Although we can expect New Year’s Eve to look different than usual, people are nonetheless finding meaningful ways to ring in the new year. To get a better sense of the traditions being held this year, Quotient held a survey with over 1,100 participants across the United States asking people how they plan to celebrate. The survey covered a range of topics—including where people intend to celebrate and with whom, what they plan to eat and if they are going to make a toast.
Ringing in 2021 from Home
What was clear from the survey is that the majority of people (over 82%) still plan on celebrating the new year. Younger generations are more likely to participate in festivities, with 90% of Gen Z and 88% of millennials responding positively. However, instead of extravagant parties, 48% of respondents plan to celebrate more intimately, choosing to be with immediate family or have a party on a video conferencing platform.
In the spirit of the more modest parties this season, New Year’s Eve will also feature food at home, with over 68% of respondents taking part in a home-cooked meal and 28% eating take-out at home. Only 4.4% of people are going out to a restaurant or bar.
Despite this difference in New Year’s Eve plans, most people are still choosing to close the book on 2020 with a toast. More than ⅔ of respondents plan to drink to the new year with an alcoholic beverage such as champagne, beer, spirits or wine. The most popular drink for this upcoming celebration is champagne, with 23% of respondents stating that it is their drink of choice.
New Year’s Eve Savings Are Something to Celebrate
What these figures show us is that the majority of people are choosing to celebrate more simply with a fun toast and a home-based party. There are a few reasons for this—including increased awareness over health issues, tightening budgets and an inability to access other options due to social distancing. However, this doesn’t mean that consumers want to put less effort into their small celebrations.
With the increase in at-home festivities, brands can offer discounts on ingredients and give out recipes that will support customers with a fun night-in. These offers would be especially relevant for people who are looking to close out the year with specialty ingredients for a celebratory home-cooked meal.
Strategic Promotions Cement Consumer Loyalty in 2021
Businesses looking to maintain or expand their client base can offer coupons or other promotions to customers during this time. Brand loyalty is at a pivotal moment as people have struggled with out-of-stock items and budget concerns this year. To solidify their client base, companies can use digital coupons to reach consumers where they already engage.
In the coming weeks leading up to New Year’s Eve, brands can set up digital promotions on a range of online platforms—including running social media campaigns, using display media and placing deals on coupon platforms such as Coupons.com. Most of all, companies that offer consistency and value for the new year’s celebrations are in a better position to win over loyalty from consumers looking to celebrate the closing of the year.
New Year, New Opportunities
We can see from the survey that people are planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve in an intimate fashion, focusing on family and home-cooked meals. This approach captures the true holiday spirit of togetherness while preparing for all that 2021 will bring.
Offering value to customers is especially important at the end of the year as people are looking ahead and making new year’s resolutions, which often involve saving money and/or making healthier choices. Companies looking to stay at the forefront of consumer’s thoughts at the start of 2021 can focus on creating a coupon strategy that will help customers celebrate a promising new year.
Looking for more data-driven insights to guide your campaign planning for the upcoming holiday season and into 2021? Register for our webinar, “Insights and Actions to Win Holiday and Super Bowl Drive Periods,” to explore emerging patterns and areas of opportunity with Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) for the holiday and Super Bowl events.
Methodology: To assess changing consumer behavior related to the New Year’s Eve holiday and eating habits going into 2021, Quotient conducted a survey of over 1,100 respondents across the United States via Survey Monkey in November 2020.
