Gen-X, Millennial Parent Opps: Shoe Carnival reveals 2023 back-to-school campaign (Score 32)

Sales lead: Get in touch now to offer last-minute campaign ad space. 

• Shoe Carnival (SC) just kicked off its 2023 back-to-school push featuring actor Terry Crews. 
• Crews is not a traditional brand ambassador as his title is "Spokesfeet." 
• The campaign is being supported across TV, radio, digital, & social media. 
• SC has still not filled the marketing SVP vacancy we told you about earlier this year. 

Target demographic: Gen-X & millennial parents

The company will likely:

• Increase ad spend for the rest of the year
  • Note: SC typically allocates the majority of its ad budget toward H2.
• Seek high ROI marketing investments (SC has been decreasing ad spend recently)
• Ramp up promotional activity throughout the back-to-school period
• Keep featuring celebrity influencers in its creative work

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: SC spent nearly $1.4m on digital display ads YTD, down 56% from $3.2m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022.
• YTD data: 187.4m impressions via Facebook (78%), Instagram (18%), YouTube (3%), and desktop display (1%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend fell by 19% from $6.3m in 2021 to $5.1m in 2022. 
• Ad location: It placed 99% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, instagram.com, youtube.com, dexerto.com, and spanishdict.com. It placed 1% of these ads indirectly through Google AdX+AdSense onto sites such as aol.com, yahoo.com, answers.com, dealcatcher.com, and dexerto.com. 

Additional channel insights  

• Vivvix: SC also invests in OOH. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: Keep working on your pitches so that you are prepared to reach out once SC hires a new top marketer. 
• Current roster:
  • McCann Worldgroup: creative AOR
  • Casanova//McCann: creative, media, & multicultural
  • Momentum Worldwide: experiential
  • MRM//McCANN: digital