5 Ways Facebook can help you to adapt your business for the new Christmas season

by Kathy Tan

November 14, 2020

6 minute read

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In 2020, shopping habits have shifted online as people are less likely to spend much time in the mall or offline due to COVID.

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Source: “Coronavirus Research April 2020” by GlobalWebIndex (online survey of people in AU, BR, CA, CN, FR, DE, IN, IR, IT, JP, NZ, PH, SG, ZA, SP, UK, US), Mar31-Apr2),2020


With constant reports showing a swift in consumers behaviour. What insights can we quickly adopt into our year-end holiday strategy?

Let’s unwrap the 5 behaviour insights and opportunities this Christmas 2020:

Insight #1 - GenX and Boomers drive global mobile and eCommerce growth

Gen X and Boomers have been increasingly adopting mobile across the Christmas purchase journey.

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COVID-19 outbreak has further accelerated the growth of online shopping among the Gen X and Boomers

Opportunity 1 - Seamless Shopping

Yet 79% of Genx & Boomers surveyed experience problems while Christmas shopping on mobile and more prone to message a business before making a purchase.

Thus, Make shopping easier at every step:

i) Easier to help

Bring the expertise of your in-store staff to mobile via Messenger experiences

ii) Easier to buy

Bring the immediacy of in-store purchasing to mobile by making your ads shoppable

iii) Easier to communicate

Delivery slots get taken up quickly in the Christmas period, create a WhatsApp experience which personally notifies people when convenient delivery slots become available

iv) Easier to pick-up

Give shoppers a stress-free BOPIS experience by dynamically indicating when the store is quiet for pick-up & optimising ads to BOPIS* conversions, great for last minute shoppers.
*Buy online, pick up in store

v) Easier to shop

Help people shop where they’re browsing products today with Facebook Shops and Instagram Shopping

Insight #2 - Self-gifting & seasonal shopping can be positive outlets in difficult times

During difficult times, people find new simple ways to reward themselves.


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and when it comes to Christmas, shoppers see it as a great time to self-gift


In fact, self-gifting is even more popular than gift giving during mega-sales events.

Opportunity 2 - Discovery Commerce

Help people discover things they’ll love using the power of automation by connecting the right product to the right person — even before they search for it.

i) Automatically match intent

Use the power of signals and machine learning such as Dynamic Ads For Broad Audiences (DABA) to let your products find interested people before they discover your products.

ii) Automatically go global


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Dynamic Language Optimization with Auto Translate

Across the globe shoppers are open to trying new products from abroad, cross border ads automatically brings the right products to the right people, in the right language.

Or engage with one of the trusted Facebook Global Expansion Partners listed in Facebook Business For Cross-border to optimise your cross-border ads.

Insight #3 - Imposed disruption fuels receptiveness to new products and services

Millions are trying new Behaviours and products globally. 1 in 3 of adults surveyed indicate they have used a new brand or product.

Discovery of new products will be different in 2020 with Less Sampling, Less Strolling The Mall and Less Browsing Your Favourite Store.

Opportunity 3 - Spark Connection

Drive discovery and the confidence to buy through the power of partnerships:

i) Partner with trusted voices

Partner with the creators your audience trust to inspire choice. Branded Content Ads help you reach new audiences and make your investment more accountable using Branded Content Ads.

ii) Partner with empowering AR

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AR Filters on Instagram


COVID-19 outbreak has limited consumer ability to go in stores and experience new products in real life.

Let consumers engage with your products in 360 degrees through AR experiences with AR Filters and AR Ads.

Insight #4 - The economic downturn will expedite the rise of Mega-Sales

People are expecting their finances to be negatively impacted. 86% of adults surveyed say they expect the COVID-19 outbreak with negatively impact their personal/household finances.


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Most people surveyed have delayed large purchases due to COVID-19 outbreak


Mega-sales could be the moment shoppers are waiting for. Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, price was the greatest Christmas concern.

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60% of people surveyed globally bought something during mega-sales events

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Source: Facebook Internal Conversion Data


Mega-sales event shoppers are more likely to be high spenders and mobile-first. However, the purchasing is concentrated with 82% of surveyed mega-sales day purchasers buying from the top 5 key categories which are Apparel/Fashion, Electronics, Health & Beauty, Food and Household Appliances.

Opportunity 4 - Accelerate Action

Better align with shopper preference:

i) Maximize Sales with Automation

Automation frees your campaign to deliver the highest possible return with Automatic Placements, Campaign Budget Optimization and Dynamic Ads.

ii) Personalise your flyers

Reimagine print flyers as personalised experiences, boosting return on spend & shopper engagement using Instant Experience and Carousel ad format.

iii) Entertain for commercial gain

Create Live experiences with product experts to build excitement by launching flash sales and demo-ing hot products such as Polling Ads, Live and Collection Ad.

Insight #5 - The new perspective on value; affordability, authenticity and action

Christmas shoppers want real, authentic and informative content as much as sale/offer updates from businesses on Facebook and Instagram.


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COVID-19 outbreak has shown that people expect brands to react with action, not just marketing gestures. 47% of internet users worldwide said they had switched to a different product or service because a company violated their personal values. Social action not only benefits the community, but also impacts purchasing decisions.

Opportunity 5 — Share Your Values

Share more than deals, share values and take action.


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An example of using stories with polling ads

Combine values with commerce

Sharing values doesn’t mean neglecting sales, highlight the action you’ve taken & showcase the products that prove it, sparking community interaction.

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Lastly, let’s close with some thoughts from the people who are leading the digital transformation in their companies:

“Meekco team helped launch our website, set up retail POS and delivered an integrated system enabled to sell worldwide. Service beyond expectation." – Nawal Hannah, eCommerce Lead, Air Asia Foundation
“First time working with Meekco.Asia. The CEO is helpful! If you are looking for a Shopify expert, Meekco.Asia may be one of the best choices. You can try their services before making any decision.” – Irene Tan, eCommerce Manager, Bonia


Grab the 5 opportunities today and wish you success in adapting to the New Christmas season 2020.

This exclusive insight is brought to you by Meekco.Asia - Facebook Global Expansion Partner & Shopify Plus Partner. Helping retail enterprises & brand owners to build successful cross-border eCommerce.

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Source:
-“Facebook Seasonal Holidays Study” by YouGov (Facebook-commissioned online study of 48,348 people aged 18+ across 31 markets: AE, AR, AU, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, HK, ID, IT, FR, KR, MY, MX, NL, PH, PL, SG, TH, TR, TW, RU, SE, UK, US, VN, ZA). Minimum N=1500 for all markets. 2 Dec to 24 Dec 2019.
-Edelman Trust Barometer, Special Report: Brand Trust & the Coronavirus Pandemic, March 2020.
-“Coronavirus Research April 2020” by GlobalWebIndex (online survey of people in AU, BR, CA, CN, FR, DE, IN, IR, IT, JP, NZ, PH, SG, ZA, SP, UK, US), Mar 31 — Apr 2), 2020.
-Bain & Company, Inc.

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