It’s never too early to plan your Christmas and New Year’s Eve offering, but are you maximising your PR opportunities? The Custard team have shared some of their top festive PR tips for both hotels and venues:
The Festive Golden Ticket
Christmas vouchers are an ideal opportunity to uplift sales and capture valuable customer data for future campaigns and activations. Allocate gift vouchers to experiences at the hotel, for example spa treatments, afternoon tea, or special packages, or sell them in monetary value for the receivers to spend on a stay or experience of their choice. Include these in follow-ups after guests’ stays to maximise the opportunity.
Maximise Brand Partnerships
Leverage your brand partnerships to create value-added packages or upsell incentives such as in-room Christmassy hampers and champagne. Cross-promote these initiatives with your partners to expand your reach and tap into new customer databases.
Bespoke Festive Imagery
Avoid using generic stock photos of holly and wreaths for your website and brochures. Instead, invest in photography that captures the unique festive feel of your venue. High-quality images will make your promotions stand out and better resonate with your audience.
Festive Feasts
Food is central to any celebration around Christmas, so make sure your festive menus are unique in what they are offering, and easy to find on websites and collateral. Organise a professional photoshoot to capture the best possible visuals of your menu, creating a feast for the eyes!
Don’t Forget Twixmas!
Promote the Christmas-New Year break, often referred to as Twixmas, as an ideal time for guests to relax after a busy festive period, take the time to explore a local city, shop the Christmas sales, or visit attractions. Create compelling packages that suit your target market and will fit their plans for this quieter period.
Open your Doors
Invite your neighbours and local community to join an event of festivities at the hotel or venue. This is a fantastic way to demonstrate your social responsibility and build a stronger rapport for the future. This could be as simple as sharing an invitation to a Christmas lights switch on, a short drinks reception and evening of festive canapés to showcase the Christmas décor.
Think Local
Partner with local activities such as light shows, pantomimes, and Christmas markets to become part of a larger activation. Create special packages for stays, compelling F&B, and seek out story opportunities that can be featured in local and regional listings. Not only will this foster positive relationships with local businesses, but it will also generate an uplift in sales.
‘Tis the Season
Engage with local charities through initiatives such as toy drives and food banks, or supporting vulnerable groups in your community, ensuring that these efforts align with your year-round ethos and corporate responsibility messaging. This not only enhances your image and reputation, but it could also lead to future opportunities with local businesses and individuals who are directly and positively impacted by these activities.
It’s not all about Christmas…
While it’s easy to get caught up in the festive spirit, it doesn’t mean everything else has shut down. Outside of Christmas parties and personal mini-breaks and staycations, it is still business as usual through November and December. Utilise this opportunity to stand out in the media landscape with non-festive content and campaigns.
