As data has shown for prior years, the majority of buzz was posted in the days leading up to the shopping holiday, with the peak occurring on the day of the shopping event itself. In 2011 buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday peaked the day after Thanksgiving and made up 2.9 percent of all buzz that day, representing a 15 percent relative increase in the share of buzz compared to 2010.

Cyber Monday buzz has also increased compared year-over-year, and is likely to climb further as discussion of Cyber Week sales continues throughout the week. An interesting development this year comes from the increase in blog posts about Black Friday, which now accounts for 47 percent of all buzz mentioning it, led by the large volume of blog posts made weeks ahead of the shopping holiday.

What are consumers saying about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?

Looking more closely at what consumers are discussing about the shopping holiday through social media, NM Incite evaluated buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday to uncover popular topics. An overwhelming majority of buzz was neutral in tone, indicating that consumers rely on social media platforms to share information related to deals and sales both online and off.  Another 94 percent of Cyber Monday posts were neutral in tone, with consumers sharing links to sales and deal-related news. Today’s findings reflect an earlier study by NM Incite which showed that receiving deals/discounts was one of the more popular reasons Americans use social media.

NM Incite also looked at the top 10 shared links on Twitter, and found many of the more popular links were also used to share information about Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Posts from popular news sites ranked among the most shared links on Twitter , including a story from Mashable sharing the best Black Friday deals, as well as news coverage about the shopping holiday from CNN and ABC News. The most shared links included pictures on Twitpic related to Black Friday as well. Tweets sharing deals rounded out the list of most shared links on Black Friday, whereas links to deals topped the list for Cyber Monday buzz, making the deals instantly accessible on the shopping holiday.

Spending Plans
This will be a holiday season polarized between those still feeling the recession and those who have begun to spend again. This divide will greatly impact where consumers shop, what they buy and how much they spend. Of those surveyed, 66 percent plan to spend the same as they did in 2010. Thirty percent plan to spend between $500 and $1,000 this season, with 50 percent planning to spending between $250 and $500. Only 17 percent of consumers said they planned to spend more than $1,000.

Tech the Halls
After clothing and apparel, topping the lists of those who are headed out to stores on Black Friday is tech and consumer electronics. No surprise considering the presence of gadgets on the wish lists of most American kids.

When do consumers buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
Perhaps not surprisingly, overall buzz for each shopping event peaks on the day of the sales, although the majority of buzz occurs in the days of November leading up to the events. There was more total buzz about the holiday sales in 2010 compared to 2009, reflecting the growing amount of buzz overall posted on blogs, message boards/groups, news sites, as well as Twitter and Facebook.

The share of daily buzz mentioning these sales was also higher in 2010: discussion of Black Friday peaked at 2.5 percent of daily buzz in 2010 compared to 1.9 percent of buzz during Black Friday 2009, a relative increase of 25 percent in the share of total buzz.  In comparison, buzz about the Women’s World Cup represented a 1.1 percent share of total buzz, illustrating the significant level of discussion about Black Friday represents. Buzz about Cyber Monday 2010 grew the most, increasing their relative share of buzz by 75 percent compared to 2009.

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday
Looking more closely at buzz between the two shopping holidays, an overwhelming majority of buzz was about Black Friday, which made up more than four out of five messages about the events in 2009. Black Friday buzz made up 79 percent of buzz about these topics in 2010, while Cyber Monday buzz represented only 21 percent of discussion. However in 2010 the share of buzz about Cyber Monday more than doubled compared to 2009, led in part by the increase in discussion about Cyber Week sales in addition to growing interest in the online shopping events.

Where do consumers talk about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
As consumers try to share news about the latest sales, the majority of buzz about Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes from Twitter, where public posts made up 63 percent of buzz about these events.  The majority of tweets are published on the day of the events themselves. Message Boards and Groups were also a popular venue for savvy shoppers to compare sales, representing 22 percent of online discussion about the shopping events.

Marketers trying to reach holiday shoppers ahead of time might also consider reaching out to bloggers; 2.1 percent of all blog posts in the week leading up mentioned Black Friday. Blogs were twice as likely to discus Black Friday/Cyber Monday compared to buzz from other sources. Posts on news sites also helped drive discussion, with 1.6 percent of posts on news sites mentioning Black Friday during the week of the shopping event.

Consistent with U.S. kids’ 2010 wish lists, the Apple iPad is the most desired consumer electronic among kids ages 6-12 for holiday 2011. In fact, the iPad increases its stronghold, with nearly half (44%) of kids expressing interest in the product, up from 31 percent in 2010. Two other popular Apple devices – iPod Touch (30%) and iPhone (27%) – round out kids’ top three, with computers and other tablet brands each appealing to a quarter of younger consumers.

Many kids will also ask for gaming devices this year, with two products that offer unique gaming technologies – Nintendo 3DS (25%) and Kinect for Xbox 360 (23%) – leading the way. Given the 3DS’ spring 2011 release date and the surge in Kinect interest versus last year (up from 14%), parents can expect both devices to be frequently requested this holiday season. Beyond these, older Nintendo DS models continue to resonate with young gamers (22%), while the PlayStation 3 (17%) and Xbox 360 (16%) edge out the Nintendo Wii (11%) as the most desired gaming consoles.

Among consumers ages 13 and older, appeal for the iPad (24%) has also broadened relative to last year (18%), and exceeds that of computers (18%), 2010’s top item. Further, it appears the iPad has successfully paved the way for other tablet offerings, as a notable 17 percent of adults/teens also express interest in non-Apple tablets.

E-Readers (18%) also exhibit heightened appeal among teens and adults compared to last year (15%), while gaming devices on the whole are somewhat less likely to be of interest to the 13+ crowd. The exception is Kinect for Xbox 360, which appeals to 12 percent of those ages 13+, compared to eight percent in 2010; though, notably, last year’s data was collected prior to the product’s well-supported, large-scale launch on November 4, 2010.

With so many products to choose from across both existing and emerging technologies, electronics are well-positioned to find their way onto shoppers’ lists again this season – and parents will clearly have some tough decisions to make as they weigh kids’ wants against their holiday budgets.

More insights on gamers, console dynamics, and allocations of time and money within gaming and the broader entertainment category will be featured in the third annual Nielsen 360° Gaming Report: U.S. Market, available in January. Additionally, an overview of key findings from the 2010 version of the report can now be downloaded here.

Survey conducted among a general population sample of n=3,000 in the United States, October 2011.

Across a multitude of electronic offerings, the Apple iPad leads all devices (31% interest in future purchase) among American kids ages 6-12. Apple’s iPod Touch is also popular choice among kids, generating similar levels of interest as computers. Of note, the iPod Touch outpaces the perennial handheld gaming favorites Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable – though look for the Nintendo 3DS to make a splash with young gamers when it releases in Spring 2011. Among gaming consoles, kids indicate they will be requesting the Sony PlayStation 3 the most this year; however, the platform will be competing with a variety of equally-popular mobile devices.

For the rest of U.S. consumers, electronic upgrades look to be a popular trend this year, with future interest in commonly owned devices such as computers, televisions, and smartphones outpacing other electronic offerings among consumers ages 13+. Kids aren’t the only ones interested in the iPad: fully 18% of the 13+ population is also eyeing this hot new offering. The emerging technologies offered by Blu-Ray players and E-Readers also have good traction with teens and adults.

Beyond these products, gaming devices appear to be ready for another solid holiday showing. Console interest among ages 13+ is led by the Nintendo Wii (15%) and Sony PlayStation 3 (13%), which both maintain an edge over the Microsoft Xbox 360 (9%). Much has been made of new motion peripherals from Sony (Move for PlayStation 3) and Microsoft (Kinect for Xbox 360), and these gadgets garner sizeable interest (9% and 8%, respectively) – though of note, interest was gathered prior to Microsoft’s recent large-scale media campaign for Kinect, which launched in the U.S. on November 4.

Given the continued pressure on consumer spending, it is difficult to know how robust a holiday season this will be for tech devices, but this survey suggests the electronics aisle will be heavily traveled this season.

More insights on gamers, console dynamics, and allocations of time and money within gaming and the broader entertainment category will be featured in the second annual Nielsen 360° Gaming Report: U.S. Market, available in January.

“Consumers are ready to spend, but in a mindful manner,” said James Russo, vice president, Global Consumer Insights, The Nielsen Company. “Consumers continue to closely plan their spending in this persistently difficult economic climate and for Black Friday that means shopping lists. Consumers are increasingly savvy and know that retailers will continue to offer aggressive promotions as we work our way through this critical retail season.”

Additional Insights:

• First Timers: Of the 19 percent of Americans planning to shop Black Friday, 10 percent will be shopping Black Friday for the first time.
• Ready to Spend: The majority (61 percent) of Black Friday shoppers plan to spend $100 – $500. Eleven percent plan to spend more than $500 while 25 percent plan to spend less than $100.
• Planful Shoppers: Nearly 60 percent of those shopping Black Friday will be armed with a shopping list.
• Retail Winners: More than three-quarters (76 percent) tell Nielsen they will be shopping at department stores on Black Friday, while 55 percent will shop at supercenters/mass merchandiser stores and 52 percent will shop at electronics stores. Other Black Friday shopping locations include: toy stores (35 percent), online (23 percent), and dollar stores (22 percent).
• Black Friday Buys: Sixty-four percent of shoppers will buy apparel, while 60 percent will buy electronics and 47 percent will buy toys. Video games (36 percent), gift cards (35 percent) and discretionary items such as sporting goods (27 percent) and jewelry (22 percent) also make the Black Friday shopping lists.
• Nielsen Holiday Forecast: Nielsen predicts flat spending for the holiday season, with online retailers experiencing the biggest surge. The company forecasts a strong season for technology products and gift cards with a slight uptick in discretionary items such as jewelry and DVDs.

“This holiday season isn’t all about the basics,” said Russo. “It’s about retailers understanding consumers’ new definition of value —‘I want what I want but at the best price’ — as they go after share of wallet.”

During the last weeks of October and early weeks of November, the number of unique visitors to the top Web sites offering previews of Black Friday sales, such as bfads.net, has quickly been increasing. Week-over-week, traffic to these sites has increased 87 percent, from 3.8 million unique visitors during the week ending Nov. 8 to 7.0 million during the week ending Nov. 15.

“As we saw in our recent online holiday survey, consumers plan on bargain hunting more extensively this year in order to save money and many view the Internet as the place to do this,” said Maya Swedowsky, associate research director, Nielsen’s online division. “Multi-channel retailers can leverage these Black Friday Web sites to draw consumers into their brick-and-mortar stores on the big day.”

Among the top Web sites dedicated to Black Friday deals and previews, TGI BlackFriday was the fastest growing in terms of unique visitors, increasing 154 percent week-over-week during the week ending Nov. 15. BlackFriday.fm and BlackFridayAds.com were the No. 2 and No. 3 fastest growing, increasing 125 and 114 percent, respectively.

Consumers are also spending more time on these sites, scoping out the best deals on the perfect gift. Total minutes spent on the top deal sites increased 763 percent over the last four weeks, from 6.3 million minutes during the week ending Oct. 25 to 54.6 million minutes in the week ending Nov. 15.

In addition to searching for Black Friday deals online, shoppers are actively discussing the deals they plan to take advantage of, both in-person and online. Amazon’s Black Friday deals were the most buzzed about during the last 30 days, with Wal-mart and Best Buy coming in at No. 2 and No. 3.

“Shoppers aren’t the only ones generating buzz about Black Friday deals. Retailers are taking advantage of social media and using it as a channel to share sneak previews of deals and to get shoppers excited,” commented Swedowsky.

These early marketing activities have led to a boost in buzz for some retailers. Staples, one of the first retailers to announce details about its holiday deals on Facebook and Twitter, ranked 9th among the most buzzed about Black Friday shopping destinations.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, we expect to see an increasing number of retailers using the Internet and Social Media to drive in-store and Internet sales.

“Even with the weakening economy, an unstable stock market and a rising unemployment rate, Black Friday traffic to online retail sites grew at a double digit rate this year,” said Ken Cassar, vice president, industry insights, Nielsen Online.

Black Friday Online Conversations and Consumer Perceptions

• Not surprisingly, shopping incentives were a key part of Black Friday discussions. The terms “deals,” “sales,” and “doorbusters,” referring to deep discounts intended to get shoppers in the door, were all closely associated with Black Friday.
• Specific retailers were also mentioned in relation to Black Friday, including Sears, CVS, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Staples and Circuit City, among others.
• Consumers discussed specific products and gift ideas, including high definition televisions, video games, laptops and toys.

See Nielsen Online’s Black Friday BAM here.

The Nielsen Online Holiday eShopping Index is comprised of over 120 representative online retailers across twelve categories, and acts as a barometer to gauge the level of activity at online shopping destinations during the holiday season. The Index illustrates increased shopping activity through category growth.

View the complete report.

Read coverage of Nielsen’s findings in TIME, the Financial Times, by the Associated Press and Bloomberg, and on CNET.com, NPR.org, and Digital Daily.

Mistake #1: Sticking to traditional categories
Who says supermarkets can’t sell video games or that electronics stores can’t sell soda and snacks? Many smart retailers are breaking free of traditional channel definitions that may limit the merchandise categories where they compete. If you have a cash register, you can sell it.

Mistake #2: Not having a retailing objective
Determine your Black Friday retailing objective(s) in advance. Do your door-buster ads attract new shoppers? Do they generate profits? Do they drive traffic for purchases of non-deal items?

Mistake #3: Not measuring your objectives
If you have measurable objectives, you need to measure them. Was Black Friday profitable for your stores? Did you attract new shoppers who return to shop in the following weeks? Did heavy traffic drive sales of non-deal items?

Mistake #4: Leaving a bad first impression with new shoppers
Black Friday is a great opportunity to attract new shoppers or win back infrequent shoppers. Don’t let them have a bad shopping experience. For shoppers new to your stores, many will say either “I should shop here more often” or “I’m never coming here again”. Make sure their experience is positive.

Mistake #5: Missing loyalty opportunities
Black Friday presents unique opportunities for retailers with loyalty programs. Rather than just rewarding shoppers willing to camp out overnight, why not offer special pricing to your most loyal customers over the year? Or maybe offering the hottest deals to shoppers spending over $100 on groceries? Or $500 in spending for November?

Mistake #6: Sticking to Friday morning
What’s so magical about Friday morning? Rather than focusing on a few precious hours, many retailers now offer door-busters on multiple days. Some retailers choose the morning of Thanksgiving Day while others offer door-busters two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Mistake #7: Not having door-buster merchandise in stock
When a long line of customers is waiting in the cold and dark for your doors to open, you’d better deliver on the promises of your Black Friday ad and web site. If stock is limited for hot door-busters, let shoppers know in advance, or at least while they’re waiting in line. Don’t let them wait in line for products you don’t have.

Mistake #8: No sense of urgency
Shoppers are in a hurry and appreciate retailers who can keep the lines moving quickly. Under-staffed checkouts, associates unfamiliar with ad merchandise, inadequate traffic direction, and late store openings will all lead to angry shoppers. Retailers need all hands on deck.

Mistake #9: Shallow discounts on door-busters
Black Friday is the one day that shoppers will be bombarded with rock-bottom pricing. Shoppers will not be impressed by so-called “door-busters” listed at everyday pricing or modest discounts by any manufacturer willing to buy space in your Black Friday ad. If your ad includes modest discounts, don’t call them “door-busters”.

Mistake #10: Not scouting the competition
It’s more than just monitoring ad prices. Seasoned shoppers will tell you: some retailers are much better at Black Friday than others. Retailers need to have scouts in the field checking out the competition for best practices and talking to shoppers about their experiences. Use these observations to plan for next year starting this December.

When details of the global financial crisis overtook the headlines in mid-September, consumers and brands began assessing their position in the economy and strategizing for the downturn. Retailers have reacted by announcing plans to offer deep discounts for the holidays, from high-end to mass-merchandise. Some have rolled out deals in advance of Black Friday. With reports of more and better deals from retailers and a bleak economic outlook for consumers, it would be natural to assume that consumers are hungry to take advantage of opportunities to save money. But will consumers tighten their belts so much that even deep discounts won’t get them spending?

Continue reading at Connecting The Dots… Nielsen Online’s Analyst Blog.