I know I’ve been a bit sarcastic, but as a Marketer, I see a lot more than the normal consumer. I have to admit, I’ve even been responsible for gracing your inbox, news feed, or Google search regularly during prior holidays. For that, I ask your forgiveness while thanking you for your patronage.
Anyway, I wanted to make amends by giving you a virtual peek behind the curtain, so-to-speak, so you can see what all is required for a successful holiday marketing campaign and even provide you with a light at the end of the tunnel if it all seems a bit overwhelming. I’ve broken down a few things to consider in some holiday-themed comparisons. Please share on social media and tag @ComGroup with any creative (and festive) additions I might have overlooked!
This is where it’s ok to decorate early...
Marketing requires planning and ‘tis the season to plan well in advance
It’s a debate on how early is TOO early to decorate for Christmas. I know folks who start the day after Halloween (that may or may not have been my household this year - hey, it’s 2020, right?). But in planning for seasonal marketing, you can’t start too early! Build your roadmap, do your research, know your goals, plan your targeting, define your messaging, and build the right campaign well in advance to ensure you are prepared for any challenges that could arise.
Make your list and check it twice...
Maybe three times… Ok, check it four or five times just to be safe
Traffic fluctuations and costs are impossible to predict: You’ve got to plan and prepare for what you can - manage what you can. If your settings are managed well then you could spend exponentially more than expected quicker than anticipated (Google’s standard is they could spend twice your daily budget and by having ads running you are agreeing to that) Contingency planning is essential (i.e. on Sunday, Nov 29, 2020, the top search was Cyber Monday deals and Cyber Monday with 2MM and 1MM searches respectively, which makes sense, but on Black Friday, the top searches revolved around the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones fight which had over 7MM searches. If you predicted that one in September, then I hope you also bet on the fight).
Holiday plans change - why wouldn’t your [Holiday] Marketing plans?
“Change is the only constant” - Heraclitus
In the classic holiday movie (and my personal favorite), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold had plans for a family Christmas that went up in flames (literally) and ended with quite a few unexpected turns. But, ultimately, because of creativity, flexibility, and a solid plan B - thanks to Cousin Eddie’s uncouth (can we call it “successful?”) kidnapping scheme, everything ended as it should and everyone was happy in the end. As we can see from some of our favorite movies and life experiences, the only thing guaranteed not to change is the fact that things will change. You have to plan to integrate this reality into your marketing and advertising campaigns. Make sure you have a Plan B, C, and even D to your perfectly organized, beautifully structured, and executive-approved Plan A. Plan to adjust. Period. Maybe this year, your campaign will be the only one in history that doesn’t require a pivot here and there, but like the saying goes, “It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” Be prepared to pivot to achieve your marketing goals.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas…
Don’t forget the reason for the season.
Ok, I know I’ve been somewhat of a doomsdayer in telling you to focus on planning, and telling you what could go wrong. But the whole point of preparing is to ensure you remember WHY we celebrate Christmas, and why it’s such a big deal worldwide. Sure it’s a big sales part of the year and some could argue it’s been a bit over-commercialized, but the root of this stems from the idea of it being better to give than to receive. Most people don’t buy gifts for themselves - they buy them for others. The parallel is in what God did for mankind through his son, Jesus. And with that in mind, what’s the point of the season if you aren’t actually celebrating and having somewhat of a good time? No matter what you plan or prepare for or what ultimately happens, something WILL go right. As a leader, you have to celebrate the wins and thank your team. You can’t do it alone (maybe some small organizations can, but you still need to thank someone - your boss or CFO for the marketing budget at least) and you need to appreciate what works while learning from what doesn’t. If you’re a specialist or a manager doing the gritty work of setting up campaigns and reporting on their performance, you’re going to have some quality ads or content that stand out. Share them with your coworkers and leadership - letting them know what was a success. You can work on the opportunities later with your supervisor, but you have to celebrate what goes well.
In conclusion, while this is a solid road map to planning and executing a quality seasonal campaign, why attempt to reinvent the proverbial wheel? It could cost you exponentially more in reallocating workload, inexperience, not to mention the sacrifice in even mediocre versus high-performing campaign ROI. We at ComGroup have a combined 110+ years of marketing and advertising experience. We are the masters of our trades: research, message development, traditional and digital marketing & advertising, PR, website development, online marketing, and so much more. If you have even a question about planning a holiday campaign (or any time-of-year campaign to generate brand awareness, leads, or sales), then do yourself and your company a favor and have a quick conversation with us about how we can potentially advise you in the right direction.
We look forward to hearing from you and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
