Creating holiday campaigns that stand out

It’s already the beginning of October, Thanksgiving and Halloween are right around the corner, so you know what that means… The holiday season will be here before you know it.

If you haven’t started yet, it’s a great time to start planning your holiday campaign. With brands beginning to roll out their holiday campaigns and launches, how can you stand out during one of the biggest shopping seasons (and one of most magical times) of the year?

Understand your customer

We’ve often talked about how important it is to understand your target audience and that’s especially true during the holiday season when spending ramps up and they’re being bombarded with holiday campaigns and content.

During this time, it’s especially important to know who they’re shopping for and how they’re shopping. For example, are they parents shopping for their kids, or maybe a husband shopping for his wife? Are they researching products online, shopping online, or heading into stores? 

Understanding who they are as well as their shopping journey and habits during this time is important for shaping your campaigns and strategies.

Tap into emotions

Brands tap into emotions all the time - from Valentine’s Day, to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and more. However, things usually feel a bit more magical and sentimental around the holidays, don’t they?

The holidays are the perfect time to tap into emotions like nostalgia, happiness, love, friendship, and even longing (like missing someone).

Tip: Storytelling through your campaigns is a great way to trigger emotions.

Think connection

Speaking of emotions, that leads us right into our next tip, think about connection.

How can you cultivate a connection with your audience?

One of the best ways to connect with your audience is to actually engage with them and listen to them. For example, make sure you’re actively responding to them on socials, whether that's through comments, direct messages, or another way.

Another way you can do this is by creating opportunities to connect with your audience, for example, through User Generated Content (UGC). So many social media users share their in store finds, dupes, outfits of the day, and everything in between. There are so many opportunities for brands to engage with them on this content and to potentially reshare it as well. This helps connect with people already familiar with your brand, helps build loyalty, and helps expand your reach.

There is also the option of connecting with your audience through partnerships with other brands/organizations and with influencers/content creators. 

For example, you may decide to partner with an organization to donate or volunteer during the holidays, this is a great opportunity to connect with your community, your audience, and to show what your brand values are. 

Working with influencers that align with your brand during the holiday season is valuable because the right influencers can be seen as aspirational and credible - with an audience who trusts their word. This connection can help increase your brand’s visibility, credibility, and can make people want to try out your brand. 

The right UGC or the right influencer can do A LOT for your brand. SO many items have sold out because it’s been trending on social media (like TikTok) because of a post from someone, so don’t underestimate social!

Plan ahead

If you’re thinking it’s just a bit too early to plan, we’re here to tell you it’s not! Many major brands have already begun launching their holiday products and sets in store and online.

If you haven’t started planning your holiday campaign, we suggest starting now, even if it’s just some brainstorming.

While it’s possible to whip something up at the last minute, it can also be an incredibly busy and stressful time, so it’s best not to wait.

Offer them something they want

Discounts are great and there are plenty of opportunities for discounts or sales around the holidays, from Black Friday, to Cyber Monday, to Boxing Day, and everything in between. Many shoppers will be on the lookout for deals, discounts, and holiday must-haves - so offer them something they want.

Tip: Here are some offers you can consider, gifts with purchase, freebies, limited edition items/swag, and more.

Planning for the holidays? Stay tuned to our blog as we bring you more tips and guides for your holiday marketing.