With Thanksgiving around the corner, many brands jump on the excitement of the season to generate conversion. Branded recipes, tutorials and contests seem to be everywhere. That is all nice and well, but not all of us sell food or decor. Chances are your product/service is completely unrelated to Turkey Day. So how do the rest of us make the most of Thanksgiving, as a key branding opportunity?
In this article, you’ll learn how 7 brands launched successful Thanksgiving campaigns that boosted their conversion. Inspired by these creative, non-traditional campaigns, it is my hope that you will decide to launch your own. You are just in time!
1. Appreciation gifts
Main idea: We’ve done so well this year, and are so full of gratitude, that here’s an amazing discount for you.
Organize a special sale, give out something for free, or reduce your shipping price. Wix, for example, launched a special discount to show their gratitude to existing users. This reduced price on premium packages worked for them because it stimulates upsell: if you had ever thought of upgrading, this was your chance. Here’s what they said:
“Wix has many reasons to give thanks this year. We often receive heartwarming “thank you’s” from our users, and we don’t always get a chance to show our huge gratitude in return. But isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? So in the holiday spirit, we’re offering you up to 50% and free gifts on all our premium packages!”
More about this campaign here.
Another example by Quirky:
2. Tools to Relieve Turkey Day Stress
Main idea: Our product can help you enjoy the holidays by reducing stress, worries or expenses.
Let customers know how they can use some of your product’s features to enjoy the holidays. Evernote realized that customers used notebooks to organize and plan for Thanksgiving festivities. To encourage users to explore new Evernote tools in their planning, the brand published a blog post titled: “Evernote and Skitch for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Weekend”. It reads:
“The holidays can be a hectic time, with a flurry of friends and family descending on your home, the hustle and bustle of picking the perfect gifts, and all the thought devoted to planning big family meals. Let Evernote and Skitch help you start off the holiday season with the best Thanksgiving weekend.”
Read the rest of this post here.
Another example by Hootsuite: http://blog.hootsuite.com/hootlet-thanksgiving-travel/
3. Thank you cards
Main idea: You probably receive too much email, and not enough handwritten notes. We are so thankful for your business, that we took the time to write this.
A thank you card can go a long way. Although a physical one may be more effective at grabbing your customer’s attention (we are overwhelmed by digital these days), a creative online card can also do the trick.
Every year an NYC-based creative agency called Suka sends out a Thanksgiving card to their clients. Underconsideration.com has reviewed two of these cards, whose irresistible design has made waves beyond those who actually receive them.
In a different approach, President Barack Obama’s team produced a digital card that captured what citizens were thankful for and featured it on their website.
Other brands, like Threadflip, include thoughtfully designed cards in their email campaigns:
4. Host a Thoughtful Meetup/Event
Main idea: Here’s a leisure activity that we’re organizing so that you can enjoy yourself.
If possible, bring your customers and team together for a special event to give thanks. It does not need to take place on Thanksgiving Thursday; think about some other time in November that would work best. Show your gratitude with complimentary drinks, food or sessions that your guests will appreciate. Brands like Wix have hosted Thanksgiving Dinners, while others organize fitness challenges and online events.
5. Support a Cause
Main idea: Our brand is all about giving back, so this year we have decided to support X cause as a way to show gratitude for everything good that has happened to us.
Drive engagement and donations while boosting your brand’s goodwill on Thanksgiving. Select a cause that matches your brand’s values and mission, and organize a fundraising online/offline event to show your commitment.
Zynga’s 2012 holiday campaign, for example, turned virtual goods into real-world donations. You could benefit Toys for Tots by purchasing certain goods while playing games like CityVille, CastleVille, Words With Friends, FrontierVille, Bubble Safari, Draw Something and FarmVille. They raised 13 million USD trough 2.5 million in-game purchases.
6. Share some humor
Main idea: Here, let us make you smile.
Funny videos and memes make for a good laugh, and customers will always be appreciative when you boost their mood. Handle with care, as humor can be a double-sided sword.
Hubspot, for instance, created 14 hilarious Thanksgiving e-cards that mock common situations related to content marketing:
Similarly, the team at IMPACT published a blog post with top 3 Thanksgiving memes:
7. B2B Blogging: Useful tips for the holidays
Main idea: Let us share some of the best practices you can implement during the holidays, in this particular area that we are knowledgeable in.
What you are reading right now is an example of how you can share content that helps your audience leverage the holidays. What topics is your brand an expert at? Figure out a way in which you can share this expertise to improve the way in which your customers live/operate/sell during this season.