How to craft a winning Easter marketing campaign

Last Easter, Australian ecommerce sales witnessed an impressive surge, reaching nearly AU$7 million in the week leading up to the holiday. 

This marked a significant 30% increase compared to any other week in April of the same year, according to data provided by Omnisend, a leading ecommerce marketing company. This substantial boost in sales reflects a growing trend in consumer behavior, particularly evident in the shift towards online purchases, a trend that has solidified since the onset of the pandemic.

As Easter approaches this year, the National Retail Foundation (NRF) forecasts a substantial global spending spree, estimating that consumers worldwide will collectively shell out around AU$35 billion to celebrate the holiday. Notably, a significant portion of this expenditure, amounting to AU$4.6 billion (13%), is expected to be allocated to online purchases. 

Tips for boosting your Easter sales

To augment Easter sales and enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, Zakowicz offers a comprehensive array of strategies:

1. Launch an Easter Giveaway: Tempt customers with enticing freebies or themed gifts bundled with purchases exceeding a predetermined threshold.
2. Host an Easter Social Media Contest: Foster engagement and encourage user-generated content by organizing contests or scavenger hunts across social media platforms.
3. Create a Unique Easter Hashtag: Cultivate a sense of community and encourage user participation by devising a distinctive Easter hashtag for customers to share their holiday purchases and experiences.
4. Send Easter-themed Email Campaigns: Cut through the inbox clutter with captivating subject lines and visually appealing content, promoting Easter deals and offerings to subscribers.
5. Utilize Remarketing Tactics: Re-engage previous site visitors and potential customers with personalized ads and emails tailored to their interests and browsing history.
6. Create Urgency with Limited-time Offers: Instill a sense of urgency and scarcity with exclusive deals and promotions, accompanied by countdown timers and promotional messages to prompt immediate action.
7. Offer Clever Discounts: Segment your customer base and tailor discounts and offers to cater to specific demographics or product categories, incentivizing purchases and reducing inventory.
8. Bundle Products for Added Value: Curate themed product bundles or exclusive assortments to cater to diverse customer needs and preferences, offering added value and convenience.
9. Surprise with Gifts at Checkout: Enhance the customer experience by surprising shoppers with unexpected gifts or discounts during the checkout process, fostering goodwill and encouraging repeat purchases.
10. Add Personal Touches with Thank You Notes: Express gratitude and reinforce brand values by including personalized thank-you notes or messages in packages, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty.
11. Ensure Ample Inventory: Anticipate demand and maintain optimal stock levels by leveraging inventory management software, ensuring that popular Easter items are readily available to meet customer demand.

Greg Zakowicz, a seasoned senior ecommerce marketing expert at Omnisend, underscores the enduring impact of this shift towards online shopping, particularly for Easter-related items like chocolate eggs, bunnies, decorations, and gifts. What initially arose as a necessity during the pandemic has since transformed into a steadfast consumer preference, reshaping the retail landscape.“We see a growing trend of people buying chocolate eggs and bunnies, Easter decorations, and gifts online. This behaviour became a necessity during the pandemic and is now here to stay,” says Greg Zakowicz, senior ecommerce marketing expert at Omnisend. Easter is the biggest sales event of spring, so no matter if a business is active online or in-store, merchants should be ready with their marketing campaigns. But it’s not just about chocolates. Easter presents opportunities for a wide range of industries — it’s all about how imaginative you can be with your offerings.”

Crafting the right message is equally pivotal in driving engagement and conversions during the Easter season. Zakowicz recommends tailoring messaging to spotlight the unique benefits of Easter offerings, leveraging persuasive language to entice consumers. Moreover, selecting the appropriate channels to disseminate these messages is paramount, with a multifaceted approach encompassing email marketing, SMS, advertisements, and social media platforms ensuring widespread visibility and engagement. 

“With events like Easter, it’s extremely important to be creative. You can expect to see colourful eggs and chocolate bunnies in your competitors’ Easter campaigns, so don’t be afraid to try something different,” says Zakowicz. “However, it’s also important to remember marketing basics and keep your marketing efforts relatable to your customers.”

With nearly 59% of Australians gearing up to celebrate Easter this year, Zakowicz underscores the critical importance of creativity and strategic marketing in capitalizing on this lucrative holiday. Businesses are urged to delve into the intricacies of their target audience’s preferences, considering factors such as age demographics, technological proficiency, environmental consciousness, and diverse interests. Moreover, Zakowicz emphasizes the significance of timing in launching Easter campaigns, advising businesses to initiate promotions approximately two weeks ahead of the holiday and intensify marketing efforts as Good Friday approaches, especially for non-Easter items.

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