Abraham Yousef · September 2024
Confectionery Advertising Shifts: Seasonal Trends & RMN Investments
Digital ad spend in the confectionery industry exhibits well-defined seasonal patterns, driven by key holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and the winter holiday season. As these peak periods approach, brands intensify their promotional efforts to capitalize on heightened consumer interest. Sensor Tower data underscores how Mars. Inc. and Hershey strategically aligned their campaigns with major events like Super Bowl LVIII and the Olympics to maximize impact.
Key Takeaways:
According to Numerator's Holiday Trends Consumer Survey, Halloween is the most anticipated holiday for candy purchases. In response to this significant consumer interest, Mondelez allocated a substantial 83% of its seasonal US ad budget to Halloween-themed campaigns over the past 12 months, up 44ppts YoY, per ST data
See’s Candies and Hershey also shifted their focus to Halloween, increasing their share of ad spend for Halloween ads by 26ppts and 12ppts, respectively, compared to the previous year
Confectionery brands have significantly boosted their presence on RMNs, with ad impressions rising by 10% YoY in 2Q24. Among these networks, Five Below has become the leading choice, with confectionery ad impressions on its platform soaring nearly tenfold compared to the same period in 2023
This summer, confectionery brands strategically adjusted their RMN advertising, focusing more on visibility through retailers’ loyalty ads. Between Jun'24 and Jul'24, their loyalty ad impressions on Target surged by 673% YoY, with the share of RMN ad impressions from these ads increasing by 15ppts to 19%, driven by Lindt Classic Recipe. On Walmart, loyalty ad impressions rose by 20ppts YoY, with SweeTarts leading the growth
For more information, request the full report from reports@sensortower.com.
