Merry Pressmas: 5 ways your brand can win this festive season

We might feel like we’ve only just got summer but in the marketing world, the festive season is just around the corner. Over 30% of UK consumers are open to trying new brands over the festive season[1], whilst 44% are actively looking for unique food and drink experiences[2]. For both established and scale up brands, there is a ripe opportunity but creating cut through is key.

How can you stand out in the crowded festive market, and how can you compete with the brands who just have bigger paid and retail media budgets?

Get Ahead

July/August is the time to be agreeing your festive marketing strategy and getting your activity in action, some brands even plan up to 12 months ahead. It can take time to develop your communications strategy, messaging and materials. It’s essential all your activity runs across customer touchpoints as much as possible – consistency helps reinforce brand identity, streamline resources and optimise all marketing activity.

When it comes to PR and especially the longer lead media, journalists and editors plan their festive content four to six months or more ahead of the big day, so it’s important to get on their radar as early as possible.

Now is the time to get samples to food editors but think about how you’re presenting the brand and the product when doing this – are you bringing it to life effectively? Has this got enough EARN IT. factor?

EARN IT. thinking

Key in getting your festive marketing right is EARN IT. thinking. This means we’re constantly looking at how we can keep your brand relevant in real-time, with a clear brand messaging and strategy as our north star. Applying this thinking that positions earned media at the heart of your marketing is essential for cut through over the noisy festive period. EARN IT. thinking will help you avoid falling into the trap of using tired Christmas tropes, cringeworthy messaging or dull stereotypes. Getting this right can enhance credibility, reach a wider audience organically and influence purchasing decisions.

Sleigh your influencer strategy

A well thought through influencer strategy is always essential but it needs to work even harder over the festive period. Brands need to ensure they give enough time to refine their strategy, identify their partners, work with them on the briefs and most importantly, think creatively to drive cut through – if you’re a drinks brand there’s so much more you can do than a cocktail with a festive twist! Engaging your creators early means you have time to work with them creatively – which 87% of influencers say they would like to do more of[3]. This will result in more authentic, engaging content that delivers a better return for the brand.

Anti-boring social

Both social and influencers can be effective drivers of earned media coverage. It can be tempting to post a plethora of Christmas puddings, but it’s possible for brands to evoke the warmth and joy of the season without being overly promotional or dare we say it, boring. Whilst working for Bertinet Bakery, we created a giant gingerbread ‘toast house’ in the shop window of a vintage store in West London. It was the brand’s sourdough take on a traditional festive gingerbread house. We filmed the creation of the toast house for social and then sold this into media and invited influencers down, achieving a media reach of 1m+ and 100k views on social. 

Measure and optimise

Track the performance of your influencer and media campaign using analytics tools. Monitor engagement rates, reach and media quality. Use these insights to optimise your strategy in real-time, ensuring you can adapt and refine your approach throughout the festive season. By getting ahead and effectively leveraging influencers and media, food and drink brands can double YOY sales during the festive period. Consumers are in the market, make sure your brand is too.  

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[1] Deloitte Dec 2023

[2] Mintel 2020

[3] Marketing Hub March 2024

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