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For families, Christmas is a time of joy and togetherness, often accompanied by spirited arguments over boardgames. For advertisers however, the battle between authenticity, creativity, and bespoke campaigns rages on, all aiming to secure their spot at the top of our screens and wish lists.
In the year 2023, more than ever, it’s crucial that brands showcase their unique niche to rise above the Christmas chaos. Generic, one-size-fits all approaches simply won’t cut it anymore.
Join us as we delve into the invaluable potential of bespoke media, personalised content, and community excellence during the festive period – and uncover what you need to be doing to stand out from the crowd. Invest in these strategies and you’ll be sure to make a lasting impact.
The core of personalisation lies in leveraging valuable insights and data to place the customer at the heart of the campaign.
In a landscape inundated with targeted ads, tailored content that deeply resonates with each individual becomes the key to breaking through the noise and forging lasting connections.
By understanding the unique preferences, consumer behaviours and needs of our audience, we can curate bespoke experiences that not only evoke genuine emotions but also create a sense of belonging and therefore drive loyalty. As the festive spirit fills the online space, prioritising personalisation on social media becomes the golden ticket to cultivating meaningful relationships and driving success.
But who’s doing it well?
In 2021, delivery delays were commonplace throughout the globe, meaning hundreds of Christmas presents didn’t arrive on time. With this insight in mind, Heineken introduced the Heineken IOU. Offering customers a beer-shaped placeholder gift for free while their real presents arrived, they were able to put the consumer at the heart of their campaign, and answer a real-time problem at the same time.
While social-first content and engaged communities play a significant role in standing out from the crowd, we must also recognise the value of well- thought-out, sophisticated media strategies.
These enable us to create immersive experiences that captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression – despite their being noise. Utilising innovative paid tactics empowers us to achieve precise targeting, reaching our ideal audience at a granular level.
Embracing innovation becomes the key to unlocking untapped potential and offering our audiences something entirely fresh. By pushing the boundaries of creativity and adopting a mindset driven by innovation, we not only enhance visibility but also cultivate a genuine sense of excitement and anticipation throughout our campaigns.
In 2022, Boots launched their “Joy For All” campaign. Focused on the magic of getting the perfect present, Boots used its Christmas activity to help their audience find joy with its most affordable Christmas ever. Alongside a TV ad starring BAFTA-nominated actress Lydia West, Boots were also the first brand in the UK to use a brand new TikTok format – Story Selection.
Not only does this showcase the innovative thinking behind the campaign, but a way for users to actually get involved and choose their perfect present. Boots also worked with Meta to create a bespoke AR filter to help people find their perfect gift.
Retailers have reported an impressive 18% rise in direct messages during the holiday season compared to non-festive months.
While most offices might close their doors for the Christmas period, maintaining active engagement with your online communities should stay always-on. With a noticeable increase in consumption and online activity, users are dedicating more time to virtual interactions.
To meet these expectations, brands need to consider the following:
Responsiveness becomes a defining factor in your festive planning - timeliness, therefore, becomes imperative to driving success.
76% of consumers expect a reply from a brand within 24 hours
If we nurture this engagement during the festive frenzy, it becomes easier for brands to cultivate loyalty and trust with their current and prospective audiences, capitalizing on these conversations to drive more business impact during the rest of the year. The significance of continued interaction with online communities cannot be overstated, solidifying the foundation for a successful holiday season.
But whose approach to community management is ticking the excellent box?
We all turn to Innocent as a great example of community management, that consistently stays true to its tone of voice and maintains the brand personality. Well, Christmas is no different for the smoothie brand. During the festive period, they showcase their commitment to their community through engaging tweets, ranging from playful infographics to tweets with more meaning.
One such example was their support of the #JoinIn campaign. Run by Sarah Millican, the campaign offered those alone on Christmas Day, a friendly chat with a volunteer. Despite it being Christmas Day, Innocent were still able to reactively promote the campaign and drive increased loyalty and positive sentiment. While this was only a single tweet, it exemplifies the impact of authentic engagement during the festive period, solidifying lasting connections online.
With the launch of the new brand identity, we worked with Aberlour to continue building on the success of previous campaigns in driving conversions, while educating customers on what the brand stands for in this new world.
Our objectives looked to primarily drive direct high-quality traffic to Amazon, encouraging purchases and to support with a wider brand awareness piece, ensuring the new Aberlour brand identity was at the forefront of user’s minds during the festive period.
The campaign utilised innovative ad formats to drive impact at every level of the funnel. This included an Instant Experience, which drove discovery and inspired users to take action. This is a high-awareness, fully immersive format which enabled us to deliver 236% above our estimated impressions and 70% cheaper than our benchmark CPM.
Mastering the art of cutting through the festive noise and triumphing in the crowded landscape stands as the ultimate challenge for brands. This article has shown the importance of harnessing the power of integrated teams in order to drive success for your brand.
Brands in 2023 need to give consumers more reason to engage with them, especially at such a busy time. The combination of personalised content, strategic channel approaches and cultivating engaged communities is not just a recipe for success; it’s the key to ensuring your brand thrives during the festive period and beyond.
If you need any guidance on forming an effective and bespoke campaign this Christmas, our specialised teams are here to help you shine brightly like the Piccadilly Circus Christmas lights. Get in touch – we’d love to hear from you. Contact: olivia.osborne@eightandfour.com
