The holiday season might still feel far away, but in today’s fast moving world, Q4 will be here before you know it. Every year, the companies that succeed during the holiday rush are the ones that started planning over the summer. Whether you’re aiming to thank clients, boost employee morale, or win over high-value prospects, locking in your holiday strategy now ensures you’re ahead of the game..
Here’s how the smartest companies are already in planning mode and how you should be, too:
Organize Your List
Before you can execute a successful campaign, you need to know who you’re targeting—and how to reach them. That means reviewing your CRM, syncing with your sales and customer success teams, and creating a clean, prioritized list of recipients.
Don’t wait until November to figure out who’s getting what. That leads to rushed decisions, bottlenecks with approvals, and missed opportunities to create meaningful moments.
In addition to identifying key contacts, make sure you collect up-to-date mailing addresses early. Whether your recipients are working remotely or hybrid, physical address collection is a common friction point that can delay or derail a campaign. We can help with this step in the process but just remember, the earlier you ask, the more likely you’ll catch people before they’re out-of-office or hard to reach during the holiday rush.
By planning now, you can:
- Identify your VIP clients and top prospects
- Personalize your approach based on relationship stage or value
- Ensure no one important is overlooked
A thoughtful list is the foundation of a perfect holiday campaign.
Secure Your Budget
Q4 can be a tough time to ask for more money—especially when departments are fighting over end-of-year resources. By getting your strategy together now, you can make a compelling case for the budget you need, before it’s gone.
Early planning gives you time to:
- Forecast ROI on strategic gifting or engagement tactics
- Align with finance and leadership on spend
- Take advantage of early-bird pricing, bulk discounts, and preferred inventory
Budget is power. Don’t wait until it’s too late to use it wisely.
Get Creative with the Last Mile
You’ve chosen the perfect gift and identified the right people. Now it’s time to make the delivery moment unforgettable.
The “last mile” of gifting is more than just getting the box to their doorstep. It’s your chance to turn a great gift into a meaningful experience. How the gift is wrapped, what message it includes, and the overall presentation all contribute to how your brand is remembered.
Consider these questions:
- Will the gift arrive in packaging that reflects your brand’s personality?
- Is there a personal touch, like a handwritten note or custom insert?
- Can you incorporate a QR code or interactive content to extend the moment online?
These finishing details can make a big emotional impact. They show your recipient that you didn’t just send something, but you thoughtfully curated the entire experience.
If you need ideas, we can help, it’s one of the things we’ve come to be know for in our short life! From branded boxes and tissue to message inserts and clever card designs, we’ll work with you to create packaging that feels intentional and memorable. Whether you want something elevated and refined or playful and bold, we’ll bring it to life.
How a gift is delivered matters just as much as what it is. Let’s make sure the last mile leaves a lasting impression.
Define What Success Looks Like
What are you actually trying to achieve this holiday season? A thank-you campaign for top clients? A door-opener strategy for cold leads? A morale boost for employees? Setting goals now ensures you choose the right tactics, channels, and messaging later.
Normally, when you’re creating a gifting program, you want to think about KPIs. While this is still relevant, during the holiday season the ROI has to be more tailored to, we, the holiday! It has to FEEL good and not just like another effort to extract a contract before your quarter ends.
Think about:
- What defines success (e.g.) do they call gushing about the gift, or does it go without a mention – this can be a clear sign of how “in favor” you are at this very moment. Normally we’d look for meetings booked, deals closed or retention uplift but we caution our clients to manage expectations with holiday gifting.If you client loves the experience or if your team feels extra love, it will go a long way to meeting those KPIs in the new year.
- What stories do you want your brand to tell during the holidays? Is there a theme you are working towards (like wellness or the olympics which are right around the corner in the new year) or do you want to personalize gifts for each recipient. Lets dig into the details together!
With a clear north star, your campaign won’t just feel good—it’ll perform well, too.
Book Time With Us
If this all feels like a lot or you just want to bounce ideas around, we are here to help. The earlier we connect, the more strategic (and stress-free) your holiday planning will be. From refining your list to choosing the right gifts and reporting ROI, we can help you design a Q4 program that works.
Book a meeting — let’s get your holiday campaign locked in.