When to Launch Gift Card Campaigns for Christmas?
It’s already time to plan strategically for the holiday season in terms of communication and marketing campaigns. The goal is to attract as many consumers as possible, whether they are existing customers or not, for gift purchases or other Christmas preparations. And one of the standout products is undoubtedly the gift card. We provide you with the keys to launch campaigns at the right time, especially coordinating campaigns targeting different potential audiences for the gift card.
Campaigns for the gift card service to individuals for Christmas
A communication campaign to your customer base
The very first thing to do, the least expensive and quickest, is to send a communication to your customers.
Communicate about the gift card service, emphasizing the benefits of the card (speed, assurance of making the right choice, increased personalization, Christmas delivery, brand enhancement, etc.) and explain how to place an order.
This allows you to directly target consumers who already like your brand and are likely to gladly offer it to their loved ones. And for customers who were unaware of such a service, they will have it in mind when the gift selection process begins.
A brand awareness campaign for early buyers
The holiday shopping season starts in mid-October for the most organized and forward-thinking individuals. To reach these early buyers, launching a communication campaign on social media about the gift card service is a good idea.
You have two choices:
- You can simply present the gift card service with its advantages.
- You can offer a promotion. For example, for every gift card purchased (or based on the card’s value), you provide a gift card of a specified value. What’s most interesting here is to work on the card’s expiration date and set it before Christmas. As a result, early buyers will return to spend at your outlets before the big day.
Referral of current customers through a specific reward
Sometimes, it takes more to motivate current customers. A referral system can be considered. The idea is that the customer recommends the brand to a friend, and the referral is validated when the friend makes a purchase. To reward both the referrer and the referee, a gift card of a small amount can be offered. Even better, the expiration date should be set for the end of the current year.
Net benefits: acquisition of new customers, and current customers return to use their gift cards before Christmas.
Increasing the average shopping cart value through a gift card campaign during the Christmas shopping period
During the Christmas gift rush, in addition to attracting as many people to your stores as possible, the amount of purchases made by each person should also be considered.
To encourage higher shopping cart values, an operation based on e-gift cards is possible.
The idea is this: for each purchase threshold, a pre-defined amount gift card is offered. Of course, the higher the cart value, the higher the gift card’s value.
For example, for every purchase of €50, a €5 gift card is offered, for €100 it’s €10, and so on.
Eliciting emotion through a Buy One Give One (BOGO) operation
Not all consumers respond to promotional stimuli when it comes to giving gifts to loved ones.
Therefore, special gift card promotions can be implemented for this type of consumer.
Following the BOGO (Buy One Give One) principle, the brand can launch a special year-end promotion and commit to donating an equivalent amount, or at least a €10 gift card, to a charity of the buyer or recipient’s choice for every gift card purchase.
Last-minute campaign for procrastinators
Procrastinators, or late buyers, are common during the Christmas shopping season. It is entirely relevant to work on communication campaigns for the digital gift card service during the last week before Christmas, right up to the very last minute.
In this campaign, the focus will be on the speed of ordering and delivering an e-gift card, which can be done in just a few minutes.
Marketing campaigns for corporate gift cards targeting businesses, CSE, and HR
Some brands decide to open a second specific ordering path for CSE (Employee Works Councils), HR, and professionals with tailored features. For them as well, it’s essential to focus on targeted communications.
Communication to existing professional clients
Before CSEs and HR departments begin their search for gifts and rewards for employees in early November, it’s always wise to send communication to those who have already ordered gift cards. This communication serves as a reminder to professional clients when making their choices.
Marketing campaigns targeting CSEs, HR, and firms during the holiday season
To acquire new clients, it’s important to work on the B2B service’s visibility during the holiday season. A well-executed social media campaign targeting employees within CSEs or working in HR teams is a good starting point to encourage purchases. Accounting firms, consulting firms, and similar organizations are also relevant and likely to place orders.
A campaign for last-minute buyers
Professionals can also be last-minute shoppers for year-end gifts. They will be very interested in a service that can quickly and easily deliver personalized gifts to each of their employees.
A campaign in this direction, during the month of December, will allow brands to stand out and drive purchases.
How to target new gift card distributors for the holiday season?
The third part of a successful gift card program is the distribution of gift cards through third-party distributors and retailers. In the gift card market, the highest demand is during the holiday season, including among distributors.
So, it is essential to start planning in September to prospect new retailers in order to expand distribution or to go through an aggregator (which already has a network of retailers). To be ready for Christmas, you need to account for the time needed for negotiations, contract signing, and setting up the necessary processes.
The key to success in communication and marketing campaigns for gift card services during the holiday season is coordination. Launch various campaigns simultaneously for B2C and B2B customers. Start with existing customers and then expand your communication to include late buyers and early buyers. At the same time, prospect for new third-party partners or aggregators to stand out in the market once again.
