Time to talk turkey

Time to Talk Turkey

Sweltering temperatures, broken heatwave records and at one point the hottest UK temperature was in north Scotland. Plus, Pret launched their Christmas sandwich in July* -  it’s been far from a normal summer!

Is it the new normal for brands to jump seasons and start to plan for Christmas now, or is it too early? Not in our view. The fluid and unpredictable economic environment together with uncertain consumer intentions adds more variables into the planning process. This needs careful consideration when scoping out promotional strategies.

Lift spirits. Lift spending.

Consequently, competition for consumer's attention and loyalty is likely to be even more intense this year. Having the right promotional offering and promotional partner to stand above competitors will be critical to having the best chance of commercial success.

Regardless of sector, Christmas presents a unique opportunity to lift spirits and spending. Consumption patterns follow seasonal trends and gift purchases reflect individuals’ interests and hobbies. We all know it’s the key spending period for much of the consumer economy - what we don’t know is how it is likely to pan out.

Low cost does not equal low returns

It’s well proven that promotional marketing has some distinct advantages over other weapons marketing teams can deploy. The benefits are, arguably, amplified during periods of relative uncertainty. Significantly lower relative cost is chief among them.

You don’t need to commit millions of pounds in advance and partnering with a complementary brand will add promotional impetus and increase the number of consumers that register the promotion. Hit the right emotional note and spending swiftly follows. Pret’s decision to donate 50p for each sandwich to their charitable foundation adds immensely to promotional appeal and brand credentials.

We’ve commented on this before. There are brands and causes with an increased desire to come out of the pandemic on the front foot and give themselves the best chance of a business boost. They know that this can be heightened and extended by partnering with brands that share their values. And they also know they need to start their planning now.

It’s time to talk turkey. Speak to us now about the perfect promotional strategy and partners. Ones to put you in the prime position for Christmas in a year when the only thing that’s certain is temperatures will be lower. Everything else is to play for.

* in addition to commercial gains, this was a great PR exercise to highlight issues the pandemic has caused for many city centre retail outlets.

(to talk turkey – ‘to discuss something directly and honestly’.)