Digital Super Bowl: Game Time Edits

With summer winding down, school back in session, and football season kicking off, it feels like we’re in the in-between phase—caught between Q3 and Q4. This unique period, which we can call “Q3.5,” is the final stretch before the busy holiday season and crucial time for brands and marketers to ensure their strategies are set in stone. While Q4 plans should ideally be in place by now, there is still an opportunity to implement final optimizations that can significantly impact year-end performance.

As we look toward an unprecedented Q4—marked by increased competition, a busy election season, and high consumer demand—no stone should go unturned. Here are the final edits that can help brands win this season’s “digital Super Bowl.”

1. Bolster Your Bank (of Creative Assets)

In today’s crowded digital landscape, high-quality creative assets are essential to capturing consumer attention, particularly during the fast-paced holiday season. Holiday photo and video shoots, as well as performance-driven content, should be in the final stages by now, with a focus on creating a variety of assets to be deployed across different platforms. These assets need to be clear, concise, and actionable. During the holiday rush, consumers don’t have time to sift through long-winded promotions—ads that communicate promotional details immediately and stand out among the clutter will perform better.

Diversifying creative formats allows platform algorithms more flexibility to target the right person at the right time. To avoid audience fatigue, we recommend building a campaign strategy and visual style for each significant event in Q4 (Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year’s). This way, your creative remains fresh and tailored to the specific needs and emotions tied to each holiday.

2. Capture with Connected TV (CTV)

One of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal is connected TV (CTV), which allows brands to combine the broad reach of traditional television with the precision of digital advertising. Stated in a recent eMarketer report, CTV provides a unique “multiplier effect” on other marketing channels, enhancing their performance by as much as 54%. In the chaotic, hyper-competitive environment of Q4, capitalizing on CTV can give brands a decisive edge.

As we approach the election season, viewers will be glued to their screens, presenting a valuable opportunity for brands to capture attention and drive awareness for their holiday campaigns. Post-election, when consumer sentiment settles, brands can use CTV to ramp up their efforts and carry momentum into Q1.

With CTV expected to see a 13.2% growth in ad spend in 2024, according to eMarketer , brands that leverage this platform will be well-positioned to succeed not only in Q4 but also in the new year.

3. Convert with CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)

Even the most sophisticated marketing campaign won’t drive results if your website isn’t optimized for conversions. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process of making small, data-backed tweaks to your site that can significantly improve user experience and drive more sales. Whether it’s simplifying your checkout process, improving mobile site performance, or optimizing product pages, these small changes can translate into substantial revenue gains during peak periods.

The holiday season brings an influx of new visitors to your site, many of whom may be interacting with your brand for the first time. According to Statista, ecommerce revenue in the U.S. during the holiday season reached over $211 billion in 2022 , and projections show further growth for 2023. Brands that make last-minute CRO updates ahead of their website code freeze (typically implemented before the holiday rush) will be better positioned to capture this increased demand.

Consider A/B testing different landing page designs, checkout flows, and promotional offers to determine what resonates best with your audience. Implementing even minor improvements now can lead to major wins.

4. Test & Diversify Your Media Strategy

The upcoming election will not only dominate headlines but also impact digital advertising costs and competition. Political campaigns spend billions on advertising, and the influx of ads will inevitably drive up the cost of digital media during the peak season. In 2020, U.S. political ad spending exceeded $8.5 billion, with a significant portion allocated to digital platforms, according to Ad Age .

To mitigate the impact of rising ad costs, brands should focus on diversifying their media strategy and testing new channels. Running incrementality tests now will allow you to fine-tune your media strategy, ensuring that your ad spend is allocated efficiently across channels. Explore platforms like TikTok and Pinterest, which are seeing increasing user engagement, strong iROAS, and often lower ad costs compared to more saturated platforms like Facebook and Instagram. TikTok, for example, surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2022 and continues to present a key growth opportunity for brands .

Additionally, maintaining steady investment in earned and owned media (such as email marketing, influencer collaborations, and SEO) is crucial for offsetting rising costs in paid media. Testing different discount strategies—whether percentage-based or dollar-off offers—will also help you determine which promotions resonate best with your audience during the competitive Q4 season.

5. Track, Measure, & Learn

The final step in ensuring a successful Q4 campaign is tracking, measuring, and learning from your performance. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle of the holiday season, but taking the time to analyze your campaigns and identify what worked—and what didn’t—will set you up for future success.

Once the dust settles after Q4, take time to conduct a post-mortem analysis of your campaigns. Identify areas where you excelled, as well as areas for improvement, and use these insights to refine your strategy for next year.

Embrace the Final Stretch

As the holiday shopping season rapidly approaches, brands need to take a proactive, data-driven approach to ensure they are prepared for the busy Q4. By bolstering your creative assets, leveraging the power of CTV, optimizing your website for conversions, diversifying your media strategy, and closely tracking your performance, you can maximize your chances of success in this year’s “digital Super Bowl.”

With the right game plan in place, your brand can thrive not only in Q4 but also set the foundation for continued growth into 2024.