Yep, you read that right.
For the print industry, the lead-up to Christmas begins WAY before the days get shorter and the temperature shoots down to zero.
In fact, much of the time, our customers are talking to us about ideas for their Christmas merchandise when the thermometer is pushing 30 degrees and it seems incomprehensible that, before long, it will be getting dark at 4pm and we’ll be trudging through the snow to get home after a long shift.
It might seem odd, but the very best time to plan your Christmas promotions is when other people are barely putting the finishing touches on their summer designs.
Why?
Because great labels take strong planning.
Amazing merch doesn’t come together in a day.
You need to give yourself (and us) the time and space to come up with something wonderful; something that is so out of the ordinary, it’s guaranteed to turn heads.
Plus, there are lots of practical and logistical considerations that mean coming to us at the end of November with your Christmas requirements is simply not workable for our team.
It will take us a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks to design, manufacture and ship many of our products – and you certainly don’t want to miss brilliant marketing opportunities because you placed your order with us too late.
Sure, there are many that can be turned around in a much shorter timeframe, but why should you settle for plan B?
If you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, share your festive concepts with us as early in the year as you can.
If you have no idea what you’ll need, then it’s even more vital to speak with a member of our team in the summer months (or maybe even in the spring). Our expert designers can help you come up with one-of-a-kind Christmas-themed graphics for your labels and merchandise that will blow your competitors’ creations out of the water – but ONLY if you give us the heads up and provide us with enough of a runway to work our magic.
Make a note in your calendars to contact Hallmark in July or August to discuss your Christmas merchandising strategy. You’ll thank us later!
And make a note of what works well for you this season, and what falls unexpectedly flat with your audience. You can use data and direct feedback to guide your design decisions next time around.
For more information on the design requirements, minimum order quantities (MOQs) and lead times for each of our flagship products, please click on the links below.
