Strawberry, not Lingonberry, for Your Holiday Strategy

So…some of you sell in categories that routinely appear under the Xmas tree. Jam. Chocolate. Wine. Spirits. If you do, don’t confuse “Holiday LTOs” with a smart holiday growth play.

Why?

Well, let’s face it. Many folks who give gifts to others in the above categories make a critical gift-giving mistake, not in your favor as an early-stage brand seeking growth. These nice folks look for weird, rare, and expensive items to establish their: a) savvy shopping intellect and b) their love for you. 

This means they give your LTO Lingonberry jam UPC as a holiday gift to their loved ones and friends. Not the Strawberry UPC. 

Oops.

Which flavor is more likely to jump-start a habit in the category after the holidays? 

If you want to sell LTOs during the holidays, remember these are for brand fans, not for new brand consumers. 

In flavor-driven categories, you always, always push the mainstream, all-American flavors. Never in a million years will you scale Lingonberry jam or Lingonberry ice cream in this country. Categories have immutable cultural rules. You must adhere to them.

Not fight them. 

Your holiday offer in these categories should have been a multi-pack of your top-selling UPC to load the pantry of a potential new fan. Even if they don’t like it enough to stay as a consumer, the multi-pack will often get broken up and distributed to friends.