Five audiences for your 2023 back-to-school campaign

by Experian Marketing Services 4 min read March 21, 2023

A successful back-to-school campaign strategy starts with identifying the key audience segments to target. Over half of all searches related to back-to-school happen within a select group of consumers – knowing which ones can go a long way in forming an effective marketing strategy. Focus on this smaller, targeted set to maximize your efforts.

With over $72 billion projected in total U.S. back-to-school retail sales this year, you can capture more spend than ever before during this big shopping season by tailoring your strategy to a smaller set of targeted shoppers. Experian data can help you make the most of your back-to-school campaigns by uncovering the top five back-to-school audiences.

What separates Experian’s syndicated audiences

  • Experian’s 2,400+ syndicated audiences are available directly on over 30 leading television, social, programmatic advertising platforms, and directly within Audigent for activation within private marketplaces (PMPs).
  • Reach consumers based on who they are, where they live, and their household makeup. Experian ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes such as Presence of Children.  
  • Access to unique audiences through Experian’s Partner Audiences available on Experian’s data marketplace, within Audigent for activation in PMPs and directly on platforms like DirectTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk. 

Five audience segments for 2023

Our data provides key insights into who these shoppers are and how to reach them, allowing you to create personalized content tailored to their needs. What are the top five audiences you should add to your 2023 back-to-school campaign?

  1. High-Net-Worth Households
  2. Bilingual Multi-Generational Households
  3. Suburban Savvy Shoppers
  4. Young Suburban Families
  5. Tech-Savvy Families

What do these audiences look like? Who are they? Where do they shop? Let’s review each audience in a little more detail.

High-Net-Worth Households

This group consists of households with above-average income and education levels. They often lease luxury cars, purchase products in every channel, travel extensively, and are philanthropic supporters of the arts.

A picture of and key features of High-Net-Worth Households.

Key features

  • Wealthy
  • Highly educated
  • Lease luxury cars
  • Purchase products in every channel
  • Travelers
  • Philanthropic supporters of the arts

Bilingual Multi-Generational Households

Large households in multilingual neighborhoods, filled with married parents and their kids. They are financially cautious, bilingual, and participate in team sports.

A picture of and key features of Bilingual Multi-Generational Households.

Key features

  • Bilingual
  • Large households
  • Married with kids
  • Financially cautious
  • Team sports

Suburban Savvy Shoppers

Middle-aged couples and families who earn above-average incomes, maintain active lifestyles, and spend their money on quality home products and furnishings.

A picture of and key features of Suburban Savvy Shoppers.

Key features

  • Affluent
  • Athletic activities
  • Home products & furnishings
  • Sporting goods
  • High-priced children’s clothing

Young Suburban Families

This segment includes households in the middle child-rearing stages of life, typically with a dual income household and multiple children of school age. They typically have spacious single-family residences in suburban neighborhoods that are slightly above average in housing values. On weekends, these suburban young families often engage in activities like skateboarding, biking, and video games with their children.

A picture of and key features of Young Suburban Families.

Key features

  • Comfortable lifestyle
  • Children’s games
  • Wholesale members
  • Family-centric activities

Tech-Savvy Families

Highly educated, affluent couples in their peak earning years, with a preference for both traditional and digital media, who live in upscale housing and are savvy investors and environmental philanthropists.

A picture of and key features of Tech-Savvy Families.

Key features

  • Highly educated
  • Affluent
  • Upscale housing
  • Savvy investors
  • Environmental philanthropists
  • Tech apprentices

Watch our 2024 video for tips from industry leaders for back-to-school

In our new Q&A video with Experian experts, we explore changing consumer behaviors surrounding back-to-school shopping in 2024. ​ In the video, we discuss:

  • Anticipated shifts in consumer behaviors and shopping habits​
  • Tactics we predict marketers will employ to navigate signal loss
  • Which channels will be the most successful
  • And more!

Need a custom audience? Reach out to our audience team and we can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice. Additionally, work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation.

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