4 Ways Candy Brands Can Stand Out During the Holidays
Americans spend over $29 billion on candy every year, and celebrations and holidays drive a large share of this vibrant industry. With the holiday season right around the corner, now is the ideal time for candy brands to understand the celebrations market and identify ways to differentiate themselves amongst the stiff competition.
Candy marketers who seek to benefit from the lucrative holiday season should know who plans and attends holiday celebrations, and the resources that hosts and guests turn to for party ideas, recipes, favors, gifts, and more.
Here are 4 areas that candy brands should focus on to differentiate themselves from competitors:
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Social media: Utilize your brand’s social networks to educate consumers on what makes your brand unique. Highlight details about your products such as fun facts, special ingredients, and candy history, but don’t hesitate to get personal with your followers. Share photos of relevant holiday office parties or behind the scenes info that consumers usually don’t see. This humanizes your brand in a way that allows consumers to relate to the company.
- Brand experience: Make your website a real experience for consumers looking to plan a celebration. For candy brands there are opportunities in creative recipes, party favors, decorations, gifting, and much more. Envision the entire party for the host on your site. For example, at Halloween, suggest ways to use your candy to decorate the house, provide creative themed recipes that include your product, and even offer solutions for removing chocolate candy stains out of clothes after the trick-or-treating is over.
- Mobile presence: More than half of moms use technology to plan their holiday parties and other get-togethers. Make sure your brand considers when party hosts and guests need access to information about your brand and how they receive that information. Many brands have apps that allow hosts to search for recipes, find the nearest retailer, access special offers and more.
- Party guests: Many party hosts will send 30-40 invitations. This makes guests a substantial opportunity for brands that often goes untapped. For major holidays such as Christmas and Halloween, the likelihood of receiving a party invitation is high. Knowing this, brands can craft a message specifically for guests that encourages them to give candy during a holiday gift swap, or bring an extra treat to thank the host.
Celebrations represent at $38 billion market where candy plays a huge role. However, in a marketplace as crowded as candy, brands need to identify and truly understand the specific areas where they can make an impact with consumers. Use social media, creative content, mobile, and knowledge of the party planning industry to build an effective holiday strategy for your candy brand.
Posted by Katie Petrillo