blog post

Branding for Christmas 101

NPCreative.

Is your business ready to tackle the biggest time of the year?

Christmas opens up an opportunity for brands to be more creative in their marketing campaigns. With that said, we’ve definitely seen a lot of the same ideas recycled year after year (meet countless Advent calendars).

Take Nutella Italy for a great Christmas campaign example. They created a Christmas story through social media which resulted in a mass increase of  brand engagement.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of unique and creative ideas so that your branding for Christmas pops this year.

1/  Shipping off orders? Let’s change how they’re received.

We’ve all seen the recycled Christmas packaging campaigns. These campaigns have become a basic mundanity of brand positioning during Christmas. 

So whilst you may be thinking that Christmas packaging may be so 2021, how about we put a twist on it this year. Think Christmas meets personality. Have a custom Santa illustration (add a bit of humour and dress him up with boardies and thongs), or write a dad Christmas joke.

Before you get too excited and roll out a new packaging range, make sure to remember to incorporate your:

• Brand Voice
• Brand colour palette (with flexibility for seasonal events)
• Brand Fonts
• Logo (so that people still know that it’s you)

While we love a Christmas edition as much as the next person, it is important that your brand is still recognisable, refer to your brand guidelines (blog on this coming soon) to know what you can do. 

2/ Limited edition items 

There are three things you can’t escape in December: expensive Secret Santa gifts, Mariah Carey’s auto-tune and limited editions. Go the extra mile and show your customers how devoted you are to creating a unique customer experience.

Limited edition products are exciting. Better Marketing says that it is the act of buying something that is only available for a certain amount of time that makes you feel as if you’re the most important thing to ever exist. The allure of limited editions are based off the scarcity of it, giving people a sense of urgency to purchase (sales psychology am I right?).

3/ Special offers

Special offers can be a touchy subject for some business owners. We get it, and believe this is something that doesn’t work for every business out there. With that said, special offers are one of the most effective ways to increase sales and heighten brand awareness.

So what are some offers that will make your customers feel special? 

• Free samples. Sneak some into already purchased packages or post on your Instagram story that you will be giving away free samples from 10-11am this Wednesday. 
• Free shipping for the entirety of December.
• Buy one, get one free promos. People love free things, it’s practically in our DNA and this offer shows that you appreciate your customers and want to reward them for their loyalty throughout the year.

These may sound like pretty standard strategies, we know. We’re here to help you mix it up, and be creative (as we are creatives and all).

Below are some things to think about when creating your special offer, to make them unique (and get those creative juices flowing):

• What are my competitors doing in this space, and what aren’t they.
• List out standard samples, promo’s and other offerings brands do, and list out what you haven’t seen.

Take notice to focus on the end of each point above, as that’s where you can create magic.

4/ Collaborate

Collaboration enables your brand to be seen by people, that may not have seen you otherwise. This is probably one of  the most cost-effective stratgies out there, and one of our favourites.

What to look out for when seeking a collab opp:

• Aligned values
• Similar target market
• Complimentary products/services

This time of year is all about making it fun. Get an Xmas playlist going in the background and brainstorm some ideas for the above to make your branding for Christmas pop! 

** After an extra hand on this front? Our friends over at Collabosaurus connect brands through a very clever marketing tool which aims to build creative collaborations.