For the average Joe/Joanne, Autumn is probably too early to start talking openly about the C-word (see Instagram stories featuring festive-laden supermarket shelves accompanied with the eye-roll emoji). But for brands, it’s a different story. Brands have been talking about it for weeks now. Bars and restaurants are reminding revellers to book their office parties, homeware and lifestyle brands are dropping their holiday ranges and gift guides, and airlines are pushing cosy city breaks with festive markets.

The baubles began dropping into our inboxes from around mid-September, as well as decorating social feeds and adorning billboards and bus stops. These are brands with a plan - a Christmas Marketing Plan, to be precise. And they will have been working on it for a large chunk of this year. So, what might that look like? Here are some tips on how to keep ahead of the game when it comes to Christmas marketing.

Know your target audience

Reflect on last year and your audience’s preferences, behaviours, and shopping habits during the holiday season. Not only this, but their human interactions too - last year’s social posts is a good place for this. Ensure you create messaging and offers that resonate with their needs. Keep things customer-centric to build stronger connections and have more successful campaigns.

Plan ahead

Have your marketing strategy ready to go in time for Autumn’s arrival, including clear objectives.  What do you want to achieve? Do you want to increase sales, build brand awareness, or generate leads? Your strategy should include key dates such as when campaigns will go live and when they will end, so a plan of their execution well ahead of time is important, as is having high quality content ready for those dates.

Get Christmassed up

Speaking of content, it’s a good idea to give your brand a temporary festive makeover. Consider your social media and web pages, app and email comms - what can you do to give them a Christmassy look whilst remaining close to your usual branding? Personalisation at this time of year will help you stand out, such as sending specially tailored emails or in-app notifications with festive greetings to bring that warm, fuzzy feeling. And keep your content relevant and relatable to the time of year - tell uplifting stories, share gift guides, and offer guidance that reflects the spirit of celebrating with loved ones and the act of giving. 

Don’t forget Black Friday

Okay, sure - we know it’s unlikely that you could! But here’s more reason to give you extra drive. An IPA survey indicated that 51% of UK adults intend to Christmas-shop during Black Friday and 33% are looking to spend up to a quarter of their budget on the sales. If you have a younger consumer group then it’s worth focusing on this period even more, as the figure is even higher for the 18-24 age-range. So, whether the goal is getting more people on your mailing list by offering early access Black Friday discounts, or simply increasing sales but pushing special offers - leverage a part of your Christmas marketing plan around this event. And don’t stop there…the weeks that follow, Boxing Day and even the January sales should also be factored in. 

Sleigh the trends

User-generated content is a great place to start as it helps to build trust and credibility for a brand. Encouraging users to share their Christmassy photos, videos or product reviews makes them feel part of your brand’s family, and sharing it will make their input feel valued - Gen Z are particularly spurred on by this. Thinking about Gen Z is an important trend in itself; making your marketing inclusive and ensuring ethical values are practised and communicated will resonate with them. Try not to focus on simply pushing products. Over half of Gen Z say it’s important to them that companies take a stance on social issues and that they’re more likely to buy from brands that treat their employees well and practice sustainability. And finally, tell your seasonal stories in interactive, fun ways. Video, live streaming, gamification and podcasting are all high on the list of marketing trends this year.

Prepare for the holiday traffic

Just as you would plan for the extra motorway traffic on Christmas Eve, do the same for your website during the holiday season! If you’re inviting more people in, ensure they have the best time with you possible. Make sure your website is fully up-to-date and optimised for mobile. Get your processes organised to provide a seamless user experience and exceptional customer service. 

After all, Christmas is potentially your best chance to make a great impression on consumers, so you’re remembered positively for the months and years to come.