| Why Worry About January During the Holiday | | | | prepare include: |
| Season? | | | | 1. Online marketing and promotion. "We're doing |
| Over the first couple of weeks of December, I have | | | | everything in our power to make sure our website is |
| been in meetings and had telephone discussions with | | | | visible in as many ways as possible," says Mark. "Our |
| clients who have no interest in targeting their | | | | market has such a large geographic base that we |
| promotional efforts for the holiday season. They | | | | cannot possibly reach all of them via conventional |
| have, instead, chosen to focus their efforts on | | | | offline means." |
| promoting websites during the month of January. | | | | "We have customers from all over Canada and the |
| At first, I found the logic very confusing based on a | | | | United States, from Hawaii to Newfoundland, and our |
| common misconception. Why market during the | | | | website and email marketing efforts are crucial to our |
| month of January? Most people tend to have a | | | | overall business plan." |
| "post-holiday hangover". They've spent hundreds, and | | | | 2. New products. "We're in the final stages of |
| in many cases thousands, of dollars on presents. | | | | preparing some unique new collections for our brides. |
| They've spent time with their loved ones. The parties | | | | We've decided to create more silk flower wedding |
| have come and gone. | | | | packages, based on the feedback we have received |
| Upon thinking about the logic from a different angle, | | | | and some commonalities among customer requests." |
| a unique opportunity for the savvy North American | | | | 3. Visiting suppliers. "Many of our suppliers have |
| marketer revealed itself. | | | | beautiful new products that are now available to us, |
| The month of January presents a unique opportunity | | | | and we need to stock up as much as possible to |
| for intelligent entrepreneurs. Because of the increase | | | | ensure that we have enough supply to service our |
| in business that the holiday season provides, most | | | | customer needs over the next few months." |
| businesses tend to neglect or reduce their marketing | | | | 4. Updating prices. "Fluctuations in the base cost of |
| efforts throughout the winter months, electing to | | | | our products, such as the rising costs of natural |
| focus their energy on the spring and summer months | | | | resources and transportation, have led to the need |
| instead. | | | | to adjust our prices for the 2006 year." |
| Many companies will launch new campaigns during the | | | | 5. A Christmas vacation. "We want to be well-rested |
| Super Bowl in order to take advantage of the | | | | and alert for the New Year, so we're going to take |
| international mass exposure created by the annual | | | | some time off ourselves to recuperate our minds |
| NFL football climax. However, this is a highly | | | | and bodies and be better able to serve our |
| expensive proposition and as a result of the | | | | customers." |
| budgetary constraints and risk such advertising | | | | "A rest at Christmas time isn't always for businesses |
| presents, these companies will often elect to minimize | | | | to recover from their holiday rush. It's for businesses |
| or halt all other advertising efforts until the Super | | | | to prepare for a rush as well." |
| Bowl itself. | | | | It looks like Hibiscus Florals will be very well-prepared |
| Since the Super Bowl occurs on either the final | | | | for January. |
| Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February, a | | | | Innovolve |
| huge 4-week marketing gap occurs for a company | | | | Dr. Anthony Watanabe is the president of Innovolve, |
| that chooses to take advantage of it. | | | | a progressive young conference management |
| Companies with business-to-business products and | | | | agency. The month of December is being used as a |
| services can take advantage of the month of | | | | reorganization and preparation month for Innovolve, |
| January to release these products and services as | | | | in order for the company to be prepared for their |
| well. Many companies and organizations, such as | | | | upcoming conferences and other projects. |
| school boards and some manufacturing plants, give | | | | What types of things are Anthony and Innovolve |
| their employees a paid 2-week Christmas vacation. | | | | doing to prepare for January? |
| As a result, these employees return to work rested, | | | | 1. Rebranding. "We're redoing all of our marketing |
| alert, and more receptive to new ideas and ways to | | | | materials, such as our logo and website, to ensure |
| better improve efficiency. In fact, many companies | | | | that our image and core beliefs as a company are |
| use the winter months for the purposes of making | | | | accurately reflected. We look forward to the launch |
| their operations more efficient and profitable. | | | | of our new-look corporate image in 2006, and we |
| This article will focus on two companies as case | | | | believe our target market will be very receptive to |
| studies. The first company, Hibiscus Florals ( is an | | | | our message." |
| online silk wedding florist targeting North American | | | | 2. Finishing of existing projects. "We're in the final |
| brides-to-be. The second, Innovolve ( is a Canadian | | | | stages of completion on our Sustainable Business |
| conference, event, and association management | | | | Resource Centre website, and we'll be launching it in |
| company specializing in sustainable business growth. | | | | late 2005 to early 2006." |
| Hibiscus Florals | | | | 3. New and existing client preparation. "We're going to |
| Hibiscus Florals co-owner Mark Morkowski has been | | | | be working on some exciting new projects involving |
| an extremely busy man during the last few weeks. | | | | graphic and web design for forward-thinking |
| "Many of our brides begin preparations for their | | | | companies, as well as organizing unique and |
| weddings just after the holiday season," says Mark. | | | | informative conferences in such fields as sustainability, |
| "This means that the first three months of a new | | | | green building, and business networking." |
| year are a peak season for our silk wedding flowers, | | | | 4. Marketing preparation. "When we're done with our |
| and it is crucial that we are prepared to both attract | | | | rebranding efforts, we look forward to promoting |
| and accept the potential business that can be | | | | them both online and offline. We're in the process of |
| generated in this period." | | | | developing a campaign to that end, as well as for |
| "The month of December is being used exclusively to | | | | those clients whose sites will be completed in the |
| prepare for the New Year." | | | | New Year. |
| Some of the things Hibiscus Florals are doing to | | | | |