#holiday-marketing

#holiday-marketing

Legend has it that when Germans decorate their Christmas tree, the very last ornament they hang on it is a pickle. Usually made from shiny or matte green glass rather than cucumbers, the Christmas Pickle is much more than just a decoration. On Christmas Eve, the first child to find the pickle hidden amongst the branches on the tree is said to get good luck for the year to come, as well as an extra present.

The holiday season is basically the Super Bowl of marketing, every brand is fighting to come up the most innovative approach to attract attention to their brand, boost engagement, and increase sales. As December rolls in, fashion houses and beauty labels start pulling out their big ones, from immersive pop-ups and vintage-coded nostalgia shoots, to family-centered campaigns and full on city-stopping light shows. This year, a handful of brands are proving that holiday marketing can be more than just a glittery gift guide drop.

The creative direction is cinematic, the product is elevated, and the marketing meets our customer wherever they are, creating a cohesive experience across every touchpoint. It demonstrates the strength of the brand and the momentum we're building. At its core, it's about our California roots, the ease, the craftsmanship, and the quiet confidence that defines Vince. It's an important step forward and a signal of how we plan to move the brand forward.

On one end of the spectrum are glittering ads featuring the likes of Mariah Carey encouraging shoppers to splurge on beauty and influencers unboxing beauty advent calendars worth thousands of dollars. On the other are brands urging consumers to slow down, buy less or opt out of the frenzy entirely. To large audiences, some of the more ostentatious ads have come across as tone deaf in a season where news has centred around people missing paychecks and food assistance benefits.

Walmart's Dr. Seuss-themed holiday marketing is getting a boost from the Grinch as the effort enters its second phase ahead of Black Friday, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The big-box store previously teased appearances from the infamous green grump, and on Monday announced Walton Goggins will be filling his shoes for the "WhoKnewVille" campaign. Goggins, who makes his on-screen debut as the Grinch in a new social video, previously led spots launching Walmart's larger "Who Knew?" platform focused on changing perceptions of the retailer.

Despite the emergence of October sales events and December's strong sales performance last year, Black Friday remains the premier event for retailers. Last year, the NRF found that an estimated 197 million consumers, up from their initial prediction of 183.4 million, shopped during the five-day holiday weekend between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. As this holiday shopping weekend maintains its crown as the tentpole event for consumers, retailers continue to react in kind, focusing a significant amount of their ad dollars around Black Friday.

Lowe's beat Wall Street's expectations for its quarter ended Aug. 1, with comparable sales increasing 1.1% versus the year-ago period. But executives on an earnings call noted that the retailer is still working through short-term challenges specific to the home improvement sector like high mortgage rates and a depressed housing market, in addition to the more broad-based challenge of cautious, value-focused consumers.

It's not all happening the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but discovery now can lead to a greater return when that time comes. Snap is a communications platform where ideas, gifts, products are easily sharable, and peer validation can help move shoppers from inspiration to purchase.

The holiday season has always been retail's make-or-break time to shine, but the stakes are particularly high in 2025. It's shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable yet a s economic uncertainty lingers due to persistent inflation and the potential ripple effect of tariffs. For brands, this creates a perfect storm of pressure; it's no longer enough to capture attention with festive creative or gain ground by flooding channels with holiday messaging.

My take is that revenue will be flat to slightly up in comparison to 2024 - low single-digit growth at max. 2024 was up 4% from projections, which surprised everyone in the beauty industry and across CPG in general. However, with rising costs of living and tariffs - which will start to trickle down to the consumer right in time for the holiday season - consumers have less disposable income to spend, and so they are making extremely conscious decisions about where to spend that.

When I started The Go! Agency, I thought being 30 days ahead meant I was being proactive. I had calendars, content and what I thought was control. In reality, I was just managing chaos with a pretty spreadsheet.

Phase 3: The Gifting Phase (December 1-24) Objective: Capture gift buyers with relationship-specific recommendations The Psychology: Shopping focus shifts as consumers transition from deal-hunting to purposeful gift-giving. Buyers need confidence they're choosing the "right" gift, making customer testimonials about successful gifting experiences incredibly powerful. Gift selection pressure combined with shipping deadlines creates urgency around proven products. Content Strategy: Feature gift-focused UGC with clear recipient targeting.

Right now is the time to start planning your holiday marketing strategy in order to ensure that you're getting the most out of your efforts.