Thanksgiving Marketing – 3 Ways Brands Can Express Thankfulness With Meaningful Content

Everyone talks about Black Friday marketing, but what about Thanksgiving?

People love a feel-good story, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time for it. In 2016, a grandmother in Arizona sent a text message to the wrong number, unknowingly inviting a stranger to Thanksgiving dinner. Although they both quickly realized the mistake, he came anyway. The pair and their families have been celebrating Thanksgiving together ever since. 

The story quickly went viral and people still can’t get enough of it!

If you’re looking to drum up some buzz around your business, but without the usual Black Friday theme, consider a heartwarming Thanksgiving content campaign. 

It’s a great opportunity for brands to connect with customers in a meaningful way, in the spirit of gratitude that makes the Thanksgiving season so enjoyable and unique to US-based audiences.

Here are three ideas to include Thanksgiving content as part of your seasonal marketing strategy:

1. Help make the holiday a little bit easier

The holiday season is wonderful but it also brings a lot of stress. Particularly when the economy is on a downer, people are feeling the pinch and might be worried about the best way to put food on the table.

Content that is helpful and thoughtful can go a long way to easing the strain for your customer base. For example, Bankrate.com, the personal finance website, published a blog featuring tips on how to save on Thanksgiving costs. The article includes useful links to offers and sites where consumers can stretch their Thanksgiving dollars.

Any business can use this tactic to show customers they care. Think about the pain points your customers are facing during the Thanksgiving season, and create a simple blog post or article responding to those needs. Publish on your website, share it on social media, promote it via a native campaign, or in an email to your customer list. Make sure to include a clear CTA, directing the reader about how to continue interacting with your business. 

2. Offer information and convenience to time-constrained consumers

Besides financial stress, many consumers have the stress of hosting the entire extended family for the Thanksgiving meal! Getting the turkey just right is one of the top priorities of every Thanksgiving cook. Brands that can provide the information or tools that customers need to make their holiday a success will be remembered and appreciated by the target audience.

Here’s an example that we love:  Iconic turkey brand Butterball^® features a portion calculator on its website, so visitors can plug in the number of diners, a few other details, and calculate how much turkey and stuffing they need. Plus, Butterball offers its famous Turkey Talk Line™, so customers can chat with a turkey expert and get advice about how to prepare the best turkey dinner. 

Not only are these Thanksgiving content examples interactive and fun; they are also incredibly convenient and time-saving to stressed out consumers.

Whatever your industry, visitors will be looking for answers and help with a variety of their holiday needs. The ability to deliver the right information at the right time will cast your business in a positive light.

3. Don’t be shy to express the sentiment of the holiday 

If there’s one thing that’s really going to move your customers this Thanksgiving, it’s emotional messaging that tugs at the heartstrings. When done right, this kind of content is extremely powerful.

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to show your audience the softer side of your company. After all, this is the season when people give thanks, show appreciation, and spend meaningful moments with family and friends. Why not with their favorite brands or businesses too?

Check out how grocery chain Kroger has done it with this beautiful commercial that’s already got everyone talking:

Now is a good time to survey your customers and see how they’re doing, pay tribute to employees, or tell the story that means the most to your brand this holiday. You don’t need a costly animated ad to do it, just a handy video creation tool (many of which are low cost and some are even free). As long as it’s genuine, even a simple video message recorded on a smartphone, or a Thanksgiving poem sent to your customers via email, can warm them up to engage with your business during the holiday season.

Getting to the Heart of Thanksgiving

While customers have come to expect the frenzy of Black Friday, you can surprise them with a Thanksgiving campaign that is all about heart. While others ready their Black Friday deals and prepare to capitalize on the post-Thanksgiving surge, you can differentiate your business or brand with Thanksgiving content that is not only powerful, but also unexpected.

Harness the spirit of Thanksgiving this year and leave a meaningful impression. What’s more, by giving generously via content, you can better engage your target audiences and create loyal customers.