Start Planning Holiday Promos Now

I know many of you are thinking about the upcoming Labor Day holiday and making plans for barbecues and going to the beach. I want to turn your attention to the winter-time, namely the holiday season. For many businesses, whether retail or service-based, the holiday season is a peak time for generating sales. Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's all generate tons of revenue and give companies an opportunity to throw a holiday party or mail a holiday greeting to all their clients and friends. Graphic designers should be getting in touch with clients now about holiday marketing plans and any holiday designs they might need. Here are four reasons why designers should be thinking of Christmas in September: 1. Show clients you are proactive Starting a conversation now about holiday promotions shows that you are proactive and want to be sure your clients have all the time they need to get the best design work from you. If you bring up holiday greeting cards, invitations and promotions now, the client will see that you appreciate them and are looking out for their bottom line. 2. Avoid the dreaded holiday time-crunch After Thanksgiving, the holiday rush mentality sets in. People are gearing up for the biggest sales event of the year, and many projects get lost in the confusion. It is not uncommon for a designer to receive a phone call in mid-December asking for a last-minute greeting card design that can be printed and mailed inside of seven days! Avoid the dreaded holiday rush, and deliver better work to clients, by getting the ball rolling now on holiday projects. 4. Clients can plan multichannel campaigns Businesses send out a lot of sales and holiday promotions around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Many of these promos will take a multichannel approach, using direct mail, e-mail, print ads and billboards. It is easier for both the designer and the client to begin planning these multi-pronged promotions now. If left to the last minute, it will be difficult to brainstorm, design and approve all the necessary elements. 3. Free up your own work schedule during holidays If you get a few of your clients moving forward now on their holiday projects, you'll have more free time during the crazy December rush to take on last-minute requests. Maybe a company will decide to send out a free calendar to its clients for New Year's or host a holiday party at the last minute. If you get a head start on some of your client's projects now, you'll be better prepared to help with any December rush projects. Do you have any holiday graphic design horror stories, in which a last-minute project was too rushed and turned out disastrously?