December is always brimming with advertisements for Christmas gift ideas, New Year’s Eve festivities, and big box bargains. The market is large this time of year, but it’s also very full – so here are some tips on making your business stand out using easy and cost-efficient ways to make your holiday promotions more effective without a big box budget.
Tis’ the Season to Spruce Up the Website
This is usually the easiest and least resource-heavy holiday marketing to carry out. You could use a subtle hint by adding a Santa hat to your logo or homepage banner or go all out with a snow-filled, reindeer-flying home page wintertime redesign. Visitors will take note of your creativity and that you update your site regularly, returning more often to see what’s new.
A Christmas-themed redesign doesn’t just add flair, it can evoke joy, nostalgia, and deeper connection if done just right.
Put Print On Your List
Print brings with it more cost, but also a lot of potential for last-minute shoppers who aren’t likely to check your website or be in your email database. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, now is the time for a creative mail piece with coupons and incentives. If you are a business in a boring industry, send a Christmas card they will remember.
One advantage print has over the web is appealing to the sense of touch. Choosing a textured or extraordinary stock like Curious Metallics can make your company’s Christmas cards more memorable.
Decorated Promotional Products
Spread some holiday cheer with something special in someone’s stocking. Or, print your logo on a stocking and fill it with goodies to give as gifts to clients. Have ornaments printed with your logo, or send a miniature elf in each shipment. Now is the time to think creatively and thoughtfully about your promotions.
Choose a promotional product, throw in a gift box, wrap the gift box and send. How many other business contacts will go through the trouble to make a lasting impression?
Need Inspiration?
If you’re looking for inspiration on effective Christmas advertising, Target, Coca-Cola and John Lewis are great examples. JCPenney has had success spreading the “Joy of Giving” with coupons and upbeat tv spots. John Lewis creates viral Christmas ads, with Marketing Week reporting this year’s Buster the Boxer clocking up over 200,000 mentions online, and last year’s Man on the Moon was ranked by Google as 2015’s most popular ad.
Conclusion
One thing to remember is this: Christmas is supposed to be a time of genuine giving and love. Consumers will not appreciate brands that appear mercenary or profit-guzzling, especially not during this time. John Lewis’ ad not only tugged at the heart strings, they worked with Age UK to raise awareness of loneliness in the UK’s elderly population. Something that can work is pledging to give a cut of your profits to charity, so people can both feel good and do good when engaging with your company.