Tag Archives: marketing

Marketing During the Winter Holidays

Marketing No Comments
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December is here, the New Year is rapidly approaching, and holiday marketing is in full swing. This time of year, consumers are flooded with holiday messages, promotions, and sales from every channel. Finding ways to stand out from other brands can be difficult. Consider these trends, strategies, and campaigns when planning your holiday marketing in 2023.

Diversity and Inclusivity

“Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are increasingly becoming more important to the customers you serve, even more so when they or someone in their circle is a part of a diverse group.”

Forbes

Diversity and inclusivity in holiday marketing are extremely important. While over 90% of consumers celebrate Christmas, it’s not the only major holiday celebrated in December. Hanukkah and Kwanzaa combined are celebrated by 20% of consumers. Tailoring your message to each of the major holidays will help you stand out from other brands.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is observed for eight nights and days, beginning the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar. Because the Hebrew calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar, Hanukkah is celebrated anytime between late November and late December depending on the year. If you choose to incorporate Hanukkah into your holiday marketing plan, be sure to research the holiday and use imagery that depicts the traditions, festivities, and colors.

Kwanzaa is the annual celebration of African-American culture. It is observed from December 26th to January 1st, ending with a communal feast called Karamu. Unlike other holidays, Kwanzaa is focused on reflection and community rather than gifts. Instead of promoting sales targeted toward Kwanzaa, consider recognizing and supporting businesses and non-profits owned by African-Americans.

Another inclusivity strategy would be to take a neutral stance and not market toward any specific holidays. Focus on a winter sales campaign rather than a holiday campaign and use seasonal imagery (snowflakes, hot chocolate, etc.). Your brand will stand out by not capitalizing on any particular holiday.

Start Holiday Marketing Early

According to Mintel, 45% of U.S. adults plan to shop before Thanksgiving, and 43% shop throughout the year to take advantage of deals. In fact, 39% of U.S. adults indicated that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not as important or relevant because there are other great deals during the holiday season.  The takeaway? Start your holiday marketing before Thanksgiving and run your promotions throughout the entire holiday season. Consumers are looking for seasonal and holiday promotions all year long, so take advantage of that!

Holiday Campaigns for Social Media

There are a variety of holiday campaigns you can run on social media throughout the holiday season. Here are some to consider:

  • Holiday Video Campaign: Videos express emotions and holiday spirit better than images, and they capture attention better than traditional posts. This can involve anything from adding holiday music to posts to Reels that showcase your deals, products, or brand.
  • Holiday Giveaway: Giveaways are an excellent way to raise brand awareness and generate leads for future campaigns. Plus, if executed properly, they can increase engagement levels and boost your analytics.
  • User-Generated Content (UGC): Get your audience to promote your brand for you! Use a hashtag campaign to get your followers to post original content about your products or services. From there, you can repost their content to your socials and tag the user that submitted it. It is a cost-effective strategy, and it is more authentic coming from people who have used and loved your brand. (Note: this differs from influencer marketing because you are not paying your followers to promote your brand.) 
  • Gift Guide: Compile a guide of your products and services. There are many approaches you can take with this. For instance, you can break down your gifts by interests (outdoorsy, plant lover, coffee fanatic, etc.). From there, you describe the products or services you have to offer for that category.

The Takeaway

Marketing during the holiday season is an opportunity to show your brand’s value, whether through gifts and services or through company culture. As you create your marketing plan for 2023, give careful consideration to how you can stand out from your competitors during the holidays. Consumers value diversity and inclusivity, and they are looking for brands that align with their values. Use the strategies and campaigns described here as inspiration when developing your holiday marketing plan.

If you need help creating an effective marketing plan, we can help! Reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or support you need to give your brand a refreshing edge.

The Future of Immersive & Experiential Marketing: Augmented & Virtual Realities

Marketing No Comments
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Imagine this: You’re scrolling through Instagram and an advertisement from your favorite clothing company pops up. You start exploring products and decide to try on a new pair of jeans. Selecting the pair you want to try, you move into the virtual fitting room and step back to view how the jeans fit. You decide you like them and place an order. All of this without leaving the comfort of your home.

This is immersive and experiential marketing at its finest: integrating new technologies and trends to stay ahead of the marketing crowd. Digital marketing is highly competitive, so delivering consistent messaging that engages your customers is crucial! Stand out from the rest through implementing augmented and virtual realities in your marketing efforts.

Augmented reality (AR) is the use of technology to augment or enhance a person’s perception of their physical environment. This is done by overlaying a digital experience over the top of a physical one. Think Pokemon GO! If you turn on AR, then when you go to catch a Pokemon, the Pokemon will be overlaid on whatever is shown in your rear-facing camera.

Virtual reality, on the other hand, is a completely immersive digital experience. By putting on a headset, the display replaces your physical environment rather than integrating the two. This has become very popular in the video game industry, but it is also used in healthcare, construction, and more!

Using AR and VR in marketing is an emerging strategy with a plethora of benefits. Not only are you more likely to be noticed as a leading brand in the industry, you have a greater opportunity to reach a larger audience, collect demographic and preferential data on your audience, personalize your marketing message, and boost interest in your products or services. Furthermore, you will be adding value to your efforts by providing your customers with a clearer idea of what they are investing in, allowing them to accurately visualize the product before purchasing.

Both AR and VR provide unique experiences for your customers, whether it’s testing out a product before purchasing or getting to experience the behind the scenes aspects of your business – and this is what customers want! 61% of consumers prefer companies that offer AR, and 68% spend more time with the products if AR is available. Get your customers invested in the process, get quality feedback from them, and get them to come to you through these experiences. 

If you need help with your marketing strategy or have any questions about new and emerging trends, reach out to us today for more information.

Refreshing Edge Podcast Season 2 Is Here!

Events Leadership Podcast Refreshing Edge No Comments
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In the first episode of our much-anticipated Season 2, Megan and Nicholas are back with big updates and new ideas for our listeners. Tune in as we discuss what we’ve had going on in the last year, what’s next in store for Refreshing Edge, and the unveiling of our newest segment called “Ask Megan and Nicholas!”

All that and more on another exciting episode of the Refreshing Edge Podcast!

Enjoy!

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Get a Head Start On Your 2023 Marketing Plan

Blog Branding Marketing Portland No Comments
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2023 may seem far off, but in regards to creating a yearly marketing plan, it is best to get started right away. You may have reflected on current or past campaigns that have gone live for your 2022 marketing strategy. While it is nice to celebrate current accomplishments and successful campaigns within the last year, it is in your best interest to start planning your marketing strategies and get a jumpstart for 2023. As you begin planning for a new year in relation to your marketing team, certain aspects or goals can change year over year. Setting a budget based on needs such as outsourcing vs. in-house, advertising, professional photography, video, and social media is important to figure out early. In your planning process, you may realize it could be time to reassess priorities such as increasing your social media presence, outsourcing a professional for a specific marketing niche, or refreshing your branding photography in order to elevate your brand. 

Understanding the bigger picture and your long-term business goals provides an excellent foundation for your 2023 marketing objectives. According to Hubspot, strategic and tactical planning is defined as, “lying out the long-term, broad goals that a business or individual wants to achieve… while tactical planning outlines the short-term steps and actions that should be taken to achieve the goals described in the strategic plan”. How you prioritize your strategic and tactical goals will determine how the rest of your 2022 will go, and allow you to be more prepared to meet those goals as we move into 2023. 

At this point of the year, you will want to start working on your strategic plan for 2023 and then narrow down your tactical goals to review and revise on a frequent basis. While focusing on small goals in the interim does not immediately show an impact, they feed into and support your big-picture strategic goals and can impact your organization at a high level in order to see impactful changes. Utilizing both strategic and tactical planning along with a solid marketing plan will give you the tools to be well-equipped to grow your business in 2023. 

If you need help with your marketing strategy or have any questions about planning, reach out to us today for more information.

Digital Identification For Apple Users Now Accepted at Select Airports

Blog Marketing No Comments
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Transitioning to digital wallets within our smartphones has allowed us to use credit cards, rewards cards, tickets, and more just with an easy tap on our phones. This allows us the convenience of only having to bring a phone around with us, and could mean that carrying around wallets could become a thing of the past. 

If you have been dreaming of the day that you can easily show your driver’s license or I.D. card from your phone while traveling, Arizona is allowing residents that have TSA PreCheck to use their digital identification at select security checkpoints at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. Soon to follow in Arizona’s footsteps are Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah. The new feature is currently supported on iPhone 8 and later as well as Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

Some experts such as Alexis Hancock are raising privacy issues related to this new feature such as, “Overlooking scenarios where people don’t want to tie identity documentation to their devices if they do not wish to, [and how] TSA or other enforcement entities may overstep with this technology”. 

Apple announced that they have considered all privacy concerns related to using your smartphone device as a personal identifier. In addition, Apple assured users that their form of I.D. can be used without unlocking their phone, and no hand-off of the phone is required. 

If you need help with your marketing strategy or have any questions about new and emerging trends, reach out to us today for more information.