'Tis the season to be jolly... and to be inundated by a barrage of holiday-themed marketing. While some of what we see is cringe-worthy at best, there's something to be said for a well-thought-out, well-executed holiday campaign.
But as a marketer, how do you move away from "cringe-worthy" and into the realm of share-worthy?
It comes down to intent and execution: understanding the purpose of your holiday marketing efforts and executing in a way that provokes the warm and fuzzy feelings associated with the holiday spirit. If you're lucky, you can also build some brand awareness for your company and product at the same time.
For a little inspiration the next time the holidays hit, here's a roundup of a few great examples that caught my eye this year:
Trello Gives a Little To Get A Little
Trello is a productivity app that helps you keep things organized. You can set up to-do lists and collaborate on projects without the need for endless email threads and spreadsheets.
This year, Trello decided to give a little to get a little via an email campaign. They sent a simple, well-designed email that encourages you to give Trello Gold to two of your friends. In return, you receive it for yourself. All in all, it's a great way to incentivize growth for their product while making you feel like you're giving yourself (and your friends or colleagues) a special deal.
From a great subject line (complete with snowflakes) to the email itself, Trello gets two thumbs up for good execution.
Cards Against Humanity Calls Bullsh*t On The Holidays
This is by far one of my favorite holiday-themed campaigns. Cards Against Humanity is running its Ten Days (or Whatever) of Kwanza (at holidaybullshit.com). In true CAH style, they poke fun at themselves while taking a few innocent jabs at their audience.
Here's how it works:
You sign up for Ten Days (or Whatever) of Kwanza (costs $15 in the US and $25 in Canada)
You receive ten random gifts from Cards Against Humanity throughout the month of December
You (inevitably) Tweet, Instagram and Facebook the random gifts while you revel in what is sure to become a social media frenzy
Since we're already a few days into their campaign, here's an example of what a CAH holiday gift might be:
Read the full FAQ section - it's worth it.
Uberflip Aims To Entertain (and shamelessly give stuff away)
When it comes to the holidays, we all experience our share of ups and downs. So why not aim to entertain with some holiday-themed marketing that strikes just the right note between fun content and free giveaways?
The team at Uberflip, a content automation platform, focused on doing exactly that with a a "Holiday Hub" complete with 12 Days of Uberflippin' Giveaways that include holiday-themed GIFs to highly-coveted pink headbands to holiday treats and some digital assets that marketers will love.
While the Holiday Hub is meant to be fun, provoking a "wink and a smile" from its audience, it's also a great way to showcase the versatility of Uberflip's product, which was used to create the hub.
Need A Crackling Fire? There's An App For That
What holiday is complete without a cosy fire crackling in the... television?! As far as Shaw is concerned, every household (whether it's equipped with a fireplace or not) should experience the warmth and ambiance a fireplace provides.
Not only does the telecom company provide this via their network, but they've also created an app that allows you to stream your fire with a soundtrack powered by Rdio. And (as if that's not enough), the Shaw Fire Log has also "branched" out into social media, building a loyal Twitter following one #hastwig at a time.
Alexandria Interactive Shows Off Their Skills For A Good Cause
Design and engineering firm Alexandria Interactive has rallied their team, putting their skills towards raising money for bideawee, an organization dedicated to pet welfare.
What skills are they showing off, you might ask? While the company itself has some serious design and engineering chops, their team is offering everything and anything for a donation, such as cooking a Cajun meal for two, blowing glass with you, committing to cuddle with kittens monthly, and much more. Check out their holiday page for details or to donate.
Come across any other great examples of Holiday marketing? Share it in the comments!