Salt Lake City Neighborhoods Demonstrate the Most Holiday Cheer

For the Second Consecutive Year, MaxPoint Analyzes Billions of Data Points to Find the Most Festive Neighborhoods across the Country

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the holidays approach, MaxPoint, the company that helps retailers and brands drive local in-store sales with its innovative Digital Zip® technology, today revealed the results of its second annual Holiday Cheer Interest Index. By identifying the top 10 most festive cities in the U.S., MaxPoint is helping retailers and brands create targeted, hyperlocal holiday advertising campaigns. This year, Salt Lake City dethroned 2011’s “cheeriest” city, Eau Claire, Wis., moving up from its 2011 sixth-place position. According to the National Retail Federation, spending for holiday décor alone this year will reach $6.9 billion – making these cities and their respective neighborhoods incredibly valuable to advertisers.

“Holiday spending is in full swing and with a limited number of consumer dollars left on the table, retailers and brands are putting an enormous amount of resources toward their holiday advertising campaigns”

The Top 10 Cities with the Most Holiday Cheer

1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Eau Claire, WI
3. Portland, ME
4. Omaha, NE
5. Evansville, IN
6. Traverse City, MI
7. Buffalo, NY
8. Green Bay, WI
9. Boise, ID
10. Wilmington, NC

To identify the top 10, MaxPoint analyzed billions of offline and online data points and scored cities on a variety of holiday interests including holiday décor, holiday recipes, classic holiday movies, the perfect Christmas gifts, etc. Based on point-of-sale data and consumption of social media, videos, music, local Web pages and online magazines, MaxPoint located the specific neighborhoods that have the most holiday spirit, an important distinction for retailers and brands looking to drive local in-store traffic. For example, within Salt Lake City there are pockets of shoppers who have even more holiday cheer than their fellow city residents – these shoppers live in Carriage Chase, Hidden Valley and River Oaks.

“Cheeriest” Shopper Profiles

Across all 10 cities, the individuals with the most holiday cheer showed many similarities. A majority of the spirited shoppers are 55 years or older, married and owners of their homes. These consumers tend to earn a household income of more than $100,000, contributing to their ability to make purchases this holiday season. Retailers and brands can reach these shoppers with highly targeted campaigns appealing to both their specific demographics and interests.

Interest Index Data in Action

Using the data pulled from the Holiday Cheer Interest Index, MaxPoint ran several successful digital advertising campaigns:

• For a diaper brand with a holiday-themed line, MaxPoint implemented a digital advertising campaign targeting mothers who have young children and who are most interested in purchasing holiday products. By analyzing data on the neighborhood level and combining this with interest data, the brand was able to drive in-store traffic to specific retail locations carrying the holiday diapers.
• For a well-known juice brand, MaxPoint implemented a digital advertising campaign promoting a seasonal, alcohol-free alternative to wine and champagne. By finding the shoppers most interested in holiday products within a certain radius of store locations, the beverage company was able to significantly raise its awareness among consumers.

“Holiday spending is in full swing and with a limited number of consumer dollars left on the table, retailers and brands are putting an enormous amount of resources toward their holiday advertising campaigns,” said Gretchen Joyce, COO of MaxPoint. “Now more than ever, it is crucial for retailers and brands to understand not only who the most qualified holiday shoppers are but also where they can be found. By combining this data effectively, we can help retailers and brands take advantage of the lucrative holiday season by cutting through the clutter with a hyper-targeted message that inspires in-store shopping.”

To view MaxPoint’s complete “2012 Guide to Holiday Advertising,” please visit: http://www.maxpoint.com/holiday-advertising-2012/.

About the MaxPoint Interest Index

Using its unique Digital Zip technology, MaxPoint analyzes billions of data points consumed by neighborhoods across the U.S. such as: offline point-of-sale data, social media, videos, music, local Web pages and online magazines. For its second annual Holiday Cheer Interest Index, the company scored each neighborhood across hundreds of online topics related to consumers interested in holiday décor, holiday recipes, classic holiday movies, the perfect Christmas gifts, etc.

About MaxPoint

MaxPoint’s retail advertising platform drives in-store traffic for retailers, brands, and multi-location business owners. The company’s Digital Zip® technology delivers the most effective and scalable neighborhood-level online campaigns. MaxPoint can pinpoint qualified customers interested in purchasing a product with more precision than using traditional zip codes, ultimately offering accurate neighborhood-level targeting with national reach and local results. Founded in 2007, MaxPoint has offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bentonville, Austin, and Raleigh-Durham. For more information visit: www.maxpoint.com, follow us on Twitter @maxpoint_int, and subscribe to the OnPoint blog.