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Depositphotos Sales Advent Calendar

Advent calendar marketing explained: how it works and why your brand needs it

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December 19, 2022 | 6 min read

Advent calendars have long ceased to be exclusively chocolate or made for children

During the winter holidays, they appear to be everywhere. Why? Because Advent calendars are an ideal incentive marketing tool.

At Depositphotos, we launched our first online Advent calendar in 2020. Since then, we’ve carefully studied metrics, set various campaign goals, and improved user interfaces. Our Advent Calendar 2022 counts down to Christmas, and in this article, we explain modern Advent calendar marketing and leave tips on integrating them into your communications.

How an Advent calendar works

Modern Advent calendars come in various forms and are intended for various audiences. On city squares (for example, in Salzburg, Austria or Lucerne, Switzerland), real houses are turned into them; Lego released an Advent calendar dedicated to Star Wars and Harry Potter; at Depositphotos, we fill our calendar with promo codes, file collections, and creative tips. Let’s dive deep into Advent calendar history to understand what unites them all.

The Advent calendar originated in Germany in the 19th century. The classic version looked like a wooden or paper structure with many doors (also can be boxes or windows), each marked with a date. Behind each door, there was a small gift for the Advent calendar owner. The gift could be a toy or a chocolate. Besides physical presents, Advent slots also included poetry, a part of a Bible story, or even prayers.

The traditional Advent calendar does not always start on December 1. Most often, the first day of it was the first Sunday of the Advent period, which could fall between November 27 and December 2. The last day of the calendar is December 24, Christmas Eve.

The idea of ​​the classic Advent calendar is to make the days leading up to Christmas fun for children. In the modern marketing interpretation, the Advent calendar has similar goals. It gives people joyous anticipation and increases loyalty to the brands that produce it. In addition, online Advent calendars can be a tool for studying customers and increasing brand awareness.

Here are five possible objectives for brands leveraging Advent calendars, and how to achieve them.

1. Boost brand loyalty

Advent calendars are fun. They generate a festive mood and fill your life with pleasant anticipation for three weeks. Beneficially for brands, these positive emotions are automatically projected onto them and their products. Of course, if the gifts do not disappoint.

Example:

The luxury hotel Steigenberger Wiltcher’s (Brussels) once published an online calendar full of games, tests, and quizzes. Each calendar’s quest gave users the chance to win a daily prize. In result, the calendar had a positive impact on the public image of Steigenberger Wiltcher’s.

2. Raise brand engagement

A person receives an Advent gift only by interacting with an Advent calendar. It doesn't matter whether it's physical or online, each user interaction with the calendar increases the profitability of subsequent purchases. The reason for this is that the user already knows you well.

Example:

The Advent calendar by Depositphotos offers customers discounts on content, collections of stock images, videos, and music, as well as a lot of content (tips, educational videos, or checklists). The user must go to our platform or blog to enjoy a gift. Also, the Advent campaign includes activities on social media, where users answer questions and receive gifts.

3. Increase sales (incentive marketing)

Incentive marketing is about brands selling more and faster by providing clients with additional benefits—emotional or budget-saving. For example, you can give them a discount for correct answers in your quiz or simply provide a personal flash discount (“buy 2 items, get 3rd for free”). That is why vouchers and discounts make up a significant part of online Advent calendar content.

Example:

The Daily Mail's 12-day Advent calendar was created a few years ago in partnership with Ticketmaster. The calendar contained vouchers for visiting luxurious restaurants. In addition to enabling selected participants to have a fancy gastronomic evening, it also encouraged all of them to use the service and order more in the restaurants.

4. Promote products & services a client may not know

Modern Advent calendars by brands are often a part of remarketing campaigns—They are designed for people who are already familiar with the company's products and have bought them before. But what's more, a calendar is a brilliant tool to tell existing customers about your new or lesser-known products.

Example:

Kiehl's Advent calendar is actually a large skincare set. Like many other cosmetics brands, Kiehl's uses the form of a calendar to provide customers with 24 travel-size products (cleansers, masks, moisturizers, hair-care items, and serums). As customers say, the set helps them decide what to buy during the year.

5. Re-engage clients with a post-holiday offer

Advent calendars generate positive emotions: gift anticipation, the joy of using a gift, and holiday fun. These emotions and the information you will receive about how customers used the calendar will help you sell more during the winter and throughout the year.

Focus on Advent calendar gifts that gather more reactions, and do not forget to collect the contacts of those who visited the calendar page or bought it from you. This way, you can make them personalized offers and discounts on their favorite products.

Example:

When it comes to digital Advent calendars, as a rule, users have to register or leave their email addresses to participate and receive gifts. This is how it works at Depositphotos, as well as Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (yes, football teams also sometimes launch Advent campaigns!) and many others. Emails allow you to direct the following marketing campaigns to users.

Wrapping up

An Advent calendar is a relatively new method of increasing marketing indicators. Its key advantage is flexibility and a high chance of attracting the attention of a broad audience.

If you didn't have time to plan an Advent campaign for December 1 to 24 this year, consider a shorter online calendar (for 15, 12, or even 10 days) or make New Year your final calendar date. Select your campaign objective, think of your gift list, work out a festive design, and don’t forget to track user behavior to improve the results next year.

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