How to Ramp Up Your Branding Strategy for the Holiday Season

October is the official start of the festive season when it comes to branding preparations. While Thanksgiving and Christmas may still seem a long way to go, it isn’t too early to start working on your marketing plans.

According to the National Retail Federation statistics, Americans will likely spend $957-967 billion during festive sales this year. The average spending for holiday-related items and gifts is expected to reach $875 per consumer. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity by waiting too long or not doing enough.

While you don’t need to overhaul your branding plan, you can implement a few simple tactics to make it holiday-ready. As consumers embark on festive shopping sprees, these tactics can set your business apart in a competitive market.

We will share a few actionable measures to ramp up your branding strategy to achieve your sales target this season.

Create a Festive Content Calendar

The holiday season rush historically begins on the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers hype up the best deals on popular gifting items on Black Friday. However, you must create a festive content calendar for the season much earlier. It enables you to refresh your online and offline marketing assets before the big days.

For example, you can quickly send the pamphlets for printing before Thanksgiving if you have the content ready beforehand. At the same time, you can refresh your website to replicate the same content for online customers. A calendar gives clarity of the roadmap ahead and keeps you ahead of the special-day opportunities.

Get Your Brand Assets Ready

According to HubSpot, brand assets enable you to create immediately recognizable customer touchpoints. These include your logo, color palette, taglines, tone of voice, typography, promotional videos, and design elements. Besides these digital assets, your stamps, packaging, and mascots are essential brand assets.

Ensure everything is ready before the holiday season goes into full swing. For example, refresh your logo and color palette well before the festive period so that customers recognize them. Ensure your festive merchandise is also ready to hit the shelves. Check the mascot costumes and refill your favorite stamp to avoid falling short of inks at the last moment.

According to Rubber Stamp Champ, you can order custom stamps for the festive season to bring the vibe to your branding strategy. Custom stamps can be an excellent asset for professional applications and special events because you have the freedom to design and detail them.

Leverage Festive Storytelling

Psychologist Jerome Bruner conducted studies to find the impact of stories. He found that using stories to communicate messages makes individuals 22 times more likely to remember details. Consider weaving the magic of storytelling to boost your brand this holiday season. You can do it by narrating inspiring and happy stories in your marketing materials.

Craft brand stories around family traditions, generosity, and the joy of giving, such as highlighting your CSR initiative or something you may have done for employee well-being. Showcase these stories on your website, social media channels, and email campaigns can foster an emotional connection with your audience.

Create Limited Edition Offerings

Another branding tactic to capture the attention of holiday shoppers is by introducing limited edition products or services. They create a sense of urgency in customers, getting them into a race to buy the offering. Themed product bundles, festive packaging, and add-on services are great ideas for limited-edition offerings.

Remember to highlight the exclusivity and time-sensitive nature of these offerings in your marketing materials. You can capitalize on the sentiments of uniqueness and scarcity with them. Customers may come rushing to pick these offerings and will likely stick with your brand. It’s about giving them something they may not find anywhere else.

Partner With Influencers

A 2022 survey revealed that almost 34% of shoppers preferred social media channels to find or buy holiday products. A robust social media campaign becomes an essential part of your branding strategy. You can go the extra mile by partnering with popular influencers this holiday season. They get your brand in front of a relevant audience and empower it with word-of-mouth.

The holidays are often the busiest time for influencers when their calendars fill up quickly. You should start looking for a relevant influencer sooner rather than later and seal a deal with them well before the festivities begin. Don’t hesitate to spend a bit on influencer marketing because it can rev up your branding plan.

Holiday season branding requires cutting through the noise and making your products visible in a crowd. You can rely on these savvy strategies to differentiate your business and create a memorable impact on customers. It is not about spending a fortune on a branding plan but refreshing it with some wise moves.