Planning for Holiday 2013

Experian Marketing Services has published a report detailing what it expects will be the key channels and tactics that marketers plan to use this holiday season.

While most holiday planning should be complete by now (nearly 70 percent of retailers surveyed by the company said they started planning their campaigns by August), the days of execution are upon us. In fact, the first 15 days of November are the most popular time for marketers to launch their initial holiday campaign.

In relation to the channels that marketers will use to promote their companies, brands and products this holiday season, online display (59 percent), email (55 percent) and print (46 percent) topped the list.

When it came to the specific promotional, mobile and social tactics marketers planned to integrate into the holiday shopping experience, several prominent trends emerged. Most notably, 39 percent or respondents would be offering free shipping, 28 percent a "deal-of-the-day", and 24 percent developing offers for specific channels. Just 28 percent of indicated they did not plan to use promotions during the holidays.

Experian also provide a breakdown of trends by industry (seen below). So is your holiday 2013 planning in place? Share a comment on your brand's progress below!