Holidays Inspire Brand Partnerships

When people look around during the holiday season, people see pine trees, ribbons, colorful twinkling lights, holiday festivals and lots and lots of gifts. Yet, there is something else people see, but may have not consciously noticed before, and it is holiday partnerships. The holiday season is one of the most popular times for companies, especially ones in the licensing industry, to invest in marketing and promotion to increase brand visibility. From collaborations with Hallmark and “Elf” to tech-savvy collaborations like Home Alone and Google, holiday partnerships and campaigns are a successful way to create emotional connections with and consumer loyalty to a brand and give an extra boost to year-end revenue. In fact, a survey conducted by Motista notes that customers who have an emotional relationship with a brand have three times higher lifetime value and will more likely recommend the company/brand at a rate of 71%, which is 26% higher than the average.  
 
A Testament to the Statistic 
For many people, when they think of the holiday season, they recall the movie “Elf,” which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The film has inspired humorous “Elf” Hallmark holiday cards and gift-wrapping papers and fun “Elf” styled holiday pajamas with Hanna Andersson. But establishing an emotional connection with a brand is more easily said than done. The consumers need to trust the brand – and trust takes time to build.  
But a good starting point to build it is by having a compelling, authentic and unified story about both businesses’ brands’ values and missions. For instance, in “Elf,” Will Ferrell’s character, Buddy, reminds his audience that quality time with friends and family is what matters most during the holiday season and excitement for the holidays is contagious. And that is exactly what Hallmark brings to the forefront of people’s minds. 

Related:Deck the Halls … and More … with Licensed Décor

Unique Holiday Collaborations 
Brand messaging is not the only element businesses need to effectively ideate during a holiday collaboration. A rewarding customer experience is just as important because negative experiences can easily erode the trust that both companies are working tirelessly to build.  
In a recent Google x Home Alone ad for the Google Assistant, the Google Assistant helps Kevin create grocery lists, chore reminders, communicate with people at the front door and perform maintenance around the house while he is at home by himself. This distinctly conveys that Google has quality products that help people stay organized and in touch with others. 
So just like Santa spends all year to successfully deliver toys to all the boys and girls, businesses that are combining efforts this season should take the time to build harmonized brand messages and positive customer experiences to have a fruitful holiday collaboration.