Ahhh, summer breezes. The smell of suntan lotion, the blistering heat and humidity of Richmond, your peeling sunburn from your last vacation. Sounds like the perfect time to start planning your Holiday Marketing Campaign. Huh???

Hard to believe, but now is the time to do your holiday marketing planning. Early fall is the perfect time to start planning what you're going to do to acknowledge your clients, connections and friends at the holidays.

Many people think December is the only time of the year to send a card or gift. However, sending it around Thanksgiving, the start of the New Year, or at any time of year you can consistently do something will get you noticed. For many of our clients operating on a calendar year, December is not the ideal time for a campaign like this. They may be closing out their business year and some budgets may be wearing thin. By doing something in the fall or at a different time of year, you can avoid both the time and financial crunch. If you like the idea of doing something in December, plan early – most companies give large discounts if orders are placed before November. Sending cards or gifts annually is the perfect opportunity to thank clients and friends for their support. You can also wish them a pleasant holiday season. But, let's face it. This can also be the perfect marketing opportunity. Got a new logo or web site? Incorporate it, but don't make it the focal point: this is the time to make it all about the recipient.

Before we give you some suggestions on how you can plan a successful holiday campaign, we thought we'd share some of our favorite marketing mishaps:

• Letters to clients listing all of the company's services, with "PS: Happy Holidays" at the end
• Gifts that are completely skewed to one sex or the other
• Cards that are all about the company and nothing about "thank you"
• Perishable items (unless you can be sure to deliver them while they are still fresh). Receiving a box of rotting oranges is not the best way to say "thank you".
• Sending e-mail holidays cards. While this may be cost effective, it's tacky.

Here's what you need to do now to plan for a successful holiday campaign:

• Decide if you are going to do anything. If so, during what time of year?
• Go through your mailing list and identify those who should receive the gift or card
• Determine your budget
• Determine what gift or card fits your budget
• Set a date for launch
• Now that you have a date, determine the logistics needed to hit your date (nothing is worse than receiving a Thanksgiving card on December 20th)
• Do what you can to personalize your gift. If it's a card, hand-sign it. If you have a large office, throw your staff a card-signing party. Note: don't include your business card, no matter how tempting it may be!

Here are some suggestions for holiday gifts/remembrances:

• Thanksgiving cards
• New year cards
• Food that can be shared
• Desk items
• Umbrellas
• Tote bags
• Stadium blankets
• Stainless steel coffee mugs full of candy
• Interesting pens or pencils
• Gift baskets sized to fit your budget

So, while you are sitting at the beach, sipping a cool drink, you can begin to brainstorm now on what you would like to do for your clients and connections. For more information on launching any successful marketing campaign, please contact us.