When Jimmy MacDonald won an advertising slogan contest, he took his $25,000 prize — an absolute fortune in 1940 — and shopped ‘til he dropped. An engagement ring for his girlfriend, a luxury sofa-bed for his mom, gifts for all his friends. It was like Christmas in July, the name of the movie all about Jimmy’s adventures. And nearly eight decades later, it doesn’t seem that far off.

The Internet has enabled people to start their holiday shopping earlier and earlier. And they are. Black Friday is no longer seen as the bookend. Last year, a full half of holiday shopping was finished by December 3; 80% was wrapped up by December 15. As shoppers increasingly think about the holidays earlier, so must marketers.

The “never-ending holidays” is just one reason marketing during the most wonderful time of year is more complicated than ever. It’s also more important than ever; surveying retail marketers, Marigold Engage by Sailthru found that 58% expect to generate 21 to 50% of their revenue for the entire year during this period.

We’re here to help, with our 2019 Holiday Marketing Playbook. This year, we’re launching this annual guide earlier than ever, right in time for Christmas in July.

Holiday Marketing Best Practices

Featuring best-in-class examples from brands including Sephora, Saks and Home Depot, our guide covers everything marketers need to have a happy holiday, including:

  • The new table stakes, including free shipping, an optimized mobile experience, gift guides and of course, personalization
  • Recommendations for your recommendations, with a breakdown of nine winning strategies
  • Diversified discounts, including time-bound, tiered, and those reserved for loyalty members
  • Triggered messages, which generate more than three-quarters of email ROI
  • How digital channels, such as mobile messaging and email, can drive store traffic
  • Cutting through the clutter with advanced personalization, strategic segmentation and predictive analytics
  • …and of course how all of the above can help your holiday marketing create repeat customers, turning November’s first-time shoppers into February’s fans

Download the guide here.