Winter Holidays: Key Insights and What Brands Need To Know

Holidays and occasions are focal points for many Americans. These events afford people the opportunity to express their cultural traditions and individual preferences through decorations, food and beverage, entertainment, and activities.

Holidays and occasions are also important for brands and organizations as they present an opportunity to deepen connection with consumer segments. Day of the Dead, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Kwanzaa are some of the key winter holidays brands need to understand to fully capture diverse America’s attention. Collage Group helps marketers and insights leaders connect around this holiday by providing insights that clarify the similarities and differences in how American consumers across diverse segments prepare for and celebrate these holidays. These insights allow for more efficient and effective activations that capture greater mind and market share.

Key Insight #1:

Half of Hispanic Americans celebrate Día de los Muertos, and Bicultural and Unacculturated Hispanic Americans are most comfortable with brands activating on this holiday.

Key Insight #2:

Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, and most Multicultural consumers incorporate non-traditional foods into their Thanksgiving celebrations.

Key Insight #3:

 Hispanic and Asian American segments are more likely to say their Christmas celebrations go beyond “typical” American traditions.

Key Insight #4:

Kwanzaa is a popular holiday, celebrated by many Black Americans.

Key Insight #5:

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are popular for Black and Asian Americans as a kick-off to holiday shopping.

What can my brand do to activate on a winter holiday?

• Focus on authenticity, particularly if you are activating on a holiday that is celebrated by a specific racial or ethnic segment like Dia de los Muertos and Kwanzaa. Depending on your brand, this can include a simple celebratory message on social media pages, helping to educate the broader community about the holiday, or partnering with in-segment content creators to tell their own personal stories related to the holiday.
• Highlight what is non-traditional about traditional American holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated across racial and ethnic segments, but many Multicultural Americans have their own traditions based on their heritage and upbringing. Showing the range of how Americans celebrate will appeal to many Americans, particularly those who are Multicultural, and who have different ways of celebrating.

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