Embracing a tech-forward back-to-school season.
Back-to-school shopping brings students and parents out in droves as they deck out their dorm rooms or fill their backpacks with the latest technology. Whether browsing in-person or online, Best Buy is prepared to help shoppers check tech off their list and support them as they get up and running.
It’s one of retail’s biggest moments of the year, requiring thoughtful strategy and collaborative efforts between brands, agencies and retail partners. At Best Buy Ads, we’ve been studying up all year and are ready to help brands ace their back-to-school executions.
34%
of U.S. adults shop during the back-to-school season1
$37B
spent on tech during the back-to-school season1
Helping brands ride the tech tidal wave
Among all the categories purchased during the back-to-school timeframe, tech is the star of the season. Technology drives the greatest spend per household and is the largest total spend of any category during back-to-school/college shopping.
Tech tops back-to-school shopping lists, but there’s another reason why consumer electronics (CE) purchases are going to be a big deal this year.
The typical upgrade and replacement cycle for technology is 3-7 years, which means pandemic purchases are reaching their time for replacement. Combine that with the drive for AI-powered computers and mobile devices, and you’ll notice an increased focus and enthusiasm for the latest tech.
With Best Buy Ads, brands can seize this moment and be part of shoppers’ experiences as they look to browse, compare and upgrade.
The search for high-tech school supplies
Topping the back-to-school shopping lists are laptops and tablets, headphones, mobile phones, backpacks and accessories. College students, in particular, are shopping for dorm tech: TVs, personal care products and small appliances. Since Gen Z over-indexes for gaming and digital accessories, this is also an opportune time for those brands to get in front of the student audience.
Reaching customers where they are
Our media approach is designed to meet the wants and behaviors of both Gen Z students and their parents, who play different roles when back-to-school shopping.
Gen Z
Gen Z students seek tech that fits their needs and personalities in and out of the classroom. They appreciate brands that expose them to new experiences, as they value fun and novelty.
When it comes to shopping, Gen Z researches and compares features more often online and via apps. Social media remains a key part of their lives, and they prefer video content and influencer input to impact purchasing decisions.
In fact, 47% of Gen Z turn to influencers who are well-versed in tech/electronics for guidance.2 Streaming audio platforms and interactive content that allows them to test drive features are also places where brands can show up and help guide them to the best-fit products.
93%
of Gen Z are on social media2
80%
report buying something they saw on social media last year2
36%
watch influencer videos about a product or brand2
7.2h
Hours of video content consumed daily2
Gen Z campaign focus
- Prioritizing video and omitting display.
- Contextual and interactive placements within the channels that Gen Z turns to for content.
Parents
As you might imagine, parents approach back-to-school shopping differently than students. Convenience, deals and their own children influence their behaviors.
Being budget-conscious, parents start back-to-school buying earlier and seek out coupons and promotions. However, their children can sway them to splurge — 85% of parents said their children influence them to spend more on back-to-school products.3
Most parents shop across multiple channels, with online emerging as the preferred route for convenience. Brands, then, should appear throughout the purchasing journey, starting early in the summer and focusing on multiple channels to match parents’ shopping behaviors.
71%
of parents shop online, with 77% agreeing it’s more convenient3
57%
of parents shop across multiple channels3
42%
of parents opt for summer sales to stock up before the back-to-school rush3
77%
of parents say staying under budget is their top priority3
Parent campaign focus
- Click-driving tactics to maintain efficiencies and drive conversion.
- Expand targeting to include in-market shoppers, giving an opportunity for broader reach and impact.
Ruling back to school with Best Buy Ads
Because of our deep customer relationships and CE expertise, Best Buy Ads is uniquely equipped to help you break through during Back to School. Last year, we tapped into rich targeting capabilities and created full-funnel moments to successfully capture engagement and sales.
Our back-to-school campaign further positioned Best Buy as a top destination for tech, driving positive shifts in perception and a significant lift to brand KPIs.
194M
paid media impressions during the 2024 Back to School brand campaign4
+10pt
lift in purchase intent among those exposed to the 2024 back-to-school campaign4
10%
over-delivery in planned engagements (which was the primary KPI for reaching students)4
+29%
YoY increase in sessions on back-to-school campaign pages4
Back-to-school planning is in session.
Back-to-school shoppers are set to hit stores from mid-July through early August, and we have countless ways to build campaigns that help drive sales. Reach out to a Best Buy Ads Partner & Category Marketer to get started, or fill out the form below to talk to a member of our team.
- NRF-holiday data and trends-back-to-school 2024
- EMarketer 2024, MRI/Clear Decisions, Cultural Intelligence Report 2024
- Mintel 2024, KCL 2024, Statista 2024, Media Culture 2024
- Back to School FY25 Campaign report and Brand Media Results, BTS 2024
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