For businesses, especially e-commerce companies, the holiday season presents a significant commercial appeal. With over 10 billion euros spent online each year during the holidays, this time of year is particularly conducive to communication efforts, provided, however, the right approach is adopted. What are the means to implement to succeed in communicating during the holiday season?
Branding for the Season
Every year, the clothing brand Petit Bateau completely decorates its website during the holidays. With a Christmas-themed layout, warm and inviting, the company implements a dedicated communication plan for this time of year. A “Special Christmas” section presents gift ideas and clothing collections for the holidays. This purchase incentive strategy is recommended for e-commerce sites, which can create an emotional connection with users while naturally guiding them towards different items.
Offering Prize Giveaways
Holidays mean Christmas gifts: for businesses, playing on this tradition is an effective marketing strategy that generates buzz around the brand while leveraging consumer responsiveness. Many websites use the holiday season to launch communication campaigns on social media by offering giveaways to users. Although not particularly original in essence, this method still engages the online community and allows the company to easily benefit from positive word-of-mouth.
Conducting Unique Digital Campaigns
In terms of communication, it can also be interesting to stand out from the competition. One can take original initiatives during the holidays, using the famous “Christmas spirit” to draw attention to the brand. For example, the luxury group Mont Blanc created buzz with its campaign “A Parisian Winter Tale,” combining a Christmas story in the form of an animated film with a guide to its products using the same graphic design. This successful strategy generates attention for the company through creative content while showcasing its products.
Adapting Email Campaigns
Another holiday tradition, the greeting card, can be cleverly incorporated to create an effective marketing campaign. For this, companies can send their prospects a targeted newsletter at the start of the new year. Ready-to-wear brands like Princesse Tam Tam and Tara Jarmon, for example, sent their customers a colorful newsletter to wish them a happy new year and present products on promotion.
Going Beyond Simple Communication
While the holidays lend themselves well to communication, it should not be an end in itself. Companies must offer real benefits to their customers to win them over, such as discounts, gift wrapping, or innovative services. Carrefour Market, for instance, implemented a digital catalog of Christmas toys, simple and practical, specially designed for display on mobile devices. To be successful, a communication campaign should not just ride on the holiday season but provide real added value to customers on this occasion.
