How to increase sales at Christmas: Holiday marketing

WestJet Christmas Campaign
In August 2013, the Canadian airline WestJet began working on the idea of a Christmas campaign. The management required a new, large-scale and exciting spectacle.

With the help of 175 airline volunteers, three airports, 19 hidden cameras and one Santa Claus, they managed to perform a real Christmas miracle for 250 passengers on two flights to Calgary from Hamilton and Toronto.

On the appointed day, Santa Claus met passengers on the screen at check-in. He addressed each person by name and asked what they would like to receive from him as a gift for Christmas. At this time, the airline volunteers made cherished lists.

As soon as the planes took off, WestJet volunteers had only a couple of hours to find everything they needed. The partners in the campaign were the CrossIron Mills store and the Best Buy retail chain. Upon arrival, passengers headed to the baggage claim belt. But instead of suitcases, gifts were sent to them.

In the blue boxes, travelers found everything they dreamed of — from socks and underwear to a snowboard, a tablet, and a huge flat-screen TV. Santa Claus came out to greet the passengers while Christmas music played and snow fell. Even adults had a hard time holding back their tears.

The airline promised that when the video reached 200,000 views, it would partner with McDonald’s to organize free flights to reunite families for Christmas. In 24 hours, the christmas creative ads was viewed more than 315,000 times.

While few people knew about WestJet before the “Christmas Miracle” video, the airline became one of the most requested airlines when searching for travel to Canada.

Many media outlets posted the video on their websites. The number of views doubled every day. For the first time, Mashable readers shared material from its site more than a million times.

The number of subscribers to the WestJet channel increased by 320% in three days. The video has been viewed in the millions and has appeared in over 200 countries worldwide, giving the airline's social media presence a competitive edge over its bigger and better-known competitors in the Canadian market.

Starbucks' Hot Christmas Campaign
Twenty years ago, Starbucks decided to sell drinks from September to January in special holiday cups. The first packages weren't even the traditional Christmas red, but purple, but they were different from those in which drinks were served the rest of the year.

Two years later, Starbucks' Christmas cups became the color of a caramel apple. The appearance of holiday packaging also meant a new Christmas menu, which can only be tried for a few months. Every year, the company introduces a new cup design.

In 2015, Starbucks stirred controversy with its holiday cup design, featuring only a red background and the company logo. Critics accused the coffee chain of stripping away traditional Christmas symbols to avoid offending anyone in the name of political correctness.

This led to a viral trend on Twitter under the hashtag #ItsJustACup, with social media users and talk shows discussing the design. Even then-presidential candidate Donald Trump weighed in on the debate.

Despite the backlash, the advertising campaigns turned into a massive success. During the 13 weeks leading up to Christmas, Starbucks saw nearly a 12% increase in sales compared to the previous year. By embracing a minimalist design, the company not only sparked widespread conversation but also generated billions in revenue.