Though you might be enjoying your summer holidays right now – or perhaps you’re about to jet off for a well-earned break! – you’ll soon need to turn your attention to your Christmas packaging strategy, if you haven’t already.
Updating your designs in time for the busiest shopping season of the year is about more than sharing a little festive joy. Reports say that more than half of customers are expecting to spend less on Christmas in 2024 due to the rising cost of living.
So, as a brand that relies heavily on your Christmas revenue, you’re going to have to work that little bit harder to hit your targets. You will need to pull out all the stops to convince buyers to part with their cash – and this means coming up with an eye-catching and fully cohesive marketing plan, complete with stand-out branded packaging, that will hook your audience in from the get-go.
Here’s a guide to some of the things you’ll need to consider when bringing together bespoke, fully branded merchandise for your seasonal campaign(s).
Start the process early!
It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas! Whether you love it or loathe it, Christmas is guaranteed to happen at the same time every year, so there’s no excuse for not being prepared.
Develop a detailed timeline for all your packaging deliverables, including deadlines for design, sampling, production, and distribution. This way, you’ll be able to make tweaks to your concepts as you go along, and your packaging supplier will have plenty of time to create and deliver everything you need. (This is something to pay particular attention to, because print houses like ours can get EXTREMELY busy from October to December, and if you’re late to the party, our availability cannot always be guaranteed.)
Choose the right print partner
If you are already working with a printer, contact them to find out what their lead times are, and what their MOQs are on the products you’d like to order for your Christmas campaign. More often than not, they will be able to fulfil your requests, as long as you communicate what you need sooner rather than later. Be sure to ask them for advice on ways you can make your packaging designs ‘pop’, too – they will likely have lots of tools and techniques at their disposal.
If you’re looking for a print partner for the first time, or wanting to change suppliers, shop around. Contact a few different providers and ask them a range of questions to gain insights into how they work and what they can offer. Here at Hallmark Labels, we welcome new enquiries and will always go the extra mile to make sure you’re happy with our approach and satisfied with our capabilities before you decide to order from us!
You should also always request samples before committing to full-scale production. This way, you can review the merch for its durability, print quality, and overall appearance to make sure it meets your expectations.
Get clear on your core Christmas message
Sure, you want to sell more products – but what’s the secondary aim of your Christmas campaign?
Think of it this way: once you’ve got everyone’s attention with your beautiful bespoke packaging, would you like to:
- Highlight a core USP that sets your brand apart from your rivals – for example, your great value prices, your unique range of products, or your impressive stance on sustainability?
- Drive more traffic to your website to boost online engagement?
- Advertise your social media handles so you can find as many new followers as possible?
- Encourage more brand interaction by offering special discounts and offers, or sending customers to external apps and augmented reality environments?
If you want to use your Christmas marketing efforts to send your customers to different channels, these platforms will need to be performing well and packed full of fantastic content. Your website will need to reflect your core messaging and provide all the information your audience could ever want or need about your business; your social accounts will need to be branded and active; and any supporting apps or AR initiatives will need to be launched, tested and ready to go way ahead of time.
Research this year’s Christmas design trends
Carry out some market research to understand what’s currently hot (and what’s not) in the holiday packaging space.
Experts are predicting that playfulness will be the aim of the game in Christmas 2024. As we mentioned previously, times are tough for many of us, and for lots of reasons – so designers are attempting to establish a positive emotional connection with their audiences by inserting a bit of fun and lightness into their work. They’re raising smiles in subtle ways, without appearing as insensitive by completely bypassing the hardships we’re facing.
Retro styles are back in fashion. Retailers are increasingly harking back to 90s and 00s design ideas (which is fascinating for we millennials, who were there the first-time round!). 60s fonts and art deco details are also en vogue. All these design throwbacks vamp up the nostalgia and provide some comfort in these turbulent times, which is probably why they’re proving to be so popular.
As well as keeping a close eye on what’s trending, look at competitors’ strategies and gather customer feedback from previous years. Reflect on what has worked and what hasn’t worked in your own campaigns, so you don’t make the same mistakes again.
Finalise your Christmas-themed designs
Vibrant, relevant Christmas designs that incorporate traditional a traditional festive palette will usually go down well with your customers. Red, green and gold are automatically associated with the big day – but don’t be afraid to experiment with other shades to complement your brand colours. Custom illustrations depicting snowflakes, Santas, reindeers and other typical Yule concepts can be added subtly or more boldly to your designs if you want to add a more playful touch to your packaging.
Though you’ll have lots of freedom and flexibility with your Christmas packaging designs – thanks to modern printing techniques, the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating templates that are fun and innovative – you’ll need to make sure that the graphics on your Christmas packaging still align with your brand’s identity. Consistency in colours, fonts, and overall design elements is crucial for maintaining that all-important brand recognition and making sure your temporary new look isn’t too much of a departure from the norm.
Confirm your packaging specifications – and let us know if these will need to change
Make sure your chosen packaging is robust and durable enough to withstand the shipping process. And to give your Christmas campaign extra eco credence, consider investing in recycled or recyclable packaging that’s manufactured with sustainably sourced materials. Water-based inks are kinder to the environment, too.
You might also want to experiment with boxes and bags of different shapes, sizes and folding specs to accommodate your Christmas designs. The team here at Hallmark can talk you through your options and help you settle on some short-term solutions that are attractive, functional, and not likely to bring your campaign over budget.
Don’t forget the smaller details – they can make all the difference
From printed packaging tape containing your brand logo, to festive swing tags and self-adhesive labels that will add additional pizzaz to your items at Christmas time, there are plenty of ways you can adapt your packaging to deliver the ultimate seasonal experience. We particularly love our custom printed anti-return ribbons, which can play a vital role in reducing thefts and false returns.
If you need any help bringing together custom-designed mailing bags, zhuzhing up your branded retail bags, or generally enhancing your packaging in time for the Christmas madness, contact our friendly sales team today.
Extra resources
Over the years, we’ve provided lots of advice for brands that want to capitalise on the Christmas rush. Take a look at the articles below for more information and guidance!
How to use the Christmas period to your brand’s advantage
Christmas merchandising ideas to get your creative juices flowing
Freshening up your Christmas strategy even further5 products that can be customised with your bespoke Christmas message
