How to avoid leaving opportunities on the table this Christmas
September arrives and Christmas still feels comfortably distant. Plenty of time, right? But think back to last year. Were there Christmas cards you meant to send, customers you could have thanked, promotions you never quite got around to, branded gifts that were ordered too late, or an event that could have been promoted better? Christmas presents businesses with a huge range of opportunities – but every year, many of them are left on the table simply because planning started too late.
The good news is that this year, you have time on your side.
Christmas isn’t simply a date in the calendar. For many businesses, it’s one of the biggest marketing and relationship-building opportunities of the year. A chance to thank loyal customers, reconnect with old ones, promote seasonal products and services, generate new business, reward your team and make your brand a little more memorable.
The secret is to start thinking about it before everyone else does.
September Isn’t Too Early – It’s Actually a Great Time to Start
Nobody is suggesting putting the Christmas tree up in September.
But this is the ideal time to start asking a few questions.
What opportunities did you miss last year? What could you do differently this Christmas? Are you planning a festive promotion? Do you want to thank loyal clients? Are you holding a Christmas event? Could you send something memorable to your best customers? Is there an opportunity to put your brand in front of more people during the busiest shopping period of the year?
Starting early doesn’t mean everything needs to be ordered immediately. It gives you time to explore ideas, establish a budget and develop something worthwhile rather than settling for whatever can still be produced at the last minute.
And when it comes to print, that extra time can open up considerably more choice in design, materials, quantities, finishes, personalisation and delivery.
Don’t Just Send a Christmas Card – Make It Mean Something
Corporate Christmas cards remain a wonderfully simple way of thanking customers, suppliers, colleagues and business contacts.
But there’s a big difference between receiving a generic Christmas card and receiving something that genuinely feels as though a business has made an effort.
A beautifully designed card incorporating your branding, perhaps personalised with a thoughtful message, can become a subtle reminder of the relationship you’ve built throughout the year.
And don’t forget the practical side. Who are you sending them to? Is your mailing list up to date? Will cards be individually addressed? When should they arrive?
Abbey Print Consultancy can help with the design, printing and mailing, turning the whole exercise into one coordinated project rather than another Christmas job competing for your time.
Give Customers Something They’ll Remember
Branded gifts can also be extremely effective at Christmas – particularly when they’re useful.
Think beyond simply putting your logo on something.
Consider your customers. What might they genuinely appreciate? What reflects your business? What are they likely to keep, use or share?
There are countless possibilities, from practical everyday items to something a little more special for valued clients. The important thing is to choose something appropriate and give yourself enough time to explore the options.
Sometimes a relatively simple, well-considered gift can create far more goodwill than something expensive but impersonal.
Make Your Christmas Promotion Impossible to Miss
If Christmas is commercially important to your business, don’t rely entirely on social media or an email that might disappear into an overflowing inbox.
Print gives you another opportunity to be seen.
A festive offer could be promoted through leaflets, flyers, posters, banners, point-of-sale material or a targeted mailshot. Retailers might promote Christmas opening hours or seasonal products. Restaurants and venues may need Christmas menus and event material. Service businesses might promote gift vouchers, seasonal packages or January bookings.
And don’t overlook your existing customers. Christmas can be the perfect excuse to reconnect with people who already know your business but haven’t heard from you for a while.
Better still, your printed campaign can work alongside your digital marketing. A leaflet, card or promotional piece can direct people to your website, a special offer, booking page or social media campaign using a QR code.
Christmas marketing doesn’t need to be print versus digital. Often, the strongest approach is to make them work together.
Planning a Christmas Event?
Whether you’re organising a customer evening, staff Christmas party, charity event, festive networking evening or product launch, there are plenty of opportunities to build anticipation beforehand and reinforce your brand on the day.
You might need:
- Invitations and personalised mailings
- Posters, flyers and promotional leaflets
- Banners and signage
- Branded clothing for your team
- Menus, programmes or table material
- Promotional gifts and giveaways
- Follow-up or thank-you cards
Thinking about these elements together creates a much more professional and coordinated result – and planning ahead gives you the freedom to make everything feel like part of the same event rather than a collection of last-minute necessities.
Don’t Forget Your Team
Christmas can also be an excellent time to invest in branded clothing.
Polo shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, jackets and other corporate clothing can make practical staff gifts while continuing to promote your business long after Christmas has passed.
If your team is attending festive events, exhibitions or customer functions, coordinated clothing can also help present a professional and recognisable image.
It’s a Christmas investment that doesn’t stop working on Boxing Day.
Think About January While You’re Planning December
Here’s another opportunity businesses often overlook.
While you’re planning Christmas, think about what happens immediately afterwards.
Could your Christmas mailing introduce a January promotion? Could a festive card include a voucher redeemable in the New Year? Could you encourage customers to make January bookings? Could a Christmas gift include a subtle reminder of your services?
January can be a difficult month for many businesses. A little forward planning in September or October can help you enter the New Year with marketing activity already working for you.
When Should You Start Planning?
The simple answer is: now is a very good time.
A useful starting point might look something like this:
September: Think. Look back at last Christmas, identify missed opportunities and decide what you’d like to achieve this year. Consider your audience, ideas and budget.
October: Create. Finalise designs, mailing lists, quantities, gifts, clothing and promotional materials. Place orders for anything requiring longer production times.
Early November: Prepare. Aim to have the majority of your Christmas campaign ready or in production. Check dates, delivery requirements and event materials.
Late November and December: Deliver. Your preparation pays off. Campaigns can launch, cards and gifts arrive at the right time, events are properly supported and you can concentrate on running your business during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Different projects naturally require different lead times. But as a rule, the more ambitious, personalised or creative the idea, the more valuable early planning becomes.
Start With the Opportunity, Not the Product
One of the easiest mistakes is to begin with a product:
“We need some Christmas cards.”
Instead, begin with an objective:
“We’d like to thank our best customers and remind them how much we value their business.”
Or:
“We want more people through the door during December.”
Or:
“We want to start January with a healthy order book.”
Once you know what you want to achieve, the right combination of design, print, promotional material, gifts and mailing becomes much easier to identify.
That’s also where working with an experienced print consultant can make a real difference.
At Abbey Print Consultancy, we provide design, printing and mailing services, alongside everything from corporate clothing and greetings cards to invitations, leaflets, posters, banners and promotional material.
And sometimes the best starting point isn’t knowing exactly what you want. It’s simply having a conversation about what might be possible.
Christmas may feel ages away. But if your business left opportunities on the table last year, now is the time to make sure this year is different.
So, before the Christmas rush begins, ask yourself one simple question:
What could your business do this Christmas if you gave yourself enough time to do it properly?
Don’t Leave It Too Late
Christmas campaigns rarely come together by accident. The businesses that create the biggest impact are usually the ones that give themselves time to think, plan and do things properly.
If you’re starting to think about Christmas – whether it’s cards, branded gifts, workwear, invitations, event materials, banners, leaflets or a complete festive mailing campaign – now is the perfect time to begin the conversation.
Malcolm at Abbey Print Consultancy is always happy to explore ideas, offer practical advice and help you find the right approach for your business, with no pressure and no obligation.
After all, the best Christmas campaigns often start with a simple conversation in September.