Consumers are flooded with ads during the holidays. The most effective campaigns don’t just add to the noise. They ask questions, listen to feedback, and learn from the answers.

Zero-Party Ads help brands connect with consumers in real time, uncover intent, and personalize their media strategy on the fly.

Here are three ways leading retailers have used Zero-Party Ads to drive real results during the holiday season:

1.Find New Shoppers

To drive in-store traffic, a large national retailer launched a series of video ads showcasing holiday deals and new products. In-video surveys asked viewers if they were likely to shop.

• Those who said yes or maybe were excluded from future ads, since they were already likely to convert.
• Those who said no became the focus. The brand used these responses to build a lookalike audience and retarget them with new creative.

Result: $8 million in incremental same-store sales from new customers.

2.Understand If Your Creative Is Doing Its Job

A major online retailer wanted to understand how their new heartfelt holiday video impacted brand perception. They used Zero-Party Ads to measure two important brand values:

• Brand love
• Brand impact

Results: The same creative drove a 5.6% point lift in brand love but didn’t move the needle for brand impact.

Takeaway: Zero-Party Ads help you pinpoint which values your creative is reinforcing, so you can lean in or pivot as needed.

3.Turn Ad Viewers Into Gift Guide Shoppers

A large apparel retailer made holiday shopping easier and more personalized by embedding image surveys directly into their holiday video ads. Shoppers chose who they were buying for – partner, kids, best friend – and were directed to curated gift guides.

Follow-up surveys measured purchase intent so the retailer could understand the campaign’s impact on different target audiences and markets.

Results: The ViralGains campaign drove an 8% lift in purchase intent and was the #1 top engagement driver on the media plan.

This holiday season, don’t just reach your audience. Take the time to understand them.

Zero-Party Ads give you real-time insights into purchase intent, emotional response, and immediate needs. When you listen and adjust your strategy accordingly, you move beyond impressions and start driving real results.

Ready to make your holiday campaigns smarter? Let’s talk.