Cor blimey guv’nor, we is only back in Blighty and everyfink. Yep, dear Foxy fans (I know you are out there, even if my esteemed editor is not so keen), we survived Le Château d’Arse, our old favourite of Anus and the last hurrah in Orgy, and are now firmly back on British soil and raring to go again.
And, while I concede the past few columns have been a little thin on data-driven marketing and rather fat on the DM Girls’ Getaway (Foxy’s French Adventure) 2.0, this week I’m getting straight back on it.
You see, no sooner had I returned to the office (that’s McKelvey’s front room to the uninitiated), than up popped a fascinating (well, mildly interesting) email under the headline of “How the ‘Sleep-Sell Cycle’ is the Key to Drive Real Performance”.
Ever keen to provide you with those little gems that will give you a seat at the big table, I read on. So, buckle up, you could be in for the ride of your lives.
First up, apparently, you’ve all been getting it wrong for years. Instead of targeting consumers when they are wide awake, out and about, watching telly, at the movies, scrolling, or reading newspapers and magazines, these days you will have far more success if you target them when they are half asleep.
To back this up, the company behind the theory, SleepScore Labs, has revealed that a study of over 45,000 people aged 18 to 28 showed that the last hour before bed often involves an almost automatic habit where individuals scroll, interact on social media, and SHOP. Guess they aren’t having much sex, then.
In fact, the firm reckons that the data indicates – not confirms, mind you – this pre-sleep scrolling period is predictable and consistent across demographics, making it one of the few daily moments when consumers’ attention is focused and uninterrupted.
But marketers still face a challenge to tap into an organic pause in the day where consumers are open to new ideas, likely to engage and not required to multitask. Apparently, this is a powerful opportunity for a brand-consumer connection.
To take full advantage there are eight “simple” steps to exploit this new phenomenon.
– Scale back ‘flash sales’ that spark a sense of urgency and, instead, showcase low-pressure curated content that replicates the consumers’ wind-down rituals.
– Create content that encapsulates the pace of the evening and doesn’t jar the consumer with daytime energy.
– Drive content that is relevant to the moment. Think ‘three books to read before bed’, or ‘nighttime skincare essentials’. Not only does this mirror the consumers’ habits, but it also shows that you respect them.
– Offer rewards for those who engage with you in nighttime hours. Such offers can be positioned as, ‘thank you for winding down with us’.
– Share a sneak peek of what’s coming tomorrow on your site or social feed, with a soft call-to-action to check back in the morning.
– Host 15-minute live sessions at 9pm. featuring Q&As, product unboxings, and brand stories. This creates a sense of a personal wind-down chat with your audience that captures their attention for a set period.
– Create short-form videos (TikTok/Reels) guiding users through a 5-minute switch-off routine, where your product naturally appears as part of the relation process. This gives the user an experience and a ‘reward’ for watching your content.
– Launch occasional late-evening content that taps into nostalgia. This can be old jingles, heritage packaging or throwback campaigns. This sees browsing create a feeling that is emotionally warm, rather than transactional.
So there you have it, although from where I am sitting, it seems this might not exactly be the new marketing miracle it is claimed to be. Mind you, it is certainly a great cure for insomnia…
Foxy has ditched X but is still on Instagram, just don’t get too excited as I’m never there
