We all know 2021 is rather tumultuous yet the holiday spirit cannot be denied – in fact, it may be stronger than ever, which shows the true power of will. Holiday entertaining may be crimped in the budget but not in the will or desire to make it shine, polished with positivity.
And it is this will, this desire, that creates the motivation for your customers to celebrate and to be fully present in the season; the goodwill is something your clients will receive when working with you to create a memorable and joyous Christmas-Hannukah-Kwanzaa-New Year 2021 season.
Selling the Season 2021
Some clients may be hesitant to dive fully into holiday promotions but they may be reminded that the primary reason to create and execute a winter holiday marketing campaign is to profit from the increased consumer and business spending habits during the holidays and strengthen the bond with their patient/client/consumer communities. It is a powerful customer-relations and community-building tool.
And there are merry statistics recently released that are showing a banner holiday gift buying year. The National Retail Federation announced that holiday sales are expected to increase by a significant 8.5 to 10.5% over 2020. Deloitte’s speculation hits the same bullseye – predicting growth between 7% and 9%. Meanwhile, a recent American Express survey showed that 38% of consumers will spend more on holidays this year.
According to a Deloitte Insights survey, 73% of retail executives expect shoppers to spend more or significantly more this year, exhibiting a 5% YoY growth from 2020, or an increase of approximately $1,462.
However, while those are merry statistics, there is a darker one, according to Deloitte Insights: Shipping delays and stockout concerns are prevalent, with 64% of retail executives worried about not receiving inventory on time and 75% of shoppers concerned about out-of-stocks. Although there is some improvement in the container ship traffic jam on the West Coast, delays are often caused by rail and truck transport, leading to arrival times for stock at up to 45 or even 60 days. Here, your relationships with your suppliers become paramount. Find out now where your best suppliers are at with their inventories and deliveries, and notably what items will simply not be available within the next four to eight weeks, and what items may have experienced dramatic increases in price (if applicable), so you are more confident in what you present to your clientele for consideration.
Understanding consumer gifting trends will help you sculpt your clients’ holiday promotional gifts programs.
According to a report by Mint Holiday Survey 2020, Americans decide their gift spending based on how close they are to the recipient (58 percent) and whether or not they’re family (28 percent). So, closeness counts; it may sound obvious but when creating a holiday promotion with your client, finding out how close the recipient is – who they are – is paramount. Is it a holiday-themed gift for the new homebuyer who closes around the holiday or someone who is house shopping with the Realtor? Is it a holiday promo for dentists to give to patients after exams, cleanings, and fillings, or for their hygienists? Is it a holiday-themed onboarding gift or a gift to recognize the top-tier salespeople in the same company who truly outperformed during 2021?
There are several levels here, which will dictate the spend for each item, helping to narrow the search.
Meanwhile, according to statistics from the National Retail Federation, there is an annual challenge that rears its stubborn head – 59% of wish lists include gift cards. This, of course, is the goliath objection you may hear from clients. Counter with – once that gift card is used, the recipient forgets your client. It’s an expensive way not to be remembered.
If the client insists on giving gift cards, persuade them to present those cards in a logoed tumbler, or attached to a logoed 2022 calendar, for example. After the card is spent, the promotional product will be kept and used.
Festive Entertaining
No matter the winter holiday being celebrated, a much-anticipated part of the season is entertaining – parties, foods, cocktails (mocktails, too), music, and gift exchanges. Holiday entertaining promotional products help make the season merry and bright.
For foodies, The Book Company provides lush cookbooks ready for your client’s customization. Choose from “All-Time Best Holiday Entertaining,” “Bring It! Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining,” “Effortless Entertaining Cookbook,” “So Much to Celebrate: Entertaining the Ones You Love,” “Beautiful Boards: 50 Amazing Snack Boards for Any Occasion,” ”Holiday Slow Cooker,” and “Delish Ultimate Cocktails.”
For cold holiday cocktails, Shanghai Nights Ceramic Ice Rocks with an imprintable magnetic-closure box is a delightful gift. The washable and reusable ceramic cubes keep the beverage’s original flavor (no more “watered down” waste).
Holiday get-togethers always feature trays of "appys" and pick foods (such as candied pecans, etc.), so gifts such as Gemline’s Valencia Slate Appetizer Set and L and L Promos’ Cheese Wood Bamboo Chopping Cutting Board are perfectly suitable for holiday open houses.
According to Batch & Bodega, a recent survey showed that 73% of respondents would rather receive a gift of food over any other type for the holidays. Some suggestions: Batch & Bodega’s scrumptious Caroline’s Cakes yellow seven-layer cake with caramel icing, with imprintable keepsake tin; the Genuine Slate Serving Plate with Wisconsin Cheese & Sausage (among other goodies) from Maple Ridge Farms, chocolates from Chocolate Chocolate and Chocolate Inn, and more.
A Christmas/Holiday party is not festive without all the holiday hits playing. For hosts who want to play some classic holiday vinyl, Beacon Promotions offers the Jensen® 3-speed Stereo Turntable with Built-in Speakers. Meanwhile, speakers are abundant and gifts that every music lover would appreciate all year long and when hosting their own holiday soirees. Handstands – HPG Brands provides a cache of speakers, as does Beacon Promotions-HPG Brands. Beacon’s JBL Portable Light Show Speaker enhances the visual element of the holiday party, an effect also provided by Sunrise Promos’ LED Star Projector Light.
So many wonderful holiday gift ideas are out there for your clients to enjoy giving to spread the holiday cheer. The only question remains: what are you going to give your clients?
CASE STUDY:
Molly Neises, MAS, Maple Ridge Farms: “This kitted project set the mood for the comfort and joy of the holidays while also spotlighting ‘A few of the company’s favorite things.’
“Nestled in a box wrapped with an ugly sweater-patterned sleeve were signature English Butter Toffee and a holiday tradition, Peppermint Bark, but that wasn’t all!
Kitted alongside the delicious treats was an array of other items that included, Thoughtful Tokens Made for Sharing (from The Book Company), an ugly sweater holiday ornament that matched the decorative box wrap (from EMT), and a portable speaker (from Hirsch Gifts). To tie it all together, it included an ugly sweater gift card with a QR code to a Holiday Hits playlist on Spotify that featured the company’s employees’ favorite holiday tracks.
“The company wanted to embrace the holiday spirit with a gift that showed both clients and employees comfort and joy. Kitting allowed the company to showcase a few of their holiday favorites, creating a one-of-a-kind experience. Recipients were delighted with the unique expression of holiday spirit and felt truly appreciated.”