The Top Holiday Campaign Ideas

It’s that time of year again! The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes the holiday spirit, excitement of holiday shopping, reconnecting with loved ones, and making festive plans. And, of course, the season wouldn’t be complete without the iconic figure of Santa Claus, who inspires holiday gift-buying and adds to the magic of the holidays.

Whether you’re planning weeks ahead or fine-tuning campaigns mid-season, a little structure goes a long way.

If you want to create a standout holiday campaign this year, you’ll want to start early. In fact, the earlier, the better. Planning ahead gives you the time you need to strategize, prepare, and execute your campaigns smoothly, avoiding last-minute stress.

While the onslaught of December holiday marketing campaigns doesn’t typically hit until after Halloween, the brands that thrive during the holiday rush are the ones that start prepping long before that. The earlier you brainstorm, craft, and refine your campaign, the better it will resonate when the holiday buzz begins. Already mid-season? The ideas below still work for last-minute, Boxing Day, and New Year campaigns.

But you’re not here to just throw out ideas and hope for the best. You’re here to maximize your impact, and that’s where we come in. In this article, we’ll break down what you can expect from the 2026 holiday season and beyond, share tips on boosting sales, and guide you through examples of successful campaigns to help you avoid common pitfalls.

Let’s get started!

Before we get into our holiday marketing tips and examples, it's important to understand what you're getting into when planning a holiday campaign.

It's probably not surprising that online shopping keeps breaking records. During the 2025 holiday season (Nov. 1–Dec. 31), US shoppers spent a record $257.8 billion online, up 6.8% year over year, and more than half of those online purchases (56.4%) were made on a smartphone. That means that your online holiday campaigns mean even more now than ever.

Will this trend continue into 2026? Well, the answer is yes and no. While online shopping is expected to continue dominating, many people are still excited to do their shopping at least partially in person. In NRF’s December 2025 Super Saturday survey, 45% of shoppers planned to shop both in stores and online.

This means that omnichannel marketing will be more important than ever during the 2026 holiday season, whether you're online only or have a physical location for your business. You'll want to make sure you're not only where your customers are but also keep branding consistent across the different channels. Here's a bonus tip for you: One of the best ways to keep your customers informed about everything you're doing is through email marketing, and there's no better time to get started building your email list than right now.

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There's something absolutely magical about the winter holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving (both Canadian and American!), or even the Winter Solstice.

To get the most out of your holiday marketing ideas, make sure to bring some of that magic and emotional connection into your holiday marketing strategy. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Review and analyze your past holiday campaigns

No matter what type of holiday marketing campaign you plan, this is the best place to start. Go back and see what worked in the previous years and what didn't. Review any data you collected and double down on those that worked.

Pay special attention to past holiday sales or promotions that might have gotten some traction but didn’t perform as well as you think they should have, and try to figure out why. With a few tweaks, these might become this year's big wins.

Know your target audiences

Speaking of data, don't forget to look to your customers for their input, too! You can dive into your customer data, but also consider sending out a survey to ask them what they'd like to see and what type of offers might make them convert.

This step is crucial if you introduced a new product or service to your business in the past year or saw substantial growth.

Don't forget your competitors

Another crucial step in knowing your audience is knowing your potential audience, which is also your competitor's audience! While you don't want to take ideas from competitors just because they appear to work, it can give you a good starting point.

It's important to look at competitors who have been doing campaigns for longer than you have, or at least doing them differently. Scour their social networks, look at their past blog posts, and even see if you can dig up some old email campaigns to use as data points in your planning.

Create a calendar

This might sound simple, but you'd be surprised how many businesses skip this step. While having a schedule for all your marketing campaigns is important, it's even more important when you're dealing with time-sensitive campaigns, such as when planning your holiday campaign ideas.

When creating your calendar, make notes of not only when to publish your social posts, emails, and blog posts but also things such as when they should be finalized and who will do what.

Trust us: if you spend the time and effort in planning your holiday marketing schedule, the customer will benefit, and, in turn, so will you.

We've put together a rapid-fire list of holiday campaign ideas and promotions to help you fill in your marketing calendar this year.

• Discounts, discounts, discounts: Let's start with the one that is pretty much a no-brainer, but no list of holiday campaign ideas would be complete without. If you can offer special discounts for buying during the holiday season, it will help both your customers and you. This can be anything from offering free shipping to BOGO deals.
• Free upgrades: Tis the season for wrapping and gift-giving, so why not offer free wrapping, shipping, or even a special gift just for ordering?
• Referral incentive: If you already have a referral program, consider giving a bit extra during this time of year. And, if you don't have one, consider adding one, even if it's seasonal.
• Team up and thrive: Is there another local business your customers frequent that you might be able to team up with? Or maybe an online shop that sells accessories that go well with your clothing? Consider doing some cross-promotions and deals to help benefit everyone involved. This can range from offering coupons to co-marketing efforts, such as providing gift ideas they can find exclusively at your partner’s store, which is a great way to further engage your loyal customers.
• Give thanks: The holiday season isn’t the only time of the year we should give thanks, but it’s a good time! Encourage your audience to share their experiences with user-generated content on social media. Make your customers feel appreciated by sending them thanks, whether via social channels, email, or special packaging. There's even a special day dedicated to this on December 1, 2026, called GivingTuesday!
• Don't forget giveaways: No matter your industry or your customers, everyone loves giveaways. And there's no better time to do giveaways than the holiday season! If you have the budget, include at least one big-ticket item to entice your customers to join in.
• Holiday gift guide for all: There's something magical about a well-curated holiday gift guide. Whether it's Toys ‘r' Us big book of toys (ah, the memories!) or Amazon's more recent holiday catalog, guides can help you push products you sell or just help your customers find that perfect gift.
• Go global: If you have customers outside the US, don’t stop at US holidays. Use a form to collect each contact’s location, segment by region, and use dynamic content to show UK, Canadian, and Australian contacts a Boxing Day offer while everyone else sees a New Year’s message.
• Holiday tutorials: These might come as live events, pre-recorded videos, or even blog posts. Create content that helps your holiday shoppers thrive during the holiday season by providing tutorials on how to use your product (in a unique, holiday way), decorating, cooking, or anything else you can think of.
• In-person events: Whether a gift-wrapping party, VIP events for your most valuable customers, or just special themed days, your customers will appreciate spending time with like-minded people in a magical atmosphere, creating memorable experiences that keep them coming back. These events can also provide some great content and visuals for your social channels.
• Special offers for next year: Last but not least, think of what you can offer for the future. That's right, it may be the holiday shopping season, but next year is right around the corner. Offer incentives to book appointments or buy tickets to events for the following year. But don’t stop there! Consider offering exclusive merchandise like holiday cups or festive-themed items to keep your brand top of mind even after the season. This is especially valuable if your business often sees an off-season in the winter.
• Have fun with it: Consider adding a fun element or two to your website and in-person shopping experience. For brands targeting families, offering a fun feature like a Santa Tracker on your site or app could be an engaging way to drive traffic and interaction during the holidays!

Now that you have a good idea of how to plan your holiday campaign ideas and even some promotions, ensure you're avoiding these common holiday marketing mistakes.

Spreading yourself too far or not far enough

While this differs for every business, spreading yourself too thin can kill an otherwise good holiday marketing campaign. You need to make sure you stay consistent across all your channels and deliver the same experience everywhere you promote your holiday ad campaign ideas.

Likewise, not embracing omnichannel marketing can also have a devastating effect on your campaign. Omnichannel marketing ensures that your messaging and branding remain cohesive across multiple channels—whether it’s your website, email, social media, or in-store experience. Consumers today expect a seamless experience and want the flexibility to shop and engage with your brand wherever they are, whether on their mobile device, desktop, or in person.

If you rely solely on one channel—like just social media or in-store promotions—you’re missing out on significant opportunities to connect with different segments of your audience. By integrating various channels, you can ensure that your customers have multiple touchpoints with your brand, making it easier for them to convert.

However, the key here is balance.

Pick the channels where you already have a presence. Now isn't the best time to spread yourself too thin by starting from scratch on a new platform unless you have the bandwidth to put the time and money into it. Instead, focus on making the most of your existing channels while ensuring they work together to provide a unified experience.

Not understanding your audience

We touched on this above, but understanding your audience is paramount for a successful holiday marketing campaign. Dig into your customer data, send surveys, and listen on social media. They'll tell you what they want to see!

What are the results if you don't listen to your audience? Wasted time, wasted money, and potentially losing the trust of your most valuable customers.

Using too few promotions or too many

You don't want to confuse or annoy your customers, so be aware of how many emails, social media posts, or in-person marketing tactics might be too many. There’s no universal rule, so watch your unsubscribe and spam-complaint rates as you add sends. As Shifali Jamwal, Senior Product Marketing Manager, puts it: “You don't want to keep sending and spending money and sending emails to people who do not want to see your email.”

On the other hand, don't be afraid to push a bit more during the holiday season. If you're only promoting your holiday campaign ideas on your social media platforms once every few weeks, you'll miss out on a lot of interactions, and people will be less likely to click through. To push harder without wearing out your list, send to your most engaged contacts first, release the rest in batches, resend to people who didn’t open, and save SMS follow-ups for contacts who have already engaged.

Just like which social platforms you use, what you send is also a delicate balance.

Not using a holiday campaign calendar

When you plan out your holiday campaign, you'll have a lot of different content for many different channels. One of the biggest mistakes is not putting them in a calendar so you know exactly when they should go out.

After all, a “Happy First Day of Hanukkah” post that goes out on December 21st or a New Year's email that gets sent before Christmas could very well push some customers to think you don't actually care.

And, if you'd like to get a head start on creating your calendar, check out our e-commerce calendar that you can download and take with you!

Now that we’ve gone over the do’s and don’ts of holiday campaigns, let’s take a look at some examples

Social media: Painting with a Twist

Painting with a Twist has a great social media strategy overall, but when it comes to the holiday season, they step it up and produce some of our favorite posts.

Their holiday campaign 2021 started in October with posts for Halloween, showcasing customer art and encouraging their followers to create their own.

Then, without skipping a beat, they move into American Thanksgiving and Christmas in early November while maintaining their specific style of bright colors art, and showcasing their customers.

Throughout November, they continue to publish content that pops, keeping their followers thinking about them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then, with perfect timing, they publish an art roundup on Thanksgiving day, closing out the holiday and pushing into December.

Their December posts focus mostly on Christmas, but they also include a “Happy Hanukkah” post and even one dedicated to “Friendsmas,” encouraging their followers to get together with friends and family alike.

With such well-rounded holiday campaign ideas, Painting with a Twist is a great example of doing Instagram right.

Email marketing: Rutts, Reformation, and Yelp

Email marketing has a large range of uses. While the bottom line is to increase your subscribers, leads, and customers, most of your emails should focus on providing value and increasing trust and loyalty.

This is especially important during the holiday season as people buy gifts, spend time with friends and family, and look toward the new year.

Rutts Hawaiian Cafe

Our first holiday email marketing campaign comes from Rutts Hawaiian Cafe. A Los Angeles-based restaurant, they send the first of their campaigns in October to remind customers to book their Thanksgiving and Christmas catering before it's too late.

For local businesses, these reminder emails help customers plan accordingly for the upcoming holidays without overwhelming them. To minimize repetitive sends, Rutts sends the first campaign a month ahead of Thanksgiving, with one to two more follow-ups closer to the big day.

Reformation

With holiday parties and end of the year gatherings fast approaching, clothing brand Reformation wastes no time using the last few months of the quarter to remind customers to get their party attire ordered before it's too late.

Their emails often include holiday promotions as well as a carousel of different outfit ideas for guests looking for a little extra inspiration.

Yelp

In addition to their global campaigns, Yelp also sends localized campaigns highlighting nearby restaurants and experiences based on a customer's delivery address. Yelp Los Angeles, for example, only features spots local to LA as part of their New Year celebration collection.

While very simple, this helps the recipient looking for somewhere to eat or celebrate the New Year while keeping Yelp top of mind for any future deliveries or restaurant recommendations.

When planning your holiday email campaigns, make sure to keep your customers in mind, not just profit.

The holiday season presents a golden opportunity to engage your audience, boost sales, and build long-term customer loyalty. Planning ahead, reviewing past campaigns, knowing your audience, and leveraging omnichannel marketing will set the stage for a successful holiday season. Whether through personalized emails, social media engagement, or creative in-person events, the key is to balance your efforts and make each customer interaction meaningful.

Remember, the magic of the holidays is about more than just sales—it’s about building lasting connections. Start planning your campaigns early, use data to inform your strategy, and avoid common pitfalls like spreading yourself too thin.

Now is the time to take action and set up your holiday marketing efforts for success. Want to make it even easier? Get started today with a 14-day free trial of ActiveCampaign and discover how automation, personalization, and seamless communication can help you make the most of this holiday season.

The holidays are fast approaching—don’t wait to get your campaign off the ground!