Agnès Constant (Paccini)Christmas is already upon us and businesses are starting to prepare for the busy shopping season. Whether you are just now deciding on your marketing projects or right in the middle of planning, we hope to provide some help here.
First, here are some key Christmas figures* from 2015 to keep in mind this year:
- $830 was the average spent on gifts per consumer in 2015. Hard to ignore such sales potential there.
- 47% of consumers did their Christmas shopping in November (mostly on Black Friday), whereas 41% did theirs in December, and 3% in January.
- 47% shopped online, 45% in discount stores and 30% in traditional department stores. Most consumers in total shopped in stores, but many also shopped online. For your campaigns, we advise a dual strategy of offering in-store gift vouchers as well as redirecting users to your website where you can offer additional, exclusive deals.
- The most purchased gifts were clothing, gift cards/certificates, electronics, toys, games and food.
*According to a 2015 report by Statista
Tips While Planning Your Contest
Are you planning a contest or game to be played during the holiday season? Have you clearly defined your marketing objectives for this campaign?
We strongly advise preparing for a mid-November campaign launch. Create content and original visuals to announce the upcoming contest. Conjure the Christmas spirit with your designs and maintain this imagery throughout December. Also, construct your mechanisms to operate over a long period of time to ensure recurring visits to your site. Promoting this contest will in turn showcase your featured products this holiday season. Share your content on the channels most relevant to your objectives – social networks, emailing, ads, etc. Plan on publishing several posts to repeatedly bring players back to the contest as well as to increase the chances that your contest will go viral.
- Tips on Attracting Players
Here are some suggestions if you seek to increase holiday sales by recruiting the most players possible.
You can bring attention to your campaign and attract the curiosity of players before even mentioning a product for sale. What clients want most is to discover gift ideas, to be filled with the Christmas spirit, exchange holiday tips with each other, etc. Prizes are always a huge hit, such as gift cards, certificates, shopping sprees – anything consistent with your target market and brand.
Tips on Online & In-Store Activities
Organize a special event in your store with flash sales and promotions in a game played on tablets. You can acquire new fans while collecting customer data for use on your Christmas campaign next year.
You can also organize this activity online. Link to your game from strategic places on your website. Players who sign up will receive exclusive offers. Inversely, you can install a button directly in the game and redirect players to your website and/or drive them to your online store.
Suggested Mechanisms
Bonto: Try to find the mystery object under one of Santa’s hats and win a chance to get a discount on online purchases.
Instant Win: What do you want for Christmas? Players select their favorite present in a form and enter a Christmas drawing. Maybe they’ll win the Christmas gift they’re dreaming about!
Advent Calendar: Scratch the daily box and try to win multiple gifts as the game is updated everyday. Visit the calendar on Christmas Eve for the top prize of the month, such as a $200 gift certificate to do your Christmas shopping!
- Tips on Engaging Fans and Increasing Customer Loyalty
Immerse users in your customized universe, reward them for their loyalty and facilitate purchasing in a targeted manner. Keep in mind that Christmas activities should be highly interactive. Increase engagement and intrigue by unveiling steps little by little. Finally, if you want to know what your customers are looking for and/or their intended purchases, provide a questionnaire within your game. Participants can be compensated for completing this this survey with a gift card or free Christmas shipping, for example.
Extra ideas
You can also share useful advice this season, such as Christmas dinner menus, gift ideas or asking players to share their own ideas with the community. Start a dialogue and encourage fans to participate.
Suggested Mechanisms
Photo Contest: Are your fans with their family this Christmas? Have them share a family selfie with the community and enter a drawing to win their dream gift list.
Rock-Paper-Scissors: Introduce this classic game with a Christmas take. Players could even win a chance to compete in a championship match organized in your store. Maybe winner can choose their gift directly in the store.
Memory: Match images of Christmas trees, cookies, candles, etc. Players try to win the grand prize – a dinner for two in one of your restaurants!
Before your launch, try out one of our demos on our website. A Bonto demo is below. Contact us in the chat bubble at the bottom right of this page if you would like more specific help putting your campaign online.
