Everybody knows that Christmas means big business—but how do exactly do you tap into all that potential? Do you need Christmas specials? Luxury items? Budget options? There is no magic formula that you can apply to your holiday marketing plan so that it is perfect, but as long as you give your business enough time to embrace the season and connect with customers, you’ll see results. Remember what’s important to your customers and rely on your strengths!

First things first: Identify your customers’ Christmas budget  

Budget considerations are at the forefront of consumers’ minds during the holidays, and that’s exactly where you should start when planning your Christmas marketing campaign. The division between the luxury market and the budget market is becoming steeper every year, which means if you haven’t yet figured out where your brand belongs on the scale, now is the time. It can be appealing to offer goods and services in a range of prices, but it’s difficult to grow your brand that way. Think about whether you are in the business of selling high-end products, experiences or services, or whether your offerings are intended for every household. Once you have an answer, you’ll know how to put special offers together more effectively.  

With the average household experiencing the rising cost of living over the last couple of years, this holiday season, Canadians are thinking very carefully about how they spend their money. According to a survey conducted last year by Rakuten, the average anticipated spend on holiday gifts in 2023 is $570, down from $600 in 2022. Parents are expected, as usual, to spend more than others—about $745 on gifts alone. 

Rakuten also reported that Canadian holiday shoppers intend to use a variety of methods to save money, including the use of loyalty programs, shortening up their gift recipient lists, shopping earlier in the year, and planning holiday activities in lieu of physical gifts. So, where do you fit in? That’s simple! Focus in on those savings tactics to offer exactly what shoppers are looking for: Sale prices, brand loyalty benefits, and special deals in November and December. If your customer base expects high-end luxury offerings, a “deal” may not mean a price reduction, but the availability of a rare item or pairing.  

Community Oriented Christmas marketing campaign ideas 

If you’re a small or very locally engaged brand looking for direction, start with holiday event listings in your region. For example, Niagara Christmas celebrations include the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights, a spectacular free light show on Horseshoe Falls that uses millions of lights to create a 5-minute show playing at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm every night from November 16, 2024, to January 5, 2025.  

It's easy to network with local customers through events like this one. Visit the light show, take pictures and videos, and share these on your social media feeds with the right tags and hashtags! Come bearing branded gifts like Christmas ornaments, and tell your community what your company is up to this season—coupons included, of course! If you can tie in your regular products or Christmas items to the festivities, all the better. See if you can have your store included in the Hot Chocolate Trail, a winter tour that starts at Niagara Falls and winds its way through local vendors! 

Christmas and holiday markets are another great way to connect with the communities who buy your products. Wherever you are located, there are likely plenty of opportunities to attend Christmas markets as a vendor to supplement your holiday sales and garner more interest in your business. This is also a great opportunity to network with other local businesses, learn about more markets or events, and even put together shared holiday offerings.  

When should I start marketing for Christmas? 

Brands just like yours struggle with this question every year. How do you make sure everyone is thinking of your brand and products early enough in the season, without annoying them with Christmas ads right after Canadian Thanksgiving? Marketing is a delicate ballet at the best of times, but holiday marketing is a whole other beast! The answer is multi-faceted. Start holiday planning early (it always takes longer than you’d think) buy wait until around mid-October to begin subtly launching your campaign, but don’t roll out the Christmas references until later on, around mid to late November.  

It's important to get your face out there during Thanksgiving week, when people are starting to think about the upcoming winter and getting cozy indoors. If you aren’t convinced, think about this: Coca-Cola begins running its iconic Christmas commercials on TV within a few days of American Thanksgiving (November 23). For many, that’s when the Christmas season begins! There will always be people who don’t enjoy hearing about Christmas too early—or at all! But don’t let that scare you away from your marketing. More than half of Christmas shoppers have made all their holiday purchases by the beginning of December, so get your name and offerings out there early. 

Christmas business plans & digital marketing 

There are many people who enjoy doing the Christmas shopping out among the hustle and bustle of the season, rubbing elbows with other people who love the holiday and taking in all the beautiful displays and products. Of course, a great many people would rather skip the hullaballoo altogether—and for those, we use digital marketing and a great website! 

Online shopping isn’t just about the comfort of choosing gifts, décor, Christmas Eve pajamas and holiday dinner ingredients from the couch. It’s also about the convenience of having thousands of top stores and brands available to compare side-by-side in real time. Online Christmas shopping offers consumers more variety and better prices than the traditional method, which is why even brick-and-mortar brands need to stay on top of their digital marketing this time of year.  

Engage with shoppers via Facebook or Instagram and create an online shopping experience that makes them feel they’ve found something special in your brand. If your website is underperforming—or nonexistent—step one would be to fix that, and we’re happy to help! We offer website creation and design services, plus all the marketing your brand needs to say hello to the world and become a real competitor on the local, national and international markets.  

There’s still time to do Christmas marketing! 

At Symetric, business marketing is our daily passion, and together we can come up with a fantastic Christmas marketing strategy that’s perfect for your brand. Get in touch ASAP and we will start brainstorming!