9 tips to create the best Christmas campaign for your brand

Christmas really is my favourite time of the year. From my professional point of view, that is. I have been avidly following Christmas campaigns at home and abroad for years. And write about it regularly. The English campaigns, of course, but also from the United States, and of course all the Dutch Christmas campaigns. With the ultimate icing on top of the Christmas cake: the commercials. Every year I am amazed, marvelling at the brilliance, the creativity, the healthy dose of Christmas clichés, bizarre brand choices and self-deprecating celebs.

Patrick Severein, Head of Content & Strateeg

Patrick Severein, Marketing- en contentstrategist

I can't wait for the first Christmas commercials to appear. Commercials that are loaded up with everything a Christmas lover needs. Tears, sentimentality, edgy British humour, gorgeous animations, a sleigh load Christmas decorations, gifts and .... snow. Everything. And lots of it. And snow. Yes, I'm an enthusiast, but I'm also a professional, when I watch Christmas commercials and campaigns. How do you make sure that your brand is getting Christmas campaigns right? How do you strike the right chord? And what happens when you miss the mark completely? Here is my accumulated wisdom, based on past results, for brands and marketers: my tips on how to launch a brilliant Christmas campaign!

1. Start at the beginning: with your strategy

No Christmas campaign is ever complete without... strategy Of course, that's a cliché of the highest order. But Christmas is the time of year when clichés can also be true. Make sure your brilliant Christmas idea fits with your brand strategy and your content strategy. Make it clear, make it logical, and make it relevant.

2. Emotions to the max

Emotions always work at Christmas. Families in divorce. Grandpa missing his granddaughter. Girl missing her teddy bear. So be sure to throw a good dollop of emotion into your Christmas campaigns. Tears. Laughter is also allowed. As long as the viewer feels something. And of course, it's like when you’re adding sugar to your mulled wine: not too much, because then it's way too sweet and unpalatable.

3. A commercial is just a drop in the ocean

A Christmas commercial is not a stand-alone feature. So make sure your commercial is supported by a strong, campaign. How often do you see Christmas campaigns that consist of just one simple commercial? No translation into content, no follow-ups, no link with the brand. Most importantly, create a complete campaign around your Christmas concept. Give it a place in the stores, on your socials, in your brochure. Make sure that the entire campaign is perfectly tuned to your audience and that your target group aren’t 'searching' for your campaigns on socials. And don't let your commercial be brilliant, but barely makes a single wave in the ocean. Amazing, but with no results or follow-up.

4. Where is the brand?

I see so many beautiful Christmas commercials, but at the end I often think: where did this actually come from? Which brand does this belong to? Make sure your brand is present throughout the Christmas campaign. Visible and invisible. In feeling. In colour. In atmosphere. In everything.

5. Is it appropriate in this day and age?

Keep your finger on the pulse, feel the zeitgeist. Especially when you're working on your Christmas campaign. No one can predict, but anyone can think logically. Is there an economic recession? Then go a little less to town with your Christmas commercial. Look around you, keep your eyes open and feel what is happening in the world. There's nothing worse than completely missing the mark during Christmas. That is a mistake that is not easily forgotten.

6. Who dares wins

Dare to be different from your competitors. Dare to stand out. Do things a little differently for once. Use your courage. Who dares wins. Most of the time. Sometimes daredevils crash and burn in an epic style. But most of the time, they don't. So dare to make a mark. Go for it. Be creative. Be different. Be a love brand with a cherry on top.

Drinking from a mug at a laptop in holidays ambiance

7. Time and effort

Put time and effort into your Christmas campaign. That doesn't automatically mean a lot of money. I mean, above all, think about it. Don't just throw everything at it. Don't rush anything. Don't do a Christmas campaign 'because you have to'. Your customers aren't stupid. They will know if too little time has been put into it. Do it right, or don't do it at all.

8. Be careful with the clichés (but don't forget them)

Christmas comes with clichés (snow, trees, love, Christmas tables, gifts). In your Christmas campaign too. But... Make choices. Don't cram all the clichés into your campaign. Be discerning. Don't be afraid to choose. Be different from the rest.

9. Christmas is not exclusive to B2C

Are you a B2B brand? Even then you can win at Christmas. Christmas campaigns aren't just reserved for big B2C brands. As a B2B brand, you just need to have a better idea of what your target audience is waiting for. B2B Christmas commercials will have a different approach, a different feeling, a different purpose too. But don't forget: this target group is also in the Christmas mood and is open to your story. As long as it fits your brand and is relevant to your target audience. Which B2B brand will dare to go big at Christmas this year?

The common thread

If there is one stand out conclusion to be drawn from all these tips, it is: think about the details. About the strategy, about your campaign, about your brand visibility. Take the time to plan, to execute, and to make sure your campaign resonates with your target audience. Be bold. Dare to launch a Christmas campaign. Dare to mock the Christmas traditions. With the right ingredients, your brand can win this Christmas. And of course, during this busy period, iO is always here, ready to help you to devise, plan and execute.

The ultimate end-of-year guide

Cyber week and the end-of-year are approaching fast. There's still a lot of great opportunities to boost your sales. This guide, will help you fine-tune your communication and advertising strategy so that you can grab your target audience's attention and keep it. We will teach you how to sell through external platforms and marketplaces like Bol.com and Amazon, and how to roll out the digital red carpet for your customers.

Download our end-of-year guide