5 Holiday Promotion Ideas (Beyond Sales and Discounts)
During the Holiday season, it’s not uncommon to see end-of-year sales across a wide range of brands. However, many household names—especially those within the luxury space—don’t participate in these major markdowns, as it risks cheapening their name and doesn’t fit with the brand strategy. That doesn’t mean, though, that luxury brands can’t distinguish themselves amidst the flurry of promotions and discounts.
Instead, they need compelling holiday campaigns that divert from conventional sales strategies. Done right, these holiday promotion ideas can help to build an even stronger narrative of luxury and exclusivity around their brand and products, drawing in new and existing customers (which is especially important at this time of the year, as it’s a great opportunity to reach customers who are treating themselves or a loved one to an indulgent gift for the festive season).
Without further ado, here are some Holiday promotions that can maintain your brand integrity while still attracting seasonal consumers.
5 Holiday Promotions for Luxury Brands
1. EXPLORE PR-GENERATING NON-TRADITIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
One way to guarantee your brand’s spot at the top of everyone’s Christmas wishlist is to generate a buzz around your brand at this time of year. Everyone loves a good holiday campaign. The deeper it can send people into their festive feels, the better—even the biggest grinch likes to feel Christmassy now and then!
Rather than launching a generic traditional advert or digital campaign that we’ve all seen time and time again, why not do something that thinks outside of the box?
Take Louis Vuitton’s unique Christmas tree display at Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair, London, for example. Instead of decorating the traditional Christmas tree, Louis Vuitton constructed a 5.2-meter display of chrome trunks in the shape of a tree, encased in two larger branded LV trunks. The tree is topped with a model of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnières, a fine attention to detail.
It’s a marvel that captures the attention of guests, not just for its size, but for its creativity. The best part? It doubles as a creative Holiday promotion for the Vuitton brand.
2. OFFER PERSONALIZED GIFTS - WITH A TWIST
Personalization is a huge and growing trend within the luxury sphere. Not only does it add a dimension of exclusivity, but it also makes customers feel more connected to the brand and their products.
The most innovative brands have known the power of personalization for a long time and used it in their Holiday promotions. Back in 2014, Burberry launched a Twitter (now X) campaign where they offered personalized shopping advice to their followers who asked them for gift ideas using the hashtag #BurberryGifts.
Not only does this make the person who tweets the brand feel more connected with tailored advice from their personal shoppers, but it also helps to promote brand awareness. Every user tweeting the brand and using their hashtag increased the visibility of Burberry on the social media platform—a win-win.
Of course, you can also offer the personalization of the gifts themselves. French luxury label Sézane offers embossing and monogramming services for its shirts, knitwear, and denim — all of which make great gifts. Sézane also offers jewelry engraving, helping to make a luxury present even more special to the recipient.
3. CREATE EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS
As you’ll know well, exclusivity drives up interest. Offering limited edition, time-bound holiday collections is therefore a great way to draw in the attention of luxury shoppers with a new sense of urgency.
One successful example of this holiday marketing tactic is Dior’s holiday collection. They have released limited edition sets of makeup inspired by the the colors and patterns of the Tuileries Gardens, in what they have described as their ‘most dazzling collection of the year’. Modeled by Anya Taylor Joy, the collection spikes interest from fans of both the brand and the actress.
For those who struggle to know what to buy their loved ones at this time of the year, luxury Christmas collections like these make it a much simpler shopping experience.
4. EXTEND FREE GIFTS WITH PURCHASE
While brands may not wish to discount their products—which can be perceived to lower the value of their brand and products—offering a free gift or voucher with purchases is an excellent Holiday promotion that drives conversions. It rewards the customer by giving them more value for their money, without affecting the value of the brand or products themselves. Offering free shipping during the holiday season is another way to help get more customers over the line without affecting the perceived value of the brand.
Chisholm Hunter is one example of a luxury brand participating in this type of holiday marketing. For a limited time only, they’re offering a free, complimentary gift card with purchases of a luxury watch over £1,000.
5. REWARD YOUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS
Your most loyal customers are your brand advocates. Rewarding them for their loyalty makes them feel valued by their favorite brands. This can be done through a series of email campaigns that offer exclusive discounts to a select few of the most engaged customers, or by running competitions for your community.
In 2016, Reiss combined these ideas into a 12-days-of-Christmas competition through their newsletter. For each of the 12 days, subscribers to their newsletter would be in for the chance of winning an exclusive gift. Not only does this reward some of their most engaged customers who are already subscribed to their newsletter, but it also engages even more customers by encouraging them to sign up.
Looking for innovative and out-of-the-box holiday campaigns to elevate your brand this season? Work with Block & Tam to unlock unlimited creative possibilities.
