A Brand’s Guide to the Christmas Campaign Countdown

No, you’re not going mad, we haven’t gone completely nutty just yet. But like it or not, the dreaded C-word is already on everyone’s lips. Yep, summer is over (silent cry) and the season of joy, goodwill, and the mad scramble to get your brand’s festive campaign in order by the time the clock strikes midnight on December 1^st has already begun.

Well, never fear because you’re not alone. Here are a few things we’ve noticed over the years that might help calm those pre-Christmas campaign jitters…

Let’s face it folks, for most business owners, marketing your own business often becomes the feral middle child in the dysfunctional family that is your brand’s back office. You’re busy running the show, juggling a thousand tasks, your team are busy keeping customers happy and suddenly, BAM! It’s December, and you realise your Christmas campaign is still sitting as a half-baked idea in a group Slack message. It’s ok. This isn’t the end. You can still do it and by St Nick’s beard, you’re going to do it well.

This season truly is a blink-and-you-miss-it exercise for most businesses. Walking into any store in September and seeing Christmas decorations can be – let’s face it – traumatising. While you’re busy selecting who’s dressing as which cabinet minister for Halloween people are already pre-ordering Turkey’s and stock-buying mulled wine. And then…the showstopper syndrome kicks in…

Every year, there’s a belief that your Christmas campaign needs to outdo the one before. Or anyone else’s for that matter. It’s like a game of one-upmanship, as perfectly demonstrated by the ongoing battle of the Christmas Ads.

Suddenly, budget lines get blurred, and you find yourself planning a Broadway-level production that Hugh Jackman himself would beg to star in. Well STOP. Not only does this often take businesses way off course with their target audience, it’s also not necessary. A successful Christmas campaign, especially when you’re under pressure catering to client needs, is best served with a simple, effective heartfelt message and authentic agenda that fits your own USP.

Remember, just because it’s Christmas, your brand is still your brand – and sometimes, even in the world of marketing, less is more. All you need to do, is find the right support to help you distil and sell it.

It’s a fair question. With everything else going on, and an already saturated market out there, many businesses could be forgiven for wondering whether the stress is really worth it. However, there are more than a few benefits to upping the ante when it comes to throwing your hat in the festive marketing ring. Including:

• Improved brand awareness
• Increased web traffic
• Higher SEO rankings
• Improved social media engagement
• Increase leads and sales

Therefore, the right approach is essential, helping you build relationships, communicate brand value and boost sales. But just how do you stay one step ahead without losing your cool?

The biggest hurdle for brands during the next three months is finding the time to balance their own Christmas wants alongside those of their customers and client’s.

There’s no getting around the fact that the post-holiday back-to-school season has everyone reaching for their to-do list and firing off a list of demands. This means that even the best-laid plans can fall victim, leaving your ideas side-lined as you rush to fulfil your everyone else’s demands. It’s a juggling act that would make even the hardest working toy-shop elf sweat.

It’s simple. Ask for help and have faith. There are plenty of agile agencies (yes, just like us) out there who are built for this season. Whether it’s an advertising campaign, animation, landing page, email sequence or eye-popping direct mailer (or something else entirely) you need to create with as little stress – and as much creativity as possible – just get in touch. It’s what we’re here for.