BOSTON (December 17, 2012) — ChoiceStream, a leading innovator in targeted advertising solutions, today announced the next installment of its Audience Cost Calendar, a monthly aggregation of impressions traded on digital ad exchanges. This month looks at November data and highlights the top audience segments, including Finance-related segments, Holiday Shopping and Travel. The calendar is a tool to help media buyers and marketers target their ideal online audience.
“Media buying is not just about buying cheap inventory, and it’s not just about buying the right audience. It’s about buying smarter so you reach your ideal audience on cost effective media,” said Bill Guild, Vice President, Product Management and Marketing. “As advertisers target holiday shoppers during this competitive time of year, they need to carefully deliberate whether each impression, considering both audience and context, is worth the price. Buyers should take a quality, not quantity approach, to deliver real ROI.”
Powered by the CRUNCH Audience Cost Index, the calendar provides marketers with a snapshot of how online audience segment costs are trending based on seasonality. The numbers represented in the Audience Cost Calendar represent the relative media costs of reaching people in a specific audience. A relative cost indexing above 100 represents a segment trading at an above average cost, while those below 100 are selling for less than the average cost.
Looking Back: Financial Segments Gain
Perhaps holiday budgeting and saving in 2013 is top-of-mind. Last month audiences were interested in getting their financial house in order and advertisers were eager to reach those segments.
| Audience Segment | Relative cost | Change from October |
| Finance Professionals | 192 | +34% |
| Accounting and Finance | 183 | +30% |
| Credit & Credit Cards | 150 | -9% |
| Premium Credit Card Holders | 141 | +21% |
| Regular Credit Card Holders | 122 | +12% |
Right Now: Holiday Shopping and Festivities Continue to Rise
It’s no surprise that in November, gift-giving related segments continue to rise. Last month this segment moved up four rankings to the top-spot in ChoiceStream’s Audience Cost Calendar to the number one position. The index also skyrocketed ahead more than 100 points from 155 in October to a whopping 260 in November! Most major shopping and holiday-related segments rose in November. Other holiday related segments like Party Planners and Toys also rose in the rankings in November.
| Audience Segment | Relative cost | Change from October |
| Gift Giving Holidays | 260 | +67% |
| Party Planners | 146 | +22% |
| Toys | 133 | +11% |
| Family Toys & Games | 110 | +2% |
| Shopping | 108 | +1% |
| Merchandising, Purchasing and Retail | 126 | +9% |
| Retail Shopping | 105 | +1% |
| Shopping Intent | 101 | -4% |
Looking Forward: Holiday, Vacation and Business Travel Looking Strong
The Travel and Vacation segments are still on the rise, carrying on the trend seen in October. Many segments rose. The rise in travel related segments may be attributed to planning for upcoming school vacation weeks, holiday and business travel.
| Audience Segment | Relative cost | Change from October |
| Middle East | 154 | +5% |
| Cruises | 128 | +16% |
| Asia | 184 | +26% |
| Trips and Getaways | 214 | +57% |
| South America | 181 | +21% |
| Flights | 151 | +16% |
| Travel Enthusiasts | 117 | +7% |
| Business Travelers | 168 | +19% |
| Vacations Packages | 164 | +20% |
| Travel, Hospitality and Restaurant | 174 | +23% |
To view the infographic and the most active risers and fallers for the month of November, take a look at ChoiceStream’s Audience Cost Calendar infographic here.
About ChoiceStream, Inc.
ChoiceStream provides personalized marketing and advertising solutions that are proven to increase revenue and customer engagement for today’s leading brands. For more than ten years, companies like AT&T, Zappos, Tesco, Ticketmaster and MTV have relied on ChoiceStream to create a more engaging, personally relevant experience for their consumers. By transforming shopping behavior and media consumption into intelligence about a consumer’s unique preferences, ChoiceStream is able to help today’s biggest brands target their most qualified prospects with the right ad. For more information, visit www.choicestream.com or @ChoiceStream.
