How many weeks does it take to develop a good campaign? At busy times we take 3 weeks to produce a run of, say, 5000 of our pop up products so it’s always a good idea to plan things as far in advance as possible.

 Recently we have been trying to stress the importance of making the most of every marketing opportunity that comes your way, particularly in light of the recent downturn in the economic climate. If your clients’ marketing budgets are being cut back then it becomes extra important to make sure that every campaign performs to the best possible level.

 The Christmas period affords many an opportunity and a lot of companies rely on having good sales figures at Christmas to pull them through for the entire year. But what about the humble Christmas card? The basic company Christmas greeting should be designed in such a way that it not only says “Thanks for your business and by the way, have a good Christmas” it should also say “and remember that we are the best choice for next year, too.”

 The IPA president, Moray MacLennan has gone on record recently to advise agencies that in the current economic climate it is more important than ever to strive for original and innovative solutions partnered with compelling creative content. We agree wholeheartedly. We also believe that our range of promotional marketing products coupled with your creative talents can create a Christmas greeting that will not only impress your client but it will send out a timely message that yours is the agency to handle next year’s budget, too.

 Of course, you might be designing a Christmas greeting on behalf of your client. Well, the same rules apply. Make the product a stand-out winner.

 In the next few weeks we will be launching our pre-Christmas direct marketing campaign to remind agencies of these points of view and also to re-iterate that producing a worthwhile Christmas greetings campaign requires planning, thought and effort. It should not be left as a last minute rush to the High Street for a couple of boxes of decent cards featuring carol singers. It might seem early but it’s at holiday periods like this when things might be a bit quiet that you should be thinking ahead. Your Christmas campaign will be much better for it as things are rarely done well when rushed and left until the last minute.

 You should be planning to place your orders with us for your bespoke Christmas greetings possibly even in September but certainly in October and no later that mid November. That’s just 16 weeks away. Check out our main promotional site or go to our Christmas Marketing site to see some ideas that we think work well at Christmas.