Seasonal & Holiday

Q4 marketing calendar 2023

Inspiring marketing campaigns for the most important Q4 holidays

Marketers – Q4 is coming, and it may be the most important time of the year for you. Why?

  1. The fourth quarter represents the peak of consumer spending, driven by holiday shopping and festivities. Marketers who optimize their campaigns during this time can tap into this surge in consumer demand and achieve higher sales and revenue.
  2.  Competition intensifies in Q4, with countless brands vying for consumers’ attention. A well-structured campaign not only helps stand out in this crowded landscape but also ensures efficient allocation of marketing resources.
  3. Q4 often sets the tone for a brand’s annual performance, making it imperative for marketers to finish the year on a strong note.

Tightening up Q4 campaigns with compelling messaging, strategic targeting, and data-driven insights can translate into long-term brand growth and customer loyalty, making it a pivotal period for marketers to excel.

Let’s take a look at some inspiring campaigns for the most important Q4 holidays.

Black Friday

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, with consumers actively seeking discounts and deals. Virtually all major retailers and e-commerce platforms participate, intensifying competition. Marketers must actively engage to ensure their brand remains relevant and competitive in this high-stakes environment.

Brand Example: TWOJEYS

Spanish unisex jewelry brand, TWOJEYS, created a whole movie for their 2020 Black Friday ad. The film starred the company founders, employees and minor celebrities. Watch it here:

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is an online shopping frenzy, as consumers take advantage of deals for holiday gifts without the hassle of getting up from the couch. Marketers who strategically plan and execute their Cyber Monday campaigns can reap the benefits of increased online sales and improved brand visibility.

Brand Example: Lego

Beloved toy company, Lego, offered three different incentives for Cyber Monday and Black Friday shoppers. They offered VIPs a free gift with Cyber Monday purchases over $200, they also offered entry into sweepstakes as well as created a sense of urgency by offering one-day only discounts and rewards.

Image via Mayple

Super Saturday

In 2022, over 189 million people, just over 73 percent of U.S. consumers, shopped on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as Super Saturday.1 Super Saturday is the shopping event for procrastinators and savvy marketers need to capture this audience at exactly the right time in order to get their share.

Brand Example: Ashley Furniture

Home furniture brand, Ashley, placed ads in local newspapers to drive foot traffic to their storefronts. They offered last-minute shoppers 75% off, on top of no-interest financing, free delivery and no sales tax. Truly, this is a deal consumers won’t want to miss out on.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or the Festival of Lights is celebrated by millions of Jewish people living in America. It is tradition for adults to give 8 nights of gifts to their children and loved ones. That’s a lot of gifts to buy!

Brand Example: Mackenzie Childs

Kitchenware purveyor, Mackenzie Childs took a whimsical approach to Hanukkah with this email. The header “8 Crazy Nights of Gifts” is a reference to the Adam Sandler Hanukkah movie, “Eight Crazy Nights.” The email also seems personal, as it is “written” by the company’s director of creative services and includes a casual-looking photo of her. This helps make the recommendations for the company’s gold, blue, and white products (which are traditional Hanukkah colors) seem more genuine and heartfelt.

Christmas

Ah, Christmas – the big kahuna of holiday spending. On this holiday, if you’ve done a good job advertising on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Super Saturday, there shouldn’t be much left for you to do besides send out a holiday email, wishing consumers a great day.

Brand Example: Chick-fil-A

Fast food company, Chick-fil-A took the opportunity to surprise and delight their customer by creating an original short film that their fans and email subscribers could watch on their website. They accompanied it with a few other “heart-warming” stories. This approach is designed to engage their customers while also providing them with something of value – fun short movies to watch with their children.

Image via ReallyGoodEmails

Natasia Langfelder
Content Marketing Manager

As Content Marketing Manager, Natasia is responsible for helping strategize, produce and execute Data Axle's content. With a passion for writing and an enthusiasm for data management and technology, Natasia creates content that is designed to deliver nuggets of wisdom to help brands and individuals elevate their data governance policies. A native New Yorker, when Natasia is not at work she can be found enjoying New York’s food scene, at one of NYC’s many museums, or at one of the city’s many parks with her two teacup yorkies.