Back-to-school season ranks among the most critical shopping events of the year, particularly for retailers offering education-related products, clothing, electronics, and more. According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school spending is projected to reach $189.7 billion by 2028, with college supply spending expected to exceed $90 billion in 2024.
In this blog, we’ll explore how advertisers can tap into this lucrative market by harnessing the power of retail media and data. Leveraging platforms like Walmart DSP and Amazon DSP—both accessible through Choozle’s managed services—brands can connect with shoppers across various channels and devices. Advertisers can optimize their back-to-school campaigns by utilizing insights from retailers’ first-party data.
What are Retail Media and Data Providers?
Retail media and data providers are platforms and solutions that allow advertisers to access inventory across the open web and on retailers’ properties. These platforms offer several benefits for advertisers who want to optimize their back-to-school campaigns, such as:
- Access to large and engaged audiences: Retailers have millions of customers who visit their websites, apps, and stores every week, looking for products and deals. By using their retail media and data platforms, advertisers can tap into these audiences and target them with relevant ads based on their shopping behavior, preferences, and intent.
- Omnichannel reach and measurement: Retail media and data platforms enable advertisers to reach shoppers across multiple channels and devices, such as display, video, audio, mobile, and connected TV. Moreover, they allow advertisers to measure their ads’ impact on online and offline sales by connecting online and in-store transaction data. This gives advertisers a fuller picture of which specific digital and in-store ads played the greatest role in increasing conversions and helps them optimize current and future campaigns.
- More data than ever before: Retail media and data platforms have become more sophisticated and abundant than ever, thanks to technological advancements and the growth of e-commerce. They leverage the power of AI, machine learning, and cloud computing to process and analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, such as purchase history, browsing behavior, product reviews, loyalty programs, geolocation, weather, and more. This allows advertisers to create more personalized and effective ads that resonate with shoppers at different stages of their journey.
Two of the Leading Retail Media and Data Providers
Walmart DSP
Walmart DSP is a demand-side platform that marries the power of The Trade Desk’s industry-leading technology with Walmart’s expansive omnichannel first-party data. This leads to a differentiated offer that allows advertisers to leverage Walmart audiences to serve ads across The Trade Desk’s inventory across the open web. Walmart DSP also offers exclusive access to Walmart’s inventory across its website, app, email newsletters, streaming service Vudu, connected TV devices like Roku TV Editions Smart Soundbar or Streambar Pro, etc.
Learn more about Walmart DSP here.
Amazon DSP
Amazon DSP is a demand-side platform that enables advertisers to programmatically buy display, video, audio, and mobile ads both on Amazon’s own properties (such as Amazon.com, IMDb, Fire TV, etc.) and across third-party sites and apps that are part of Amazon’s network. Amazon DSP also offers access to Amazon’s unique audience segments based on its rich first-party data from its e-commerce platform, Prime membership program, Alexa devices, etc.
Learn more about Amazon DSP here.
Best Practices for Using Retail Media and Data for Back-to-School Advertising Strategies
Advertisers should leverage best practices to use retail media and data for back-to-school advertising strategies.
- Start early: Back-to-school shopping typically starts in July and peaks in August, but some shoppers may start even earlier or later, depending on their needs and preferences. Advertisers should plan on launching their campaigns in early June to capture the attention of early birds and continue until the end of September to reach latecomers. A campaign brief 6 weeks from the start date is recommended to ensure proper planning and setup.
- Segment your audience: Not all back-to-school shoppers are the same. Depending on their age group, grade level, location, device type, etc., they may have different needs, preferences, budgets, and motivations. Advertisers should segment their audience based on these factors and tailor their ads accordingly. For example, college students may be more interested in laptops and dorm essentials than elementary school students, who may need backpacks and stationery.
- Test different creatives: Advertisers should test different ad formats, sizes, colors, images, copy, calls to action, etc., to see which ones perform better for different segments and channels. They should also use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) tools that automatically generate and serve the most relevant ad variations based on real-time data.
- Optimize your landing pages: Advertisers should ensure that their landing pages match their ads in terms of content, design, and offer. They should also ensure that their landing pages are fast-loading, mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and have clear calls to action. They should also use retargeting tools that remind shoppers of the products they viewed or added to their cart but did not purchase.
The Bottom Line
Retail media and data are powerful tools for advertisers to boost their back-to-school campaigns and drive more sales. Using platforms like Walmart DSP and Amazon DSP, advertisers can reach large, engaged audiences across multiple channels and devices using retailers’ first-party data insights. They can also leverage more data than ever to create personalized and effective ads that resonate with shoppers at different stages of their journey.
Ready to supercharge your back-to-school campaigns? Dive into the world of retail media with Choozle’s managed services. Our expertise with Walmart DSP and Amazon DSP can help you tap into vast audiences and optimize your strategies with powerful first-party data insights.
Don’t miss out on connecting with millions of engaged shoppers. Start planning your campaign with Choozle today and make this back-to-school season your best! Get Started.
Sarah Lilly
Sarah Lilly, Product Marketing Manager at Choozle, brings the team a wealth of marketing experience. She began her career in digital advertising and later transitioned into product marketing. Collaborating extensively with cross-functional teams, Sarah refines product strategies to meet evolving market demands, ensuring that Choozle’s solutions remain at the forefront of digital advertising. In her spare time, you can find her curled up with a good book and her pup, Huey, or exploring Denver with friends.
