Marketing & Strategy
October 21, 2024
Tis’ the Season for Success: Leveraging the Holiday Season to Boost Your Business
From Black Friday to New Years Cheer, here’s how your business can unwrap success this holiday season
From Black Friday to New Years Cheer, here’s how your business can unwrap success this holiday season
The holiday season is one of the most exciting and profitable times for businesses across all sectors. Whether you’re in a B2C market eager to drive sales, or a B2B business looking to build relationships during the festive season, there are numerous ways to harness the holiday spirit and achieve impactful marketing results.
It’s time tailor your holiday marketing efforts to fit your business goals, from increasing sales to humanising your brand – here’s our top tips and strategies.
In 2023, almost 28% of the whole year’s online spending occurred in the last quarter of the year (Q4). (Source)
This peak holiday shopping season starts earlier than you might think, and for B2C businesses these key sales events are golden opportunities to drive sales. Last year (2023), NZ saw over $88 million in spending between the Black Friday to Cyber Monday four day period alone – it’s these kinds of numbers that no business can afford to miss out on.
Labour Weekend marks the unofficial start of the peak shopping season in New Zealand. A public holiday recognising the achievements of workers, it’s also a time when shoppers are ready to spend on great deals. Launching promotions during this long weekend can kickstart your holiday sales early and capture consumers before the Black Friday rush.
Last year, Kiwis spent over $12.3 million online in just one day, so this growing event is a great chance to create targeted promotions, especially for personal or lifestyle products.
Running from November 11 to 15, this is your opportunity to capture online shoppers before Black Friday. Exclusive online deals can help grow your e-commerce platform and attract customers eager for early holiday bargains.
Black Friday is the prime time to offer deep discounts, flash sales, or bundle deals to drive up sales. Countdown campaigns leading up to these days can build anticipation so your brand stands out among the competition.
Boxing Day marks the start of the summer sales in New Zealand, making it one of the busiest shopping days of the year. With shoppers having extra time and goodwill after the holidays, it’s the perfect opportunity to launch clearance sales and make room for new stock.
Leverage these major sales events and align your promotions accordingly to keep customers engaged throughout the entire holiday shopping season.
While B2C businesses focus on driving sales during the holidays, B2B businesses have the perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships and showcase the team behind the brand. The holiday season is a great time to nurture relationships with your clients and partners. Here’s some proven strategies to get started:
Give your customers a glimpse of your team celebrating the holidays. Whether it’s decorating the office, participating in holiday-themed activities, or a year-end wrap-up, showing the human side of your business helps build trust and rapport. Share this content on your social media platforms and send out a personalised holiday message to your clients.
The end of the year is a great time to show appreciation. Create a “Thank You” email campaign to express gratitude for the support from your clients and partners over the year. Including a holiday card or small gift can add a personal touch and show you value their relationship.
One of the most thoughtful ways to express appreciation and strengthen relationships with your B2B clients during the holidays is through corporate gifting. Sending a branded gift not only shows that you value their partnership, but it also keeps your business top-of-mind in a tangible, memorable way. Get in touch with the PDC team for branded corporate gifts that reflect your brand’s identity.
Use the holiday season as an opportunity to collaborate with your clients: create co-branded case studies, success stories, or holiday-themed blogs that highlight your partnerships throughout the year. This not only showcases your clients’ achievements, but also reinforces your value as a partner in their success.
Tis’ the season after all! Align your brand with a good cause during the holiday season by supporting a charity that suits your business’ values. Let your clients know how you’re giving back and invite them to participate or match your efforts. This creates a positive brand image and builds a deeper connection with clients and your community.
Send a year-end survey to gather feedback from your clients about your services, products, and overall experience working with your business. This feedback can be very useful in planning for the year ahead, plus the gesture shows that you are working to meet their needs.
Regardless of your industry, updating your branding to align with the holiday season can make your marketing more engaging and relevant:
Festive Website Updates: Add a touch of holiday spirit to your website with festive banners, colours, and messaging. A simple seasonal update to your site’s homepage, such as a holiday sale banner, can draw attention and add a little sense of excitement.
Holiday Storytelling: People connect with stories. Share heartwarming holiday stories about your business, team, or customers. Whether it’s a success story of how you helped a client or a behind-the-scenes tale of how your team rallied together during the year, storytelling during the holidays helps create emotional connections.
Holiday-Themed Contests: Socials are a great space to get festive. Run a giveaway or contest to increase engagement: this could be a photo contest where participants share their fun holiday moments, or a competition to guess how many candy canes are in a jar for a fun twist – whatever suits your brand!
The New Year presents a fantastic opportunity for both B2B and B2C businesses to focus on renewal, growth, and fresh starts.
Here’s how to leverage it
Goal Setting and New Year Discounts - Encourage your customers to start the year strong by offering New Year discounts or promotions focused on self-improvement, productivity, or goal-setting products and services. You could even send out branded wall planners or calendars to showcase your business as their partner for a successful 2025.
B2B Kickstart Campaigns - As your B2B clients plan for the year ahead, position your business as the partner they need to achieve their goals. Consider sending out New Year planning guides, industry reports, or exclusive offers on your services to help them hit the ground running.
The holiday season presents great opportunities for both B2B and B2C businesses to connect with their audience, build relationships, and drive sales. No matter your industry, the key is to embrace the festive spirit while keeping your business goals in mind.
By planning ahead and creating engaging seasonal content, you’ll be well-positioned to maximise the impact of the holidays on your business. At PDC Creative, we specialise in helping businesses develop tailored marketing strategies for the holiday season and beyond.
Reach out to us today to make your holiday marketing plan shine merry and bright!
