盛夏通常不是我们关注即将到来的新学年的时候，尤其是在今年感觉比去年正常一些的时候。尽管如此，现在是品牌关注返校的时候了--尽管七月刚刚结束。
作为市场营销人员，我们都知道，市场营销资料不会神奇般地出现。也不是一夜之间就能完成的。从计划的角度来看，现在正是抓紧时间的时候，以免落后。尼尔森跟踪服务公司（Nielsen Tracking Services）的数据显示，创意人员早在七月就开始为返校日做计划，并在八月达到高峰。而当我们考虑今年的规划时，品牌不能只是将往年的创意稍作调整就重新使用。今年与以往不同。
不仅今年的情况不同，COVID-19 大流行所导致的情况也仍在不断变化。这就更需要零售商保持灵活性和适应性。但就目前而言，全国大部分地区都在集中精力重返课堂（全职或兼职），这意味着家长们很快就会开始返校购物这一古老的传统。虽然今年的一些采购可能是大流行病生活所特有的，但校服和教室用品将是家长们最关心的问题。
So what should advertisers be thinking about? Namely, where will consumers be shopping, and which media channels are the best way to connect with them? When it comes to shopping, this year will look much different from last year, as parents and students move toward a hybrid of online and instore shopping experiences. That’s because while many people are returning to many of their pre-pandemic habits, including shopping in stores, certain new behaviors developed over the past 16 months will stay. This includes using click-and-collect, same-day services and contactless delivery options. These services have all raised the bar when it comes to convenience. 便利性 is one pandemic-era byproduct that shoppers are not leaving behind.
In terms of engaging with consumers, the world is in a different place than it was last year, and channel choice will be critical. A recent survey by Nielsen Audio found that nine out of 10 U.S. consumers say they are “ready to go” in resuming many—if not all—of their pre-pandemic activities. Those activities involve time away from home and shopping, which means they’re influenced by out of home advertising and branding. All of which are part of building up shoppers’ awareness and consideration of advertisers.
走出家门也意味着又有更多的时间花在汽车上和听收音机上。
广播仍然是覆盖面最大的渠道（根据尼尔森音频公司的数据，86% 的美国成年人使用广播），广告商不应忽视的事实是，在最近的调查中，77% 的消费者表示，与疫情高峰期相比，开车在他们增加的活动中排名第二。而在今年的开学季，开车上学的孩子将是乘坐校车上学的孩子的两倍（65% 对 32%）。
Something else to consider: mailed advertisements. Yes, it sounds contrary to the digital lives that we’re all living these days, but they work. Prior Nielsen research shows that direct mail helps drive brand recall and consideration. For advertisers that missed out on brand presence due to closed stores, direct mail offers a way to stay top-of-mind with shoppers. Many retailers grew their new customer bases as a result of the increase in demand of shoppers—direct mail may be a new channel worth adding to the marketing mix. According to Nielsen Scarborough data, the number of people buying items as a result of receiving mailed coupons has been rising over the past three years—and so has the frequency of purchases.
当然，视频是我们媒体饮食中的一大主食。尼尔森电视测量数据显示，在美国人平均每天花在媒体上的 10 小时 20 分钟中，有一半以上（55%）花在视频上。重要的是，我们的观看方式远非千篇一律。对于零售商来说，这意味着必须了解谁是你的受众，然后在受众会看到的渠道上规划你的广告。而随着 CTV 和流媒体的兴起，这种渠道可能是广告支持的视频点播服务或虚拟多渠道视频节目发行商（vMVPD），而不是传统电视。
The other aspect of today’s connectivity that retailers need to be mindful of is that the decision makers are increasingly becoming the students instead of the parents. A recent back to school marketing insights survey from Rakuten, for example, found that students are driving this year’s buying decisions—and they’re looking to social media platforms and influencers for inspiration. In fact, Nielsen’s March 2021 Total Audience Report found that almost half of streaming video services users 18-34 said they were influenced to purchase specific products or brands used in streaming video content. Retailers may look to add affiliate marketing to their mix as it includes influencers and other third-party partners.
So amid the channel, device and content fragmentation, how can retailers break through? First, know what resonates. Online shopping and convenience are paramount, as are the social media marketplaces where trends are being born daily. Stay agile and adjust in step with unfolding changes involving the pandemic, health, safety and what matters most to consumers. And when it comes time to launch your marketing, test, test and test.
