It might seem that creating a global Christmas campaign and releasing it in all European markets is enough to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although Christmas is celebrated similarly in many parts of the world, traditions, shopping habits, popular individual advertising formats and the current economic situation in a given country require marketers to be extremely vigilant and flexible. What does this look like in Poland? Here is a guide to what to look out for when planning a Christmas campaign for the Polish market.
Table of contents
1. Polish Christmas traditions differ from global ones
2. Take into account the Christmas shopping habits of Poles
3. Match your target group
4. Make use of geolocation
5. Take account of the current situation
1. Polish Christmas traditions differ from global ones
Although it seems obvious, we feel we have to mention it. Yes – Polish Christmas customs are different from those in the UK, USA or Germany. And it is important to take these differences into account when creating a Christmas campaign creative (or make it universal enough so that the statistical Pole can easily identify with the creative). Although Christmas rituals are becoming increasingly intertwined, Poles will understand little when you show them the tradition of eating stuffed turkey or pulling Christmas Crackers. Serving such images in adverts makes no sense.
So what are the traditional Polish holidays and the rituals associated with them?
- For Poles, the most important day of Christmas is Christmas Eve, or 24 December. It is then, just after the first star, that they sit down to an evening meal and break a wafer with their loved ones. A bit of hay is placed under the Christmas tablecloth – a symbol of Jesus’ birth in poverty. The tradition of leaving an extra place setting for a stray traveller is also alive.
- The Christmas Eve dinner should consist of 12 dishes, which vary slightly from region to region. Among the most popular are borscht with ravioli, Christmas Eve bigos and fried carp. There should be no meat or alcohol on the table on that day.
- Singing carols together has always been an important part of the family Christmas Eve supper, as well as the rest of the festive season. In Poland, 25th and 26th December are public holidays and most Poles spend them visiting family and friends.
- A popular (though disappearing) Christmas tradition in Poland is carol singing (not to be confused with singing carols). Carolers, or groups of people dressed as various characters (e.g. shepherds, kings, angels, devils), wander from house to house, singing carols and reciting special texts. In some parts of Poland, this Slavic custom is still cultivated.
- 92.8 % of Poles decorate their flats, houses and terraces. However, this is not done on such a huge scale as in the USA. Typically, Poles limit themselves to dressing a Christmas tree and decorating a window, balcony or garden tree with modest lights.
2. Take into account the Christmas shopping habits of Poles
It is impossible to create an effective advertising campaign without knowing how, when, how often, for how much and what Poles buy before Christmas.
Here are some vital statistics you should take to heart:
- Despite the growing popularity of online shopping, most Poles do their Christmas shopping in stationary shops.
- Christmas is the second most popular occasion in Poland for giving gifts to loved ones. This custom is cultivated by 83.7% of Poles. First place is taken by birthdays (87.1%).
- Nearly half of Poles spend around PLN 100-200 on a single gift, while only 16% decide to buy a gift worth more than PLN 200. Interestingly, they spend the most on partners, and the amounts spent on gifts increase with the age of the giver.
- Poles consider joint outings or trips to be the best gifts.
- Poles are buying Christmas presents much earlier to avoid price rises. Many take advantage of the discounts offered on Black Friday for this occasion.
- Poles support sustainability. According to the latest data provided by Salesforce, up to 42% would even consider paying more in return for sustainable shipping options.
https://naszemiasto.pl/zwyczaje-upominkowe-polakow-raport-2022/ar/c3-9054909
3. Match your target group
Poles are not the same as each other – just like their habits, expectations or the way they shop or use the media. It is impossible to create a uniform campaign that will have the same effect on all Poles of different ages, places of residence or educational levels. We have already written about how to most effectively reach individual groups on a number of occasions, including in an article on how to promote a brand in social media to different age groups.
In the case of Christmas campaigns, it is a good idea to start preparations well in advance – so that your brand’s maximum visibility falls at a key moment. If you are just entering the Polish market, thorough target group research should be commissioned even several months in advance. A few weeks before the start of the Christmas campaign, it is worth starting with narrowly targeted branding. Then simply extend the targeting slowly so that the adverts reach new audiences.
5. Make use of geolocation
The run-up to Christmas is a time when most brands spend exorbitant amounts on marketing campaigns. Polish consumers are inundated with Christmas campaigns throughout December and are becoming more resistant to pop-up banners, colourful sponsored posts or emotional advertising spots every day. How can this be remedied?
If you have a stationary shop or a service business and are planning a pre-Christmas sales campaign, take advantage of the opportunities offered by modern technology. The use of geolocalisation in advertising allows marketing content to be broadcast only to people who are currently in a particular location (e.g. near a specific stationary shop, company office or showroom). Most importantly, this tool allows users to be informed of their current distance from the nearest points. This is a great way to instantly grab a potential customer’s attention and stand out from the competition, which is extremely active at this hectic time of year.
7. Consider the current situation – a recipe for a successful campaign in 2023
The effects of pandemics, the war in Ukraine, rising fuel prices and galloping inflation have not put Poles in a good place. Recent reports show that many are being forced to save. And, after all, how much customers have in their wallets has a significant impact on what marketing message to send to them. In tough times, brand owners need to be vigilant in order to reach their customers effectively on the one hand, and to avoid creating an image crisis with their inaccuracy on the other.
Learn from the mistakes of others
A lack of sensitivity to the situation of customers was demonstrated, for example, by the jewellery brand Apart. As part of its high-profile 2020 Christmas advertising campaign, it presented the public with a spot dominated by glitz and glamour. Viewers quickly recognised that such an artificially created, joyful world was out of step with the pandemic reality around them. The spot went viral on the Internet, became a humorous parody and remains to this day a flagship example of how NOT to do Christmas campaigns in Poland. We also discussed this commercial in our article 5 most famous campaigns with Polish influencers of 2020.
Widely criticised Christmas advert for Polish brand Apart
Consider the current statistics
More than 60% of Poles are worried about rising prices and most have already cut back on everyday spending. According to data from GfK Polonia, cited by the daily Rzeczpospolita, Poles (45%) intend to spend less money on Christmas presents this year. They will also buy fewer gifts, limiting themselves to their nearest and dearest. They plan to look for gifts in cheaper product categories, such as sweets, books and sports accessories. They will also save money on Christmas decorations, ornaments and peri-Christmas entertainment.
Check if your brand is in the risk sector
The latest Festive Season survey by Channel Factory shows that Polish consumers will save money on products in certain categories this year. As many as 49% of Poles will forgo or reduce spending on jewellery, perfume and technology accessories. They will also spend less on groceries due to inflation. Creating a convincing advertising campaign will therefore be even more important – especially as nearly 51% of Poles admit that during the festive season it is mainly advertising that influences their purchasing decisions.
Enter Christmas discounts
In the current economic climate, Christmas discounts are an even more attractive lure for Polish customers. Poles are now particularly open to discounts of all kinds, so December is the perfect time to introduce them. From our own experience, we can say that percentage discounts, discounts of a fixed amount or free items and services (e.g. a second product for the price of one) work best.
Use smart up-selling and cross-selling
To make the most of the presence of potential customers in your online shop or sales platform, it is worth using up-selling and cross-selling. It will be a good idea to combine these tools with promotional offers, creating dedicated product bundles or service packages at lower prices for customers (e.g. the inclusion of hints for discounted products or a Christmas special offer “buy cheaper in a bundle”).
Are you looking for a Polish advertising agency to support you in your marketing activities in the Polish market? Contact us – let’s talk about your brand and the opportunities available!