It’s Spring/Summer. Do you know what your BIG IDEA for Holiday is and what the campaign content to support it looks like?
If you're struggling to get ahead — don't fret. Many retailers feel like they're always behind in their planning and execution. But the fight is worth it! Holiday is, after all, the biggest revenue season of the year for many retail categories.
You Deserve To Get Ahead (With Your Marketing)
Christmas may be the same date every year, but that doesn't automatically make it easy to plan against. Christmas may not even be the sales event that matters most to your company. It’s Black Friday! No, it’s Halloween. Wait, what about Back to School? July 4th? No matter what the holiday is, we want you to have on-brand, trend-right, consumer-compelling content ready to go for it.
We can hear you thinking: We can’t plan that far ahead, we have to react to what’s happening this minute! Or, we couldn’t possibly get internal alignment to be that prepared. Or, we have way too many people working in silos, creating content on their own…getting us all on a schedule just won’t work.
Challenge accepted.
Seasonal Planning is the Way
Seasonal Planning is a strategic and creative process that drives retail sales by creating promotional and seasonal events at key points throughout the calendar year.
It’s not magic, it's marketing! It takes commitment. But it works, because we’ve done it for a major retailer of craft supplies, a West Coast beverage chain, and a beloved American hosiery brand, to name a few.
The Marketing Benefits of Seasonal Planning
We're devotees of Seasonal Planning, because it does so much, internally with your teams and externally to excite customers. Want a list of the benefits? Fine.
1. Align your internal teams — early.
A key feature of Seasonal Planning is that it brings all the relevant stakeholders in your organization to the table — from buyers and product development teams to marketing and tech departments. And it does this exactly when you truly want everyone's input: early! Like, before time and money is spent developing ideas that will not truly reach their highest heights without other teams' involvement, input and buy-in.
2. Go to market with impact.
When everyone is on the same page, your product assortment can be stronger, your message will be more clear, your creative output better, your channel marketing more purposeful, and your content production more efficient. (In fact, one step of the Seasonal Planning process produces assets that many different teams can use for different objectives, tactics, and audiences.)
3. Deliver a consistent customer experience.
Inconsistent, haphazard-looking creative execution can be a huge problem, especially if you sell through online marketplaces. Seasonal Planning ensures all content originates from the same big idea, so that everything your customers see, no matter how they engage or where they interact with the brand, feels familiar—yet optimized for whatever channel it's on.
4. Support all-day, everyday promotions PLUS product launches.
You’re likely going to run promotions for major holidays and shopping days—that’s a given. But within a calendar year, you’re probably also going to launch products that need campaign support of their own. Maybe there's a new retail or seasonal event you want to go after. This process can address those opportunities. Then, it integrates all the activities into a holistic calendar to give you a big-picture view. No priority left behind. Overwhelm – not allowed!
There are always great reasons for customers to get excited about your products and services. Seasonal Planning helps you make the most of your existing retail events, uncovers new opportunities, and gives you an action plan for how to make all of it best-in-class.
What to know more? Reach out! We'd love to walk you through our Seasonal Planning process.
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Kreber Has The Expertise You Need
With more than 100 years of experience, we’ve built a reputation for our hard work and dedication to driving positive outcomes for retail and B2B clients. As an independent marketing agency with a history of thinking ahead, we help you connect with customers, from print and digital marketing to social media content and everything in between.