The festive and jolly Christmas spirit is not limited to just the cold winter months! Christmas in July is a second Christmas celebration held in the summer season.
This extra holiday started as a tradition 84 years ago on July 24th and 25th in 1933 at a girls’ camp called Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina.1 By the 1950s, retailers had hit on the concept, and now, Christmas in July sales are a growing national phenomenon.2
We’ve composed a list of some of the top reasons that you should consider adding Christmas in July to your practice’s marketing schedule!
1. Solve Your Summer Sales Lull
Once we get past the excitement of opening the windows and breaking out the grill, many businesses struggle to create fresh content or engaging campaigns that capture their customers’ attention during the long summertime lull. Studies show that good weather can have a significant negative effect on demand and has a correlation with fewer retail sales being made.3
Celebrating Christmas in July can be a fun and effective way to boost purchases amid a summer slump. Christmas festivities and Santa in a swimsuit can go a long way towards breaking up the boredom of summer. Focusing on cooling off, beating the heat, and chilled celebrations can all add to the fun. Use your marketing as a way to help customers escape the monotony of the summer.
2. Generate Excitement and Awareness
Having a theme is a great way to build excitement and generate awareness. By this point in the year, people are no longer excited by general “summer” marketing and Christmas provides a stark contrast that will catch customers’ attention.
Hosting a themed event or promotion will give your customers an extra reason to visit your store and new marketing materials you can use to stand out from the crowd. Christmas time is sentimental for many people and can evoke an emotional connection.
Be sure to get the right image to convey the holiday theme and your store’s unique offerings. Check out Beeman’s colorful Christmas in July print invitation-style mailer! Switching up from summer sun to winter themes in both your print and digital materials is a fun and unique way to get noticed!
3. Create Urgency
There is a much bigger sense of urgency with limited-time offers. A limited-time campaign might be what it takes for someone on the fence or who has simply forgotten to book their next appointment. Ensure that your message is urgent, limited, and motivating.
Along with urgency, there should still be a sense of relevance to the holiday theme. Why might customers want to purchase a product now instead of waiting? What messages typically reserved for Christmas can be reworked? Consider a “you don’t have to wait until next year to find the joy in hearing” or “giving the gift of hearing all year long” message to offer great sales and deals now!
