December is right around the corner, and we all know what that means…it’s time to break out the festive corporate cheer! But is your corporate Christmas card spreading cheer or jeers?
Over the years, we’ve designed and printed Christmas cards for many of our clients. We always know that the purpose behind these cards is marketing, but not actual yuletide greetings. The real purpose of these cards is to put a logo in front of customers to make them think of that company in the new year. It never feels sincere or special, instead it’s more like an obligation, a thing companies have to do. (Fa la la la la!)
Some companies have started asking us to type the message and staff names inside the card. They would then complain about the time it takes to sign all of the cards personally. We’ve also noticed that, over the years, the messaging itself has become less and less personal. Handwritten notes have become a single line of “Season’s Greetings.”
The branding perspective
There is nothing good about sending a generic holiday card, “signed” with typed out names and a large corporate logo. There is no point. Furthermore, it does not display any effort on your part.
It’s even worse if you gift your customers with a coupon for your services (example: “10% off your order in January”). In fact, that just comes across as rude.
More often than not, companies will not notice this type of corporate Christmas card and lose it in the mix of all the other cards that disappear in a sad pile of mail that nobody cares about.
Change it up!
This year, why don’t you pick up the phone and call your customers to wish them a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa? If you’re not sure what they are excited to celebrate, ask them! If calling your customers is not possible, send an email that you have written just for them. It doesn’t have to be long. Something that says “I sincerely want to wish you a happy holiday. What are your plans for the season?”
Or go ahead and send a beautiful card and just forget the corporate logo. Take the time to hand write a kind message of joy and goodwill.
This greeting can be sent earlier in the month of December, or it can take place in January as a follow-up call asking how their holiday was. Your sincere interest in your customers does not have to be strategically timed for December 21.
We see our clients dreading the holidays and the extra costs and time required for sending cards and gifts. If you’re sending corporate Christmas cards out of perceived obligation and you don’t sincerely want to wish customers a happy holiday, then don’t! People will notice a weak effort at a corporate holiday card, but they likely won’t notice if they don’t hear from you at all.
Whatever you do, we beg you: please do not mix a holiday greeting with a blatant opportunity to get your logo in front of customers offering them a discount. That is going to put you on the naughty list.
If it’s not thoughtful and sincere, don’t bother!
