By Katie Timmerman, Vice President, People and Operations
How to Build Connection and Brand Loyalty Through Inclusive Messaging This Holiday Season
Did you know that 75% of consumers consider inclusivity when making purchasing decisions? ‘Tis the season to ensure your communications are inclusive of the rich variety of holidays that make up this time of year. This month, we’re encouraging you to take inventory of the many different ways that people might be celebrating (or not) the holidays and then ensure your communications speak to (and don’t exclude) your intended audiences.
We’ll cover December holidays, why inclusive holiday communications matter, and share some practical tips for ensuring your communications are inclusive this holiday season. Let’s get into it!
What Inclusive Holiday Messaging Means and Why It Matters
Did you know that the month of December alone boasts multiple religious and non-religious holidays? Whether you’re working on holiday advertising campaigns, managing crisis communications, creating holiday cards, building end-of-year reports, sending internal company communications or planning company holiday celebrations, it’s wise to have a full awareness of the many holiday celebrations happening this month. Here are some to note for 2024.
- Winter Solstice (around December 21) – Honored in many cultures as a natural turning point
- Christmas (December 25) – Celebrated by Christians worldwide
- Hanukkah (December 25 through January 2) – Jewish Festival of Lights
- Kwanzaa (December 26 through January 1) – Celebration of African heritage and culture
- Other Observances – Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Eve (December 31), and non-religious traditions like Yule (December 21 through December 31).
Awareness of many holiday celebrations happening during the month of December helps in four key ways.
It builds connection and community. When people see themselves represented in your messaging, it creates an emotional connection to your brand. And connection has the power to cultivate genuine community and brand loyalty.
It allows for tailored messaging. Knowing about the various celebrations happening this holiday season can allow companies and organizations to better tailor their messages to specific audiences. Thoughtful, personalized messages create a feeling of authenticity rather than generic or one-size-fits-all.
It maximizes engagement. The more connected an audience feels to your messaging, the more likely they are to engage with your content and product offerings. Intentional messaging can spark conversations, encourage interaction, and deepen relationships.
It enhances brand reputation. Being thoughtful and intentional with your holiday messaging helps companies avoid reactive or tone-deaf messaging. The result? It fosters trust and confidence, bolstering your brand reputation.
How to Get Started with Inclusive Holiday Communications
Audit Your Current Approach Knowing what you currently do (or don’t do) is the first step to making any changes. Awareness is a key first step before deciding what changes to make.
Research and Understand Your Audience Consider soliciting feedback from team members, stakeholders, and audience members. What holidays are they celebrating? What is important to them? Knowledge is power.
Choose inclusive holiday messaging and imagery These steps will ensure that your visual and verbal elements are cohesive and supportive of your brand communications.
Offer personalization If you are a product-based business, offering personalization is a great way to appeal to diverse audiences. One example of this is Minted, a premium holiday card brand that supports independent artists and offers a variety of personalized products to appeal to consumers celebrating a variety of holidays.
Be thoughtful about timing If you have messaging to share related to a specific holiday or celebration, consider the timing and make sure there aren’t any conflicts that could result in messaging pitfalls.
Collaborate with Community Partners and Leaders Working with local organizations or experts provides the opportunity for you to feature authentic stories or events that align with your holiday campaigns. It helps you show, and not just tell. Bonus: You get to support community initiatives that celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.
The Bottom Line
Inclusive holiday communications build trust, create brand loyalty, and expand your reach by making every customer feel seen and valued. When your messaging connects with diverse audiences, it builds connection, cultivates community, and helps people to see your brand as one they want to support.For companies, this directly benefits the bottom line. Inclusive brands outperform competitors by attracting broader audiences, enhancing brand reputation, and driving long-term customer loyalty. Simply put, thoughtful inclusivity isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s smart business and the key to a truly happy holiday season.
