Back to School Strategies in 2010
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BACK TO SCHOOL TIMING - HITWISE
Back to School Keyword Popularity by Share (Hitwise)
Research
Shopping
• July 4th weekend appears to be the beginning of the Back to School shopping season according to Hitwise
• Keywords gain the most search share over the next 5 weeks, and then begin to slowly taper off during a 5-6 week
period ending in mid-September
•Though online searching and research occurs during this entire timeframe, the peak purchasing season is the month leading
up to the start of school
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Data Source: Hitwise share of “back to school” keywords in all categories in 2009
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BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING SEASON - NRF
When Will You Begin Shopping for Back to School?
• 94% of all Back to School shopping will have begun at least 1 week prior to the start of school, which, in many areas is the
week after Labor Day, September 6, 2010
• Based on that most Back to School shopping will occur during the month of August
• Almost two thirds of Back to School shopping will begin in the first half of August
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Data Source: NRF/BIGResearch 2009 Back to School Survey
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BACK TO SCHOOL SPENDING - NRF
Average Back to School Spending by Year*
• *The 2009 spend figure of $548 was an estimate given prior to the 2009 Back to School shopping season and will be
confirmed by NRF prior to the 2010 Back to School shopping season getting underway
• The recession most likely had a significant effect on last year’s B2S spending, with signs of a slow recovery in the economy
this year, a minimal shift upwards from last year’s number is expected.
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Data Source: NRF/BIGResearch 2009 Back to School Survey
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BACK TO SCHOOL SPENDING BY CATEGORY - NRF
Net Average Spend
% Buying
Insights & Actions
• Net average spend is a reflection of 1) the actual amount respondents planned to spend on these categories multiplied by 2)
the % who planned to buy them
• For example, Electronics has a larger average spend amount ($260), but after the 58 % likelihood of being purchased
is factored in, the net average spend amount is $151
• Almost everyone shopping for back to school will buy clothing, footwear, and school supplies with 90%+ plan to purchase
• Electronics category is the only one with a smaller net average spend amount for B2S than B2C
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Data Source: NRF/BIGResearch 2009 Back to School Survey
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BACK TO COLLEGE SPENDING BY CATEGORY - NRF
Net Average Spend
% Buying
Insights & Actions
• Net average spend is a reflection of 1) the actual amount respondents planned to spend on these categories multiplied by 2)
the % who planned to buy them
• For example, Electronics has a larger average spend amount ($445), but after the 48% likelihood of being purchased
is factored in, the net average spend amount is $212
• Back to college shopping is less consistent than back to school shopping when you consider only 1 category (school
supplies) has more than 65% of shoppers expected to purchase compared to 3 categories for B2S shopping surpassing 90%
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Data Source: NRF/BIGResearch 2009 Back to School Survey
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BACK TO SCHOOL KEYWORDS on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
Insights & Actions
• Traffic on Back to School related keywords are averaging 48% more traffic in 2010 than 2009
• Traffic expectations and budget levels for 2010 should be adjusted according to the 48% rise in popularity
• August was the clear traffic winner on Back to School related terms, with July the second highest monthly total and
September was third indicating a tendency to earlier season online research and shopping than last minute efforts
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Data Source: adCenter KW Traffic from AdIntelligence
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B2S CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR CATEGORY on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
adCenter data for Clothing & Footwear vertical
Y-o-Y CPC Trends
adCenter data for Clothing & Footwear vertical
Insights & Actions
• Traffic to the Clothing & Footwear category maintained a steady but elevated level through the peak Back to School shopping
season of August
• Traffic to this category then continued to climb beyond the Back to School shopping season into October thanks in part to the
growing strength of the Bing launch
• 2009 saw a decreased average CPC level compared to years past with one brief spike of roughly $0.05 during the middle of
August when advertisers were more aggressive with their bids during the peak B2S shopping season
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Data Source: adCenter verticals
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B2S SPORTS & RECREATION CATEGORY on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
adCenter data for Sports & Recreation vertical
Y-o-Y CPC Trends
adCenter data for Sports & Recreation vertical
Insights & Actions
• Traffic to the Sports & Recreation category continued to climb through the Back to School shopping season in 2009 but also
maintained an elevated traffic level well beyond the peak B2S shopping season of August into October thanks in part to the
growing strength of the Bing launch
• 2009 saw average CPCs for this category maintain the high level they had in 2008 with a slightly elevated rate during the
second half of August while advertisers were more aggressive with their bids during the peak B2S shopping peak season into
the last minute season
• Aggressive advertisers should start their aggressive bid efforts earlier in the B2S shopping season as July has proven more
active than September
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Data Source: adCenter verticals
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B2S BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE CATEGORY on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
adCenter data for Beauty & Personal Care vertical
Y-o-Y CPC Trends
adCenter data for Beauty & Personal Care vertical
Insights & Actions
• Traffic to the Beauty & Personal Care category really grew from the beginning of July, but rather than peak it continued to
grow to even higher traffic levels well into September thanks in part to the power of the Bing launch
• 2009 saw average CPCs for this category also grow along with the traffic as advertisers looked to take advantage of the
traffic trend with aggressive bids that took the average CPC from $0.30 in late June to an average over $0.40 for most of
August
• Building on that growth this year, advertisers should seek to match the traffic growth with aggressive bids for the duration of
the heightened traffic levels, clicks may have been lost in September 2009 when CPCs dropped but traffic continued to grow
10
Data Source: adCenter verticals
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B2S FURNITURE CATEGORY on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
adCenter data for Furniture vertical
Y-o-Y CPC Trends
adCenter data for Furniture vertical
Insights & Actions
• Traffic to the Furniture category grew from the beginning of July, with a brief peak in mid-August, but then resumed its growth
to higher traffic levels into October 2009 thanks in part to the strength of the Bing launch
• 2009 saw higher average CPCs for this category throughout the Back to School shopping season, but there was very little
movement in those levels showing a reticence on behalf of advertisers to be aggressive and raise bids
• Furniture advertisers who wish to capture more traffic on Bing this year should consider being more aggressive during the
traffic peaks and also be vigilant of what other competitors on the space are doing for the duration of the season
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Data Source: adCenter verticals
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B2S OFFICE SUPPLIES CATEGORY on BING
Y-o-Y Traffic Trends
adCenter data for Office Supplies vertical
Y-o-Y CPC Trends
adCenter data for Office Supplies vertical
Insights & Actions
• The Office Supplies category saw a resurgence on Bing in 2009 as traffic levels finally caught and surpassed 2007 levels
during the beginning of August
• Advertisers must be encouraged to see that the 2009 CPC levels were below 2008 levels pretty much for the duration of the
summer
• If traffic levels in 2010 continue to maintain the 48% higher level they’ve been averaging, I would expect to see some Office
Supplies advertisers attempt to steal clicks through aggressive bidding tactics during the peak Back to School shopping
season of mid-August
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Data Source: adCenter verticals
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BACK TO SCHOOL KEYWORDS - HITWISE
Top Back to School KWs (Hitwise)
Back to School KWs
school uniforms
backpacks for school
school supplies
school uniforms on sale
school specialty
cheap school uniforms
school backpacks
walmart school supplies
back to school supplies
cheap school supplies
free school supplies
back to school sales
back packs
back to school clothes
school supply list
discount school uniforms
school box
kids school backpacks
school bags
kids backpacks for school
school locker accessories
Back to School KWs
cheap school books for college
back to school deals
school supplies list
back to school bargains
teacher school supplies
school supplies coupons
school clothes for girls
school supplies for kids
messenger bags for school
coupons for school supplies
wholesale school supplies
rolling backpacks for school
school supply
school locker shelves
wholesale school uniforms
school supply stores
back to school
cheap school uniforms for kids
school supplies for teachers
children's backpacks for school
cheap school books
• Many of the popular Back to School keywords fall into categories for Clothing and Uniforms, Backpacks and Bags, general
Back to School supplies, and Books, focus on these for top traffic opportunities.
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Data Source: Hitwise Industry comparison May 2009 to May 2010
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BACK TO SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS - BING
Keyword
back to school survival kit
Age18_24
Age25_34
Age35_49
Age50_64
Age65Plus
Female
Male
0.00%
42.86%
42.86%
14.29%
0.00%
71.43%
7.14%
back to school
12.23%
25.90%
38.13%
10.07%
13.67%
36.55%
48.28%
backpacks
12.32%
22.55%
35.95%
16.45%
12.73%
43.55%
40.99%
cheap dorm room furniture
60.00%
0.00%
20.00%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
0.00%
college dorm bedding
35.29%
0.00%
30.88%
22.06%
11.76%
62.82%
16.67%
college dorm decorating
57.14%
0.00%
42.86%
0.00%
0.00%
57.14%
14.29%
dorm supplies
58.82%
3.92%
29.41%
3.92%
3.92%
62.71%
27.12%
Pacsun
34.88%
21.19%
26.94%
6.63%
10.36%
51.85%
32.05%
9.09%
54.55%
18.18%
0.00%
18.18%
75.00%
8.33%
Laptops
15.26%
23.70%
29.96%
16.67%
14.41%
36.33%
48.02%
preschool activities
13.02%
30.54%
32.56%
13.33%
10.54%
61.73%
20.93%
preschool crafts
14.90%
27.22%
32.38%
13.18%
12.32%
61.31%
20.44%
preschool supplies
24.39%
24.39%
48.78%
2.44%
0.00%
69.05%
21.43%
laptop computers
8.99%
15.31%
29.79%
26.89%
19.03%
38.47%
44.43%
school supplies
13.54%
29.38%
30.21%
15.83%
11.04%
57.94%
27.58%
school supplies list
20.00%
20.00%
35.00%
15.00%
10.00%
61.54%
26.92%
mini refrigerators
4.62%
26.15%
20.00%
32.31%
16.92%
39.71%
45.59%
teacher supplies
9.06%
28.52%
33.22%
14.43%
14.77%
60.78%
18.30%
preschool bulletin boards
• Most of the College & Dorm related keywords were dominated by the younger college-age demographic, with an assist from
the 35-49 age demographic, particularly on the dorm furniture, bedding, and refrigerator related keywords
• Kindergarten and pre-school words were dominated by the 25 – 34 and 35-49 age demographics, but some of the activities,
crafts and supplies related keywords had traction in the 18-24 age group most likely from young/new teachers
• Overall women were the most popular gender demographic with regards to Back to School research with men having above
average percentages on tech and generic product queries
• AdCenter’s Demographic and Gender targeting will help advertisers tailor messages to those querying these items
14
Data Source: MAI May 2010. Note: Breakouts may not total 100% due to data limitations at searcher level.
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BACK TO SCHOOL KEYWORDS - BING
Most Clicked Beauty KWs (Bing)
Back to School KWs
Backpacks
back to school
school supplies
bulletin board ideas
first day of school activities
back to school coloring pages
back to school activities
back to school bulletin boards
loft beds
welcome back to school
fall fashion
back to school pictures
preschool printables
fall decorations
back to school ideas
kindergarten worksheets
back to school crafts
preschool activities
back to school worksheets
back to school tips
kids backpacks
Back to School KWs
back to school hairstyles
welcome back to school letter
back to school deals
kindergarten activities
preschool bulletin board ideas
fall bulletin board ideas
fall hairstyles
September bulletin board ideas
back to school night
back to school clothes
back to school bulletin board ideas
back to school supplies
back to school party
back to school fashion
dorm refrigerators
small refrigerators
compact refrigerators
dorm furniture
back to school shopping
school supplies list
preschool backpacks
• Many of the popular Back to School keywords on Bing are covered by the Clothing and Uniforms, Backpacks and Bags,
general Back to School supplies, and Activities and Bulletin Boards categories, focus on these categories and terms for top
traffic opportunities on Bing.
15
Data Source: adCenter data, aggregate last 30 days ending May 4, 2010
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BACK TO SCHOOL DESTINATIONS - HITWISE
Downstream Traffic on Back to School Keyword Categories
Back to School
Sale KWs
Back to School
Supply KWs
Back to School
General KWs
Back to School
Apparel KWs
Old Navy
Office Depot
Yahoo
Kohl’s
Coupon
Mountain
Abercrombie
& Fitch
Target
Garnett Hill
Target
Target
Staples
JC Penney
Walgreens
Apple
Walmart
Office Max
Sears
Amazon
Payless
Shoes
eBay
• Downstream traffic according to Hitwise shows the popularity of many top sites and retailers relative to their competition, if a
retailer isn’t listed here we can help them identify ways to become a part of this list or adjust their position on it.
• More details on these results are available through Hitwise, and 1:1 consultations with MAS can also be helpful in addressing
these results and how to improve an advertisers share on them
16
Data Source: Hitwise downstream traffic aggregated across keywords for 12 weeks up to 10/3/2009
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BACK TO SCHOOL KEYWORDS POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
Mother’s Day Click Volume by Position*
Mother’s Day CTR and Average CPC by Position*
ML = Mainline, SB = Sidebar
Insights & Actions
• Looking at only the performance of Back to School related keywords on Bing we see that advertisers who are below the
Mainline (ML) positions suffer in click volume while also paying a premium CPC relative to the volume they produce
• More than 76% of clicks are on ads in the top 3 ML positions and more than 57% of clicks come from positions 1 & 2
• The share of clicks for all Sidebar (SB) positions combined is almost 24% yet the CPCs by comparison are only 36%
discounted from the average CPCs in the ML positions
• Advertisers not in the mainline are competing over 24% of clicks at a CPC that’s only 36% less than mainline positions
• Advertisers must find a way to be in the top 4 positions whether their goal is volume or efficiency
17
Data Source: adCenter, August 2009 Historical Position Analysis
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BACK TO SCHOOL AD COPY BEST PRACTICES
Messaging Tactics That Produce CTR Lifts
Messaging Tactics That Produce CTR Lifts
Of the 20 retail advertisers analyzed for their Back to School copy this is the number of the 20 selected who
Employed the corresponding tactics in their copy
Insights & Actions
• If there’s a theme to successful ad copy tactics for Back to School it’s focusing on the deals and bargains for shoppers by
using phrasing like “Coupon,” “Deal,” and “Sale.”
• Other beneficial tactics include relevance to the season and shoppers by incorporating “back” (from back to school),
“school,” and “student,” to your ad copy.
• As a whole bargain copy was producing average CTRs over 9% while school-related copy was averaging over 4%
18
Data Source: adCenter August 2009 ad copy result samples from 20 Back to School retailers
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
OVERALL:
 Back to School is big in July, HUGE in August, and still a solid traffic driving opportunity in
September
 With the economy showing signs of life and Bing driving more traffic while its search share
continues to expand, many categories should see positive traffic growth on Bing and budget
accordingly
 In 2010 back to school related keywords are driving an average of 48% more traffic than in 2009
AD COPY BEST PRACTICES:
Retail advertisers can gain additional share of this growing traffic opportunity by incorporating ad
copy best practices, particularly coupon/deal/sale/bargain phrases in ad copy, and targeting schoolrelated researchers and shoppers with messaging for the season
1. “Coupon” in the Body and Title (provides largest CTR lift)
2. “Deal” in the Body
3. “Official” in the Body and Title
4. “Sale” in the Body and Title
5. “School” or “Student” in the Body Copy or Title respectively
ADDITIONAL BEST PRACTICES:
 Leverage demographic insights to target the right audience with the right message
 Capture the greatest traffic by focusing on the seasonal rise and fall of both Back to School
shopping habits and your category trends, with leveraging keywords from Bing & Hitwise
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