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July 28, 2025
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5 minute read

Holiday Marketing Playbook: Why Smart Brands Start Planning in July

Author: Natalie Solomon

 

 

 

It might be 25 degrees out, but if you’re running a business, it’s time to start thinking about snow, sales, and shipping deadlines. Yes, holiday campaign planning starts in July.

The brands that crush Q4 don’t wait until October to get moving. They start now—with clear strategy, organized timelines, and smart execution.

If you want to avoid last-minute chaos and the rush of Black Friday and holiday sales, this blog is your early-bird playbook. We’ve broken it down into key steps so you can start now and build momentum all the way through December.

 

1. Start With a Post-Mortem Then Read the Field: Audit and Anticipate

Before you start dreaming up new offers, take a look back. What worked for you last year? What didn’t? This is the goldmine that helps shape a sharper strategy.

Look at your analytics across email, social, ads, and sales platforms. Which products sold best? Which offers converted? Where did you lose people in the funnel? Dig into customer behavior, timing, and response rates. The more data you review now, the fewer blind spots you’ll face later.

But don’t just look backward—scan the horizon, too. Take stock of what’s happening in the marketplace that could affect this year’s season. Are there supply chain risks, tariff changes, economic shifts, or platform algorithm updates that might hit your industry? For example, if tariffs hit imports or shipping costs spike in Q4, that could directly impact pricing, inventory, or delivery timeframes. Staying aware of potential disruptors helps you plan smarter, price better, and stay agile when others are scrambling.

 

2. Build a Strategic Timeline & Define Your Goals

Successful holiday campaigns are shaped in the summer. The stretch from July through October is your critical window for laying the groundwork. Use this time wisely, and the execution phase becomes smoother, faster, and far more effective.
In your planning phase, you need to set goals: Are you aiming to increase revenue, grow your list, re-engage past customers, or move inventory? Be specific.

Then map out the offers that will support those goals. Think bundles, tiered discounts, early access for VIPs, or limited-time products. The key is to build value in a way that feels exciting but still profitable. Planning this now gives you time to refine and test instead of rushing decisions in October.

This is also the time to lock in your campaign themes. Identify key dates, sales events, and content pillars. This is also when you should align internally across teams to prevent siloed efforts later on.

Getting ahead early not only gives you an edge—it gives you room to breathe, review, and pivot if market conditions change or something underperforms. July through September is where smart strategy becomes real momentum.

Marketing doesn’t operate in a vacuum. For your holiday campaigns to succeed, your whole business needs to be on the same page.

3. Develop Creative That Converts (and Multiply It)

Great creative doesn’t happen overnight—especially when you need to develop many different types of assets.

Holiday campaigns aren’t about one killer ad or email. You’ll need a full arsenal of creative assets tailored to different audiences, formats, and platforms. Think dozens of variations: paid ads, organic posts, email sequences, SMS, banners, landing pages, popups, and more. Especially during Black Friday week, you should be talking to consumers almost daily—which means fresh, timely creative every step of the way.

That’s why it’s crucial to leave yourself enough time to create, test, and optimize. Run small tests in September or early October to see what resonates—then double down on what works when the stakes are high.

The brands that win in Q4 show up everywhere—with the right message, at the right time, again and again. That takes volume. That takes planning. And it starts now.

4. Align Your Internal Teams

Marketing doesn’t operate in a vacuum. For your holiday campaigns to succeed, your whole business needs to be on the same page.

Loop in your sales, support, and fulfillment teams. Make sure customer service has scripts ready and knows what’s coming. Confirm your inventory and shipping timelines. Set up regular check-ins to make sure everyone’s aligned as the holidays ramp up.

A coordinated team means smoother execution—and fewer holiday headaches.

 

5. Tighten Up Your Tech (and Your Lists)

Your tech stack can make or break a holiday campaign—especially when traffic and expectations spike. Now’s the time to make sure your systems are ready.

Start by stress-testing your website. It should be fast, mobile-optimized, and easy to check out on any device. Double-check tracking: UTM tags, pixels, heatmaps—everything should be in place so you can measure what’s working in real time.

While you’re at it, get your email and SMS platforms in top shape. Clean up your lists, remove inactive contacts, and segment by behavior—past buyers, loyal customers, high-intent browsers. A healthy, well-organized list will outperform even the best creative if it’s delivered to the right people at the right time.

And finally, check your inventory and fulfillment systems. Make sure what you promote is actually available—and deliverable. Nothing tanks a campaign like a sold-out product or a shipping delay you didn’t see coming.

 

6. Execute with Discipline (Not Last-Minute Hustle)

Having a plan is great—but flawless execution is what drives revenue.

Create a clear campaign calendar and assign owners to every task. From asset delivery to email sends, from ad launches to landing page QA, every detail should have a deadline and a name next to it. Use project management tools to keep things moving and avoid bottlenecks.

And remember: real-time agility matters. Have a plan, but stay flexible. Monitor campaign performance daily, if not hourly, once you launch. Be ready to pivot if something’s not hitting—whether it’s creative, timing, or targeting. The brands that win Q4 are the ones that plan early and adapt fast.

 

Final Thoughts: Start Now, Win Later

The holidays might feel far away, but July is when winners start. By planning ahead, testing early, and aligning your teams, you set the stage for a profitable, panic-free holiday season.

Need help building your campaign roadmap? We specialize in performance-driven strategy and execution. Let’s make this your best Q4 yet.

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