The holiday season is a prime time for loyalty marketers to engage customers and drive sales. In 2023, U.S. holiday retail sales reached a record $964.4 billion, marking a 3.8% increase compared to the previous year, highlighting the importance of holiday marketing. By crafting effective holiday campaigns, you can reinforce customer loyalty, encourage repeat purchases, and increase brand advocacy. Here are five key strategies to consider:
1. Personalized communication
- Leverage customer data: According to Accenture, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations. Utilize customer purchase history, preferences, and demographics to create highly targeted campaigns that resonate with individual customers.
- Enable lifecycle tracking: Track your customers’ lifecycle stages at an individual level to tailor your messaging and promotions to make the biggest impact. A first-time buyer will be incentivized by a different offer versus someone who’s been with a brand for a long time but is showing signs of disengagement.
Our AI-powered insights and activation product, Kognitiv Pulse, enables brands to track their customers’ lifecycle stages in real time and predicts where customers will go next, so you can proactively engage them with the right message at the right time. Find out more.
- Offer personalized promotions: Provide customers with personalized offers based on their individual preferences. This can increase the relevance and effectiveness of your campaigns.
2. Early access & limited-time offers
- Create a sense of urgency: Urgency-inducing language in marketing can boost sales by as much as 332% (HubSpot). Offer limited-time promotions or discounts to encourage immediate purchases.
- Reward loyal customers: Offer exclusive deals and early access to sales for loyal customers.
- Stay top of mind: Announce the promotion early. In 2024, consumers started their holiday shopping earlier than ever. Sixteen percent of US shoppers already started their gift shopping in June—an increase from 9% in 2019. By offering exclusive early access, you can ensure your brand is the first place they turn to for their holiday shopping needs.
Need to get your loyalty holiday strategy off the ground quickly? Our experts will deliver a personalized holiday loyalty campaign strategy tailored to your customer and business needs in just two weeks, so you can get the most out of the season and without blowing your budget. Learn more.
3. Social proof
- Showcase customer testimonials: Share positive customer experiences and testimonials on your website and social media channels.
- Encourage social sharing: 71% of consumers are more likely to purchase based on social media referrals (HubSpot). Incentivize customers to share their experiences with your brand on social media by offering discounts, loyalty points, or exclusive access to products.
Did you know? Our award-winning loyalty software, Kognitiv Inspire, can recognize and reward any customer interaction, not just transactions. Learn more about Kognitiv Inspire.
- Leverage user-generated content: Use customer-generated content, such as photos and reviews, in your campaigns.
4. Tiered loyalty programs
- Reward top spenders: Offer exclusive benefits and rewards to top-tier loyalty program members.
- Encourage higher-value purchases: Design your tiered loyalty program to encourage customers to spend more by offering incremental rewards for higher spending levels.
- Provide personalized experiences: Offer personalized services and support to top-tier members making them feel valued and appreciated.
5. Holiday-themed rewards & experiences
- Offer special edition products & packaging: 62% of holiday shoppers are influenced by seasonal promotions and unique product offerings (NPD Group). Update your rewards catalog with holiday-themed items or experiences such as holiday gift cards, seasonal products, or even a virtual holiday party.
- Provide curated gift guides: Leverage the data from your loyalty program to create personalized holiday gift guides for your members. These guides can recommend products based on past purchases, browsing history, or even the preferences of their loved ones.
- Create a festive atmosphere: Infuse holiday elements into your branding, such as seasonal website themes, festive social media posts, and holiday-themed email campaigns, to create a memorable and engaging shopping experience.
The holiday season is a golden opportunity for loyalty marketers to boost engagement, drive sales, and build deeper relationships with customers. By offering exclusive deals, incorporating festive themes, and leveraging personalization, you can create memorable experiences that resonate with your loyalty members. As you plan your holiday campaigns, remember that the goal is not just to drive short-term sales, but to strengthen the long-term loyalty of your customers, turning them into lifelong brand advocates.
Is your loyalty program holiday-ready? Our loyalty & digital marketing experts are offering a limited-time Holiday Loyalty Marketing service to help you get the most out of your loyalty program. Learn more.
About Kognitiv
Kognitiv is redefining loyalty with its AI-native outcome-based technology. Our award-winning loyalty software and a suite of cross-channel intelligence and personalization products enable brands to deliver hyper-personalized experiences, predict and optimize customer engagement in real time, and achieve measurable results.
It’s time to move beyond transactions and earn customers’ lifetime loyalty. Discover how reimagining your loyalty strategy and customer engagement with AI can foster deeper connections and drive long-term success.
Interested in exploring our loyalty, martech, and adtech solutions? Let’s chat!
- Track, predict, and optimize your customers’ lifecycles with Kognitiv Pulse. Learn more.
- Enable 1:1 personalization at scale with Kognitiv Ignite. Learn more.
- Launch and manage a successful loyalty program with Kognitiv Inspire. Learn more.
- Intelligently acquire and engage customers across paid channels with Kognitiv Amplify. Learn more.