Mastering Seasonal Shopping: A Marketer’s Guide to Festive Preparedness with Exotel

The festive season is not just a gold rush for sales; it’s a critical time for brand engagement and long-term customer retention. With consumers being bombarded with deals, offers, and advertisements, how do you ensure that your brand stands out? 

Exotel’s recent survey offers key insights that can help shape a more nuanced and effective marketing strategy. Exotel received responses from 300 marketers in an online survey conducted in September 2023.

CMOs, VP Marketing, and Chief Customer Experience Officers from mid to large organizations across Tech, BFSI, E-commerce, Telecom, and Automotive verticals responded to this survey.

Let’s delve into key takeaways and explore how to make a high-impact this festive season.

1. Resonating with Cultural Influence

A notable 39% of shoppers are influenced by cultural traditions when making festive purchases.

Instead of crafting campaigns that simply promote products or discounts, consider incorporating cultural narratives that resonate with the festive spirit. Utilize storytelling to bring the season’s culture, traditions, and emotions into your messaging. Marketers can push culturally relevant messages across different channels, ensuring your brand’s message is both heard and felt.

2. The Magnetism of Discounts

37% of CMOs believe that discounts are what primarily drive consumer purchases during the festive season.

While discounts are undoubtedly appealing, their effectiveness is magnified when timed correctly and presented uniquely. Consider offering “flash sales,” “early-bird discounts,” or even a “mystery discount” revealed through an interactive digital campaign. 

The focus should be not just on the discount but on creating a sense of urgency or exclusivity that compels consumers to act. What if you could schedule and automate notifications, making sure your audience receives timely reminders of your unique offerings?

3. Powering Personalization

An overwhelming 64.33% of CMOs are focusing their strategies around personalization.

Harness available customer data to create targeted and personalized messages. A one-size-fits-all strategy is no longer effective in today’s hyper-connected world. Consider segmenting your email list based on past purchasing behavior or expressed interests, and tailor your campaign messages to speak to these specific groups.

4. Championing Customer Experience (CX)

A striking 86% of marketers indicate that a holistic customer experience is a priority for them.

A single negative interaction can overshadow even the most irresistible festive offer. Your strategy should aim for excellence at every customer touchpoint. This includes quick and effective query resolution, hassle-free purchasing processes, and efficient after-sales support. Create an FAQ section dedicated to common festive season queries, or consider having a 24/7 customer service chatbot during the peak season.

5. Embracing Tech Integration

84% of respondents have integrated their customer-facing platforms with Martech tools.

Don’t let your tech stack operate in silos; ensure your CRM, marketing automation, and customer service tools are fully integrated. This will provide you with real-time data and analytics, which can be invaluable for making quick adjustments to your strategy or for personalizing customer interactions even further.

6. Crafting Unified Conversations

A high 81.33% of surveyed businesses are focusing on delivering a seamless, connected customer experience.

Consistency is key. Whether a customer interacts with your brand through social media, email, or direct customer service, the messaging should be consistent. However, this doesn’t mean monotonous. Tailor the content to fit the channel but ensure the core message remains the same. Develop a unified brand voice and guidelines to be used across all platforms and departments.

Conclusion

The festive season offers a landscape rife with opportunities but also fraught with challenges. Exotel’s survey provides marketers with a set of empirical insights that can serve as the building blocks of a robust marketing strategy. 

By focusing on cultural resonance, personalized engagement, seamless customer experience, and technological integration, brands can hope not just to survive but to thrive in this competitive season. 

Are you ready to redefine festive marketing? Download the ebook