenges swiftly. DecenterAds DSP is ideal for ad agencies, in-house teams, and media buyers looking to optimize campaigns and achieve outstanding results.

?

Stay up to date with our company?news