The holiday shopping season got off to a better-than-expected start over the weekend, with more shoppers than last year’s Black Friday weekend and online sales rising slightly compared to 2007. Still, retailers are expecting the slowest year-to-year holiday sales growth since at least 2002, based on National Retail Federation predictions, and stores had to offer deep discounts to lure consumers. That’s why it’s especially critical for advertisers to target the right consumers this holiday season, the ones who plan to spend rather than conserve money. A new study from Simmons, the New York-based consumer behavior researcher, identifies these people as big spenders and finds that media people can best target them via out-of-home venues like the mall and on reality TV shows. Big spenders tend to be young, ages 18-34, and female, and they’re more likely to start the big product trends of the season rather than follow them. John Fetto, product manager at Simmons, part of Experian Research Services, talks to Media Life about where to find big spenders, how to target them, and whether the recession will have any impact on their buying patterns.

 
What did you find most interesting or most surprising about this study?
 
The most surprising points were the types of out-of-home ads that catch their attention. 

One would think that billboards would be more eye-catching to the average consumer, but it turns out that advertising via public transportation may be more effective at capturing the big-spender consumer segment's attention.
 

What's the most important thing media buyers or planners can take from it?
 
The changes in the economy are likely to play into the success of many products in the near future, so knowing who is more likely to spend money and less likely to be affected by the economy is a big help.

What demographic traits do big spenders tend to share?
 
Big spenders are young (18-34), more likely female, living in the Northeast and West, and unmarried.
 

Why is the mall a good place to target big spenders?
 
Big Spenders spend more time at the mall than other U.S. adults. Since adults in this consumer segment are frequent visitors to the mall, they see and experience products in person rather than via advertisements.
 
This kind of first-hand interaction with new products is especially valuable since big spenders refer to in-store brochures as a first choice to get information on products.

What type of advertising is most likely to draw big spenders' eye and why?
 
Big spenders are receptive to most types of advertising, but when it comes to out-of-home advertising, subway platforms, taxis, buses and airport advertisements are disproportionately large attention-grabbers for this consumer segment as opposed to large billboard ads.
 

What type of TV shows in primetime are best for targeting big spenders and why?
 
General drama and reality shows during primetime are the best show types to reach these consumers via TV.