Plan Holiday Marketing with Consumer Behavior in Mind

Here are three tips from experts about how to shape a holiday marketing plan with contemporary consumer behavior in mind:

• Consumers can and do change their decisions after an online search prior to making a purchase. This makes online ads/content marketing/testimonials/product reviews especially important during the holiday season, when many customers are buying, buying, buying. 
• Personalize your marketing to engage customers and prompt viral sharing. The popular "elf yourself" campaign for Office Max/Office Depot (shown above) is entertaining app users once again this holiday season, encouraging positive brand attitudes.
• Promote promotions early to gain awareness and an edge over competitors. Remember when Black Friday was just a single day? Now it's virtually taken over the month of November. Retailers and brand marketers alike are counting down with daily deals and early buying opportunities.

What do you know about your customers that will help you plan for engaging, effective holiday marketing?

Hot Holiday Toys 2014

Those "hot holiday toy" lists have been out for weeks. There are some obvious selections (Frozen merchandise) and some not so obvious, ready for gift-givers to browse and buy. Promotions and publicity now--the bigger, the better--will build brand awareness and recognition, even preference and early purchasing, in advance of the holiday shopping season that accelerates in late November.

Toy review site TTPM says: Disney Frozen dolls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, and Doc McStuffins (at left) will be hot this year, among others.


Walmart says Frozen plus: Air Hogs RC Zero Gravity Laser Racer, Airstorm Firetech Bow (think Hunger Games), Barbie, Hot Wheels, and others, including the Vtech smartwatch (at right) for kids.

Toys 'R' Us toy list includes Legos, Little Live Pets Bird Cage with "live" birds, FurReal Friends toy pets, and Transformers, among others.

And if you're shopping in the UK, Hamleys has the My Friend Cayla doll (which looks things up on Google for your children), Doh Vinci modeling set (a la 3D printing), and the Xeno the Cheeky Interactive Baby Monster (at left).

Amazon categorizes its top holiday picks, including "retro," "Mom picks," "classic brands," and "in the movies." 

Get 'em while they're hot! Or at least while they're in stock.

Previewing Top Toys for Christmas, 2012

Although Halloween is still 29 days in the future, Christmas is right around the corner for marketers in the toy industry. Already we're seeing lists of the top toys for Christmas 2012. Here's a preview:

Time to Play magazine says that a new Thomas the Tank Engine toy will be the must-have for kids 2 and up. Never fear, there's a digital device for age 3 and up, the LeapPad2, a tablet computer for toddlers--complete with apps. A few others among the magazine's picks are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures and new MEGA Blocks kits.

Toys 'R' Us is offering its own list of 15 hot toys, ready for reservation so gift-givers don't find themselves without this year's trendy toy. With a 20% deposit, you can reserve your Furby or LeapPad2 or Lego Ninjago Epic Dragon Battle kit. Or a 1D collectors' set of figures from the hot new boy band, among other toys.

Target has its own list of 24 top toys, including Disney's Bounce Bounce Tigger and Lego Friends kits (for girls), plus a few toys that overlap with other lists.

Finally, CNN Money picks 7 toys made by small businesses that it believes will be in high demand for Christmas 2012, including

Illumivor Mecha-Shark (left) and

Perplexus Twist, a solve-it 3D toy.

Grand Opening of Christmas Windows

It's not your imagination--Christmas marketing really is starting earlier and earlier. Macy's New York will unveil its new holiday window displays in Manhattan on Thursday, Nov 17, at 5 pm.

Not to be outdone, Lord & Taylor New York is unveiling its displays today--Monday, Nov 14--at 5:30 pm. (If you want to watch, log on here to see a live stream.)

Henri Bendel, the upscale fashion store, will unveil its Fifth Avenue windows on Thursday, Nov 17, as well, with the famous Radio City Rockettes as special guests.

We'll all have to wait until Nov 21 to see Lady Gaga's Barneys New York windows.

Canadian stores started their Christmas window displays even earlier. Here's what one store did to develop its holiday themes and decorations.

2011: Another Cut-Price Christmas?

Halloween hasn't arrived yet and already retailers are positioning themselves with discounts and promotions to capture share of wallet well in advance of the holiday buying season. Penny-pinching purchasers do care about price, but how much influence will the following policies have on actual buying?

•  Toys 'R' Us is launching a new version of its customer loyalty program, featuring discounts and money-back after the season. The program has 24 million members and will doubtless attract millions more who will consolidate their purchases to achieve savings.
• Walmart has a price-match guarantee to reassure shoppers that they won't find a lower price anywhere from Nov. 1 to Dec. 25. If they do, Walmart will give them a gift card for the difference in price--bringing shoppers back into the store to spend again.
• Sears will beat a competing price by 10%, subject to the fine print of course.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond will match Amazon.com's prices, which is unusual because very few in-store retailers include online merchants in price match programs.

One thing is clear: Customers will need to be even better shoppers than usual to get the best deal.

Christmas or Holiday Marketing?

Brandweek notes that no matter which way brands turn, they may very well be criticized for wishing buyers a hearty "Merry Christmas" or a neutral "Happy Holidays" or whatever.

The Gap is being especially inclusive with its Gap Cheer Factory, where you can click to personalize an e-mail card for Happywhateveryouwannakah. A little humor might go a long way, but of course what makes me smile might make someone else frown or boycott.

A few years ago, Walmart began to reinsert the word "Christmas" back into its year-end holiday marketing. I just checked its web site and I notice that "holiday" is as prominent as "Christmas" on many pages, such as here. Kmart has a "Christmas Countdown" and the phrase "Bring Home the Holidays with Kmart" on its site. Costco offers "Toys for the Holidays" as shown in the graphic above, but no mention of Christmas on its home page (as of today). Target, on the other hand, features a "Christmas Delivered" tag line and graphics on its home page.

It's beginning to feel a lot like . . . holiday time. Hanukkah starts this weekend, and Christmas is coming up quickly. Will shoppers make buying decisions based on holiday slogans or will price and convenience win out?