Q4 PLAYBOOK - CPC Strategylearn.cpcstrategy.com/rs/006-GWW-889/images/Create Your...Set your Goals Create your budget (if necessary) Review 2016 performance Prepare your promos and

AdDiego Summit 2017 | Presented by CPC Strategy & Google

Q4 PLAYBOOK

Creating Your Own Personalized Q4 Game Plan

©Copyright AdDiego 2017 | Presented by CPC Strategy & Google

Our Speakers Today

Jostin MunarSr. Manager,Retail Search

Josh BriscoSr. Manager, Retail Search Operations

Caroline DiehlSr. Retail Search Manager


Today’s Agenda

● The State of eCommerce in Q4 ● Preparing For Q4 ● Executing Going Into Shopping Season● Ramping Down After Shopping Season


The State of Q4


State of Q4

Major Trends in Retail

US retail ecommerce sales increased 17.8% in Q4 2016

Q4 2017 is projected to climb 15.8%

Shoppers are researching earlier and online shopping is running longer.

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/Report/US-Holiday-Shopping-Preview-2017-Recapping-2016-Looking-Ahead-This-Season/2001992


State of Q4 Holiday shoppers are shopping more, earlier

Source: National Retail Federation


State of Q4

Major Trends in Retail

Foot traffic fell approx.12.3% in November & December 2016

US mobile commerce increased by 44%

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/Report/US-Holiday-Shopping-Preview-2017-Recapping-2016-Looking-Ahead-This-Season/2001992


State of Q4 Holiday shoppers are shopping more, earlier


Q4 PLAYBOOK

Prepare Yourselves...


Q4 Planning

Identify Your Goals

● Revenue/Order Volume

● ROI/Profitability

● YoY Growth

● Branding


Q4 Planning

Reflect on Q4 2016 Lessons

● Evaluate Catalog Performance

● Key Brands and Product Types

● Review Promotional Strategy

● Analyze the Competition


Q4 Planning


● Evaluate Catalog Performance

• What were the top performing categories, SKUs and terms - AdWords & Sitewide?

• Which SKUs, Brands, Categories & Terms Saw Largest QoQ Growth?


Q4 Planning


● Review 2016 Promotional Strategy

• What worked and what didn’t?

• Were your marketing channels & channel manager prepared & in sync?

• Were sales advertised on time and for their full duration?


Q4 Planning


● Analyze the Competition

• Who were your top competitors?

• Any one new on the scene

• Who were the IS winners and losers?


Timelines

October 31 - Halloween (54% of shoppers plan to start day after Halloween)

November 10 - Veteran’s Day

Niche verticals can anticipate high pre-holiday demand

Last shopping holiday before the holiday season

November 23 - Thanksgiving Day

Official kick-off to the holiday shopping season

November 24 - Black Friday (2016 online retail sales on Black Friday grew by 21%)

Customers anticipate big discounts online and in-store


Timelines

November 27 - Cyber Monday (US Cyber Monday mobile sales up 34%)

December 25 - Christmas

Forecasted to be the #1 Online shopping day of the year

December 31 - New Year’s EveNew year resolutions and end-of-year sales

December 26th - Boxing Day

Unofficial ‘end’ of holiday shopping for 2017

Day of returns and begin to post holiday shopping season

December ? - Your last shipping dayInternally, the sooner you understand this date the better.


Q4 Preparation

Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready


Q4 Preparation

Promotion & Sale Prep

● Create your promotion calendar early


Q4 Preparation

Promotion & Sale Prep

● Coordinate all promotion elements• Website• Email• Shopping Promotions • Text Ad Copy + Extensions• Display Creative

● Ensure all executing parties are prepared and synced


Q4 Preparation

Campaign Prep

● Align Campaigns around Marketing Goals● Attack all segments of the conversion funnel


Q4 Preparation

Campaign Prep – Google Shopping

● Review product feed for disapprovals● Review feed schedules and frequency● Setup Merchant Center promotions


Q4 Preparation

Feeds - Audit for product disapprovals

● Missing or inaccurate GTINs● Small images● Incorrect availability● Product pages cannot be accessed● Price discrepancies


Q4 Preparation

Feeds - Review Feed Schedule and Frequency

● Align with price and inventory updates● Consider increasing frequency (4 times per day max)● Utilize sale_price and sale_price_effective_date attributes to schedule

promotional pricing


Q4 Preparation

Feeds - Upload Merchant Center Promotions

● Ensure promotions tab is enabled● Check that promotions meet Google policy● Add manually or create a feed to upload in bulk● Review promo feed scheduling


Q4 Execution

Turn Your Preparation to Profit


Q4 Execution

Ad Copy & Extensions

● Update ad copy for the holidays

● Add urgency to your text ads

● Leverage the tried and true extensions

● Test out the new features for 2017

● Showcase Ads (Shopping)

Showing Up


Q4 Execution

Ad Copy

● Create unique copy for various holiday sales• Added relevance for sale related queries• Quickly conveys sale pricing in effect

● Create urgency by using countdown timers• Drive clicks & conversions now

● Ensure ETA coverage for normal text & DSA ads


Q4 Execution Ad Extensions

● The Basics• Sitelinks, Callouts Structured Snippets

• Consider adding top product categories, gift guides, sale pages, etc.• Update Location Extensions • Consider leveraging a reseller rating platform


Q4 Execution Extensions - New for 2017

● Leverage Promotion extensions (beta) and price extensions

● Consider Adding Visual Sitelinks (beta)


Q4 Execution Shopping - New for 2017

● Showcase Shopping Ads• Shown mostly for top of funnel searches• available only in the new AdWords experience• Separate bidding mechanism - max CPE


● Boost daily budgets - Automate if possible

● Anticipate increased competition and higher CPCs• Proactively schedule bid increases before major shopping dates

● Accelerated Campaign Setting if budgets are not strict

● Get in front of shoppers doing research - Build remarketing lists, stay top of mind

Scaling Campaigns Up

Budget & Bidding Rules


Scaling Campaigns Up

Leverage CRM & Remarketing

Review RLSA strategy and bid modifiers - Increase bids on top performing audiences

Utilize Customer Match to target last years buyers

Consider similar audiences for search/shopping to reach new customers


Scaling Campaigns Down

Anticipate Known Trends

● Conversion volume/rate will decrease significantly after shipping deadlines• Scale back budgets & bids accordingly

• Don’t pay a premium to be a B&M virtual showroom• If B&M consider pushing spend on foot traffic drivers


Bullet Point Checklist

● Set your Goals● Create your budget (if necessary)● Review 2016 performance● Prepare your promos and sales and holiday timelines● Align your promotion delivery teams● Perfect your data feed and Merchant Center● Align campaigns around your marketing goals● Leverage remarketing lists and CRM data● Increase bids & budgets into major shopping days● Scale back bids & budgets post shipping cutoffs

© Copyright AdDiego Summit 2017

Thank You

Documents

Q4 PLAYBOOK - CPC Strategylearn.cpcstrategy.com/rs/006-GWW-889/images/Create Your...Set your Goals Create your budget (if necessary) Review 2016 performance Prepare your promos and