The holiday season is on the horizon, and the nation is gearing up for a marathon of diverse festivals, including Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, New Year’s, and many more. This time of year signals a significant upsurge in the market, with data from the National Retail Foundation revealing that Americans collectively spent nearly a trillion dollars during the holiday season in both 2021 and 2022.
How do companies and brands utilize holidays in their marketing strategies to compel regular people to spend millions and billions of dollars every year? To explore this further, we had a conversation with Dmitrii Khasanov, a digital marketing professional and the founder of Melandia Agency. According to him, companies use three main strategies: holiday spirit theme, emotions, and fear.
One of the key strategies used by American companies during the holidays is to create thematic marketing campaigns. According to Mr. Khasanov, “Thematic campaigns are designed to resonate with the spirit of the season. This means tailoring your content, advertising, and product offerings to align with the sentiments and traditions associated with each holiday. For instance, during Halloween, companies can create spooky or humorous content, offer Halloween-themed products, and organize contests for the best costumes. On Thanksgiving, brands can emphasize gratitude, togetherness, and giving back, fostering a sense of community.”
Emotions are another powerful tool used by businesses during the holiday season. It is no secret that the holidays are a time when emotions run high. Joy, nostalgia, gratitude, and a sense of togetherness permeate the atmosphere, and companies tap into these sentiments to forge strong emotional connections with their customers. A regular customer might not mention it, however every American holiday has its own emotions that resonate with the whole nation:
- Christmas – Gratitude, a sense of togetherness, unity.
- Thanksgiving – Gratitude, reflection, togetherness.
- Independence Day (Fourth of July) – Patriotism, pride, unity.
- New Year’s Day – Hope, renewal, optimism.
- Easter – Joy, renewal, rebirth.
- Halloween – Fun, excitement, nostalgia.
- Valentine’s Day – Love, affection, romance.
- Labor Day – Appreciation, relaxation, leisure.
- Earth Day – Environmental awareness, sustainability, responsibility.
- Mother’s Day & Father’s Day – Appreciation, family, love.
Companies use these emotions to communicate with customers and motivate them to spend more and often.
On the other hand, the holiday season is synonymous with limited-time offers and promotions. Companies often use the fear of missing out (FOMO) to drive sales. Limited-time discounts, exclusive holiday bundles, and flash sales create a sense of urgency that compels consumers to make purchases. These strategies not only boost sales but also foster excitement and anticipation, making the holiday shopping experience even more thrilling. Every year we see the same deal with the same discounts at the same store. And every year we keep buying it because of this artificially created fear of missing out.
Dmitrii Khasanov states “I believe that companies use these strategies because they recognize the immense impact of emotions, shared experiences, and the sense of urgency during the holiday season. With themes that align with the holiday spirit, evoking powerful emotions, and triggering the fear of missing out, businesses can not only drive sales but also create lasting memories and connections with their customers. This is how they make people buy and come over to buy again.”
