With the holiday season around the corner, and a bigger festival like Christmas hogging the limelight, it might seem fruitless to create a marketing plan for Hanukkah.
That being said, it would be quite unfair to all the 5.3 million American Jews out there – so let’s take a closer look at the ‘Festival of Lights’ from a marketer’s perspective.
With festivities being celebrated on a low scale due to the Covid-19 virus last year, it is important to dive into some much-deserved fun, frolic, and merry-making. Maybe you’d like to decorate your workplace with seasonal Hanukkah poster templates or other great decorations – it’s been a while since we’ve truly celebrated the holiday spirit, after all.
People get pulled by brands with emotional and engaging content during the festive season. With Hanukkah being celebrated from the 28th of November to the 6th of December, you have just about enough time to work on a good marketing plan.
So, before you log out of the office and say ‘Chag Sameach,’ make sure you read these 5 important mantras to ensure you have an effective and engaging marketing strategy.
Organize a Hanukkah sale
Who doesn’t love a good sale? Not only is it a great idea to attract new customers but it also works as a great lure to consumers who have already tried your products and are waiting to stock up once more.
With a new sale comes big discounts and freebies to catch the eye of holiday shoppers. If that isn’t enough, your Hanukkah marketing does not have to take an abrupt halt there, you can entice your customers with free discount coupons as you know your original customer will come back a second time.
Remember when you uniquely plan a sale, it is easier to boost profits from your Hanukkah marketing game plan. You can take your regular sale a notch higher by, say, offering an additional discount to anyone who brings a dreidel or a Hanukkah gelt, or use Hanukkah sweets/themed gifts as giveaways.
Isn’t this a cool idea?
For a classic example, take a look at this advertisement featuring a Vodka brand – it’s aimed at holiday season liquor shoppers, and compares Hanukkah as a ‘cheaper’ holiday in comparison to Christmas – seemingly playing off old harmful stereotypes.
Even though the ad campaign head was Jewish, the brand faced major backlash from a rightfully outraged Jewish community – so always remember to consider your campaign from different perspectives to avoid such a catastrophe.
Connect emotionally with a touching ad campaign
A great marketing plan goes hand in hand with a great ad campaign.
An emotional heart-warming ad campaign is well-known to sway buyers during the holiday season. If you don’t agree with us, close your eyes and think of one ad that comes easily to your mind.
Why did you remember this particular ad? It is safe to say that this ad lives rent-free in your mind as it has a heart-touching message that strikes a chord with your personal life and values.
An emotional branded ad campaign will have an impressionable effect on a consumer’s mind creating brand loyalty. A great place to start for inspiration are British holiday ads – the UK has a long-standing tradition of creating truly memorable and heartwarming campaigns for decades now.
Take a look at this charmer crafted for Christmas by retailer John Lewis – it simply puts us in the shoes of an impatient child waiting for the big day, and shows us the spirit of love and giving that the holiday encompasses.
Remember – there’s no single rulebook when it comes to crafting great ads for Hanukkah. Just focus on sharing your brand’s message, take in authentic feedback from members of the Jewish community, and your audience is likely to respond positively.
Create relatable and engaging content to match the festive vibe
Content is king, therefore it is crucial to plan engaging content which the audiences will be able to relate to. Hanukkah is the season of gifts making it the business season for brands. If your content is strong, it will carry it on its shoulders and promote your product organically.
Work with virtual influencers and create an influencer marketing plan spread out across the eight days of Hanukkah. You can go a step further and create an engaging gifting campaign.
Another important thing to keep in mind is remarketing of content. It is a great way for people to interact with previously consumed content on your website or mobile app, and reroute them efficiently.
A great example of a fun, simple, and curiosity-building campaign was ‘Eight Sensible Gifts for Hanukkah’, created by party game makers Cards Against Humanity.
In a perfect blend of the holiday’s spirit of generosity and the brand’s tongue-in-cheek humor, they created a randomized gifting spree across the holiday. This meant donations to independent radio stations, US securities for participants, a sponsored holiday for a random Chinese employee and her family – for days on end, fans were hooked on, wondering which wacky and exciting gift the company would choose next.
Ensure the colors white & blue feature in campaign and creatives
If red and green are the colors of Christmas, blue and white are the colors of Hanukkah. Bring on the Hanukkah vibe and integrate it into your campaign and creatives to ensure the audience has a brand and theme recollection easily.
Color psychology is one of the key factors responsible for jogging your audience’s memory – recall factor is important in building brand association.
With prominent brand and theme colors popping in a person’s mind, it helps bridge the gap between marketing tools and the target audiences.
Let social media platforms take the reins
With the advent of social media, there are endless possibilities under the sun to make sure your brand and marketing plan does not get lost amongst the rest. If you are well-versed with social media algorithms, they are like simple gifts that keep giving and waiting to be unwrapped and used.
Let’s say, however, you are not, do not fret, because social media can be changed from the ‘great unknown’ to a trip down the rabbit hole waiting to be explored and used to your benefit.
Do not be scared to take the plunge. In today’s age, social media is responsible for doing half the job of promoting a brand and product no one ever dreamed of a decade ago.
From enticing promotions, giveaways and creative content, social media begins to buzz, especially during the holiday season. All you need to do is, work on a strategic content plan, market it well and engage with your audience. This will retain your following and bring in new followers.
Different platforms work differently. With a few rules to follow while participating in social media contests, you can generate reliable engagement, create brand visibility, and build your brand.
Here are a few platform -specific giveaway ideas that you could try:
1. Facebook: Hanukkah Giveaway
“Let us know what is your family’s Hanukkah tradition and win exciting products.”
2. Instagram: 8 days of Hanukkah Daily Contest
After a brief buildup, hold a daily contest – take entries in the form of tagged posts and stories surrounding everyone’s favorite Hanukkah activities. This boosts engagement and fosters a sense of community with your followers.
3. Twitter: Follow, Retweet & Win
This one’s a simple way to boost engagement – follow a brand, retweet and win exciting products.
Daily promotions and giveaways will ensure your audience comes to your respective social media page and participates.
Conclusion
Once you have read this article, you need not stress about a marketing plan for Hanukkah – we’ve equipped you with all the information you need to drive a successful campaign for this ancient holiday, celebrated by millions.
Sit back and sing Hanukkah songs, while you gorge on delicious fried latkes and beef brisket this holiday season!
Senior editor at PosterMyWall.
