Here's the ultimate guide to plan your brand's content and get the engagement going this December.
From Delhi Comic Con and Minorities Right Day to Christmas and New Year Eve, here are some wide ranging additions to your marketing communication mix.
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This time of year, your social followers are pretty distracted.
Between planning for the upcoming holidays, keeping track of end-of-year obligations and
planning for New Year parties, you’ll find your engagement levels dipping. But don’t sweat it.
Either go on a holiday yourself (we all know you deserve it) or jump right into the conversation
and help your users with their planning.
Much like Santa, we’ve done for you some discovering, distributing and delighting.
Here’s some essential data and insights about the major content pegs every brand must aspire
to create their strategy around this December. It’s a bag of goodies waiting to make your month
better, so dive in!
And above all, remember to have a Jolly Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!
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Human Rights Month
Human rights are the fundamental rights which every
living person is entitled to, and are considered to be
universal rights or laws regardless of age, gender, ethnicity,
country or time.
Human Rights Month encourages greater awareness of
human rights, and promotes the continuing struggle to
ensure that all people have access to life’s basic
necessities.
Social Media and Content Marketing thus become a
fantastic means for brands to extend their support
towards the cause, and encourage their customers to
follow suit.
Human Rights Day on 10th Dec would be the ideal time to
kick-start campaigns and distribute content about the
brand’s CSR initiatives to uplift the lives of the
underprivileged sections of society.
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World AIDS Day- 1st Dec
World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1st Dec in
order to raise awareness about the AIDS pandemic and
the various ways the HIV infection is spread.
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is ‘Getting to
Zero’, which aims at dropping the number of new HIV
cases to zero.
The talk around World AIDS Day involves discussions
on the prevention of the deadly disease, the societal
discrimination against HIV infected persons and safe
sex.
Employers can ask their employees to pin up the Red
Ribbon, the symbol of the fight against HIV and brands
can also promote safe sex by distributing condoms
during events.
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Wildlife Conservation Day- 4th Dec
The world’s best loved species are being slaughtered by
widespread and dangerous criminal networks profiting from
wildlife trafficking as well as those who hunt for sport.
To apprise citizens of the ever worsening situation, the
World Wildlife Foundation joined the call to action put out
by the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in 2012.
The World Wildlife Conservation Day on 4th Dec is thus an
opportunity for brands to raise awareness and contribute to
the conservation and protection of endangered species such
as elephants, rhinos and tigers. This global occasion allows
brands to be a part of the solution to wildlife crime.
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Delhi Comic Con- 4th to 6th Dec
Delhi Comic Convention began in the year 2011 and since
then has become a regular feature with its popularity and
footfall growing every year. It will be held from 4th to 6th
Dec, 2015.
This is a perfect opportunity for marketers of upcoming
merchandise brands to promote and sell their products. It is
also a great place for small activations like distribution of free
samples of a new FMCG product.
The event sees enthusiasts dressed up as their favourite comic
characters like Superman, Wolverine, Aladdin, etc. and
generates considerable buzz online. Content along the lines
of “12 of the most bizarre costumes at Comic Con” or “What
to be prepared for at Delhi’s Comic Con” would work.
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Minorities Rights Day- 18th Dec
National Minorities Rights Day on 18th Dec, 2015 will be
observed to promote a safe and peaceful environment
by creating an atmosphere of better understanding
between different minority and religious communities in
India.
This year, discussion is primarily expected to be around
the rights of minorities in India, equality, secularism, etc.
Employers can use this day to create a sense of
inclusiveness among their employees hailing from
minority communities and brands too can promote the
idea of equality in diversity that Indians audiences
embody.
Content like “What’s it like to be an Indian Christian?”,
“10 things only minority groups know about India” or
“How are India’s demographics changing?” could spur
engagement.
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Christmas- 25th Dec
Christmas marks the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. and is
celebrated across all parts of India with equal fanfare on 25th Dec,
with an equally exciting 24th Dec Christmas Eve.
Marketers must extend to their brand followers the best of wishes,
beyond which this is a great time to promote sales, holidaying ideas
and ideas for families spending time together. In addition,
employers can create a lot of goodwill for themselves by
celebrating Christmas in style.
Searches during Christmas include gift ideas, cake recipes, movies,
games and of course Christmas Carols.
Content including “5 DIY Christmas gifts you need to give yourself”,
“17 game ideas that will make this the best Christmas ever”,
“Baking the Christmas Cake? Chocolate and Caramel coming your
way!” and “Where should you go for the best Christmas parties?”
would all work well.
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New Year’s Eve- 31st Dec
New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated days of the year in
every part of the world.
It’s the end of the year and customers are feeling spend thrifty,
which is why every brand possible- from food to apparel to books
to travel to liquor- can dive right in with attractive sales and special
offers.
Also, because a lot of your users would be Lazy Travellers who only
plan last minute, it’s a great idea to remind them to plan for their
travel a little in advance and give them travel and destination
ideas.
Content suggestions include “Planning for a New Years’ Eve trip a
week from now? A guide to where you can go”, “The most
outrageous outfit ideas every woman needs to try this NYE”, “New
Year Resolutions we love to make and break” and “NYE celebration
ideas for introverts”.
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Calendar Events- Sports
The 2nd Edition of the Men's FIH Hockey World League is scheduled
to finish on 13th Dec 2015 in Raipur, India.
South Africa will play their first 4-Test series in 6 years when they
host England from Dec 11, 2015 to Feb 21, 2016.
Searches around players, past matches and broadcast schedules
surge, creating a lot of online buzz. There’s also an increase in
searches around fashion and lifestyle since users are interested to
know about celebrity sightings at matches, their fashion and
fitness choices, etc.
Feature content like “Will these players make a comeback?” or
“Why England’s tour of South Africa is such a big deal” as well as
live updates and post-match analyses will be greatly appreciated by
the millions of Indian Sports Fans.
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The Hornbill Festival is scheduled to be held between 1st
and 10th Dec in Kohima. It aims to give a glimpse into the
beauty and culture of Nagaland and showcases a
mélange of cultural displays under one roof.
All India Handicrafts Week from 8th to 14th Dec is
celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm for
increasing the awareness, support and importance of
artisans who give us the handicrafts we are so proud of.
Both of these events are a chance for brands to promote
the arts, support local artisans, distribute travel ideas
and sponsor stalls at exhibitions.
Calendar Events- Festivals
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International Anti Corruption Day has been observed annually
on 9 Dec, since the passage of the United Nations Convention
Against Corruption on 31 October 2003 and is very relevant
for India.
On the 14th of December, India observes the National Day of
Energy Conservation, an opportune moment to drive home
the importance of going green.
Both these days are a great opportunity for brands to flaunt
their CSR, discuss their core values and gain some goodwill.
Charitable organisations can invite donations to charities
around the world as well as try and recruit younger
volunteers via social media.
Calendar Events- World Days
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Brownie Day on 8th Dec and Bacon Day on 30th Dec, is when
content marketers have the chance to really implant
themselves in the memories of their consumers by being
playful and creative. With contests, tutorials or giveaways,
marketers can etch themselves deep into users’ minds.
To honour the world’s many unsung heroes, number 2s and
unlikely winners, Underdog Day on 18th Dec is an interesting
opportunity for brands to get some eyeballs. Be it a series of
“what it’s like to be” illustrations or clever repurposing of
famous underdog movie memes (like Rocky, brands can carry
out some innovative, inspirational and humorous
internal/external marketing.
Calendar Events- Fun Days
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In its 9th edition, the Sunburn Festival is set to return with a
bang. From the 27th to the 30th of Dec, Sunburn brings the
biggest and most sought-after names in electronic music to
Goa for Asia’s biggest music festival. 2014 featured
superstar DJs like Axwell ^ Ingrosso and Hardwell and many
more artists across 5 monolithic arenas.
Sangria Day on 20th Dec is the ideal day to raise digital
glasses to one of the world’s favourite cocktails. It’s a field
day for all food and drink brands as well as any others who
want to give their consumers a reason and a way to
celebrate.
Calendar Events- Fun Days
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Absolutely any brand that has a product or service
having a unique usability situation for Winters
must step up to the plate and make their warm,
comforting presence felt.
Users want solutions to dry skin, a lack of energy,
and the rapid weight gain that happens during the
holidays. Users are also interested to know DIY gift
ideas for Christmas and New years, easy and
delicious recipes for desserts and warm foods, and
innovative outfit ideas for winter, with a focus on
the wedding season that’s on its way out.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
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While at Spiral Content we pride ourselves at
being a company of non-lazy travellers, we all
have a black sheep. Hence, we weren’t surprised
to find a lot of last minute travellers on the
internet.
Searches around weekend getaways from all the
major metros rises dramatically a week before
Christmas. It would be a great idea to remind your
users to plan for their travel a little in advance and
give them some great travel and destination ideas,
with content like, “The perfect place to travel for
people who can’t handle Delhi Winters” and “10
2-day trip options for early December” sure to fly.
The Lazy Traveller
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Celebrate good times…Come On!
The essence of December lies in the immense
festive spirit. Your users are in the mood to party,
be it for Christmas or New Years.
December thus brings out the party anxiety in
people. With search terms like “New Year Party”,
“party songs”, “Christmas party ideas”, “what to
wear to new year party” all surging. This is a great
conversation for brands to tap into- starting from
fashion ideas, party ideas, party recipes, beauty
trends, party places- the whole nine yards. This
can help you form meaningful engagement in
particular with the millennials.
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Interviews and Biographies
Another content marketing opportunity for
brands is to publish interviews and short
biographies. The subjects of such posts can be
influencers or thought leaders in your industry, or
even your own customers or employees. They can
be asked for opinions, reviews, or even advice.
These pieces are easy to write and even easier to
consume, especially when they’re in video format
and can break the monotony of one-sided content
that brands may be creating throughout the rest
of the year, by bringing a personal touch that
entices users to participate.
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Trends and Predictions
Change is a constant.
From apparel to packaged food to human resources to
IT, no matter what industry you’re in, there have most
likely been changes in the past year, and a compilation
of the major changes that have occurred and/or what’s
expected in the new year is always appreciated.
Content like, “A round up of the best advice for Job
Seekers in 2015”, “2014: the year of Healthy Eating”
and “Marketing Trends 2015: What the experts
predict” can be extremely useful from both a B2C and
a B2B point of view and if timed correctly (around 2
weeks before the end of the year) can receive massive
organic engagement.
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Hindsight and Hope
The Internet loves lists. Especially the ones that tug
at our heart strings.
During December, the internet is full of lists
capturing the year going, going, gone by.
It sets a perfect context, has an emotional connect
and has high virality. While you might not be able to
beat Buzzfeed at nostalgia inducing memorabilia
compilations and mind-numbingly specific GIFs, how
about a wonderful list that tells the user what they
should look forward to in the year 2016? Or an
announcement, in a visually appealing format, of
your employees’ promises for the new year? Or a
compilation of practical New Year Resolutions?
It might be refreshing for yours users and can feed
into the “it’s time to change” mood.
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Major Celebrity Birthdays
• Britney Spears, 1st Dec- Grammy winning pop singer of Baby One More Time and Toxic fame
• Amanda Seyfried, 3rd Dec- Hollywood actress of Mean Girls and Mamma Mia fame
• Walt Disney, 5th Dec- Animator, voice actor, and entertainer who founded The Walt Disney
• Nicki Minaj, 8th Dec- Grammy winning pop singer of Anaconda fame
• Rajnikanth, 12th Dec- Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon
• Taylor Swift, 13th Dec- Grammy winning pop sensation, most followed celebrity on Instagram
• Pope Francis, 17th Dec- Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church
• John Abraham, 17th Dec- Bollywood actor and former model of Jism fame
• Brad Pitt, 18th Dec- Academy Award Hollywood actor and producer of Troy, Oceans 11, Fight Club fame
• Anil Kapoor, 24th Dec- Bollywood and Hollywood actor, one of the most recognisable Indian actors
• Salman Khan, 27th Dec- Bollywood actor of worldwide fame, sometimes called The Tiger of Bollywood
• Psy, 31st Dec- South Korean singer, songwriter, record producer and rapper of Gangnam Style fame
• Sir Alex Ferguson, 31st Dec- Scottish former football player and manager of Manchester United (1986-2013)
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Major Film Releases
Bollywood
• Mastizaade, 4th Dec, starring: Sunny Leone, Vir Das
• Wazir, 4th Dec, starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar
• Bajirao Mastani, 18th Dec, starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone
• Hera Pheri 3, 18th Dec, starring: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham
• Dilwale, 18th Dec, starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
Hollywood:
• Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, 15th Dec, starring: Harrison Ford
• Sisters, 18th Dec, starring: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey
• Alvin and the Chipmunks : The Road Chip, 23rd Dec, starring: Jason Lee, Justin Long
• Joy, 25th Dec, starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper