Founder and CEO of Sway Group, an influencer marketing agency in the SF Bay Area.
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It’s not exactly an easy time to be in the business of looking ahead as a marketer, as the ever-changing Covid-19 situation continues to impact consumers and businesses. Challenging as it may be, however, this is when retailers need to start thinking about holiday plans — and preparing for what is likely to be an unusual shopping season.
At my influencer marketing agency, we’ve been working with clients to get a jump on their holiday outreach with some forecasting and campaign planning. While we all wish we had a crystal ball that could tell us exactly how things will unfold over the next few months, I can offer four tips along with some predictions and example tactics for brands that are thinking of working with influencers this holiday season.
1. Think Traditional, Local And DIY
Holidays are likely to be more traditional and nostalgic in nature this year, with less travel, due to ongoing pandemic restrictions and more focus on the home. Expect to see trends toward DIY gifting and crafting, along with increased consumer interest in traditional holiday activities like baking, decorating and charitable giving.
Many consumers will probably be interested in supporting small, local, independent and Black-owned businesses this holiday season. Mass-market retailers should continue to prioritize curbside pickup, delivery and other no-contact options for shoppers, along with alternatives to in-person Black Friday shopping. Many large retailers have already announced that they will be closed on Thanksgiving, which is a break from tradition.
Campaign ideas:
• Arts and crafts stores: Influencers can showcase ideas and inspiration for crafting homemade holiday cards and position online card-making classes as an easy, fun (and socially distanced) way to create heartfelt holiday greetings that stand out from the crowd.
• Food brands: Influencers can discuss their favorite holiday food memories from their own childhoods, with an emphasis on unique and regional dishes. Encourage them to include compelling images and shareable recipes that incorporate your brand's spices or other ingredients to accompany authentic commentary on your brand's benefits and values.
2. Target Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram And Twitter
While it remains to be seen whether consumers will go out to malls or stores as much as previous years, it’s a safe bet to assume that many people will be looking on social media channels for holiday inspiration. I predict that Pinterest will be more popular than ever for searching and saving everything from recipes to gift ideas, and you can leverage content trends to capture in-the-moment consumer interest.
TikTok has grown beyond Gen Z (and in fact was the most downloaded app in the world during the first quarter of 2020) and now offers TikTok for Business, which provides targeted advertising features. Instagram’s expanded in-app checkout feature offers scrolling consumers a seamless shopping experience, and the newly launched Instagram Shop tab provides a place to browse products from favorite brands and creators. Twitter will likely continue to be a hotbed of political talk both before and after the election; sponsored posts are likely to get lost in the noise without amplification.
Campaign ideas:
• Home and garden brands: Influencers can share eye-catching, pinnable visual tutorials for making a holiday container featuring “thriller, filler and spiller” garden store elements, strategically tagged on Pinterest for topical and evergreen search.
• Fashion brands: Instagram influencers can highlight brand selections with holiday-themed mood board images designed to capture audience attention. Engagement can be boosted with a giveaway where followers are asked to comment and tag a friend for a chance to win an outfit.
3. Focus On Curated, Authentic Content
I think gift guides will be huge this year, and there will be plenty of focus on highly curated lists aimed at specific audiences, along with lists that feature local and Black-owned businesses. Aspirational imagery and content will always serve consumer escapism needs, but audiences will likely demand more authenticity in influencer campaigns — privileged, tone-deaf messaging will fall flat (or worse, provoke outrage).
Campaign ideas:
• E-commerce websites: Lifestyle influencers can share a list of their favorite gifting ideas for this holiday season, highlighting a brand-sponsored “quarantine self-care gift set” featuring luxury handmade items from independent crafters.
• Black-owned skincare brands: Black beauty influencers can share a guide to their top picks for businesses that create beauty products with dark skin tones in mind, with the overall content centered on how every great holiday look starts with (brand-sponsored) great skin.
4. Prioritize Diversity
Influencers and brands alike will probably be looking to improve diversity in campaigns, with fear of consumer backlash eventually giving way to a real desire to better portray the range of human differences. Today’s consumers are drawn to brands that show they care about connecting with consumers with authentic, nontraditional representation.
Campaign ideas:
• Retail corporations: A mix of influencers who represent different characteristics (ethnicities, genders, body sizes, etc.) can post a series of images showing their customized holiday styles and accessories, with commentary on how the retail brand stands for inclusivity.
• Active lifestyle brands: A diverse selection of body-positive influencers can share stories of struggling to find quality athletic apparel in their size (within the context of keeping up with workouts during the holidays) while promoting the brand's benefits and showing different clothing styles being worn.
My final prediction is that the most important strategy of all will be to stay nimble. With nearly every market impacted by Covid-19 and shifting interests and priorities, the most successful brands will likely be the ones that quickly adapt to the latest consumer needs. Above all, this holiday season, many consumers will be drawn to brands that can truly serve the current cultural moment — whatever that may be.
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