Sentiment Data Gave Retailers an Inside Edge for Back-to-School Timing and Promotions
This year, SAP analyzed social media insights from over 3 million consumer conversations online. The findings give retailers real information that can be applied now and during the 2015 back-to-school season.
Don't Rush Families Back to School
Families want to enjoy the summer and don't want to be subjected to back-to-school promotions too early. In fact, this year's social sentiment findings reported that overall consumer sentiment toward back-to-school advertisements didn't become positive until the end of July. Before that time, sentiment hangs lower than negative 20 percent. Granted last year was worse: In 2013, social sentiment toward commercials stood at negative 46 percent for the same timeframe.
Matt Laukaitis is the Executive Vice President and Global General Manager of SAP’s Consumer Industries organization and is responsible for the team’s people and business strategies, solutions portfolio, partner ecosystem, performance, and customer success. Â
Since joining SAP as an account executive in 2004, Matt has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, and prior to his current role served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of SAP’s Consumer Industries in North America. Along the way, he has been fortunate to work with a tremendous team of dedicated professionals helping SAP’s customers with their digital transformation into an intelligent enterprise for measurable outcomes.
Prior to SAP, Matt worked in sales and sales leadership positions at IONA Technologies, Netfish (IONA Technologies), RR Donnelley, and Apple.Â