Holiday Sales Strategy: 5 Trends You Need to Know Now

While most people spend their summers carefree and soaking up the sunshine, the savvy merch and branding expert is already prepping to set their customers up for holiday success. So that you don’t find yourself scrambling, uninspired and out of options, here are trends and tips you need to know now: 

Kitting is King

The way to customers’ hearts this year is through a mindfully merchandised, kitted collection. If you’ve never handled a kitting project before, it can seem daunting at first. Luckily, there are some incredible suppliers in this industry like The Chest, Premium Custom Products and more who make it really simple to build a project from the ground up. There are also so many more who do the heavy lifting for you like Batch & Bodega, Hit Promotional Products and Promo Revolution. Here’s an article I wrote last year breaking down more tips for building a successful kit.

Full Custom

There’s a reason why I’m writing about this topic in summer…This is your sign to start pushing imaginative custom options now. Whether it’s overseas or domestic, products like pins, emblems, apparel, keepsake items, awards and plush toys as opportunities to provide the most memorable end result.

Giveback Initiatives

Supplementing holiday gifts with a giveback initiative can resonate with many organizations – especially around the holiday season. PromoCares does an awesome job keeping track of suppliers in our industry who have built in programs tied to their products or overall sales. Check out their guide here. 

Sustainability

Sustainability is not a trend that’s going away this holiday season. I hear even Santa is looking for efficient, eco-friendly fuel options for the sleigh this season. There are endless tactics to weave sustainability into a project whether it’s in material used, decoration method, how it’s produced and how it affects recipients’ behaviors. Also, remember that one of the best ways we can be more eco-conscious is to be extremely strategic in the product selection, decoration, and application. The products that fit seamlessly within our lifestyle and have longer lifespans are less wasteful - not to mention result in higher ROI.

Luxury

For many organizations, money that was once spent on just marketing is now moving to the human resources department to help support employee retention. This means spend for big ticket items and name brands. Consider high-end coolers, functional tech, and wellness products. I also recently learned about a company new to promo called Baloo Living who sells sustainable, luxury weighted blankets that can be branded and personalized. 

Additional tips:

• Invest in your own holiday self-promos now. Depending on your book of business, it may be best to diversify your gift price level by customer size/potential. 

• Remember that how are you perform in the holiday gift space for a customer sets the tone for the entire year. Go the extra mile and reap the rewards for the rest of 2023.

• Treat their initial request as a starting point. If they ask for a tumbler with a one-color imprint, show them one that hits the mark…but also throw in a few elevated options with more unique features that they may not have originally considered. 

• Don’t forget about print. The way in which gifts are presented is often more important than the product inside. Consider adding holiday cards, custom tissue paper, printed box sleeves and any other material that can help communicate the message and emotion intended for the recipient. 

You owe it to yourself and your customers to tackle your holiday strategy early and intentionally. Cheers to a successful selling season!