It might only be September, but the shelves are already stacked with mince pies and somewhere, Mariah Carey is beginning her slow annual defrost. While it might feel far too early to be talking tinsel, for charities it’s exactly the right time to be thinking about Christmas.
For many organisations, a festive/winter appeal is one of the biggest campaigns of the year. Getting it right takes planning, creativity, and plenty of teamwork, which is why now is the time to get things moving.
Why early matters
The run-up to Christmas is busy for everyone and even more so for charities. Campaigns often include everything from concepts and messaging to digital and print media, adverts, mailers, merchandise, websites and social content. Starting early means avoiding the December scramble and giving your campaign the best chance to shine.
How we’re supporting our clients
At Northern Bear, we’re already working with several clients on their festive plans.
We’re proud to be supporting Birmingham Dogs Home’s Christmas campaign for the sixth year running. We joined their Christmas planning meeting at the end of August. Sitting around the table with their team was a really valuable moment, collaborative, open and full of ideas. It gave us the chance to understand their goals, input our knowledge and together shape their campaign plan to have the best impact and support the dogs in their care.
It’s a reminder that Christmas planning isn’t just about one big idea, it’s about creating a joined-up approach that reaches supporters across multiple channels and making sure every detail feels festive, meaningful and on brand.
Hear it from our clients
Northern Bear always go above and beyond to help us with our Christmas Appeals. Christmas is a busy time in the charity world so to have the support of their creativity, project planning and friendly team makes planning our Christmas Appeal so much easier! Every year they bring new ideas to the table to help raise incredibly important funds for our homeless dogs.
Natalie Pursall
Individual Giving Officer,Birmingham Dogs Home
Final thought
The best campaigns don’t happen by chance. A clear timing plan, with milestones along the way, keeps everything on track so your appeal is ready to launch when it matters most.
If you have a campaign or winter appeal you think we could help with, we’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at dan@thenorthernbear.co.uk or get in touch with our Chief Bear, Chris, at chris@thenorthernbear.co.uk.
