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The festive season is approaching and every business - small or large - will be embracing the Christmas spirit to help raise brand awareness and add smiles to their customers’ faces.
Social media is now a part of our everyday life, yet some major businesses are only just beginning to explore its full potential as a primary marketing tool for the Christmas period.
It’s a tradition in the UK that TV adverts showcase emotional, moving stories with sentimental value to their product or brand at Christmas; this is when we tell ourselves that Christmas has arrived! However, as more brands get on this and dominate our TV screens, it’s debatable that what used to make these adverts pull on our heartstrings now feels unoriginal.
Social media seems to be the right answer as to how to shake things up a bit this Christmas, as online engagement remains an effective way to stimulate buzz around a brand.
Mr Tinder meets Mrs Snapchat this Christmas
A Christmas Carol, the iconic novel with the unsympathetic Mr Scrooge at its centre, will be adapted for the stage this Christmas with characters inspired by the latest social media trends, therefore projecting the story into the 21st century. This highlights the significant presence social media has on family life, and illustrates its the opportune marketing opportunities that come with it.
The characters include a Mr Tinder, Mrs Snapchat, and Herr Uber, all of whom will appear in a scene depicting the Fezziwig Ball. Those who’ve read the book will know Mr Fezziwig as Mr Scrooge’s first employer, notorious for moderating high profits with kindness during a time when the world was on the cusp of the industrial revolution.
Now that the 21st century has brought on the social media revolution, dramatist David Edgar, who invented the new characters, describes his reasons being that when adapting a novel which has parties in it “You’ve got to invent lots of characters, give them a backstory and make them interesting for actors to play”.
The leading playwright clearly understands the fascination and attraction around social media, which last year saw some big brands reimagine how they reach their audiences, while spreading some Christmas spirit!
Social Media App Empowers Users to Spend Less for Christmas
Last year’s, “Spend less this Christmas” campaign by Jet.com was a brilliant way to increase business awareness during the festive period.
Christmas is a time for giving, however, this particular retailer focused on saving customers money, persuading its followers that you could put a price on friendship with the ‘Careculator’. This social media app worked out how much money you should spend on loved ones by comparing how many times they like and interact with your social media activity.
The app, which was accompanied by a video advert that shows a grandpa figure in a Christmas shirt sporting the slogan “You can put a price on family”, was very well-received.
The ad might seem slightly cheeky, but Jet.com unearthed that people now see social media as not only a key way to interact, but an everyday part of their family and social life.
#LoveMrsClause, Sparks Sales Increase for First Time in 6 Years for M&S
#LoveMrsClause was an aggressive social media campaign by M&S in 2016 supported by a TV advert showing Mrs Clause as a classic example of the “great woman” behind the man. The purpose of this marketing campaign was to highlight and empower women as the main gift givers.
On Twitter, social media engagement was driven by a specially created ‘Mrs Clause’ emoji that featured in posts including the #LoveMrsClause hashtag.
The campaign’s successful empowerment of women resulted in the first increase for women’s clothing in 6 years!
Why your Christmas Campaign Should Come with An Act of Kindness
M&S ensured that the Christmas spirit from the TV and social media campaign extended in-store, where employees were instructed to carry out random acts of kindness such as handing out free coffee or offering to donate money to a customer’s charity of choice.
With the focus on gift-giving and making the most of family time, Christmas is the perfect time of year to use social media to market your brand to customers. At this time of year people appreciate the importance of being together, and now social media has become an integral aspect of this.
As is the tradition with TV ad campaigns at Christmas, your social media campaigns should add a smile to your customers’ faces and encourage – or in itself be - a lovely act of kindness.
Madonna Hyde
Content Marketing Intern
Knapton Wright Ltd.