This time of year the shops are full of Christmas themed products.
It’s not new for brands to give their packaging, logos and products a Christmas makeover – we expect to see Christmas themed gift boxes of soaps and shower gels on the shelves.
Christmas branding is no longer confined to gift items
But in recent years Christmas branding has spread from gift items like beauty products to consumables. Alongside traditional Christmas specialities like mince pies and selection boxes of chocolates, you’ll now find your local supermarket stocking a whole range of products not traditionally associated with Christmas, which have had a Christmas rebrand.
Leading brands believe seasonal rebrands boost sales
The increasing popularity of seasonal makeovers suggests that companies feel it is worth embracing seasonal branding. But we wanted to find out for ourselves how brands are marketing their products this Christmas and look at how seasonal branding makes a difference. So, we went to the supermarket and filled our trolley with as many examples of Christmas products as we could cram in.
Here’s what we found:
Packaging and products are being re-branded for Christmas
Aside from the gift section, the two main categories of Christmas branding on the supermarket shelves were Christmas packaging and products which have been tweaked for Christmas market
No surprise there – we’ve long been used to this in the gift market. But how are these techniques being used for supermarket consumables?
Brands are tweaking packaging and products to increase their Christmas appeal
Let’s look at packaging first:
Packaging had been revamped for the Christmas market in various ways. For example:
- Adding Christmas imagery (Santa hats, snowflakes, candy canes etc.)
- Featuring Christmas characters – including a Pringles tube “dressed” as an Elf, a picture of Father Christmas holding a bottle of Coca Cola, and a Santa hat wearing Fairy Liquid baby,
- Adding Christmas greetings or slogans (e.g. Warburtons “Merry Toastmas”, “Bah Humbug” and “Jingle Bells”)
- Christmas re-naming – “Merryland” cookies, “Treeselets” (instead of Cheeselets)
- Special Christmas packaging – including tins of peanuts, Cheeselets, Twiglets and Mini Cheddars, gift boxes of dog treats, and a Christmas jumper for Maker’s Mark whisky
And then there were products which have been tweaked to make them more Christmassy, including:
- Jacobs mini cheese biscuits in Christmas shapes
- Cadbury reindeer cakes
- Dairy Milk with Gingerbread flavour
- Walkers Christmas crisps (including Brussel Sprout flavour for the brave)
- Spiced Apple scented Febreze
These inevitably came with “Christmas” packaging, combining seasonal product and packaging to maximise their appeal.
A seasonal makeover can have big benefits for supermarket products
In a crowded market, seasonal packaging and product modifications make goods stand out from the competition, and this is particularly true in the grocery market where only a relatively small selection of products are Christmas branded.
And an advantage of seasonal branding for supermarket bestsellers is that a quick turnover of stock means Christmas branded stock is quickly replaced once Christmas is over.
Shoppers are in the Christmas spirit and, given a choice between two brands they regularly buy, or between two similar products, the seasonally branded product is likely to appeal more (for example, the Warburtons loaf with a Christmas jumper theme and a “Merry Toastmas” message versus the same Hovis loaf you can buy all year round).
Customer may even choose to “upgrade” to a branded product because of seasonal branding, rather than choosing the supermarket own brand. The seasonal branding has a perceived added value, which can make consumers less price conscious.
Seasonal packaging also encourages customers to buy larger quantities than they normally would. We saw this when we shopped, as the Christmas branded products were often only available on larger packs, including the XXL Fairy liquid, large tins of snacks, and a huge pot of Nutella.
It also makes products more “giftable”, turning everyday items such as dog treats into potential presents. And longer term it can build brand loyalty, as customers appreciate the brands’ fit with the season.
A brand’s not just for Christmas
Looking at the competitive grocery market, it’s clear there’s a good case for well executed Christmas re-brands to help products stand out and boost sales.
And of course, there are a growing number of opportunities for seasonal and event-related branding throughout the year. Brands are increasingly looking beyond Valentines Day, Easter and Halloween, to sporting events and charity causes which align with their values.
So, while seasonal rebrands have to be balanced with the need to keep brands recognisable, we should expect to see even more seasonal marketing on the supermarket shelves in 2020.
