The Advertising Association have forecast that UK companies will spend an estimated £5.6bn on marketing in the run-up to Christmas which is £300m more than in 2015.[1] Retailers invest a lot of resource, time and money on their lavish festive marketing campaigns to support them to attract shoppers, raise their presence within the market and drive revenue.

As the countdown for Christmas begins, brands such as John Lewis, Coca Cola and Burberry are using emotion to develop strong ties with customers. It is about building long term relationships with customers that is bigger than one off purchases. Creating personalised marketing strategies during Christmas helps drive customer loyalty and retention, as customers develop strong connections and feelings towards a brand.

Throughout the festive shopping period, customers will opt for different channels to engage with brands. Customer shopping habits have evolved and they now expect a seamless integration across channels as part of their customer journey. Businesses need to deliver a marketing strategy which delivers a personalised brand experience. Brands can build effective and profitable seasonal campaigns which showcase the brand, enhance its reputation and simplify the shopping experience by following 7 easy steps (see attached PDF).

Massimo Fubini CEO and founder of Contactlab comments: “Brands prepare for Christmas, well before the consumer. To get a head start, marketers need to position their brand’s presence well in advance of the shopping season. Brands need a comprehensive omni-channel and personalised strategy to win the hearts of customers. Digital marketing channels add another layer of emotion to campaigns which helps to deepen their customer relationship.”

Massimo continues: “For brands the festive season, gifts them with the opportunity to better connect with customers. By integrating the insights gathered by consumer shopping behaviour into brands’ marketing strategies, retailers are able to drive customers to convert their activity into sales. Brands are under immense pressure to stand out against their competitors and so capturing shopper’s attention is key to driving significant revenue.”