2022 is coming to a close! As we look forward to the holiday season away from our desks and the start of a New Year, we sat down with a few of the experts at Highlands to discuss everything from their favorite holiday movies to what they anticipate being a significant eCommerce trend in 2023. Here’s what they had to say:
Gordon Christiansen, Partner & President
Stu Conroy, Director of Innovation & eCommerce
Kristin Stevens, VP of eCommerce
Liz Bateman, Creative Director
What’s your favorite holiday movie?
Liz: Elf. I saw this in a theater full of small children when it came out in 2003. My friend and I sat in the front row and had no idea what we were in for – but we ended up laughing/crying through the whole thing. There are so many great lines from this film:
- “The yellow ones never stop.”
- “Buddy the elf, what’s your favorite color?”
- “You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody!”
- “There’s a horrible noise coming from the evil box underneath the window.”
Stu: Elf. But it could be Ryan and Will’s new film (Spirited) by the time it goes out
Gordon: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. In amongst the slapstick, great one-liners and general absurdity, there’s an underlying message that the holiday season is about relaxing, enjoying the moment and not stressing out about making it perfect. Oh, and don’t rely on your bonus to put in a pool!
Kristin: The Grinch that Stole Christmas (Jim Carey version)
What is the biggest eCommerce takeaway from 2022?
Stu: Supply chain and logistics agility are key to success, and brands now realize they need to be adaptive.
Gordon: That people were surprised that eCommerce growth decelerated when we were allowed to get ‘out and about.’ I mean, of course, we were going to stay at home and buy tracksuit pants instead of going to the pub…
Kristin: Strength in social advertising in 2022, it’s coming on strong.
Liz: The divide between good and great eCommerce content is becoming GLARINGLY obvious, and it’s not something most people can just sit down and do. So many rules, best practices, keywords, and deep research are involved. Platforms will kick back content that doesn’t meet their specifications and even delay launching your products for weeks. And with the need for regularly refreshed content and new guidelines coming out often, the mark is constantly changing. On top of all the technical rigamarole, injecting a Brand voice into your copywriting and imagery is now paramount to standing out from the competition. And then, you have to make sure it matches up with your website, social media, paid search, collateral, tradeshow presence, etc. It’s a pleasure when our clients trust the experts on our team to deliver best-in-class content across all touchpoints.
What do you anticipate being a major eCommerce trend in 2023?
Stu: Live and video shopping.
Liz: The world of Live Commerce is poised to make a splash in the US in 2023. We know $300 billion was spent in China in 2021, and the trend is in its infancy in Europe. The US version of TikTok Shop has recently launched, and I believe we will see tens of millions of US users interacting with brands in new and fresh ways. Amazon Live and YouTube live shopping has yet to gain a foothold, so the race to the top is wide open.
Gordon: Integration of social commerce into a brand’s D2C strategy.
Kristin: Retail Media.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Stu: The Atlanta Braves got a new fan this year!
Gordon: I’d like to wish all our clients, customers, team members, and friends and happy and safe holiday season.
Liz: Happy Holidays, newsletter readers. We spend a lot of time and effort putting this email together, and our hope is that it’s insightful and timely information for your business. If you have feedback for my team, we’d love to hear it. Wishing you a restful and enjoyable holiday break. Looking forward to an impactful 2023.
