Seedtag Study Shows Cost-of-Living Crisis Hasn’t Chilled Consumer Attitudes Towards Sustainability

Seedtag, the leading global contextual advertising company, has investigated which Christmas shopping and planning articles drive the most interest among consumers. Seedtag used its proprietary contextual AI platform, Liz, to analyse content engagement and interactions across its global publisher network for the Holiday insights report.

Christmas content was found to be 2.6 times more likely to centre on sustainability topics than general content across the network. The highest concentration of sustainability-themed content is found in articles discussing decorations, where more than a third (36%) highlighted climate-friendly options.

In terms of Christmas shopping plans, there was a focus on artisan markets, showing a trend towards authentic, hand-made items over mass-produced products. The only topics that beat sustainability in consumer interest were alcohol, which was 4 times more likely to appear in Christmas content, and online shopping, which was 3.3 times as common.

“This study shows that — after drinking and ordering gifts online — sustainability is at the top-of-mind for Christmas shoppers,” said Paul Thompson, commercial advisor at Seedtag. “Brands seeking to connect with festive shoppers should demonstrate their green credentials, tap into the demand for meaningful, hand-made gifts, and target web content that focuses on these topics in the run up to Christmas.”

Another key finding highlights the interest in spreading charitable goodwill during the festive season, with 20% of articles about toys relating specifically to the donation of these by individuals or businesses.