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December is a month of positive vibes, colors, celebrations and happiness. It is the month that brings Christmas, a festival that draws families together and spreads happiness through gifts and other joyful deeds. With it being popular in 160 countries, it is crucial to understand the importance of Christmas marketing as a tool to further elevate your brand. A few reasons for its importance are as follows-
1.Offers and rewards: Loyal customers are of great help when it comes to promoting the brand through word of mouth. It only makes sense to further reward such customers with exciting deals and offers, tailored specifically for them. Offers and smaller rewards can also bring potential customers into the business.
2.Customer relations: With the amount of shopping that takes place during Christmas, it is only obvious for the customer interaction to increase. Either offline through conversations or online through surveys, this period allows for better understanding and communication with the customer group.
3.Positive energy: Christmas is a time wherein families come together, putting aside any differences in-order to spread happiness and have a good time. This allows for a lot of positive energy for the business. A well-planned festive theme can encourage customers to linger around longer, potentially leading to more sales.
4.Higher spending: With the idea of spreading happiness comes the practice of gifting fellow loved ones. Most customers who stop by the store or the website intend to make a purchase before they leave. This intention may not be clear at first, which is why potential customers need to be guided and nurtured through the entire process. A well-planned outlay in a retail store or an attractive festive themed website can certainly do the trick.
5.Higher social media presence: With the number of users online increasing, it is necessary to build a strong social media campaign. Interactive campaigns following the likes of Ted Baker’s #TedsElfie and emotional campaigns like Air Canada’s #ACGiftohome can be seen as popular examples of further building and interacting with an online audience.
6.Customer base: Any effort to further increase a customer base is generally rewarded when paired with strong offers, rewards and an attractive social media campaign. With most people out to shop during Christmas, a business is exposed to larger pool of customers. With Christmas preparations starting a month or two from the actual date itself, these customers can themselves turn in more crowd if they are satisfied with the products and services provided.
Christmas as a whole is a time of joy and emphasises on families coming together and sharing happiness with each other. Brands can have roles over such holidays, despite the current pandemic conditions. These conditions have affected the traditional ways in which people celebrate Christmas, making it harder to truly appreciate and enjoy the festival. As the owner of a brand, one must be able to offer possible solutions. Ideas for such solutions could be as follows-
1.A convenient and smooth e-commerce experience enabling families to share valued gifts while residing in different regions.
2 .Advertisements and services that connect people online.
3 .Empowering those most impacted by the pandemic, elaborating on their conditions and appreciating their efforts.
Brands need to build trust and recognition with their audience and Christmas is a great time to do so. Putting forward the importance of quality time with loved ones, creating campaigns that bring smiles to people and understanding the needs of consumers, all relate to a more positive outlook for the brand. Spreading the idea of togetherness in a time where we are further away from each other is crucial for a brand during any festive holiday, especially during Christmas.
The situation isn’t too different for retailers. During the Christmas season, consumer purchasing habits change, focusing more on price and on quality. With the willingness to spend more, existing brands may have an upper-hand when compared to newcomers, as their branding strategies are better able to pull consumers, showing trust and reliability. Festive campaigns showcasing the brands journey in serving the people during the month of December are highly appreciated, with companies like Tesco and Sainsbury emphasizing on being a part of every consumer’s Christmas journey for well over a century.
A brand is as strong as its consumer base. The need to understand the priorities of a consumer and build trust is crucial. Marketing during any festive season is important, and with Christmas being one of the most popular festivals, it allows for an extremely large pool of consumers who are willing to spend higher than they normally do, and the same customers can turn in more crowd. Marketing during the Christmas season can act as an advantage and place one brand higher than its competitors, and is no doubt of extreme importance. --- Zulfiqar