Marketing Christmas: ‘Tis The Season for Really Fresh Campaign Ideas

Christmas is the time when brands casually change their profile and cover pictures, make sure they have promo campaigns, and develop videos with Santa and snow. This year, things have changed.

When Does Christmas Truly Begin?

You might hear jingle bells in supermarkets when autumn leaves just start to fall. Some courageous brands even talked about Christmas in July. However, according to a study, customers start their spending plan in October.

Needless to say, the time before Christmas also includes Black Friday, which is a good time for your brand to gain both awareness and sales.

Before any Christmas campaign is set up, you should take a look at your website or e-commerce platform and optimize it as much as possible, so that it can support a larger than the usual number of visits.

Why Is This Christmas Different?

This is the first Christmas sans Covid-19-related restrictions. However, it’s a globally tough year due to the rise of living costs, which might change shopping habits and customer behavior.

What else should you consider when looking at customers’ mental well-being?

• This year has been affected by the war in Ukraine, bringing geopolitical uncertainty.
• There is a global cost of living crisis going on that makes customers reconsider the reasons behind their purchases.
• It’s the FIFA World Cup on 20 November – 18 December in Qatar. Some brands might insert a bit of soccer into their campaigns.
• Young social media users and teenagers are reconsidering their time spent on screens and aiming for quality content rather than exploring and discovering.

What Should You Offer This Christmas?

Trends are diverse and today some of the shopping is inspired by TikTok and Instagram. #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has 28B views and it keeps growing. However, it seems that other aspects might convince customers to add that product to their basket and finish making the purchase.

• Value for money. In times of crisis, customers analyze their options deeper and consider if they need a product before actually buying it. Quality and durability are two key aspects that a product should have to convince a user to become a buyer.
• Thoughtful giving. Christmas gifts might suffer a budget reduction this year since everyone must cut down expenses from somewhere. Around 56% of the buyers will turn to thoughtful gifts for friends and family, as per eBay Ads UK’s latest Christmas Spend Trends research report.
• Product and brand ethics. Today’s customers verify the sustainability and ethics of a brand, how a product is made, and even the ingredients list.
• Way of shopping. According to a Facebook survey, customers don’t behave like they used to. 89% of Gen X and Baby Boomers have learned to embrace online shopping since the pandemic and now they are inclined to prefer digital stores, even if the outbreak is over.

Some Ideas for a Fresh & Juicy Campaign

Here are some of the trends that might turn into a good ROI rate and bigger profit than expected. Let’s dive in!

Social Selling Stands Out

Social selling or shoppable live streaming allows the audience to purchase directly from a live video feed. Some say that 63% of sales professionals claim that this trend is now important for closing new deals.

Building a strategy on such an idea means taking into consideration the platforms that your audience is open to and their spending behavior. Integrating sales into video content is easy when you know your audience very well.

It’s Story Time

Facebook and Instagram stories are watched daily by around 500 million users. They create engagement, keep users curious and help marketers build a strong social media presence, as well as test their creativity.

Stories may imply temporary content, but they have tools that bring quick engagements, such as interactive polls, trending audio, and even filters that your brand can create. They humanize a brand and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your products.

Focus on Geo-Targeting

Local content is engaging and relatable to your audience. Segment your audience by geographical location and increase the relevance of your messages.

Each celebration is perceived differently. Moreover, buying habits may vary depending on the client’s location. Once you identify these particularities, you can surprise your audience by sending the right message at the right time…to the right place.

Keep Your Discounts Balanced

Offers and discounts make tough decisions during these economical crisis times. Discounts gain relevance and might be the reason why a customer chooses your brand over another one. However, try not to go overboard.

Remember that your brand has a price range and you need to stick to what your audience would like. When you cut prices too much, you might discover that your profit is not as high as expected, while the new customers you gain will not afford your products, later on, to become loyal. Your customers might be open to incentives such as discounts, promo codes, and free shipping. Use them to increase purchasing.

Find a Voice

Influencer marketing may be widely used, but it is a way to get creative and reach new audiences while adding a face to your holiday promo. The right micro-influencer might bring you brand awareness or sales while you focus on other aspects of your campaign.

As much as brands prefer influencers, they still manage to increase conversions when showing audiences a personalized presentation of your products.

Let the Christmas Bells Ring!

Christmas campaigns are delightful for users. They will be so to you, once you wrap up all the details. However, before taking a break from work, remember where holiday shoppers go when they need inspiration. That’s right, they turn to Google. Review your website and product presentations and enjoy the holidays!