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Tis’ the Season – Already?

Richard Fagan • Aug 01, 2021

Tis’ the Season – Already?

Between the warm temperatures outside and COVID 19 Pandemic, the holidays may not be top of mind – but to see a successful November and December in retail, the planning begins now.

Holiday shopping has grown over the years into a multi-billion dollar event, and online shopping has led the way. In the past 18 years, online holiday sales increased year-over-year, including during the financial crisis of 2008. Even in the face of the economic ramifications due to COVID-19 and its related economic shutdowns, we’re still anticipating one of the largest holiday seasons to date.

September is typically the most popular time for brands and retailers to begin planning for the holidays.  However, I recommend starting early! Here are 2 actionable items you can start working on today!
  1. Create a Holiday Marketing Plan
    Identify what you will be offering. Outline the campaign structure and collateral you’ll need to promote your holiday sales.
  2. Create a Holiday Marketing Calendar
    Set up milestone dates for when you will need to publish your content. From there, work backwards to set dates for when you need to start gathering photos and content. Be conservative and give yourself extra time. Don’t be surprised if the milestones ends up telling you to start now. 
Don’t underestimate just how important holiday marketing can be for your business, and certainly don’t leave your planning to the last minute.  There’s still time to define your goals, get your collateral ready, and prepare to launch.

*US Department of Commerce
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