The holiday season is a tentpole moment for consumer brands – and with good reason. Consumers spend more in the holiday season than any other part of the year. Between gift giving, celebrations, and increased spending money post-holiday, shopping skyrockets in Q4. As brands spend all year planning how best to seize this opportunity, the below are suggestions, broken down by department, on how to maximize your holiday success.

Supply Chain

It is safe to assume your brand will see heightened traffic in the holiday season. How are you optimizing your supply chain to ensure your inventory and processes can keep up? The last thing you want is to sell-out right before a massive spike in traffic hits your check-out page. It is imperative that you make sure you are preparing to meet the demand you project to see.

It is of equal importance to not overproduce. If sales fall below projections, you may end up with an undesirable amount of product. Inventory sitting on shelves is a negative hit to cash flow and can create issues for the business. For this reason, proper demand planning is key to effective inventory management.

Marketing

Planning a holiday campaign should begin far before the chill of winter hits the air. The ideal time to start planning for the holiday season is summertime. This grants enough time to make sure there is cohesion across tactics. It also isn’t so far removed that you lose the ability to tap into cultural relevance and trends.

Start with your end goal and work backwards. What retailers are you trying to push? How are you balancing your in-store and digital strategies? This helps inform decision making and budget allocation. Once your framework is set, get creative with it! The holidays are a time of celebration and cheer, so allow your brand’s levity and playfulness to shine through.

Customer Service

Customer service is important year-round, but especially during the holidays. The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. People tend to stretch their budgets and are rushing from commitment to commitment. A bit of grace can go a long way in turning a negative customer experience into a positive one.

Train your team on how to identify issues versus inconveniences. When issues arise, make sure your representatives have the tools to resolve them. Some examples include waiving fees to spread holiday joy and resolving shipping problems. A small action can have a big impact on consumer sentiment when stressors are high. Be the company that is a lighthouse in the storm.

People Management

Make sure to also be mindful of how increased holiday stress can wear on a team. Balancing high-stakes campaigns, consumer sentiment, and sales goals is always challenging. Add in the personal pressures of the holiday season, and it’s a lot for your team members to navigate.

Take time to celebrate your team members and show appreciation for their contributions. It is the people behind your brand who are making holiday growth possible. Ensuring they feel supported is key to a successful holiday season.

An excuse for a holiday party, perhaps?

Promotions

Whenever there is an increase in spending, there is an influx of discounts and promotions. Hello, Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Invest time in mapping out your different promotions and distribution tactics. Proper planning helps diminish overlap and ensures that discounts aren’t steeper than intended.

Also, whether using promotional codes on D2C or in-store offers, security should be top of mind. Identify partners who are leading with secure solutions to ensure a smooth experience.

How to Win this Holiday

The holiday season is a time for celebration! With proper planning, your team can seize the moment without needless stress.

Start with the foundations. What are you selling? Where are you selling it? And how are you spreading the word?

Make sure you have the systems and processes in place to support your ambitious goals. Be prepared for scale, and balance your projections with realistic expectations.

Then be ready for when things go wrong – it’s inevitable. No plan is perfect, but having a strong toolbox for how you will respond to issues can be lifesaving. Your customers, team, and stakeholders will appreciate your preparedness and grace.

Finally, make sure to capture the moment. An influx in shoppers creates more opportunities to capture consumer sentiment and content. Each touchpoint becomes a tool in your arsenal to grow and evolve next year.

Trial these tactics to set your foundation, and then sit back and watch sales pour in. A strong seasonal showing helps set the stage for the following years, both in revenue and growth.