Everyone sought after holidays. For marketers and business owners, these times of the year bring great marketing opportunities to reach new customers and boost sales.
That’s because customers are more motivated to spend on great holiday offers and discounts. They’re also inclined to engage in the observances and tradition of the event such as gift-giving and theme decorating.
However, brands often forget to take into consideration the gravity of some of these celebrations. This puts them in danger of putting out campaigns that misuse the event’s meaning and value.
Learn the proper holiday marketing decorum in this article to help you plan your promotional activities accordingly.
The Dos of Holiday Marketing
Stay significant and empathetic
Focus your campaign on the occasion’s essence. Remember that some occasions mean more than pumping up your sales. You’re an essential factor in educating your customers about a celebration’s significance, making your brand memorable.
PayPal’s #BalanceForBetter campaign for IWD 2019 raises awareness of the inequality faced by women in entrepreneurship. They invited female business leaders to provide insights on leadership, professional development, and creating an inclusive workplace.
Target the right audience
Audience targeting has always been essential to marketing. But you might want to consider reassessing this factor for your holiday marketing, especially when the occasion celebrates a specific cultural or religious event.
An example of this is Tesco’s multicultural blunder in Ramadan 2015. The supermarket set up a display of Pringle’s in Smokey Bacon Flavour accompanied by a “Ramadan Mubarak” greeting.
Muslim shoppers found the presentation insensitive as Muslims consider pork as “haram” or forbidden. They’re also under strict fasting regulations during the day.
Stick to your branding
Holidays are filled with marketers clamouring for a creative and one-of-a-kind campaign. Amidst the buzz of the season, aim to present a relevant and solid message without compromising your brand’s unique identity.
This is what Grammarly did for their Valentine’s day campaign. They tapped on the long-forgotten art of expressing one’s affection — love letters. They urged their audience to use their service in crafting the perfect love letter.
READ: 5 Low-Cost Branding Tips for Your Small Business
Be authentic and creative
Aim for a holiday presentation that’s every inch authentic and creative to hook your audience. You can even tug at their strings with an inspirational campaign.
What Tesco lacked in audience understanding in Ramadan 2015, they redeemed with definitive success on Mother’s Day 2020. Their campaign sought to redefine the word “mother” as more than just a genetic connection.
They featured all types of moms, stepparents, aunts, foster parents, and others, together with their children to recreate their old photos and share their experiences.
Connect locally
It’s one thing to reach a wide audience online, it’s another thing to make an impact within your locality.
Strengthen your local presence by participating in local commemorative events and programs. Provide sponsorships and donations. Engage in partnerships that support local causes.
Provide promos and discounts
Who says no to a good deal? It’s not holiday marketing without ever-present sales and discounts. They’re forever the most effective way to lure in prospective buyers.
But keep in mind to make it relevant. When celebrating International Women’s Day, for example, you can offer discounts on the women’s section.
The Don’ts of Holiday Marketing
Overlook what might be offensive
Before every campaign launch, evaluate what creative decision might appear offensive to your audience. Even when it’s unintentional, distasteful ads can cause irreparable damage to your brand.
This is what happened to Zoo Weekly magazine which was under fire for featuring a bikini-clad model on their “special commemorative issue” cover for Anzac Day 2015. The publication showed blatant misuse of an occasion that honours those who fought and died for peace. They also failed to ask the DVA (Department of Veteran’s Affairs) for permission to use the word “Anzac” commercially.
Being too salesy
Every day, thousands of ads battle for a single person’s attention online. What can help you become the top pick?
Avoid shoving salesy holiday content to your audience. Instead, create impact and draw customers to your brand by providing value. Remember to highlight benefits more than features.
Overdo your campaign
Broadcasting over the top campaigns can mean adverse results for your brand. At the peak of the holiday rush, the last thing people need is a time-consuming, excessive, and complicated approach.
Make your marketing materials digestible and gripping at the same time. Creativity doesn’t mean exaggeration. Often, the simplest ways make the most impression.
Promote responsibly
While holidays can bring endless opportunities to be creative with your campaign, it’s important to tread it with caution as well. This is especially for those that tackle religion, social causes, health, and the struggles of the minority. Remember that you can influence your viewer’s perception of these matters.
However, when done right, it can help you deliver substantial content and achieve marketing success. Take note of these dos and don’ts to guide you in building a suitable yet winning holiday marketing strategy.
