Christmas is just over a month away, which means that for most marketers and advertisers the plans you had for your seasonal marketing should be should be coming to fruition about now. In fact the super organized or really keen, will be planning next year’s Christmas. The question is, with all the tinsel, baubles and Santas decorating everything from supermarkets and corner shops to B2B agencies how can you make your marketing stand out? After all you will be competing for attention with Coca Cola’s Holidays Are Coming advert!

1. Bah Humbug!
   Ignore Christmas altogether, or if you’re really brave run an anti-Christmas marketing campaign! This way you can get everyone who is feeling harassed and sick of Christmas by December 1^st into your store(s) for a bit of break. Interestingly I can only the only examples of this type of campaign I can find are Bah Humbug Ales. If nothing else this type of campaign would be an interesting experiment, though maybe best to try if you are targeting a very specific audience.
2. Get Out There
   Hit the Streets with some exhibitions stands and some samples. Though street marketing campaigns such as this are typically a summer activity if your staff dresses up warm and Christmassy then you can seize the initiative over more timid souls who prefer to spend the winter months in their warm offices and stores. Grab some banner stands and take control of the high street or train station.
3. Minimalist Decoration
   Amongst all the red, green and gold decorations that have become the standard Christmas uniform consider simpler decorations for a more sophisticated look. For example smaller single coloured fairy lights can offer a more subtle approach than that favoured by many stores, while still getting into the festive spirit. If you want to get really modern then use a black Christmas tree instead of the more traditional green.
4. Tell a Story
   In all honesty you should be doing this already, after all who doesn’t want to hear stories! But with the cold dark nights, Christmas is the time when stories will be particularly potent. So put the story of your business into your marketing for this time of year. For example are you family business? Then tell people about your traditions. If you are more corporate then why not talk about your history. If you are a start-up then talk about how exited you are to approach your first or second Christmas as a company!
5. Send a Christmas E-card.
   Show your customers that you are thinking of them. Hopefully you will already have a CRM system in place which will allow you to capture the contact details from your customers. So send them an E-card to remind them to look at your store this Christmas!