As we hit the back half of summer, sales have been heating up, many with the tagline ‘Christmas in July.’ It may seem too early to start thinking about the holidays but savvy marketers understand that ramping up holiday marketing in advance is like receiving that first greeting card in the mail; it’s attention-grabbing, excitement-building, and anticipation-making.
More importantly, It’s a great way to amplify your brand presence without the bells, glitter, and crowds.
July is a time when summer lovers are hitting their stride – and don’t feel like rushing the warm weather away – a key reason why July might be too early to hit the messaging training camp.
On the other hand, August is often a perfect time for transitions and a time when many start looking toward fall and back-to-school activities. And, it is the best time to get a jump on refining your holiday marketing and branding strategies, raising awareness, and beefing up customer engagement ahead of the rush.
After all, when it comes to getting the biggest bang for your buck, the gift of good timing can mean the difference between the holiday slump and robust sales.
Why wait until November to review data from last year’s holiday campaign and parse out what worked and didn’t work? Taking advantage of the slower summer pace allows you and your brand team to explore if last year’s goals and metrics were met (or ideally exceeded).
Did you meet your sales goals or did they fall flat. How did your messaging hit? Was it a boon or a bust? How did last year’s holiday strategy play out; were there things in your campaign that you could have done better, or even done without?
Starting early allows you to develop unique messaging that attracts even the most reluctant customers. It provides the opportunity to monitor new trends and create contingency plans. And, it allows you to build up engaging, compelling content without the usual constraints or time pressures.
Early, pre-holiday sales and promotions are a key strategy for attracting attention and bolstering existing relationships. They also provide an opportunity to slay the competition before things get too heated and customer attention is no longer up for grabs.
Think about the last time that you received an email with a discount that was too good to pass up. It might have caught you off guard in the middle of a compelling beach read, but did you take a second look?
That’s what pre-holiday marketing is all about: a second look and an opportunity to engage with your customers when they least expect your attention and are more relaxed and less pressured by life and gift-giving.
It’s also a unique opportunity to build up brand awareness, re-engage customers whose radar might be focused elsewhere, and create anticipation when the roll is slow and the living is easy.
And don’t forget! Some people shop all year round for holiday gifts. When you match your offerings with your customers’ intent, everyone wins.
The holidays may come around once a year but your brand efforts are 24-7, 365, that is, if you are doing them correctly. Pre-holiday marketing is a perfect time to build customer loyalty with special offerings and value-added propositions.
Consider what you’ve learned about your customers since last year, and what you don’t still don’t know or understand. Think about the type of promotions that are going to convince them to stick around, share information (and family/friends perks) with others, and up your brand value quotient.
Consider providing a sneak peek of the coming season’s offerings or product line extensions, both to enhance brand awareness and brand value, and lend a little ‘oomph’ in the steps you take to keep them coming back for more. This is also a time to highlight best sellers that will be kept in the inventory along with customer reviews that support your brand’s value.
The adage, ‘people will remember how you made them feel’ is what builds and sustains your customer base, creates enduring memories, and ensures that your brand remains front and center regardless of the time of year.
When was the last time that you thanked your customers for their loyalty or purchase(s)?
Small gestures of gratitude go a long way toward promoting your brand, building trust, and ensuring that you remain top of mind when consumers start their holiday planning in earnest.
A pre-holiday, ‘no strings attached’ marketing campaign ‘thank you ‘is a great way to bolster your email lists and/or customer base. Adding a video thanks to the email is the cherry atop of the icing, a bit more glam to your glitter, and creates a more personal touch. You might also want to consider following an email thank you with a snail mail thank you to reinforce that gratitude.
It’s also a great ‘fill’ strategy for the quieter sale periods for your brand and establishes a strong, caring presence in your customer’s minds, one that counters many strategies that your competition might be considering or actively engaging in.
Not only is early, pre-holiday marketing a time to test out your strategy for this season but also, to start some strategic planning for next. While you hone, revise, and shape, start paying close attention to the market trends, future sales forecasts, how AI might affect your business.and what you can do differently after the holiday season ends.
Engage your brand team’s strategic counselors to devise multi-strategy engagement campaigns that you can get a jump on in terms of trialing. Dive into your customer base and assess the missing elements, create customer personas that match brand goals and product line extensions, and that will help refine and build your brand competency and consumer confidence in your brand.
‘Tis the season starts now! Let’s chat and learn how Brand3’s strategic team can help you wrap up the holidays in August!
