How to shape your holiday marketing strategy in 2020

The holiday season is here, and people are into the holiday spirit! When it comes to your holiday marketing, multiple factors should be considered for your holiday marketing plan. Spending habits, media-consuming habits, and behaviors all change around this time of year. They will be significantly compromised this year because of the pandemic, so it’s essential to adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. 

1. Be mindful of the current situation

The elephant in the room, AKA COVID-19, has been at the forefront of everything this year and has changed many aspects of our lifestyle. When it comes to your marketing strategy, be mindful of these circumstances from an empathetic perspective. Whatever your brand may be, don’t entertain the idea of getting together in large groups in public areas or engaging in unsafe activities per pandemic guidelines. Instead, adjust your messaging to the circumstances and shape them to match what is encouraged during this time: social distancing, small gatherings, and staying home. A prime example of this is Pinterest, and its campaign is designed to motivate people to stay home. 

2. Emphasize personalization

Personalization and customization are always factors of a marketing strategy that are more prone to yielding consumer loyalty and retention. It’s simple: people like to feel special and like a product or service designed for them. Whatever your brand may be, evoke those feelings from your consumers and incorporate personalization wherever possible, whether through digital campaigns, print collateral, PR packages, etc.

3. Stay on top of your customer service

Next, in line to personalization in the group of crucial marketing factors is… customer service! Through qualitative customer service, your consumers will feel cared for and attended to and will be more likely to stay with your brand than a competitor that falls behind in that area. The reality is that if you allow too much time to develop between when your consumer asks a question or requests something before you respond, they can easily find a new brand that will take care of them.

4. Plan ahead

The holiday season poses a saturated marketing market. All brands fight for consumer attention during this time because the media space is inundated with messaging and campaigning. For this reason, planning ahead is always so important. Through your plan, identify your clear competitors (which can change depending on this season), and clearly outline your goals, so you are not scrambling last minute.

5. Email marketing

Email marketing is a great way to reach folks working from home or simply quarantining at home. Also, email is an excellent component because people are already engaging with their email regarding online gift orders and things of that nature. Take advantage of the heavily-used platform at this time, and use it to your benefit. 

6. Open the discussion

Countless studies show that discussion-based marketing performs very well. Inviting consumers into a public conversation allows for naturally higher engagement and feelings of inclusivity and community. Find ways to converse with your audience and ways that they can chat with each other.

The holiday season is a fun time to promote your brand, and if you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to be heard and seen through the noise!

Grova Creative is a woman, minority, and veteran-owned agency headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and works with clients all across the United States. If you are a business or organization seeking help with advertising, marketing, branding, messaging, marketing, strategy, website development, or other creative assets, visit grova.com.