Vans On The Rise for Automobiles; Ticketed Events Increase
BOSTON — ChoiceStream, the top choice for brand advertisers in advanced target optimization and programmatic buying, announced the next installment of its Audience Cost Calendar — a monthly exploration of media buying costs, segment trends and predictions that stem from ChoiceStream’s Audience Cost Index.
Data from April shows that the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Traveling with Kids segment has jumped significantly in rank since last month. Out of 315 total consumer segments, Traveling with Kids has moved from the bottom ten to the top ten in one month’s time, increasing 96 percent in rank month-over-month.
Holidays and Events: General Events & Tickets has moved to the very top of all ranked segments, increasing 74 places since last month and 38 percent in the two months prior. With summer approaching, ticketed events are growing in popularity as consumers are beginning to purchase tickets for various events including music festivals and concerts.
“Travel and events seem to be on the minds of consumers as the weather gets warmer,” said Bill Guild, VP of Marketing at ChoiceStream. “Despite the seemingly endless winter weather, we are expecting these segments to continue to rise in the coming month.”
Also to note, camping and car rentals have seen some of the biggest increases in rank since March. The transition to warmer weather appears to be encouraging consumers to book their summer vacations. Camping has increased 81 percent in rank, and car rentals have increased 86 percent since last month.
Home and Garden segments performed somewhat unexpectedly this past month – not all are on the rise, as one might expect from last month’s steady increase and the seasonal trends from years prior. The 70 percent drop in the outdoor segment is likely attributed to recent heavy rain and extended winter weather. This decrease is unusual for this time of year, and will likely turn around in the next month.
This month’s uncharacteristic segment behavior, demonstrated in the cost index, points out the benefits that machine-learning systems deliver. Programmatic buyers can profit from dips in segment costs month-over-month and even minute over minute. If they can detect the changes in time, they can lower real-time bids to win impressions at a much lower cost.
Looking ahead, based on last year’s trends, we expect segments such as Sports: Pro Ice Hockey, Travel: Europe, Automotive: RVs, and Society: Vacation Home to jump in rank over the next month, as the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are in full effect, and groups begin to actively plan summer vacations both domestic and abroad.
To view the full infographic for the month of May, take a look at ChoiceStream’s Audience Cost Calendar that can be found here.
About ChoiceStream
ChoiceStream delivers top-of-plan results for online, video, and mobile advertisers. Unique real-time polling finds the ideal audience. Real-time bidding and real-time machine learning optimize the buy, and real-time creative engages the audience with dynamic and relevant ads. ChoiceStream’s concierge level services include creative development, campaign management, complete transparency, and custom insights. Companies like AT&T, Zappos, Dunkin’ Donuts, and AAA use ChoiceStream to drive results. For more information on ChoiceStream, please visit www.ChoiceStream.com.
