by Molly George
It might be 90° and your inbox may be full of out-of-office replies, but now is exactly the time to be thinking about the holidays.
Yes, really.
Holiday campaigns are no longer a sprint to Black Friday. They’re a marathon that starts in late summer and stretches into early January. The brands that win the season are the ones laying the groundwork right now – not the ones who start scrambling in October.
So grab an iced coffee, pretend it’s eggnog, and let’s unwrap how to get ahead on your holiday campaigns (and why a smart research strategy might just be your secret weapon).
1. Start earlier than you think, and end later than you think.
Black Friday used to be one single day. But now, it’s a month-long affair, and the shopping chatter starts even earlier. Blame supply chain chaos or pandemic-fueled panic-buying habits, but consumers (and the media) are looking ahead. Brands need to do the same.
Your window of opportunity has expanded. You have a higher volume of conversations to join than ever before – many of which stretch well beyond December 25th. Christmas is by no means the finish line. The post-holiday period is ripe with stories: returns, gift card spending, and Q1 retail forecasts. Be thoughtful about how you can get your brand involved in conversations through the first part of the year.
2. Say something worth listening to.
If you want to stand out in an increasingly loud and competitive space, you’ve got to bring something new to the table. And in a world of AI search engines and content saturation, unique data is gold. Bonus points if your data is unique to your brand and answers common questions your customers might be asking; AI search loves this kind of content, and will prioritize your brand over others when generating results.
Can you uncover fresh insights into consumer behavior? Trends on returns? Shopper sentiment? Supply chain stats? Start pitching them! Even if you’re a B2B brand, the holiday season is a rare chance to insert yourself into mainstream, consumer-driven conversations.
Think: “What does my company know that others don’t?” or “How can we create content that fills knowledge gaps in the market?”
3. Be prepared to move quickly.
The difference between getting included in a trending story and getting left behind boils down to one simple word: speed.
Holidays mean rapid-fire news cycles. Being among the first to comment is everything. Start by lining up your spokesperson bench now in order to keep pace. If they can tie macroeconomic trends to the stories your brand wants to tell, even better.
The same themes tend to emerge every year (shipping delays, consumer caution, etc.), which allows you to prepare messaging frameworks based on likely seasonal trends. Have a team monitoring holiday chatter in real time, so you’re able to jump on conversations as soon as they break.
4. Take advantage of the quiet moments.
There are moments of opportunity in the chaos of the holiday season, and they’re often when everyone else is checked out. Consider December 26th as an example. Many PR teams are still recovering from their cookie comas, which means you might have less competition for taking pitches out that connect your spokespeople with reporters.
Target these quieter periods with commentary. Fewer players in the game means a higher chance your story gets picked up.
The bottom line?
Why join the holiday conversation when you can actively shape it? Now is the time to build your strategy and begin executing. That means identifying the right trends, uncovering the right data, and knowing when and how to make your move.
If you want to make noise this holiday season, you can’t wait until November. You need smart timing, sharp insights, and a team that can move quickly.
If you’re thinking about how your brand can lead – not follow – in this year’s seasonal narrative, contact Kickstand today. We can help you discover angles worth talking about and guide you through the moments that matter most.
