22 Best Christmas Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Holiday Sales

The holiday season is make-or-break for many retailers, with Christmas marketing turning up the heat on sales and customer engagement. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported U.S. holiday (November-December) retail sales reached a record $994.1 billion in 2024, up 4% from 2023.

That’s nearly $1 trillion of buying power in just two months. And about 55% of e‑commerce Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is generated in the last two quarters of the year.

With consumers ready to spend, it’s essential to have a solid plan in place. Here are 22 proven Christmas marketing ideas, complete with real examples and practical tips to help inspire impactful festive campaigns.

Why You Need a Christmas Marketing Strategy

Holiday shoppers behave differently from other times of year. Many start early: roughly 28% of consumers begin holiday shopping before Labor Day, and nearly 73% aim to have most gifts purchased by December. In other words, planning for Christmas Marketing should begin well in advance (late summer or early fall) to catch early-bird buyers. 

Mobile and social channels dominate this season: mobile devices generate 71% of digital traffic and 56% of orders during the holidays, while 89% of consumers say social media influences their holiday shopping. 

Moreover, festive campaigns also play by different rules than everyday promotions. Shoppers expect holiday-themed storytelling, festive visuals, and limited-time urgency. Campaigns that feel warm, joyful, and generous can cut through the clutter. 

As Subharun Mukherjee, Head of Marketing at CleverTap, notes in the Guide to Optimizing Massive Online Sales (OMOS) Events e-book:

“Global online events are revolutionizing the e‑commerce landscape, with companies reporting their highest sales during the holiday season. During online sales events, customers are inundated with deals, discounts, and exclusive offers, making it even harder for businesses to differentiate themselves from the competition.”

Merchants must align their Christmas marketing ideas with today’s realities: digital-first, mobile-optimized, and emotionally resonant campaigns that stand out in a crowded and competitive environment.

22 Christmas Marketing Ideas to Execute this Holiday Season

Christmas marketing requires early, creative planning and strategies tuned to seasonal mindsets. With that in mind, here are 22 top Christmas marketing ideas to boost sales this holiday season:

Festive Promotions & Offers for Christmas Marketing

1. Countdown Deals

Run a “25 Days of Christmas” sale or advent-style countdown on your site. Feature a different deal or product each day and promote it via email marketing, SMS, and push notification. Daily surprises (e.g., flash discounts or bonus gifts) build excitement and urgency as Christmas approaches. 

You can use CleverTap for Christmas marketing to schedule automated push or in-app messages for each day’s offer, keeping users engaged with timed alerts. This approach gamifies shopping and drives repeat visits to see what’s next.

2. Limited-Time Holiday Bundles

Create themed gift bundles (e.g., “Holiday Wellness Kit” or “Winter Warmth Bundle”) that group complementary products with a special price. Bundles encourage customers to buy more in one order. Product bundles drive up the average order value (AOV) by encouraging customers to purchase more items in one go. 

For example, Apple’s holiday strategy includes exclusive bundles with premium services, targeting loyal users with limited-time offers, proving that even simple bundles can feel high-end with the right positioning.

Source: KennyLee Creative

Make the bundles feel exclusive (limited supply or exclusive items) and wrapped in festive packaging or imagery. For example, group best-selling items together or curate gifts around a theme like “Gifts for Her” or “Gourmet Food Basket.” 

CleverTap can help here by recommending bundles to customers based on their past purchases or browsing behavior, or by sending targeted emails promoting bundles to those who have shown interest in similar products.

3. Exclusive Flash Sales

Occasionally run surprise flash sales or “lightning deals” on key days during Christmas marketing campaigns. Because these are on a very short deadline (hours or a day), they tap into shoppers’ fear of missing out (FOMO). Limited-time offers with a ticking clock get people to act fast. 

Promote flash sales aggressively: use site banners, social media posts, and especially SMS or push alerts to ensure customers see the deal immediately. 

CleverTap can orchestrate these multi-channel blasts, allowing you to reach email, push, and social channels simultaneously and follow up with reminders. Because timing is key, set up countdown timers on pages and send alerts at the sale’s midpoint and final hour.

4. Free Shipping (and Easy Returns)

Offer free shipping on holiday orders (possibly with a minimum threshold) and emphasize hassle-free returns.

 Free shipping is one of the most powerful incentives: around 60% of shoppers will add extra items to their cart just to qualify for free shipping. Prominently advertise “Free Shipping” on banner ads, email subject lines, and product pages. Extend your return window as well, reassuring customers that any gifts that don’t fit can be returned in January at no additional cost. 

From an operational view, free returns are also important: 45% of consumers rank free return shipping as most important to them. 

Christmas Branding & Themed Campaigns

5. Christmas Website Makeover

Give your online store a seasonal look. Update homepage banners, product images, and CTAs with a holiday theme (think snowflakes, twinkling lights, or red-and-green color schemes). Change button text to holiday calls-to-action (“Shop Holiday Gifts” instead of “Shop Now”). These visual cues signal to visitors that they’re in a festive shopping environment. 

A themed site also feels fresh and can boost engagement. (Don’t forget holiday-specific SEO – e.g., update meta titles/descriptions to include keywords like “Christmas sale,” “holiday gifts,” etc.) 

6. Festive Logo and Packaging

Give your logo, product images, or packaging a limited-edition holiday twist. Even a slight seasonal makeover can make your brand more shareable on social. Iconic examples prove the power of this: Starbucks’ annual red holiday cup (introduced in 1997) became a cultural touchpoint signaling the start of the holiday season.

Source: Forbes

Similarly, Hershey’s Kisses added red-and-green foil wrappers and holiday ads, cementing their image as a holiday staple. 

Source: Herseyland

You can do the same at your scale. Add Santa hats to your logo, wrap products in festive-themed boxes, or create holiday gift tags. When packaging looks gift-ready, customers are more likely to share photos on social media, amplifying your reach.

7. Unify with a Holiday Theme or Story

Pick an overarching theme or narrative for your Christmas marketing. For example, run a “12 Days of Gifting” campaign, a Santa’s workshop theme, or a winter wonderland story. This theme should tie together your emails, social posts, ads, and on-site banners. 

For example, WestJet Airlines created a heartwarming “Christmas Miracle” narrative. They set up a video Santa to ask passengers what they wanted, then secretly bought everyone’s wishes and delivered the gifts on the baggage carousel. The whole event was filmed as a story and went massively viral (27+ million YouTube views in one week).

Source: WestJet Christmas Miracle: Real-time Giving

Story-driven campaigns make messaging cohesive and memorable. Each email or social post can continue the story (Day 1: “Santa’s stocking stuffers – 20% off!”; Day 2: “Elves’ favorite toys – buy one, get one”). A consistent theme reinforces your brand’s holiday voice. 

Digital Christmas Marketing Ideas

8. Targeted Holiday Email Campaigns

Craft a special holiday email series tailored to customer segments. Send promotional emails based on behavior: for instance, if a customer looked at winter coats, email them a curated gift guide of related items. If another customer was a frequent buyer last holiday, give them a VIP early access deal.

Personalize subject lines (“[Name], unwrap your 20% off gift inside!”) and content by recipient. Segment your lists (e.g., “Frequent buyers”, “Browsers of category X”) and send each a custom holiday message. For example, you could send “Gifts for Tech Lovers” to gadget-seekers and “Gifts Under $50” to budget shoppers. 

For example, Travelodge’s festive email invited users to “Make a Wish This Christmas” for a chance to win a 2025 trip, combining seasonal visuals, interactive elements, and segmented travel suggestions by season. A smart blend of personalization and engagement to drive early bookings.

Source: ReallyGoodEmails

CleverTap’s email automation and segmentation make this easy: it can pull user attributes like past purchases or interest tags to populate email content and ensure each shopper sees relevant product suggestions. 

9. Holiday Social Media Challenges

Leverage user-generated content with holiday-themed social media contests. For instance, challenge followers to share a photo of themselves with your product in a festive setting, using a branded holiday hashtag (e.g., #MyBrandGift). Or run a “12 Days of Christmas Wish List” challenge: each day, invite customers to comment with their holiday wishlist item from your store for a chance to win it. 

These interactive posts boost engagement and spread brand visibility. Encourage participants by offering small prizes (like a coupon code or free gift) for the best or most creative entry. Remember to repost the best entries on your own channels; it increases reach and adds authenticity. 

For example, Starbucks launched a #RedCupContest on Instagram where customers were invited to post creative photos of the seasonal red cup. One year, Starbucks received over 24,000 entries in just 5 days during the contest.

Source: People Magazine

10. Interactive Holiday Landing Pages

Build fun, interactive web pages or microsites to engage visitors. Ideas include a “spin-the-wheel” discount game, a festive quiz (“Which Holiday Gift Suits You?”), or a digital advent calendar that reveals a coupon or product each day. Gamification can significantly boost engagement and conversions. 

In fact, research has found that 60% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that includes a gamified experience, and conversion rates can jump up to 7X higher with game-like widgets. 

For example, a spin-to-win pop-up (“Spin Santa’s Wheel for Your Discount!”) rewards users with a random discount or freebie in exchange for an email signup. These interactive elements make shopping fun and encourage visitors to stay on your site longer. 

Sephora introduced a holiday “Gift Finder” quiz on its site. Visitors answer questions about the gift recipient and budget, and the quiz suggests products. They promoted the feature via Instagram and saw huge success. 

Source: Sephora Indonesia

11. Christmas Marketing Video Ads and Reels

Capitalize on the popularity of short-form video. Create holiday-themed video content for ads and social reels (Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts). This could be a heartwarming story featuring your product as a gift, a quick demo of a holiday deal, or even a lighthearted Christmas jingle.

Vertical videos with cheerful holiday music get high engagement on social feeds. For example, a restaurant might film quick clips of festive table settings and specials, or a clothing brand could showcase “Outfit ideas for Christmas parties” in a fast montage. Keep videos short (15–30 seconds) with a clear call to action (e.g., “Shop Now” or “Learn More”). Pair them with holiday hashtags and target them carefully using demographics/interests. 

Coca-Cola is a great example. Their 2024 “Share the Magic” holiday campaign had TikTok and Instagram influencers sharing personal holiday moments featuring Coca-Cola. They incorporated Coca-Cola’s iconic holiday assets (the vintage Santa, the red trucks) in these bite-sized videos to tap into nostalgia while reaching younger viewers on Reels.

Source: Social Storis

Product-Based Christmas Marketing Ideas

12. Persona-Based Gift Guides

Publish curated gift guides targeted by shopper persona or recipient. For example: “Gifts for Him,” “Gifts for Kids,” “Gifts Under $25,” “Tech Lover’s Holiday Picks,” etc. Place these guides on your site or as separate landing pages, and link to them in your ads and emails. 

CleverTap can help personalize this even further. For instance, when a user in-app or on-site browses a category (say, beauty products), you could dynamically show the “Gifts for Her” guide as a suggested page. Gift guides not only simplify shopping, but they also give more exposure to your products. 

Send customers to the appropriate guide via segmented emails: e.g., email your fashion-loyal customers with “Holiday Style Gift Guide” and your gadget fans with “Best Tech Gifts.” This targeted approach can significantly increase conversions, since shoppers find gifts relevant to their needs.

13. Holiday Wishlist Feature 

Wishlists make holiday shopping fun and viral: customers can build a list of items they want and easily send it to family and friends. Ensure your site or app supports sharing (via email, social media, or direct link) and display a “Most Wished For” carousel on your homepage. When someone shares a wishlist, you gain new potential customers (friends/family). Wishlists also give you valuable data about what people want. 

If a user adds an item to a wishlist, you could later send a reminder (“Hey, [Name], items on your wishlist are going fast – get 10% off them today!”). Following up with customers about items on their wishlist – especially if stock is low or a sale is ending – significantly boosts conversions.

Amazon popularized this with its shareable Wish Lists. For the holidays, they even introduced a dedicated “Holiday Gift List” feature so families can aggregate gift ideas in one place and share the link around.

Source: Amazon

14. Early-Bird Shopping Incentives

Reward and motivate customers who shop early. Offer an “early bird” discount or bonus gift for purchases made in October or early November. For example, a “Halloween to Black Friday” sale pass, or a limited-time code “EARLYXMAS” for 15% off purchases made by November 15. This not only drives early sales (helping you plan inventory and revenue) but also prevents waiting shoppers from drifting to competitors later. 

For Christmas marketing, CleverTap can identify customers who have previously purchased and automatically target them with these exclusive pre-holiday deals via push or email. Remind all subscribers with email campaigns highlighting inventory or shipping deadlines.

Loyalty & Customer Engagement

15. Personalized Christmas Cards/Emails

Send customers a heartfelt holiday greeting (digital or even printed mailer) with a personalized touch and a coupon. A simple “Happy Holidays, and thank you for shopping with us” message can go a long way. Beyond just text, consider adding a small gift, such as a unique promo code or coupon, inside the card. This makes customers feel valued as individuals, not just revenue sources. With CleverTap’s Promos, you an make this happen easily.

Handwritten notes or limited-edition printed postcards (sent to top customers) can also create a memorable “wow” moment during Christmas marketing campaigns. Either way, the aim is to strengthen loyalty by making customers feel appreciated during the season.

Chewy, the pet supplies retailer, is renowned for sending actual handwritten holiday cards to its customers. They employ a whole team of card-writers to pen personal notes thanking customers (often including something personal like the pet’s name). 

Source: X.com

Use CleverTap’s automation to trigger thank-you notes at scale: for instance, after a November purchase, you could send a “Thank You for Your Support – Enjoy 10% Off Next Order!” holiday email. 

16. Christmas Marketing Referral Program

Another Christmas marketing idea is to leverage the holiday goodwill by launching a seasonal referral bonus. Reward customers who refer friends and family with holiday-themed incentives. For example, “Give $10, Get $10” gift cards or double reward points if a new customer buys a gift. 

Make it a win-win: the referrer gets a reward, and the friend also enjoys a welcome discount. Promote the referral offer in your emails, app, and on receipts (“Refer a friend this holiday and you’ll both get $10 off!”). During Christmas, people love recommending gifts. You’re just amplifying word-of-mouth in a measurable way.

17. Holiday Giveaway or Contest

Run a Christmas-themed giveaway to boost engagement and follower counts. For example, host a social media contest: “Win a $100 Gift Box from us” by liking, sharing, or tagging friends. Alternatively, a photo contest like “Most Festive Decorated Tree” or “Coziest Winter Workspace” featuring your products. 

Contests create buzz, user-generated content, and excitement around your brand. Make sure the prize is something attractive (perhaps one of your bundles or gift cards). Collect entries and emails (with permission) so you can notify winners. Featuring user photos as part of the contest also builds social proof.

Collaborations & Partnerships

18. Influencer Holiday Gift Reviews 

Team up with influencers or bloggers for holiday gift roundups. Identify micro-influencers in your niche (e.g., parenting, tech, beauty) and send them a curated holiday gift set. Have them unbox or review the products on social media or YouTube, ideally in a Christmas-themed video (e.g., “Top 5 Holiday Gifts I’m Giving” featuring your products). 

Alo Yoga did a special holiday collaboration: they released a limited Advent Calendar box of goodies and sent it to wellness influencers, who then unboxed one item each day on TikTok and Instagram. Those influencer videos not only reviewed the products but also built excitement day by day.

Source: Alo Yoga

Influencers’ authentic recommendations can reach highly targeted audiences. Provide them with a unique discount code to share, creating urgency for their followers. 

19. Collaborative Limited-Edition Products

Partner with another brand or artist for a co-branded holiday product or bundle. For example, a fashion retailer might team up with a local accessory designer to create a limited-edition holiday ornament or scarf. Such collaborations generate press and social media interest. 

Promote the special product jointly in both partners’ marketing channels and offer it as a gift idea. Even a small co-branding (e.g., a custom gift card design with a local artist) can add novelty. CleverTap can assist by creating segments of customers who like either brand and sending them announcements about the new launch, maximizing reach across both customer bases.

Community & Cause-Based Christmas Marketing Ideas

20. Charity Tie-Ins

“Give back” campaigns resonate deeply at Christmas. For instance, run a “buy one, donate one” promotion (e.g., for every product sold, you donate the same item to charity) or pledge a percentage of holiday revenue to a cause. Customers feel good about purchasing when they know it helps someone else. Promote this heavily: add a banner like “This Holiday, Every Purchase Helps [Cause]” on your site. A great campaign idea is to let customers choose between several charities at checkout and match their choice. 

Not only does this increase goodwill, but it also encourages buyers who prioritize ethical brands. The more visible the campaign (social posts, emails, site banners), the more it amplifies both the impact and your brand’s feel-good story. 

For example, Lego’s annual #BuildToGive campaign asks fans to build a Lego ornament and share it; for each one posted, Lego donates a set to a child in need.

Source: Lego

21. Support Local / Community Storytelling

Incorporate local or community elements into your holiday marketing. For example, you could highlight artwork from local artists on your holiday cards or use photos of your local team prepping for Christmas (if appropriate). Feature stories about how your business is celebrating with the community. 

By foregrounding a local angle (e.g., “Made in [Your City] with love” or “Local artisans in our holiday market”), you tap into that trend. Host a local pop-up event or collaborate with a neighborhood charity, and share it on social. These efforts humanize your brand and can foster loyalty from customers who value community impact.

Post-Purchase and Retention

22. Post-Christmas Thank You and Coupons

Use clever follow-ups to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers. For everyone who purchased during the Christmas season, send a thank-you email or in-app note in early January. Include a New Year coupon or free shipping code to entice another purchase. 

Showing appreciation after the fact builds loyalty. A simple “Thank you for your support – enjoy 15% off your next order” goes a long way. Schedule these as automated flows in CleverTap so that every holiday buyer enters a post-purchase sequence. You can also use behavioral triggers, such as offering early access to your January sales to customers who have made multiple holiday purchases. This recency-based outreach keeps your brand top-of-mind and can turn satisfied holiday shoppers into regulars.

Christmas Marketing Tips for Success

• Start Early: Begin planning and teasing your holiday campaigns well before Thanksgiving. As noted, a significant share of consumers shop early. Kick off warm-up promotions or list-building in September, then roll out full campaigns by October–November. Map out a content calendar for November and December, including key shopping dates (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, last shipping days, etc.).
  
• Be Mobile-First: With the majority of holiday browsing happening on smartphones, ensure every email, SMS, push notification, landing page, and ad is mobile-optimized. Test that checkout and payment flows are smooth on the phone. Use location-based marketing for last-minute offers.
  
• Consistent Omnichannel Messaging: Keep your brand voice and offers consistent across email, SMS, push, social, and web. Customers should get the same message (e.g., “20% off sale”) whether they open their email, see an Instagram ad, or visit your site. CleverTap’s campaign orchestration tools make it easy to sync messages across channels and sequences.
  
• Measure & Optimize: Define key metrics (open rates, click-throughs, conversion rate, AOV, cart abandonment) for each campaign. Continually A/B test elements like email subject lines, ad creatives, push notification timing, and discounts. CleverTap’s experimentation framework can run A/B tests on your push messages or email content to see what resonates. Use real-time analytics to spot trends.

CleverTap as Your Christmas Marketing Ally

CleverTap provides the personalization and automation backbone to scale these ideas. Its platform unifies customer data and engagement across push, in-app, email, SMS, and more. For example, CleverTap can create user segments (by location, purchase history, or holiday affinity) and automate tailored campaigns: sending a “12 Days of Deals” push series to one group, while emailing “Gifts for Her” guides to another. 

Features like behavioral triggers and real-time analytics enable you to instantly remarket to a wishlist user, trigger a cart abandonment email, or send a holiday thank-you flow with minimal manual effort. Many brands use CleverTap to send millions of holiday notifications at peak times, ensuring personalized offers reach the right customers.

CleverTap helps you plan, personalize, and perfect your Christmas campaigns. It handles large holiday traffic with built-in scalability, and its reporting lets you see which strategies are driving sales and where to tweak.