Who will win the marketing battle to “ring the cash register” this holiday shopping season? Among the contenders include a stable of mega-brands intent on driving sales.

Key themes among this year's “doorbusters” were message consistency and channel integration, highlighted by Target, who reprised their “Crazed-Shopper Lady” from 2009. Here’s a closer look at how Target “kickstarted” Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2010:

  1. Video – Central to the success of this campaign is the use of video both online and offline. Perhaps, taking a que from Old Spice earlier this year, Target created a series of short and entertaining clips featuring an eccentric character with a simple message: Shop the 2-Day Sale! Videos are hosted and presented via their holiday-themed YouTube Channel.
  2. Facebook received heavy messaging using both content updates and sponsored ads. Target utilized Sponsored Ads appearing nationwide via users' newsfeed pages included a :27 video featuring the shopper lady reminding you to “…go to the Target 2-Day Sale, just in case the insanely low prices aren't enough to get you there.”
  3. Twitter provided a channel for Target to extend the reach of their campaign and engage in conversations with enthusiasists, Target utilized Promoted Trend ads featuring the #BlackFriday hash tag. People who click the ad are taken to www.Twitter.com/ChristmasChamp, managed by none other than the “ChristmasChamp” herself. Tweets and replies include deal alerts, coupon offers, and product updates…all seasoned with a bit of holiday humor!

Bonus Integration: Facebook and Twitter tie-ins encouraged users to 'Like' or retweet “I entered the Target.com/Black Friday sweepstakes for a chance to win a $25 gift card! @Target #blackfriday: http://wfi.re/3eya1”. Doorbuster Deal: For a complete list of Winners and Losers this holiday season, Download the Full Benchmark Cyber Monday 2010 Report from CoreMetrics.