Maybe it’s because Labor Day was early this year, or how cooler weather in my area has finally turned consistently cooler after brutal heat in July. But I was still taken aback by the holiday merch appearing in my local supermarket the other day.
No, not Halloween candy. That was stocked way back in July.
I’m talking about a big Thanksgiving/Christmas/winter holiday season floor display for holiday spices. You know, for those who bought pumpkin spice everything weeks ago.
So I like to prepare early too. And with a shaky economy, how far along is your holiday mail planning? You don’t have to panic, but as the saying goes, if the best time to start was yesterday, the second best time is today.
Here are some practical tips to get things rolling.
Start with Clean Data
My perennial favorite piece of advice, because it works. You know the drill: NCOA, CASS, de-duping. This really helps to set the stage for all of the great ways to tap your behavioral, first-party data and market smartly.
Mail Sooner Rather Than Later
October is just around the corner. And with worries about inflation, tariffs, and jobs, some people are going to want to start their holiday shopping earlier to avoid stress and save some money. Getting in the mailbox now and coordinating those efforts with the other channels your customers in gives them and you the jump on the competition. It also gives you more time to make adjustments as the shopping season continues and extends past the end of the year with those New Year’s sales.
Read this full feature on Printing Impressions.
