Anticipated Spend for Back-To-School Is Reaching All-New Highs

This year according to the National Retail Federation Annual 2022 Back to School Survey, Back-to-School + Back-to-College spending is expected to reach an all-time high of $110.8B.

For context, that is more dollars spent than Valentine’s Day + Mother’s Day + Father’s Day + Easter combined ($93.7M).

As mounting inflation is top of mind for many, shoppers are implementing savings-focused shopping behaviors, which will play a larger role in their purchase decisions. This year 42% of those surveyed by Prosper and Insights said that they are shopping for sales more often than last year (+17%). These same shoppers are also concentrating their shopping decisions rather than spreading it out across multiple destinations, with the top five back-to-school shopping destinations being online (50%), department stores (45%), discount retailers (40%), clothing stores (37%) and electronics stores (28%).



NBC Spot On offers premium opportunities for advertisers to run in streaming content locally.  Designed for local CTV and OTT advertisers, we deliver targeted audiences at scale through premium content from Peacock, NBCU, and trusted 3^rd party partners.

Here are some tips on how to thrive during the back-to-school season.

1) Take Advantage of a White Space

Back to school is the second largest retail sales holiday and coincides with the least cluttered ad marketplace.  The National Retail Federation survey found that 56% of back-to-class shoppers began their shopping in early July.  However, their shopping for the season is nowhere near over. Many advertisers find themselves “late for school” in this arena. 

How can NBC Spot On help you stand out?

eMarketer predicts 109.3 million Connected TV households during 2022 (84% of the U.S.). With over 5 billion monthly impressions, NBC Spot On is the place for premium streaming content through our unique mix of inventory to reach local OTT/CTV viewers. In addition, we are the only way to access local Peacock inventory at scale. 

2) Catch a Valuable Audience

On average, a household with children K-12 spend $864 during the back-to-school season. OTT Viewers are parents.  Forty-one percent are the parent of at least one child under 18, and 1 in 3 say their children significantly impact the brands they choose.  College students are another key audience when it comes to back-to-school shopping.  More college students and their families plan to shop this year compared to last and anticipate spending an average of $1,199 on college or university items. 

How can NBC Spot On help you reach noteworthy Back-to-School and Back-to-College Shoppers?

From Millennial Moms (those with young kids and teens) to College Students, Deal Seekers, or Affluent Families, NBC Spot On provides scale and precision in reaching these captive audiences. We have robust first party data from over 19 NBC properties and offer location-based audiences, demo-based audiences, and advanced audiences with over 100+ high-value advanced audience segments.  NBCU reaches 53.7M college students.

3) Engage with Culture-Driven Marketing through Ad Innovations

Consumers are eager to spend, and their purchase drivers are changing.  72% of parents say they involve their children in the beginning stage of their journey, and 71% of consumers said they’d buy from a purpose-driven company over the alternative if cost and quality were equal.

How can NBC Spot On help you take the ad experience a step further?

Peacock is at the forefront of innovative ad offerings and is now available locally through NBC Spot On. 

Peacock Pause Ads are an unobtrusive advertising experience initiated by the viewer when they press pause.  This ad placement is best used for brand messaging and awareness, speaking to an audience at peak attention, and creating a shoppable moment. 

Peacock Engagement Ads are innovative activations that maximize engagement with brand advertising through personalized and interactive experiences.  These ad placements increase brand consideration and engagement, closely align with audiences at their point of interest, and create a shoppable moment. 

Both are perfect for Back-to-School and Back-to-College shopping messages.

NBC Spot On can help you unlock these ad innovations and reach your desired audiences at scale for your next local back-to-school or back-to-college campaign. 

Let’s innovate together.

Sources: NRF’s Annual 2022 Back-to-School Survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics; Prosper Insights & Analytics Monthly Consumer Survey, Holiday Spending Totals; eMarketer, Connected TV Households, February 2022; NRF Consumer View; Fast Company & Porter Novelli