No matter who wins the 2024 election, your 2024 retail year still depends on holiday shoppers. If you’re more focused on election season than retail season, it’s time to focus, because by the time America votes, you better have your holiday advertising plan set.

Division of Labor is an ad agency in San Francisco and we’ve talked to enough panicked clients in September and October who did not plan ahead. To that end, here are five things to ensure a successful retail shopping season:

1. Start right now

The holiday shopping season is not just starting earlier, it’s also going later. According to McKinsey and Company, the holiday season has been expanding because some promotions are starting earlier allowing people to get better deals in October. But promotions are also happening later so a portion of the population is intentionally waiting to shop, expecting last-minute deals.

This lengthening shopping season means you have to plan your media spend accordingly and adapt your creative to speak appropriately across a longer period. Mindsets will shift and your creative has to as well.

2. Focus on the Top of the Funnel.

Everyone is selling a product. Direct marketing opportunities have increased thanks to social media targeting and detailed metrics for your audience. But if your buyer isn’t primed to be a buyer, then you’re wasting opportunities. Don’t just think about selling. Think about getting attention at the top of the funnel first. 

Get the public to sit up and pay attention to something. Let them know your name. Get them to remember a message. This way, when you come back with stronger sales messages, they will be more likely to click. Cheaper, retargeting media and social often get the clicks, but there is always better lower-funnel activity when the attention-getting upper funnel is used first.

3. Don’t be cliche

Santa, winter scenes, holiday music, lights, cliches; stop doing the same thing everyone else is doing. This is the most basic point and almost everyone violates it. When everyone wears white, black stands out. When everyone yells, whispering stands out. When everyone plays the same holiday music, the banjo stands out. Make sure you have original ideas that will highlight your brand, not just the season. A simple call to action like, “Makes a great gift” is enough to make the point.

4. Emotion Beats Logic Every Time.

Rational arguments don’t make people love stuff. Find the truth about your audience or the problem or your product. What does it do for people? Find the emotional trigger that makes your product stick in people’s minds. Before you tell people that a Roku is the best way to watch streaming content on your TV, tell them it’ll help you “Spend less time talking to your in-laws this Christmas.” Messages like this were followed up with more rational features and benefits after we got people curious about Roku. The approach increased holiday sales by 30% in every market that ran the ad campaign. You can do that without selling so hard. If you get people to your site or a review or a video landing page, you can drive consideration and engagement. Then you can use logic and the data-driven tools of digital marketing channels to follow up until the sale happens.

4. Everyone’s using social media marketing.

Social media alone is not the answer. It’s just the platform. Great advertising on social media is the answer. Unforgettable videos and beautiful designs on social media are the answer. Every brand and product in the world is on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok. Being on social media is as innovative as choosing to make a commercial or create a website. Being on the same platforms as everyone else doesn’t do anything if no one notices your message. Create something unignorable, witty, funny, touching or any combination of any emotions that help you stand out.

Social media platforms are inexpensive and allow precise targeting. They are where small and midsize companies get that top-of-funnel awareness. Your media dollars will go a lot further and you can test messages easily. But when you test messages, don’t just change a word or a picture. Test ideas to better understand which messages resonate with people.

5. Get Help

Hire a San Francisco ad agency like Division of Labor. Or hire a freelancer like the ones available through Division of Labor. You don’t have to know what you’re doing. Google “Ad Agency San Francisco” and look at a bunch of them. Then set up a Zoom call. Tell them what you want to accomplish and what your budget is. Pick one and go. Make it a three-month project that gets you a target market analysis, strategic media plan, consumer insight, and creative assets to cover awareness to consideration through retargeting. (Remember the funnel: You have to get Awareness before you get Consideration before you get Engagement and then finally Conversion. )

Start now and you can still be up and running by Halloween. Any questions? Click here. Happy Holidays!

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The Small Agency Blog is produced by Division of Labor; a top San Francisco ad agency and digital marketing firm. The award-winning creative shop specializes in startups that have obtained Series B funding or higher. They also offer freelance services. Click here for a free consultation.