The countdown is on! Get into the spirit of the holidays with these 12 brilliant marketing ideas.
To celebrate the season, we’re counting down our favorite holiday marketing ideas. This week, we’ve covered personalized products and holiday puns to catchy hashtags and cool contests. Now, we’re rounding up the best of the best from this week’s lists. These 12 brands have outdone themselves with their innovative end-of-year marketing strategies:
1. Vineyard Vines: Dreidel Whale
Creating original content that incorporates your logo is a great way to spread consumer awareness. In this branded image, Vineyard Vines fills their well-known whale logo with mini dreidels to celebrate Hanukkah.
Happy Hanukkah! #EDSFTG pic.twitter.com/FpWEcDk8DA
— vineyard vines (@vineyardvines) December 6, 2015
2. Oreo: Personalized Packs
In 2015, Oreo tweeted an invitation for followers to personalize a pack of Oreos to give to friends and family for Christmas. For a well-known brand that has been around for so long, new and fun marketing ideas are key to staying relevant.
Design a pack of Oreo cookies this holiday season. Act fast before supplies run out. https://t.co/W3WRy9OTPu pic.twitter.com/TKu3DeAwCw
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) November 11, 2015
3. Spotify: 2016 Wrapped
At the end of the year, Spotify gives customers a roundup of their most-played music from the past 12 months. A thoughtful, seasonal gesture like this is the perfect way to remind consumers why they value your brand.
4. GE: #GEWinterland
Holiday hashtags are huge. GE’s #GEWinterland campaign gave consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s daily operations and technologies. This allowed GE to show their social followers how their innovative practices positively impact the world.
5. REI: Opt Outside
In 2015, REI decided to remain closed during the Black Friday madness, urging customers to #OptOutside instead of shopping all day. This popular campaign is a prime example of how establishing brand values can be just as important as generating sales.
6. Coca Cola: Drinkable Place Cards
In 2015, Coca Cola put a holiday spin on their popular “Share a Coke” campaign, marketing their classic glass bottles as name cards for holiday meals.
Drinkable “place cards” are a refreshing way to eliminate confusion. https://t.co/PTnehlbyrO pic.twitter.com/su0Rn72x63
— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) November 7, 2015
7. Starbucks: #redcupcontest
Starbucks has welcomed the holidays with the same red cup campaign since 1997. Over the years, their designs have changed, but their tried-and-true concept remains the same. This year, their famous red cups feature user-generated designs drawn by Starbucks customers themselves.
Listen… the enchanted birch forest is calling. #RedCups pic.twitter.com/reUbiiov7o
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) November 17, 2016
8. Budweiser: #HolidayBuds
Budweiser’s #HolidayBuds is another great example of a successful holiday hashtag campaign. The brand encouraged fans to round up their #HolidayBuds for a beer back in 2014.
Prep for New Year’s with a Bud. #HolidayBuds pic.twitter.com/llmrsYktoN
— Budweiser (@Budweiser) December 30, 2014
9. WestJet: Christmas Miracles
WestJet delivered Christmas miracles to more than 250 guests flying during the 2013 Christmas season. Their holiday campaign video has generated more than 45 million views to date, spreading holiday cheer far and wide.
10. Glade: #FeelJoy
Glade has created tons of visual content to support their #FeelJoy holiday campaign. One of our favorites captures regular people sharing a kiss under the mistletoe in a branded pedicab.
What’s more joyful than sharing a kiss under the mistletoe this #holiday? #FeelJoyhttps://t.co/d9lBeo9BC8
— Glade (@Glade) December 17, 2015
11. Food52: Cookies of the World
Food52 sent a fun “cookie map” to fans, offering recipes and ideas from countries around the world. Each cookie on the map featured a corresponding story about the recipe and country of origin.
12. Stella Artois: Give Beautifully
Consumers connect with great storytelling, which is why Stella Artois’ “Give Beautifully” campaign was a big hit back in 2014. Their video captures a wife making her husband’s dream come true, just in time for the holidays.
Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Halloween, or Christmas, the holidays seem to bring out the best in everyone. They can also bring out some pretty great marketing ideas! We hope our top 12 favorite campaigns have inspired you to come up with a unique marketing initiative of your own.
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