Some of you probably just barely have sand between your toes from summer vacation. Understandably, it doesn't feel like the right time to plan a Christmas campaign yet. Yet we're already in the thick of it! Because our motto for a successful Christmas campaign is clear: the earlier, the better! If there is no shortage of one in December, then it is almost endless competition in holiday campaigns and in order to stand out, a good plan is essential.
Even though Christmas has become an integral part of our culture and, in addition to being a great opportunity for many brands, it also brings new excitement and anticipation into the eyes of millions of people every year, it should never be forgotten that this certainly does not apply to every culture. Not all people in your target group can identify with the festival, which is why it is more important today than ever to create an inclusive campaign.
But how do you do that? We have collected our experience from the last 10 years and summarized it in 5 tips for you:
Around 81% of people in Germany celebrate Christmas, which is why the festival plays a major role everywhere, whether on supermarket shelves, numerous shop windows or social media. Nevertheless, there are many people who cannot identify with the holiday and even those who celebrate Christmas do so for a variety of reasons and with a wide variety of traditions...
The first step to make sure you don't exclude anyone with your campaign is to be aware of your position and potential prejudices and to start planning with this awareness.
Instead of focusing on Christmas in your messages, consider what values and emotions are associated with the holiday. This could be, for example, family, community, generosity, or even willingness to help. Everyone can identify with these values.
Some Christmas traditions may feel universal to you, but Christmas is celebrated differently all over the world. Therefore, focus your campaign on universal topics that everyone can identify with, such as peace, love, and belonging.
What screams Christmas more than the colors red and green? Accordingly, they tend not to be very inclusive and in a sea of the same Christmas campaigns, they certainly don't stand out for a long time.
Instead, try to use your brand colors and give them a Christmas touch, true to the motto: keep your style but make it Christmas! In this way, you also retain the recognition value for your customers.
Clichés can simply be avoided by reporting on different experiences, so expand the narrative and tell different stories. Make sure you get to know and listen to the people you want to tell a story about.
All marketers have one thing in common: They have to get into the Christmas spirit as early as spring and summer in order to deliver the perfect Christmas campaign at the perfect time. That's why (almost) everything in August and September revolves around the best time of the year. We at Kitchen Stories are already deep into Christmas thoughts and processes, and are already planning Christmas content for our community as well as for various brands. You can take a look at a few examples from recent years here:
Siemens — Potato dumplings that are safe for every occasion
Ramazzotti — Celebrate Christmas (a bit more) in Italian this year!
Miree — recipes and tricks for stress-free eating in December
Günthart — The only thing that can help against the dreary winter is sprinkles!
As every year, we'll find the perfect Christmas campaign for your brand, with which you can reach our target group of millions right in their homes. Be it through digital brand campaigns, content sponsorship, product placement or as an exclusive partner for specific categories.
Got hungry? We are pleased to be able to provide you with free advice on your Christmas campaign in a non-binding meeting: Make an appointment.