The 3 Stages of a Successful Holiday Campaign

It’s that time of year again! The time of cheer and bah-humbug, jingle bells and I need a Bells to get through this.

One thing everyone can agree on though, is that ‘tis the season for brands and B2C businesses to step up and get into the spirit of giving – it’s only fair when it’s likely to be your most prosperous time of year.

So you want to nail that holiday campaign, right? And there’s still time to totally thrill and delight your customers. All you need to do is work through the following stages:

Stage 1: Build the Anticipation

The holiday campaign is unique kettle of fish, in that it is the one marketing campaign where it still makes sense to build anticipation. The whole season is about anticipation, so people are already in the right frame of mind, and if anything, will easily add waiting for a treat from your brand into the mix.

You also aren’t having to work hard to remind them about a random day that means nothing to them personally. You are working with pre-set special days, so you can simply add to the excitement.

How you go about building anticipation depends on your campaign, brand and audience. If your campaign is mostly social media based, then I suggest leaving the teaser / clue posts back in 2015. Rather tell your audience about the crazy sale or giant giveaway you’ll be hosting, build up their excitement for it leading up to the big day by revealing more and more, and offer incentives for loyalty.

Investment is a more important part of anticipation than surprise is.

Stage 2: Nail the Reveal

This is one is all about choosing the right time and place. And how di you figure out those two crucial elements? Data.

Knowing your audience and their habits will really help you land the perfect launch.

Once you have those key elements sorted, then you can have fun with the actual reveal – go big and loud, or choose a more exclusive route, notifying loyal customers first. Taylor it to appeal to your audience and the platform. Above all else – have fun! Enjoy how excited your audience is because of you and drink it in. If your brand seems genuinely excited about the campaign, this will rub off on your audience and increase their excitement.

Stage 3: Nurture the Conversation

This stage actually flows all the way through every other stage of the campaign. There’s nothing worse than a brand that simply broadcasts and leaves. Interactions, conversations and engagement is where you really connect to people emotionally – and that emotional connection is what will spark the excitement you want.

Be there for questions. Listen to any confusion that is arising so that you can quickly clear it up. Get excited with your audience. Be human.

These positive interactions not only make your audience feel heard, but makes them feel more invested in the campaign. If a brand has gone to the trouble to engage, then it feels more like the campaign is being run for the community, rather than on its back.

Want to chat through your holiday campaign ideas with an impartial ear? Email me on info@samantics.org and let’s see what festive magic we can make for your audience.