Creating a COVID Christmas

Australians are looking to brands now for much-needed holiday season
cheer.

Despite this year of uncertainties, something is for certain – Christmas
is coming. Although it might feel a bit early, Pinterest insights claim that
Australians have well and truly begun planning celebrations with this year's
holiday season. And they are seeking to brands to help bring the holiday cheer.

Pinterest users typically start their Christmas planning around
September. However, holiday related searches on Pinterest started increasing
from April as numerous crave the comfort and excitement of the holiday season.
Christmas related searches were up 58 percent in April 2021 compared with
April 2021, with trends including Christmas aesthetic (156 per cent), DIY
Christmas gifts (45 per cent) and Christmas cards (32 percent) on the rise.
Despite the pandemic, Australians are preparing for a bigger and better
festive season and nearly half of Pinterest users say they want brands to help
them go ahead and take festive season to the “next level”.

The early start on Christmas celebrations has big implications for marketers as they plan their holiday campaigns. Christmas is already a competitive time of the year, with multiple brands trying to capture the attention of consumers. With lots of shoppers already tapping into a “forward planning” mindset, now is the time for brands to reach customers, remembering that when you reach people first where they create their plans, they'll reach you initially when they make their purchases.

“The challenges of 2021 have meant Australians want to the festive season for much-needed comfort and cheer.”

We can't dismiss the fact that this year is shaping as much as be like none
other in recent memory, and brands need to account for the resulting shifts in
customer demand and re-set expectations within that context, particularly when
and how consumers wish to shop. Things will be done a little differently this
year, and it is up to brands to adopt new and inventive ways to reach consumers.

Quarantine and social distancing rules have seen an explosion in
e-commerce solutions with lots of industries experiencing huge uplifts in online
sales. Brands happen to be incredibly nimble in adapting to these shifts in order
to keep customers satisfied and, in some cases, just to stay afloat. Marketers
can easily expect the elevated demand for shopping online to run through
Christmas and beyond and will need to optimise their e-commerce channels
accordingly. Personalisation and thoroughly curated content will be key to
providing each shopper with a bespoke, streamlined shopping experience tailored
to their preferences.

The instore shopping experience, with its vibrant storefront windows,
lit Christmas trees and festive decorations is traditionally a highlight for
many shoppers. However, the pandemic implies that this year many consumers will
lose out on browsing for gifts instore, presenting a distinctive opportunity for
marketers to create a festive shopping experience online that lives as much as – or
even goes beyond – the physical holiday shopping tradition. This could be
recreating the shopping window experience or purchasing beautiful product
imagery or video to inspire customers because they make their purchasing decisions
online.

With more consumers shopping on the web this Christmas, and the disruption
and delays to many postal and delivery services, it’s likely they will be more
concerned than usual about logistics for example shipping speeds, delivery
timeframes and customer care. Providing customers with peace of mind is
going to be a critical a part of a brand's holiday shopping experience, and
consumers will respond well to proactive messaging around how brands are
addressing pandemic-related concerns for example hygiene, supply chain issues and
customer support. This is as true for well-known, established brands because it is
for new and emerging online retailers.

More than ever before, marketers will also need to think about
their tone and messaging of their holiday campaigns, responding sensitively to
the requirements and wants of the market. Around 40 percent of Pinners say that this
year, they need brands to help them bond with family members and create special
moments with family. While Christmas campaign messaging has a tendency to focus on the
idea of togetherness, it's likely travel restrictions it's still in place,
forcing many families for connecting virtually this season. This presents a unique
opportunity for brands not only to adjust their messaging, but to think out of
the box around different ways they can help to create a feeling of togetherness.
With families apt to be split around the globe, we can expect most be
taking up the mantle for hosting the festivities for the first-time, creating
a new audience for brands. From beginner turkey chefs to rookie decorators,
likely to important opportunity to speak to first-time Christmas hosts to help
elevate their festivities.

The impact of the pandemic and the uncertainty many consumers still face
means that costs are top of mind for early Christmas planners, as 40 percent
of people prepare to celebrate Christmas on a budget this year. However, it's
not only consumers who have been impacted, with lots of businesses also taking a
financial hit, meaning it's more beneficial than ever to implement creative yet
resourceful marketing strategies. Brands have to be thinking now about what
special sales and extras, for example free shipping, returns or early bird
discounts, could be offered to keep customers engaged, but are also realistic
from a cost perspective.

Australian based lingerie and swim brand Big Girls Don’t Cry Anymore has
successfully tapped into a younger audience and diversified its customer base
on Pinterest. By tailoring campaigns that showcase the brand’s expansive range
of bras, underwear and swimwear, including new designs, styles, patterns and fabrics,
Big Girls is capturing the interest of consumers across Australia and New
Zealand. By tinkering with various ad formats and inventive content on
Pinterest, Big Girls saw its ad views increase from 450,000 to at least one million in a
short time. Big Girls is likely to run a number of sales events including a
Christmas campaign to inspire holiday shoppers.

The challenges of 2021 have meant Australians want to the festive season for much-needed comfort and cheer – and lots of have been actively planning on Pinterest since April. Brands big and small have a unique opportunity to make use of this planning mindset, meeting customers where they are and being a big a part of their festive celebrations.

This story first appeared in issue 30 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine