I recently had the same conversation a few times about Christmas and the cost of living with different clients.

So, in the spirit of the holiday season, let me share the outtakes.

Christmas remains the ultimate brand-building occasion

Through thick and thin, Christmas continues to be the optimistic occasion during the year in which we relax in the comfort of cherished traditions surrounded by immediate family and friends (according to the Pulse of Australia 2024 Christmas Survey).

These positive feelings of the holiday season have become a welcome distraction from the pronounced division of conflict, election results, and other social issues in the zeitgeist.

Advertising needs to tap into the positivity of the occasion. It needs to be emotionally led and backed by rational proof linking the messaging and story clearly to the brand — what the brand does and how it can make our life a bit easier.

Perhaps the best example of this that I have seen this holiday season is Apple’s Airpods Pro 2 Christmas ad, highlighting the gift of its new hearing aid feature.

My question for news providers is this: How are you going to use this occasion to build affinity with your readers? Is it a Christmas-style letter-from-the-editor feature? I’ll leave that up to you, but, remember, emotionally led messaging wins.

We’re living in a cost-of-living reality now

Readers are becoming numb to rate increases, inflation headlines, and more. They’ve been forced to inextricably alter their buying habits: removing things from their baskets, switching to alternatives, or finding the money to protect and keep items on their wish lists.

The point is, the inundating headlines around cost of living can only affect readers so much. Brands now need to be proactively managing expectations around our cost-of-living reality.

Beware, though: If managed incorrectly, it stings.

Australia’s biggest bank was forced to backflip on a controversial change within the week after announcing a change to charge customers AUS$3 for cash withdrawals by branch, post office, or phone.

The timing right before the holidays was met by widespread anger and outrage.

So, while readers may feel numb to the headlines around of cost of living, our reality is we need to be mindful of what they’re seeing, feeling, and thinking to build brand love not just for advertisers, but also us.

You could take these conversations in a number of directions, but I hope it’s armed you with an insight as you go about the newsroom and talk with advertisers this holiday season.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .