What is Q5 and why should you care?
Does your media plan include “Q5” advertising?
When holiday shopping is in the rearview mirror, your audience is ready to treat themselves. High on the “new year, new me” mindset with fresh pocket money in tow, they’re clicking on Instagram ads and you’re ringing in the new year with growing ROI.
What is Q5?
To spend or not to spend? Many advertisers believe that it’s wasteful to invest ad spend during Q5–the period between late December and mid-January. Why? They assume that the average consumer is busy with family, traveling, and/or they don’t have any money left to spend.
It’s easy to make these assumptions when reflecting on the craziness of Q4. The cost of marketing spikes during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas as competitors vie for precious ad space across offline and online media. Then, Santa heads back to the North Pole, advertisers pull back, and CPMs start to drop. Hello, opportunity!
Climate Conditions
–Before we dive into media buying strategies, here are some 2021 tidbits to consider:
-Holiday travel is up 43% compared to 2020
–Both adults and children are heading into the holidays with COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 200 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated.
-Media consumption habits evolved as did the state of transparent tracking
–The shipping cutoff is 12/23/21 according to USPS
–Automotive advertising is down
Why is this context important? Each of these realities affects the offline and online media landscape, and drives successful Q5 media planning and buying.
Q5 Media Buying Strategies
So, what are the driving forces and tactics for advertising in Q5?
1. Take advantage of lower CPMs on digital platforms and higher usage
2. Build momentum for Q1 2022
3. Recoup from a lackluster Black Friday/Cyber Monday performance
4. Implement personalization and optimization
5. Leverage home co-viewing and consumers’ time off
Remember, holiday themes will be exhausted at this point, but New Year’s resolutions will be aflutter. Personalize ad experiences to tap into this psychological shift. A/B test creative assets and optimize daily to maximize campaign performance in early 2022.
If Black Friday/Cyber Monday revenue was underwhelming, Q5 is your chance to recover. Take advantage of low CPMs, available ad inventory, and access to audiences who have more free time and gifted money.
Family holiday time, school vacation, and job hiatuses lead to higher media consumption. Co-viewing opportunities rise as families and friends get together, newly vaccinated kids gather, and event TV continues. This period is less cluttered and allows advertisers to make a splash for not as much cash!
Ramp Up Revenue with Resident Experts
With decades of experience in media planning and buying, Marketing Doctor understands the nuances of Q5 advertising across industries.
At the core of what we do, research drives strategy. Audience behavior, media consumption habits, and external climate conditions shape Q5 media plans. 2022 forecasting informs the approach as well. For example, streaming audio/podcasting are projected to increase 17.8% and mobile advertising will surpass direct mail for the first time ever.
Are you ready to ring in the new year with a boost of ROI? Take advantage of Q5!
