As the year winds down, the Christmas holiday brings an end to
what can only be termed as a very turbulent year. Lockdowns and the global
health crisis have made individuals and businesses alike modify the way they
carry out their commercial activities, and this would likely be the same during
the festive celebrations. But one thing clear for most to see is;
The Christmas period still confers a unique opportunity for
sales, so the question on the minds of all interested parties now should be;
how can brands harness these opportunities?
In this post, we take a look at the general trend this Christmas
for businesses and the need for proper communications with your audience.
Christmas is going to be a tad bit different this year!
Financial constraints, health challenges, and restrictions on
social gatherings are some of the primary indicators that the holidays would be
somewhat different from what we have come to expect, but at the same time,
consumers are reacting to all of these in novel ways from what we have
witnessed in the past.
Today, new spending and consumption patterns are emerging. Many
consumers are shifting towards digital products — from virtual concerts to
digital gifts — all in the name of keeping up with the theme of Christmas.
Brands are stepping up their game in this year’s Christmas
message
Despite a number of brands incurring record-breaking financial
losses this year, many still see the Christmas celebrations as a potential
goldmine, and they want a piece of the action, especially from the
advertisement viewpoint. The Chief creative officer at Leo Burnett
London, Chaka
Sobhani paints the scene perfectly.
“The national mood will continue to shift in the coming few
weeks, but the spirit of Christmas will reappear, and brands that can unite
people and bring them hope will win.”
When it comes to Christmas messages, businesses must be sure of
the intent behind every campaign. We have seen brands like Amazon pushing out
campaigns to put consumers into that festive mood. Amazon’s The show must go on commercial
evokes a strong feeling by harping on the realities of the times but
emphasizing on the need to move forward despite setbacks.
The need for proper communications with your audience
To harness the rewards of the Christmas period, there is a need
now more than ever to effectively tailor your message and communicate in a way where
every audience is carried along, whether they are local or international, you
must cater to the diversity of your audience.
As a business, you must decide on whether or not to include the
pandemic into the Christmas theme, while bearing in mind that your message
should reflect the realities of the moment and at the same time must be
sensitive to the plight of your audience. Striking that balance is very crucial
for every business.
In one of our previous
articles, we covered the need for effective communication during a
crisis and steps that can be taken to improve communication.
To wrap things up, the Christmas festivities nevertheless offers
commercial potentials for those willing to take it, but the story does not end
there. It also allows brands to endear themselves to consumers as the New Year
beckons with the world expecting an aggressive recovery as the COVID-19 vaccine
continues to roll out
Effective communication is a crucial step to having an edge over
your competitors in the face of consumers. We reckon that overcoming language
barriers and localizing website content is an excellent way to ensure effective
communication, especially to a global audience. The translation and
interpretation experts at TranslationsinLondon are ready to
help place your business on the global radar.