Golden Hour: Why some times are just better for advertising and engagement

Despite the slowdown reported this year for big-ticket items like automobiles, real estate and other major purchases, consumer buying remains at an all-time high. The festive boost has encouraged people to fill their homes with new products, benefiting both brands and their marketers.

While the concept of ‘day parting’ has existed since Amazon helped usher in the age of e-commerce in the early 2000s, the explosion and stratification of digital transactions, the subsequent creation of retail media platforms, and the even more recent rise of quick commerce players has drawn attention and interest back to how the sector operates.

This has, as with everything else in the world today, been largely driven by the advent of AI-powered tools and analytics and a digital advertising ecosystem that exists in real time, with programmatic ad buying not only du jour but almost de rigueur. Which brings us to why not only who buys what from where and pays for it how, but also when they buy. It’s what marketers call the ‘golden hours.’

Preetham Venkky, Chief Digital Officer at DDB Mudra, when talking about how online shopping platforms see peak user engagement, notes that there are generally two prime periods, around 4 PM and 10 PM, when platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and other D2C channels experience the highest engagement.

“Every category across e-commerce platforms…they all know…when is their first interest, when is their browse, when is their 'add to cart,' and when is their completion,” Venkky explains. Most e-commerce categories tend to see high purchase completions between 8 PM and 11 PM.

Gopa Menon, Chief Growth Officer at Successive Digital, also breaks down these patterns into specific time blocks, each with its unique characteristics and recommended tactics. During the early afternoon (12 PM - 3 PM), there's a significant surge in both browsing and purchasing, particularly among office workers during their lunch breaks. For this time slot, Menon suggests that marketers can capitalize on “flash sales, limited-time offers, and promotions around lunchtime” to target impulsive buyers.

Also according to Venkky, “A lot of purchases typically take place in the evenings…people may browse and add to cart during the day… (but they) complete the transaction in the evenings.” This timing insight allows brands to concentrate their ad budgets more effectively to capture high-intent customers.

The late afternoon window (4 PM - 7 PM) sees increased activity as “working professionals start checking out of work mode and begin thinking about their evening plans,” according to Menon. He recommends using “personalized recommendations based on past browsing, abandoned cart reminders, and free shipping offers” to convert these browsers into buyers.

However, Venkky adds that specific categories diverge from this pattern. For instance, the newly burgeoning Quick-Commerce category, marked by rapid, high-frequency purchases, has significant engagement in the early morning (6 AM to 8:30 AM) and mid-afternoon (2 PM to 4:30 PM). Food delivery also shows unique peaks, with orders concentrated around meal times, especially from 11 AM to 3 PM and 7 PM to 10 PM.

Tejas Maha, Group Head - Media at White Rivers Media, emphasizes that “timing is everything when it comes to engagement in e-commerce and social media.” He notes that the highest levels of interaction occur early in the day, as users check their phones upon waking or during commutes.

Ajay Verma, Managing Partner at 0101.Today, adds another layer to this discussion by explaining that understanding customer behaviour across platforms is essential for maximizing engagement and conversions. He emphasizes that the goal is to identify common patterns despite challenges accessing data across different platforms like Google and Meta.

To tackle this issue, they developed 0101's '3rdi', an API-driven solution that aggregates data from various sources. This tool cross-analyzes data revealing customer behaviors that help understand universal trends.

For instance, Verma cites an analysis with Baggit, a leading Indian handbag brand, where they observed peak engagement at 4 PM and 10 PM across multiple platforms. Notably, sales surged by 34% when promotions were run during these times. This finding aligns with their investigation revealing that many working women browse during office hours but finalize purchases at home on larger screens for better visibility of products and terms.

Timing insights vary significantly by category; for example, 38% of travel insurance purchases occur at airports, while call centers see peak connectivity at 11 AM and 4 PM on weekdays in sectors requiring assisted sales.

The evening period (8 PM - 11 PM) represents another crucial window, especially for householders, parents, and those working non-traditional hours.

During this time, Menon advocates for “content marketing, lifestyle imagery, and social media engagement to create a sense of community and aspiration.” Interestingly, Menon notes a “smaller but dedicated group of night owls” who shop during late night hours (11 PM - 2 AM), typically comprising younger and more impulsive shoppers. He suggests “exclusive late-night deals and discounts to cater to this niche audience.”

Marketers can capitalize on these peak moments by aligning posts with audience behaviour. While engagement dips during work hours, it typically surges at lunchtime and late afternoon, particularly towards the end of the week.

Maha highlights that although weekends generally see lower engagement, specific windows on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings still present opportunities for connection. He advocates for a strategic, data-informed approach to scheduling to enhance brand presence and foster deeper audience relationships.

As e-commerce continues to evolve, understanding these golden hours becomes crucial for brands aiming to optimize their marketing strategies. By leveraging AI-powered, data-driven insights into consumer behaviour across different times of day and week, marketers can enhance engagement and ultimately drive sales more effectively.