TW: Seasonal ✨depression✨might hit hard but seasonal marketing might hit (a bit) harder.
Not long after I set foot in the UK in September 2019 came the Christmas season and I couldn’t figure out what it was about the John Lewis’ Christmas advert that got people so excited. For context, I am from Vietnam, but when it comes to the season of gingerbread lattes, Hanoi may as well be the moon.
“I’ve just seen the John Lewis ad and it feels like Christmas is here,” says any twenty-something person dressed in a maroon wool-blend coat talking to their friend. The sentiment is frankly not too ambitious given it is practically mid-November – and time always feels a bit weird when festive celebrations are just around the corner. Having done Christmas adverts since 2007 and won the hearts and minds of the public during this period of the year, John Lewis’ television advert universe is incredibly impressive, which does make one wonder if Kevin Feige himself took a page out of the brand’s marketing book and built the MCU from 2008.
Christmas is big business – well, at least for nearly nine in ten Britons who say they celebrate the occasion. Brands want to establish themselves to have a voice in this crowded space and to connect with their audiences.
Or in other words, category is Big Cash Don’t Lie.
Christmas offerings, with different iterations, from brands all over the world, are all over the place, from which I, for one – as a Libra, can’t really choose. Leaves might fall but brands’ massive upswing in their profits shows no sign of diminishing. According to Forbes, retailers in America can expect to make $1trillion from Christmas sales, accounting for one-quarter of their yearly profits. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Bank of England estimates that the average household spends up to £800 extra in the months leading up to Christmas, usually on food, beverages and gifts, totalling up to £19bn. Possibly just on electricity this year though.
Speaking of Christmas, we must mention the ubiquitous yuletide anthem: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Carey is so many things – the icon, the myth, the legend – that everybody knows her (Hello J.Lo), but she’s undoubtedly the Queen of Christmas. Released in 1994, the song is still one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time (and that is not up for debate). All I Want for Christmas is You, the 11th best-selling single of all time, has amassed 16 million copies; in 2017, it was reported to have earned $60 million in royalties.
Usually Carey defrosts at the end of October, frequents herself at Christmas time and simply takes that money. A woman in business if you ask me!
Christmas has long been associated with sparkles, joy, merriment and a sense of love. When you can associate yourself with such positive sentiments and make people think of you immediately when they talk about such occasions, you halfway win the battle of hearts and minds. Think about it this way: Miley Cyrus with Party in the U.S.A, Katy Perry with Fireworks, Heidi Klum with Halloween.
And Starbucks with Pumpkin Spice Latte. Love it or loathe it, whether just another psychological trick or its cosy holiday associations, you can’t deny that it looks like the company invented autumn with PSL heralding the beginning of the season to many. In fact, in 2021, according to Bloomberg Second Measure, Starbucks experienced a noticeable uptick in sales the week including August 24, with sales increasing 10 percent week-over-week, which represented the biggest jump in weekly sales since spring.
There are benefits of making the business of Christmas everyone else’s. Brands should, therefore, deck themselves up in a festive style to draw in a Christmas audience and build a positive reputation associated with this occasion, or any other cultural occasion.
Tap into emotions
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s the words of famous poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. When you make people feel good – or bad, feelings last or linger. Whether it’s joy or sadness, happiness or sorrow, brands have the power to shape the stories. Did someone say emotion is the potion? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also includes belonging or love. Disney’s Christmas ad this year is the epitome of that: a heart-warming story that celebrates magic and memories, family and traditions.
Be culture-led
Brands and their audiences need to speak the same language. Culture is everything; it is constantly changing and evolving. As do sub-cultures. According to The Culture of Trust study from VICE Media Group, feeling part of a community is one of the key motivators when exploring culture. It’s how we live, breathe and navigate the world. It’s the values we hold dear and the principles that guide us. Earlier this year, Tesco launched a billboard campaign that represents this principle: The campaign features a collection of empty plates during the day, which fill up with food as the sun sets, to signify Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims during Ramadan.
Be consistent
People crave certainty. In this day and age? I’d like to think so. When brands consistently show up and own their space, they are rewarded with loyalty and trust. So much so that 91 percent of people trust a brand that is consistent and reliable. If brands think they can wake up one day and show off their pledges or manifesto without any foundational principles or tangible actions, congrats, you just got Krissed! That’s the same with festive positioning, being consistent pays off the long way. While you’re hanging your stockings, John Lewis may increase their stocks and share prices.
When it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, cyclical marketing shouldn’t fall into the cliche trap. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to slip into my Christmas jumper to enjoy a jocund spiced latte.
