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Retailers: Make the most of brands’ Xmas campaigns

By Chris Derrer, marketing copywriter, The Watch Hut

Christmas is always the biggest time of year in terms of sales for all watch brands and retailers, but this year looks to be one of the biggest in history. I say this because increased competition across retailers has led to a step-up in marketing, advertising and promotion across the board, which means that consumers are now able to hunt down the best watch deals possible.

And the brands themselves are also stepping up, with some of the industry’s best-known brands poised for a successful Christmas, owing to TV advertising. A number have produced ads set to show during prime time programs to reach out to a whole new audience. With Ice-Watch, Sekonda and Accurist to name but a few all planning to advertise on television over the next few months, the demand for those brands in particular could soar.

Other companies are set to have a good Christmas because their advertising campaigns have fallen at convenient times. Omega’s continued deal with the James Bond franchise will ensure that the 007 watch will be high on a lot of Christmas lists, much like Bulova watches with their current appearances in the series of popular TV show, Made In Chelsea.

It’s important for retailers to not only be able to keep up with this demand but also to use it to their advantage. The advertising can be mirrored in store and online so that it reflects – and complements – what the TV advert shows, with as seen on TV labels used wherever possible to jog memories.

As a retailer, aligning yourself with the brands and their advertising campaigns will give the image of one voice which will improve the chances of making those sales ahead of the competition. Consistencies between the brand’s adverts and those from the retailer will give the view of them being the one and only official retailer, so this store will then be the potential customers’ first port of call when looking for the watches that have been advertised.

In store, this could lead to related promotions, with banners and posters. Online, banners are always great for promoting on your own site and via an affiliate network, but with careful promotion in line with the brands via social networks, blogs and press releases, the sky is the limit for what can be done to piggy back the expensive TV advertising that has already been paid for.

I believe Christmas 2012 is going to be one of the biggest ever for watch sales, and between me and you, I can’t wait.

This feature was taken from the November issue of WatchPro. Read it online here. 

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